USA Made Craftsman Socket/Bit set. I finally found one to try. Spoiler Alert: It's seems great!

USA Made Craftsman Socket/Bit set. I finally found one to try. Spoiler Alert: It's seems great!

[@marcmckenzie5110]

As a hobby machinist it gives me consternation at how extremely difficult it has been for Stanley Black & Decker to spool up core tool technology under a beloved brand, here in the USA. To me, clearly our policy holders over the years clearly have not comprehended the danger to our nation and its economy which has been created by off-shoring so much of our machining and fabrication expertise. More and more of the people who really knew how to design and manufacture these things are retired, or worse, gone. And our society, in a way, led us here because in America we like nothing better than the inexpensive. The problem is, when we vote with our wallet only, it inherently drives corporations to outsource and offshore. Doc has done a good job of making this more clear with the daily examples he provides. Of course we see offshore exceptions which provide good value at reasonable prices, but do we want to end up entirely depending on this? Worthy of contemplation.

[@Holabirdsupercluster]

This is what happens when shareholder value is the only thing companies are allowed to care about, when you're only chasing the stock market everything else will suffer

[@geoken2]

Voting with your wallet doesn’t just mean the cheapest option. It means only giving money to companies that are doing what you want them to do.

[@question_asker_93]

Exactly. Degradation of skills is a national emergency

[@marcmckenzie5110]

Amen

[@Cookerab]

Amazing how good we all had it just 20 or so years ago when we could go to Sears and get good US made tools at a great price. My wife's grandmother worked for Sears for most of her life since the 30s I believe. All my US craftsman tools have been used and abused and they are all still kicking decades later minus a broken universal 1/4 socket adaptor which is a bad design anyways. Sadly you have to hand it to HF. They were smart and have really stepped up in terms of tool quality for price. I never thought I would say that about chicom tools. Whether one should buy chicom is an entirely different issue but their quality for price is hard to deny.

[@flapxjackson]

I think the best days of Craftsman tools are long gone. All I can say about these is that an attempt was made. I have a tool box full USA Craftsman I bought new long ago. And comparing the old tools to the new I would say that the quality has slipped. I was looking at the combination wrenches at Lowe’s the other night. I see they’re made in India now. Not only was I disappointed that they were made in India, the quality didn’t look up to snuff. When they were made in Taiwan, I would say they were just on par with USA made. I’m happy I filled my tool box when you could go to Sears and buy USA made tools. Now, if I had to buy tools, I’d buy Harbor Freight Icons.

[@Passively-Prepared]

Got two of these that live in my and the wife’s vehicles. Nice capability and quality without killing the bank. Keep a wiha go box, 1/4” sockets, a stubby, and the 100mm knipex combo in our back packs. This plus a couple 180mm knipex and a few other real size tools is a nice spread in addition to our back pack tools. Good quality wiha bits in that craftsman bit driver does the trick. Didn’t have to purchase another full size bit driver and it packs away nicely in the case. Doesn’t hurt having some extra standard size bits either. I would’ve bought the socket set for just $50.

[@vicarod]

I wanted so much to see the Craftsman brand come back home and successfully produce tools in the US again. Sadly, Stanley-Black and Decker failed miserably at the endeavor. I really do think there is a market for mid-tier US made tools. Just don't know if it is economical yet. There are some articles out on why the Ft. Worth plant failed. Part of it was the machines used in the mfg processes (to reduce human labor) weren't quite capable of the task when brought up to scale. Hopefully in the near future a mfg will be able to fill this niche. Tekton seems to be slowly making an effort to produce in the US.

[@JoseDelgado-ho1cf]

This product was probably designed around the "Made in USA! *with global materials" appeal just for marketing. Probably no concern for quality, just the minimum effort to be able to slap as many flags and "USA! *with global materials" on it as possible. Why couldn't they just have done the humble plain grey plastic boxes, for a more genuine, nostalgic look? Thanks for showing!

[@randysmith9636]

Because the next person in line would be saying how they didn't even put the USA branding on everything. Why would they go with a gray box? Their colors are Red and Black.

[@carnold.knowledge]

I’m a big Made in USA supporter, but becoming more of a NOT Made in China guy. With something as high quality as Tekton, though Made in Taiwan, the fit and finish of these Craftsman seem a title underwhelming.

[@avernvrey7422]

Bunch of them around here. Down to $59 and $44. Half the pieces are made in Taiwan, the bits and driver, maybe the extensions (forgot) anyway it will say what parts are made where on the back.

[@aussiehardwood6196]

Craftsman, once known as the everyday mans hand tool. Good enough quality to last and be used by a pro with limited resources, affordable enough for the homeowner with warranty to boot. Well now with Taiwan making very decent quality tools for a fraction of the wholesale cost. Its over. And they have MANY factories supplying many retail brands, upper tier Taiwan tools have even made it onto tool trucks. They are just too competitive for USA brands like Craftsman sadly. Would I buy that socket set compared to other Taiwan offerings... no. But these days for me, I pretty much only buy tools from Japan, USA, Germany and a few other 1st world countries. They still have a quality advantage but you pay for it.

[@hardlyb]

I got excited when Craftsman tools started coming out, bought some, and they broke my heart, so I swore off (and at them) for a while. But I bought a Craftsman tap and die set (for myself last Christmas) on a Project Farm recommendation, and I've been happy with that. So I'm tentatively considering buying Craftsman tools again.

[@scratchurcheeks786]

Probably poor quality control seen a lot of post on Facebook with scratched up chrome, duplicates and sockets that look unfinished. Only the ratchet and sockets are made in USA the rest aren’t it says in the back of the box.

