Crapsman Rant

[giddonah]

My dad used Crapsman crap almost exclusively. I still have a 20yr old circ saw that works (but runs at nearly deafening levels) and a drill (which has become too heavy compared to new drills). Solid tools. This year (before enlightenment) I decided to just go with what was a solid company :roll: for a table saw, router and a compound miter saw.

You guys already know why they suck, but I'm learning the hard way. The angles on the miter saw are not right. It sucks. I have to mark new angles and can't use the locking angles (unless I want a 46 1/2o cut). I have to wrestle with the router to make any kind of depth adjustment. The table saw is just flimsy.

I know before I said they would work for occasional homeowner projects, but I'd like to emphasize the occasional part. Oh, and you better not have any experience with really good tools, or you'll just get pissed. At least they weren't expensive. I think the router and miter were <$100 each and the saw was probably <$200 without looking it up. At the time I didn't really have money to buy truly good tools, and because of that I'm not totally enraged. They got me by for a year, but now that I have an awesome router table and see what good tools are like, I'm never going back to the dark side.

People need to be educated. How do you stop the evil empire from saddling poor unsuspecting victims with their low rent crap? I guess it has it's place, but that place isn't within eyesight of anyone who may even be remotely serious about what they are doing.

I am now a tool snob.

[Rich]

If you look on the bottom side of the miter saw there are adjustments you can make to get the angles zeroed out.
But I do agree - they just aren't in the same caliber as other manufacturers.

[giddonah]

I didn't see anything that looked like it would zero the angles. It did have two hex nuts holding the handle on which I loosened and retightened with the saw at zero, but it's still off at 45 by a little less than a degree. I still think it's crap though. I feel like spending my free time in the sears parking lot handing out flyers. If I only had some free time...

[Dragon]

Its getting harder and harder to find good tools from any manufacturer.

I equate Craftsman with Black & Decker. Bottom end anymore.

[tooltroll]

You pays yer money and you takes yer chances. . . but, in the end, you get what you pay for. I can't afford top-of-the-line, but I never go cheap, unless I'm thinking 'disposable' for some reason. My boss loves Crapsman crap. . . of course! There's a lifetime warranty, so when the cheap crap he buys breaks and puts me behind schedule, he can just take it back and exchange it for more cheap gimmicky crap. No wonder I can only stomach working there part time (and charge a hefty idiot tax on the big jobs I do there.)

Like Dragon says, everything is getting generally crappier- I blame rampant capitalism: Nobody cares about anything but the almighty bottom line, doubly so if we're speaking of a pack of greedy shareholders who don't give a dingo's kidney how inefficient, impractical or downright hazardous their products are, as long as the dividend checks keep showing up. Sooner or later, something's got to give, and it'll probably be really ugly when it does. . .

At least when soviet communism collapsed, it didn't try to take the whole world down with it.

[HDNord]

.... There's a lifetime warranty, so when the cheap crap he buys breaks and puts me behind schedule, he can just take it back and exchange it for more cheap gimmicky crap..........Craftsman lifetime warranty only applies to hand tools, not power tools. Most Craftsman power tools only have a one year warranty or less if used commercially. Some have a commercial rating and they will have a longer warranty if used on the job.

Although most craftsman power tools would not be a good choice for the contractor that makes his living with tools the average homeowner doing DIY projects are generally very happy with Craftsman power tools.

[CThomp]

I have a craftsman shop vac. I like it. I have two B&D cordless drill. The first is a 9.6V. It sucks. The other is the Firestorm 18V. So far so good I've been really satisfied with the 18v. No complaints.

[Sparks]

I got sick of paying big bucks for Milwaukie 18v batteries and chargers so I went out and bought the 19.2 volt Craftsman combo pack. The drill and 2 batteries and charger and a right angle drill for $99.00. The only complaint I have is the chuck comes loose on both the drills at times. Other than that, no complaints, and for the price of one Milwaukie battery, I get 2 drills, a charger and 2 batteries. Also, I'm hard as hell on my tools and so far, so good with the Craftsmen products, albeit I'm an electrician, not a trim carpenter. But they hold up to my abuse. Just my 2 cents. Anyone need a 18v Milwaukie hammer drill and sawzall, just need batteries, cheap!!??

[midnightscape]

Anyone need a 18v Milwaukie hammer drill and sawzall, just need batteries, cheap!!??
I don't have a sawzall in my garage yet, how cheap?!

[Sparks]

I guess it wouldn't be too cheap if you don't currently own a Milwaukie 18v battery and charger,by the time you bought them you could've bought a complete new kit from another manufacturer. Hence my reason for retiring the tools. Although I would sell them cheap if someone was serious, probably 50 for both.

[midnightscape]

I sent you a PM.

Jason

[David]

I have a 19.2v Craftsman drill that does just fine, too. I can't believe you guys are talking on here at 5am, and thus I missed my chance at a good mlw hammer drill and sawzall!!

[midnightscape]

I was actually on at 3:30am reading new posts, my cat decided to throw up under my bed so I got to push my bed across the floor and clean up.

Sparks wanna trade for a cat?!

[David]

Mine did that 2 nights ago. She puked in the doorway to the mastser closet. Then, she decided to take a cr@p on her puke.

[midnightscape]

Then, she decided to take a cr@p on her puke.

OMG, can't stop laughing...[let's see, a cherry to top it all off]

[David]

Oddly, the original rant was about crapsman, not cats.

[CThomp]

Oh wow that was funny as sh!t. Your cat actually crapped on its puke. LOL :)

The worst my dog has ever done is puke off the side of the bed and the curled back up next to me. I didn't discover it until the next morning. That was great.

[HDNord]

Glad we don't have a cat.

[midnightscape]

giddonah, I'm sorry your rant turned to focus on a different crap-rant. That was really sh!tty thing for me to overtake your thread.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[David]

I don't think he gives a ....

:)

[CThomp]

Poop is always such a great topic anyhow...who can resist?

[giddonah]

you guys are out of control :lol:

[David]

who? :innocent: us? :no: