Thread: Sears sure has changed, for the worse!

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Wow Don what a hassle. When I was 16 years old I got the Craftsman 100 pc tool set from my Mom, as did all my brothers at the same age. We all bought our first cars, and had to fix them ourselves. I still have that set as my main tool set, most everything still works flawless with the exception of one of my 1/4 drive wrachets and a 3/8 inch drive wratchet, but I have two of each, so, I just don't use the ones that slip.
I remember my first battery was a diehard. We all knew they lasted the longest and everybody seems to go to Sears to buy them. Then Sears got in big trouble thru their service center for over charging for repairs. It seem that since that had happened they have steadily gone down hill to where they are at today. Two power tools I have are a belt sander, which works, but not well, and an old router I used at work which was a POS. Most of my power tools are brand specific to who makes a high end reliable one(Milwakee sawsall), Makita cordless drill, Skill wormdrive circular saw, Delta table saw, etc. But I think what is truely the down fall of a good quality tool is we the consumer. I will go to HF in a minute to save a 100 bucks on a tool I rarely use, but can't get by without. Most people do. As a result, USA made stuff is outsourced to China to compete with stores like HF. I imagine even Snapon has to cheapen their product to get people to buy it. It's sad that integrity and quality no longer go with American companies like Sears.
Don I was wondering if your son bought it with a crdit card. If he did he can get a copy of the reciept from them. It still upsets me that an unsafe tool still under warrenty, and they don't have the common sense to replace or refund it to you. At the very least give you an instore credit for something of equal value. I agree with Bob(I can't believe I'm saying that) It is time to Escalate, and it is a safety issue, you know some dumb kid, with a lowrider is going to buy this same jack, crawl under his car and get crushed! It's not acceptable to make a jack that doesn't stay up when used in the proper fashion. I like the attourney general/email idea. It's time to make them squirm!

Originally Posted by Corvette64

Bad thing is that a lot of the Snap-on tools are made in China too these days. Might as well use the Harbor Freight stuff.

Snap-On made in China???? Guess I haven't seen that on any of the tools with the Snap-On name on them... Maybe some of the odd ball other stuff in the truck, but the hand tools are still made in the good old USA....

High School buddy of mine works at Snap-On [Tool Box plant]. Still going strong the last time I talked to him.

China has been buying a lot of US property, maybe the bought Wisconsin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

China has been buying a lot of US property, maybe the bought Wisconsin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale

Hmmmm. I heard they had to throw in DC and the US Senate to get them to buy Wisconsin!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hmmmm. I heard they had to throw in DC and the US Senate to get them to buy Wisconsin!!!!

YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon what and white wash

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon what and white wash

Thanks for the tip, Pat!!!!! Gonna do some investing in air fresheners, hip boots, and white wash firstest thing Monday!!!!!

I have a '98 model year Craftsmen 16hp/42" cut hydrostatic drive lawn tractor. maintained good.. last few years it's really been breaking down bad, and finally it has carb issues that. I'm just not going to deal with.. all 4 tires also leak, and 1 year ago, I put in a new front axle, front wheels were done 2 years ago because the bushings wore out.. could buy a new machine with what is going wrong

Last year I saw an old garden tractor on the side of the road so I stopped and looked at it.. and it was a 1968 Sears Suburban 12 for $250, had a 42" deck and it said runs good. and upon checking the oil and hearing it run ( started within 3 cranks ), bought it pretty much on the spot... sharpened the blades, cut it one mowing, and a spindle bearing became loose and threw the belt.. I got the original manuals with the tractor, and the sears p/n on the bearings don't cross to anything so I would have to remove the bearing to get the numbers and match it up.. just for giggles, I called sears parts direct.. gave them the P/N, and they actually listed them.. so I got 1 ( $20 ), and then matched it up with 2 more ( $5/ each from Napa ) for the other 2 blade spindles... tires are original Sears branded ( not weather checked ), and probably the original 1968 air because they do not leak

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

YEP it was a wine and cheese deal the D.C deal there going to give it a fast paint job and flip it on E BAY.they were going to make it in to a theme park with a zoo but there was to much crap from the monkeys for them to clean up. you know all the years of it just piling up and no more green back paper to wipe there butts with.... so there going to paint over it all. some air freshener and try to make a buck.... buy stock in the pine tree air fresheners i hear there stock... is going to go up soon what and white wash

Just now got my breath back from laughing so hard at this post .
Thanks for that, Pat.

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

Well why not they purchase Washington DC on a half off sale

Amen

Don, bite the bullet, buy ANOTHER identical jack from Sears. Take the broken jack, swap it in the box, then use that new receipt to return the broken one. You don't get your money back, but at least you get a working jack out of the ordeal. But...who knows how long the new one will work for.

Originally Posted by Gusaroo

Don, bite the bullet, buy ANOTHER identical jack from Sears. Take the broken jack, swap it in the box, then use that new receipt to return the broken one. You don't get your money back, but at least you get a working jack out of the ordeal. But...who knows how long the new one will work for.

Ahhhhhhh, I like your thinking. I could take it back with the receipt and say I just didn't like it and I want my money back. If I pay in cash and have the receipt I would get cash back immediately.

More than one way to skin a cat!

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Ahhhhhhh, I like your thinking. I could take it back with the receipt and say I just didn't like it and I want my money back. If I pay in cash and have the receipt I would get cash back immediately.

More than one way to skin a cat!

Don

As long as "they" don't recognize you as trying to return one earlier!

I went into Sears last week while I was at our local mall. I wanted to pick up an inexpensive welding helmet. I looked all over their tool department finding nothing. I finally found an employee and he claimed they stopped carrying any and all welding supplies a while ago.

I also recently took back a 1/4 inch rachet that stripped internally for replacement. They reached under the counter and had a whole box of "reconditioned" rachets. You don't even get a new rachet when yours breaks??

How about a tool so crappy you have to keep a whole box of them under the counter?? I think I will be shopping at Lowes and purchasing Kobalt tools from here on out.

Don Jr.