The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest I hate Craftsman!!!!!

As for Craftsman lawn mowers and yard tractors,they are built by MTD.Same way with,White,Cub Cadet,and many others,all made by MTD. I bought a new White lawn tractor after doing some research this year.The reason I bought it was because the price was low.A 46 inch cut machine with a 22HP Techcumsee,)spelling) for $1395.Sears Craftsman tractors were more expensive,around $1800 for the same setup.As far as I can find out John Deere is the only company who actually make their own mowers and tractors.And their prices are a way up there,about $2700.for a decent sized mower.And oh yeah as for John Deere,they build the tractors,but they also import the motors for them.

Craftsman mid-level lawn tracotrs are manufactured by Poulan. Also, the John Deere Sabre lawn tractors are MTD.

yeah, JDeer's cost more but mine has performed flawless since 1991 and I use the heII out of it....more like a bush hog. The hood did crack and break at the pivot point so I threw it in the trash. Now its called the "lawn Warrior". Also the original battery lasted over 6 years. STill running........(big kohler engine)

I certainly wouldn't knock MTD, they make a very good lawn tractor. We have one fo their Troy-Bilts, been an exellent tractor.

Talk about beating a dead horse...

Beating a dead horse,No way. If people are interested in a subject I say keep it alive.If you dont want to read about it,click on something else.

Isn't this entire website/forum based on beating dead horses? or at least old rusty ones back into shape?

I'm starting to hate craftsman tools. I got a new 4 ton floor jack for christmas. I've used it twice now and it has started leaking fluid out of it already. Not real happy with it.

we need to turn all those crappy craftsman tools into window cranks like ratrodking did in the general truck section post. i bet they can at least hold up to that light duty job. hahaha

well my MTD yard machine, mower wich I got for 1/2 price after my Sis in law bought it ...an then moved outta state ..performs just fine ..starts an runs like a champ ..mows a very nice yard not like some others that have uneven decks..no unsitely lines from it mowin DEEP on one side an such.
An the BEST part was my ..neighbor ..My 49 Yr. old brother decided pushin STINKS because he kept gettin outta breath an decided to BORROW the rider ALL SUMMER,good thing for us as he found out later this fall he had 2 blockages in his heart an needed STINTS...so if he woulda just been stubborn like he usually is an tried to push mow his large yard all summer he would not be here right now!
So for us the MTD Yardman Ridin Mower was a life saver!
Tim

My Craftsman lawn mower had a GREAT engine (Kohler 2-cyl), but IT had an uneven mow height I could never get rid of!

Fortunately, for me, my wife wanted to surprise me and mow the yard one day...it just happened to be the day I was changing the oil on the mower; drained it, and realized I had no oil. Screwed the new filter on and went to the store to got some oil. My lovely wife chose that opportunity to display her love for me by blowing up my mower (unintentionally; she didn't know it had no oil!)...so I went out and bought a Husqvarna ZTR mower to replace it!

Boy! You can hardly be mad at her since YOU didn't leave a note on the mower stating...

"Now would be a bad time to make me proud of you Honey".

As far as Craftsman is concerned on the Hand tool front you can blame Danhaher Corp,they make the tools. They try every way to make them cheaper and if they could they would make in China.

I have had snap on and mac tools for the last 20 plus years and there quality is also going to the cheep side except for the price.

Up in Canada Craftsman tools are made offshore. Same company makes MasterCraft for Canadian Tire. I believe the company is Fuller.
You can buy a Fuller open end wrench for half the price you pay for a Craftsman but you get no lifetime warranty. I buy Craftsman because if it breaks they just change it without hassle. I broke a Snap-On screwdriver and was given the third degree by the salesman before he gave me another.

the snap on guy told me that there are only a 2-3 companies that make hand tools for everyone (name brands). I have a 9/16 wrench that is stamped with my grandads initials from Monkey Wards, I have put a 3 foot cheater on it before, no damage. Put serious dings in a 9/16 craftsman with my hands, if I used the same cheater on it it would just break or bend. I buy a lot of tools from pawn shops that are old....williams, wards power craft....the OLD craftsman stuff is hard to find.

Holo-chrome and Danaher make tools for most, Stanley, Craftsman, etc. American Yard Products makes most of the chain saws and lawnmowers for Poulan, Sears, Roper, Troy Built, Husqvarna, MTD, etc. Vermont American makes most of the drillbit and saw blades.

However these are only the manufacturers. The marketing department for each labeled company determines the pricing and quality that goes into each brand.

actually Danaher doesn't make anything, it's simply an umbrella holding company that bought a lot of companies that do make things, or contract the manufacture to the lowest bidder, or in turn own a variety of previously independent brands ... including Holo-Krome, who only make fasteners and are part of Armstrong tools, "Made in the USA"

you guys need to accept that "globalisation" snuck up on ya .... it ain't gonna change, soon there'll only be one company in the world, with a nightmare of an organizational chart

Bill

I had a brother that worked at Simplicity products for years, and when they would make snowblowers in the fall, they would make simplicity till orders were filled, then switch over to john deere, then to craftsman, etc. But each company had their own specs. that they had to be built to. This is why so many look alike, but bearings, augers, wheels, etc. are not interchangeable.

I may stand corrected. When I was in the polishing and deburring equipment business 17 years ago, the first machines for polishing crasftsman sockets and extensions prior to chrome plating were shipped to a Holo-Krome address, the second to a Danaher Address.

Hey now I am not going to be a favorite guy all of a sudden but almost all my hand tools are craftsman professional. they get a workout. I also worked for Sears as a younger man. I will stand by my craftsman pro until they give me a reason not too

I would have to go with rusty. I have worked as a mechanic for better then 38 years, and a lot of my tools as well as my tool boxes are Craftsman. They have served me well, and there is no problem getting something replaced if it gets broken. Also Craftsman tools are a lot more reasonably priced then Snap On.
Jim

I have to agree with Jim and Rusty. All of my hand tools are craftsman, a few of which were even handed down from my dad and grand dad (they would never buy anything that wasn't a craftsman). Occasionally I've had a phillips screwdriver wear out, but those have been replaced for free. Other than that I've had none of my craftsman tools break (now I'm not an old timer but I've been using my tools for about 10 years). I often use a 3ft cheater bar on my ratchet and it's held up fine (poormans impact wrench). I also have an craftsman angle grinder, orbital sander, and a 50 year old corded drill that have all held up fine. So I'm going to keep using craftsman until they let me down. I've recently bought a couple of cobalt air tools from lowes that seem to be quality. Has anyone else had good luck/bad luck with cobalt?

Very good comments. I have had my Craftsman tools for over 50 years.That was the original set,that cost $39.95 at the time 1957. I have used and abused these tools,and used them professionally for about 10 years. They are all up and going strong.I have never had the extra money to invest in SnapOn tools,But my Craftsmans have served me very good.I stand buy my original statement,that most SnapOn tools are sold to Mechanics working for a living. And they can get the tools off of the truck today and pay for them later.I do have a few SnapOn wrenches that I have picked up at yard sales over the years,and they are no better than my Craftsmans.

I do like the old Craftsman tools, it is the new stuff that makes me want to rip my hair out. It seems everytime you buy a new powertool from them when yougo back to get a small part that model is no longer available so you need to go on-line to order the replacements. (Like a new wheel for your grinder). I don't mind going on-line to order parts but if I need it that day than it becomes a problem and that is what I hate the most.

Ed

I too will not buy any more Crasftsman power tools.I got stung on an expensive Craftsman table saw about 10 yrs.ago. However I will continue to buy Craftsman hand tools,they are hard to beat for the money.Over the last 50 or so years,I have used and abused my Craftsman wrenches,sockets ratchets,etc.Broke probably two of them Took them back to Sears,and they replaced them immediatly.No questions asked.Why would I go out and buy Snap Ons for two or three times the price of Craftsmans?

Danaher Tool division owns Holokrome and Armstong.
They also own Jake brake,and Fluke meter ,among others.

Crafstman ratchets are made in Garland Texas(At the Kingsley Tool plant) they moved from the original plant in 2005 from Springfield ,MA after being there since the 20's .
They also make NAPA ,Armstrong and Lowes brand ratchets.
The forgings are made in Arkansas.(this also was in Spfld ,MA)
The Holokrome plant in W. Hartford ,CT also makes the Allen wrenches and torx bits.