Looks like the Craftsman name is dead, and the new huge plant in Ft Worth Texas will be closed by 2024.
S-B&D basically gave up before any of the tools even hit the market.
I guess they're going to finish and sell what they can then that's it.
Apparently they were trying to imminent some kind of cost effective warm forging process or some other nonsense that all the Taiwanese manufacturers use, but didn't have enough understanding of the process to make it work and the world's largest tool company isn't willing to just stick it out.
They claim to be committed to American manufacturing, but not enough to put up with some hiccups in a new tool plant.
If they really cared they could afford to stick it out, make things work, and eventually have a successful lind of American made Craftsman tools again, but they're just not as committed as they claim to be.
i think you are wrong on this. the cman name is not dead. i will go out on a limb and say it is far from dead and will probably outlive most of us in some way, shape or form.
we can argue all day about whether it should be us made or any place that it is made but for the vast majority of people it just does not matter. about 3 years ago now, i picked up one of their larger boxed sets with a few wrenches and large assortment of sockets in all three drive sizes. not even close to top notch stuff but quite usable and actually pretty good. the box fits with t stak boxes. the tools have pretty good fit and finish, the ratchets are a little clunky and bulky but work fine. i searched all of the brands and gave the most in the bang for buck ratio. i know people bitch about piece counts but all of the pieces serve a purpose and add capability. matter of fact it has completed a couple projects because it had those extra bobbles and bits.
these tools stay at a remote location about 50 miles from my home where i keep my camper. my neighbors have no problem searching me out when they need to complete a project on a saturday night and their tools are 100 miles away or 20 miles away at the nearest hardware store that is closed. so far, no lost or broken pieces and maybe more importantly no fears of them breaking in use.
do i wish they were us made? sure do. do they give me warm fuzzies and feeling of nostalgia? nope, not much of that either.
what does it give me? the ability to get a project done whether it is maintaining my camper, shed or deck. helping the owner of the campground or my neighbors maintain their boat, pontoon, dock, lift or trailer. that ensures me that i have more time to enjoy a cold beverage, an outdoor cooked meal and time around the campfire with my family and friends.
when looked at in that light. my box of plain unassuming average tools are at some times priceless. not because of how great they are but because they allow me to get er done and move on to what is really important.