[@vicarod]

"Only the ratchet and sockets..." 😂 Nobody buys these sets for the bits / bit driver

[@jackhenry290]

I love how people are upset their $60 usa tools we’ve been begging for isn’t “high polished”. Like wtf do they want? Snap-on 😂

[@williamsanders6092]

The polish is definitely the MOST IMPORTANT thing you talked about in your "review".

[@darkinertia2]

i have real nostalgia with craftsman, my dad got one of the full sets in the blowmold case in the 90s that id use taking apart skateboards and other things and i was hoping to get the new gen so that i could have it but sadly i dont feel like "with global materials" is up to the same standards as those old sets for me.

[@coffeefish]

I bought three sets of the gun metal chrome. Beautiful stuff.

[@rwbishop]

Isn't that 'gun metal chrome' just econobudget Nickel plating?

[@coffeefish]

@@rwbishop Not sure really about the type of plating. For Christmas I bought my Dad the 1/4" set, the 3/8ths, and a 1/2" set. Every time I'm at his house and need to do some work, I enjoy the look and feel of those sets. If it's an econobudget material, then it's a win-win.

[@chiphill4856]

@@coffeefishI started gifting my dad with decent wrenches and tools for Christmas every year and he loves it!

[@1pieman]

I found a box of craftsman sockets I bought at at a Sears outlet store mid 70's into the 80's there's metric sae 3/8 1/2 I have sone 3/4 put up I haven't found since I moved I remember paying .25 cents each I have sets I built from that store

[@405hp]

Just bought the 88 pc USA set for $34.99 - My local Lowe’s cannot give these sets away.

[@jackhenry290]

I’m so confused. USA made for that price. They are pretty nice. I got a set and put aside.

[@bradl2636]

What is the UPC code?

[@andrewchiusolo1950]

Okay my thought are as follows and if I’m wrong let me know. “ made in USA with global materials” ? Hmmm Shouldn’t they mean global materials assembled in USA?

[@jackhenry290]

Sockets and ratchet made in USA. Bits driver box somewhere else. Grab a set. I’m impressed with mine

[@sramsdellwdm]

I just bought one at Lowe’s. For $35. Was super disappointed with the finish. My 19mm deep is all scarred up. As are many of them. The ratchet has scuffs all around the head of it. The extension is horribly finished. Will say the 90t ratchet is very smooth? Oh well

[@jackhenry290]

So b pay 4x for proto. They are $60. What the heck do you want from them? 😂😂😂😂

[@EffingWhiteMale]

My lowes has tons of these and the 88 piece They aren't too bad if you get ones without rust in the sockets. Also, sockets, ratchets and wrenches made in USA: balance made in Taiwan. They were supposed to come out with a 154 piece set and wrenches but alas, failed miserably.

[@EffingWhiteMale]

@@jackhenry290I did lol

[@JohnnyG2573]

#1

[@tedkenne]

They say you can watch that chrome metal rust before your eyes.

[@jaredappleseed7037]

Make craftsman great again

[@TylerSnyder305]

Only the things that say USA on them are made here, just the sockets and the ratchet ( body forged here, imported mechanism). The extension bits and stupid driver handle are Taiwanese.

[@rwbishop]

Meh... what little of that particular 'brand' remaining here was assigned loaner box duty ages ago.

[@rocknjb9830]

I paid $29.99 so I bought 4 sets.

[@georgecypher4568]

I did buy Crapsman sockets a time ago but i would wear them out or crack them and when i would go to the store to return them under warranty , They Would "NEVER" have what i wanted to return ...so I quit buying them . I own all SnapOn , Mac or Matco sockets now and there is NO NEED to go and try and warranty one of them . Tool trucks come EVERY WEEK to the job and if i need something special most of the time my SNappy guy comes pretty quickly ...... I guess if idid not need sockets then there would be no need for Crapsman tools !!!

[@91Z50]

Yeah they never said it was going to be the same USA quality of the Craftsman of the past

[@DrDRE4391]

Made in the US with Global Materials means it was most likely all made abroad and it was put together in the US so they claim the Made in the US. Many US corporations are doing that now. It's made overseas, sent here and then "assembled" here in the US. They snap parts together like Legos and claim Made in US. Some actually truthfully state, "Assembled in the US". Snap-On's claim to fame is the result of triple chroming their tools which makes them easy to clean off and are rust resistant. The metals used are also of high quality. I wonder about tolerances though as I've seen other tools with a better fit.

[@AToolWithTools]

Not how FTC guidelines work. The ratchets, sockets, and wrenches were made in the USA. The anvil in the ratchet came from Taiwan with plans to bring those within the border eventually until production got stopped. The ratchet itself is 4140 steel, forged in the US with steel sourced in the US. If it's just assembled in the US, the most a company can claim is assembled in the US. That's been the rule for years now.

[@DrDRE4391]

@@AToolWithTools One more response. Taiwan is making a lot of superior products today. They have rivaled the Japanese, German and Swiss products of the recent old. I have respect for many Taiwanese products. There is a world of difference between Taiwanese and many Chinese products. Just saying.

[@AToolWithTools]

@@DrDRE4391 Indeed nothing wrong with Taiwanese tools. That same path Japan walked in going from budget price and poor performance to still sane pricing but good or great performance, Taiwan seems to be walking now. It's also up to whoever is ordering them to spec them appropriately and follow through on QC and ensure they're getting what they, and ultimately we, pay for, just as with any COO. It's also interesting that now India and Vietnam seem to have been chosen to become the new China, with more manufacturing popping up in those places to save on those labor costs etc.

[@desertdweller9548]

It's nickel not chrome too. Fuggin' garbage anymore.

[@desertdweller9548]

Chinesium garbage. I doubt much of any of it is made domestically, just the bare minimum. Pathetic what the brand has become. Shyte quality from the get go.