barrys@hercules.UUCP (Barry Steel) (12/04/85)
With all of this dicussion about Sears' no questions asked, replacement policy on their Craftsman tools; nothing has been said about the wastefulness of this. In a world short on resources, it just doesn't make sense to buy something just because "if it breaks they will replace it - free". Free to whom? Obviously Sears is not loosing money on their tools. I hate to think of all of the land fills piled with old Sears tools that met an early demise. Sounds like a terrible attitude toward tools in particular, and resources (including money) in general. I prefer (after learning the hard way by buying lots of Sears tools) that buying a good quality tool (or anything) is ALWAYS cheaper in the long run. Not to mention that you have the pleasure of using that tool (or whatever) throughout its life; which is often longer than the owner's. Buy less of better quality. I haven't regreted it once. barry steel "He has many knives, none of them sharp." -- ancient Chinese saying
briand@tekig4.UUCP (Brian Diehm) (12/05/85)
>With all of this dicussion about Sears' no questions asked, replacement >policy on their Craftsman tools; nothing has been said about the wastefulness >of this. > >I prefer (after learning the hard way by buying lots of Sears tools) that >buying a good quality tool (or anything) is ALWAYS cheaper in the long run. >Not to mention that you have the pleasure of using that tool (or whatever) >throughout its life; which is often longer than the owner's. > >Buy less of better quality. I haven't regreted it once. > Thank you Barry, for saying so eloquently exactly what I was trying to get across! This goes for many many things, not just woodworking tools. It even goes for your own efforts as well - if you think of your own work as throw- away, it certainly will be that quality. This is an attitudinal issue, and is at the heart of what I call "craftsmanship" - not to be confused with those who put out trash and, in a fit of Orwellian doublespeak, name it what it isn't! -Brian Diehm Tektronix, Inc. > > >barry steel > >"He has many knives, none of them sharp." -- ancient Chinese saying
mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (12/07/85)
A somewhat contrary view: First of all, anyone who would call Craftsman junk has never used junk. I have. Craftsman may not be the world's best, but it is readily distinguishable from junk. Second, it should be remembered that there all all different levels of usage. Craftsman tools aren't designed for professional use. They will stand up to reasonable use by amateurs. I use mine socket set to work on my car (and my father's car) quite frequently (FIAT, you know), and the only piece I've ever had a problem with was an extension which had an obvious manufacturing defect. I do some woodworking too, and as much as I covet Primus planes and the like, I know I will never buy one. They are just too fragile, and with the amount of work I do, I will never notice the difference between them and my half-the-price Stanleys. There's never any good reason to buy junk, but once you get out of the junk range, it makes sense to think a little about cost-effectiveness. As for the replacement policy, I think that, as far as the supposedly superior makes are concerned, it's put up or shut up. Charley Wingate