Highpower, you're absolutely right Sears should get some - actually ALL - of the credit. In the days when I bought that micrometer, my first (small) toolbox was gradually filled with Craftsman tools, purchased as money became available. A huge (for me) investment was a Craftsman 3/8 variable speed drill. I'd never seen a variable speed drill and I had to have it, regardless of the price (which was quite reasonable).
No plastic in this beat-up old beauty - fifty years old this year and works perfectly (note the tape around the power cord, LOL) ! I have EVERY one of those original Craftsman tools today - EVERY one ! I haven't bought any Craftsman tools in many decades - no need - but I've sure heard a lot of complaints about this generation of :Craftsman" tools. During a walk through the power tools in Sears, I saw a few items that looked suspiciously like Grizzly and Harbor Freight products.
Probably just a coincidence.
Naturally Sears makes/made nothing themselves but the organization had it's s--t together in the day. The purchasing department picked reputable manufacturers, the quality assurance department insured that the manufacturers maintained their quality standards, the prices were right and the no-questions-asked return policy on the hand tools - what's not to love ?
Because I hate to change router bits, I buy every Craftsman router I can find at garage sales. All of them are decades old, all of them work. My Craftsman table saw, given to me by a friend some thirty years ago, was made in 1953 and other than replacing the belt ....
But that was then.
P.S. In a previous post, I wrote that I'd lost most of my "hand tools" from that period. I should qualify that the hand tools to which I referred were the ones that came with the Atlas lathe: tap wrench, die stock, four or five spring calipers, pressure oiler, collection of cutting tools, taps, dies, drills etcetera. All of which came in two cigar boxes, LOL, the ones that were made of wood. All accompanied the lathe when I sold it.
No plastic in this beat-up old beauty - fifty years old this year and works perfectly (note the tape around the power cord, LOL) ! I have EVERY one of those original Craftsman tools today - EVERY one ! I haven't bought any Craftsman tools in many decades - no need - but I've sure heard a lot of complaints about this generation of :Craftsman" tools. During a walk through the power tools in Sears, I saw a few items that looked suspiciously like Grizzly and Harbor Freight products.
Probably just a coincidence.
Naturally Sears makes/made nothing themselves but the organization had it's s--t together in the day. The purchasing department picked reputable manufacturers, the quality assurance department insured that the manufacturers maintained their quality standards, the prices were right and the no-questions-asked return policy on the hand tools - what's not to love ?
Because I hate to change router bits, I buy every Craftsman router I can find at garage sales. All of them are decades old, all of them work. My Craftsman table saw, given to me by a friend some thirty years ago, was made in 1953 and other than replacing the belt ....
But that was then.
P.S. In a previous post, I wrote that I'd lost most of my "hand tools" from that period. I should qualify that the hand tools to which I referred were the ones that came with the Atlas lathe: tap wrench, die stock, four or five spring calipers, pressure oiler, collection of cutting tools, taps, dies, drills etcetera. All of which came in two cigar boxes, LOL, the ones that were made of wood. All accompanied the lathe when I sold it.