Tool Box Buzz

Just over a year and a half ago, Stanley Black and Decker (SBD) bought Craftsman from Sears. Since then they have been busy lining up retailers to sell the tools as well as developing the products. At the recent Craftsman Media Event, they announced over 1200 new tools. New Craftsman mechanics tools make up about 600 of this number. So what are some of the new offerings?

Craftsman Mechanics Tools And Sets

121-piece Gunmetal Chrome Mechanics Tool Set (CMMT12033)

• Features a 120T Dual Pawl Ratchet for easy access in tight spaces
• A gunmetal chrome finish helps provide corrosion resistance
• Long panel anti-slip wrenches solid grip on tough fasteners
• Includes a durable carrying case with metal latches and removable metal hinges
• Backed by the CRAFTSMAN Full Lifetime Warranty with hassle-free replacement
• For full product information please visit, www.craftsman.com
• Price: Unknown at time of publishing

159-piece Mechanics Tool Set (CMMT12025)

• Includes three 72-tooth pear head ratchets
• Comes with a long-lasting carrying case with the removable hinges that fit perfectly into CRAFTSMAN metal storage units
• Includes the CRAFTSMAN Full Lifetime Warranty with hassle-free replacement
• For full product information please visit, www.craftsman.com
• Price: Unknown at time of publishing

3/8-inch Drive 120T Gunmetal Chrome Ratchet (CMMT82011)

• 120-tooth count dual pawl ratchet allows for access to difficult and narrow spaces
• Sleek gunmetal chrome finish aids in resisting corrosion
• Price: Unknown at time of publishing

More Are On The Way

Looking at the two sets and ratchets above you can deduce that they don’t add up to 600 tools. Look at their web site though and you can see that a whole bunch of sets are on their way. It’s a step in the right direction for sure but it’s too soon to tell if they’ll do the larger mechanics sets (300+ tools) or if they will stick to small sets like some of their competition.

Where Will Craftsman Mechanics Tools Be Sold?

Currently Lowes, ACE Hardware, and Amazon are the big retailers named by Stanley Black and Decker. Also Orchard Supply and Blain’s Farm and Fleet are listed but they are more regional retailers. Some of these retailers, Lowe’s for example, have the tools on the shelves already. Amazon though is seemingly only selling the Sears manufactured sets. At this time I’m not sure if it will be a clean switch over or if Amazon will sell both Sears and Stanley Black and Decker manufactured sets.

What About The Warranty?

Two questions that will inevitably be asked are “Do the new tools come with a warranty?” and “What about my old Craftsman tools?”

To the first question, yes the new Craftsman mechanics tools come with a full lifetime warranty with hassle-free replacement. You should be able to walk into any brick and mortar store selling them and get your broken tool replaced. What if you bought it on Amazon? Again you’ll have no problem walking into a local store that sells Craftsman and get it replaced. I’m not sure how the returns on Amazon will go though. Will they use Amazon’s usual RMA procedure or will you have to send it back to the manufacturer? I don’t know yet but will update this when I do.

The second question, “What about my old Craftsman mechanics tools?” is a little harder to answer. Brick and mortar stores may honor it but it may differ on a store to store basis. To be honest though, the average associate isn’t going to analyze a broken socket to determine if it was a Sears or SBD Craftsman tool. Ratchets or other tools with a product number right on them may be a harder sell. My only advice to is to try it and comment back to us if it worked. I have an old USA version 1/4″ ratchet that lost its ball detent and pawl spring that I may try it with.

If Lowe’s/SBD were smart, they would extend the hassle-free replacement to any Craftsman mechanics tool regardless of age because that customer would most likely return there for their future Craftsman purchases. I know I would. Most users have no knowledge that the Craftsman brand even changed hands so the smoother the user experience, the happier the customer.

Time Will Tell

A lot of my thoughts above are a bit of speculation. Like almost everything, hindsight is 20/20 so we’ll see how this all shakes out in another year or two. One thing is for certain, Stanley Black and Decker is putting a lot of money behind the relaunch of the Craftsman brand, especially in hand tools, the area that made them great in the first place and that gives me a lot of hope for the brand.

1 Comment

1. Zachary Londene

   October 14, 2021 at 2:38 pm

   I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know SBD bought Craftsman. I thought they were independent from sears and just had an exclusivity contract. This was a very good read. I consider myself an amateur mechanic and can do most basic maintenance on my vehicles (I just did the brakes on my wife’s car). When we bought our first house I had no tools whatsoever. My wife surprised me for valentines day with a Craftsman 200+ piece chromed mechanics tool set that she got on clearance from Sears. I was ecstatic!! I’ve used them for a few years now and I am very happy with their performance. I use them for everything from automotive to house work. I think I’ll be a Craftsman guy for life, be it Sears or SBD.

   Reply

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