Thank you for the tour. I miss the old SEARS. I was a frequent customer going back to the 1970s and bought many ratchets, sockets, and wrenches there. One of my biggest enjoyments was getting the SEARS catalog and their tool catalog every year.
I used to love going to Sears for the tool section. They had everything you could want. My first big set was like 400 pieces. I bought it with my first pay check.
I still remember taking every dollar I received for high school graduation, putting an extra hundred with it and spending it all on tools. Used them in college taking automotive technology. I still have most, if not all, of them today. Graduated high school in 1983. Greg in Michigan
$169 for 320 piece is really good actually. At lowes, a 10mm regular depth socket is $7.99 each for a comparison if parted out. I still buy old craftsman all day and if broken or average quality, exchange for proseries or series v at lowes. I dont ask, I take the old tool, pick out the replacement I want and head to customer service. They give two sh**s and just do it.
I miss the sears stores. Great stuff when I was younger and needed tools,jacks ,tool box’s. .i know Lowe’s sells craftsman but the seats stores by me were a great go to store for my home tools and lawn accessories.would love to see them again
Yeah, but they just ain't the same since Stanley purchased the brand and I was excited when Lowe's announced they would be carrying the brand not realizing they would only stock 1% of what you could walk in a Sears store and find.🥲
Our Hometown Sears is now a Pot Shop! Definitely adding Insult to Injury. I really miss Sears and Radio Shack. Many fond memories of both. Thanks for sharing!
I worked part-time at this sears store in the tool section in the late 90's. The tool section is a shadow of its former self. The section you're in used to be automotive tools, imagine a sears tool area 6 times larger, that is what the tool section used to be like in the 90's. Lawn and garden used to be next to the tool section and plumbing section. Even back then though things were starting to be made in china. All of my craftsman hand tools are made in the USA I still have my craftsman lawn tractor too. My father had mostly craftsman tools. He passed away 30 years ago and I'm retired. There are lots of stores that are no longer around. Circuit City, Comp USA, Radio Shack, Block Buster video. Just to name a few. Those in their 30's wouldn't even know of the stores we had in the 90's as they were either to young or not born before many of these stores went out of business
There are so many brand name stores that have closed in the past two decades. Huge names like the ones you mentioned that were the anchor stores at every mall. It’s really kind of strange to think about how much has changed. It’s almost like we live in a different country.
I’m in my 30s and I remember all those stores. I was a mechanic right out of high school and went to Sears in the 2000’s to get my first tool sets. It was still pretty great back then. Lots of automotive specialty tools.
I remember going to the sears in Winston Salem with my father to get tools or warranty them, used to be rows and rows of toolboxes, and just isles and isles of hand tools and air tools and whatever else you could name, My last gift from him before he passed away was a 3/8th drive craftsman socket set and a black "Limited edition" 24" craftsman toolbox, Just like his but 15 years newer and in black. My tools are just scattered brands just to get the jobs done, his were all craftsman, and a little bit harbor freight.
Diehard was originally a Sears brand going back to the 60s, it was bought by Advance Auto about 5 years ago but stuff still sold at Sears, Carquest and Advance.
I remember when you got a $100 craftsman kit every Christmas and could fix about anything with it. You got a new one every year to make up for lost, broken tools.
so nostalgic, thanks for the video...craftsman was the best back in the day..made in usa, lifetime warranty...good to see that there is still sears around....have not seen sears in decades....cool video
I visit my daughter stationed at Ft Bliss occasionally in El Paso. Their Sears store is still “open” but pitifully under stocked. I had to ask where the tool section was. It made me sad to see a former bustling store look so defunct. We were at this store before a few years ago when it was busy. I retired after 37 years in the service department. Can’t say I miss work, but the friends made along the way I do. Thank you for the video.
Ultimate Tool Reviews.. Brings back some very good memories going to the Sears store to check out all cool Craftsman tools. I really wish Sears stores along with Craftsman in them would make a big come back. I heard an investor bought out K-Mart and Sears and not to long after that they both went out of business. Maybe that was the plan to make room for big stores like Target and Walmart.
Crazy Eddie - the guy who kept saying that he is trying to save Sears, by selling off all if the sears name brands. His group also owns Autozone... interesting he didnt transfer any brands over.
Fail Fast Eddie Lampert, if Auto Zone belongs to him he doesn’t get any of my money. I won’t buy any of that cheap made junk from ROC. Fast Eddie destroys everything he touches including a bunch of malls that are gone now.
Just picked up a 282 black chrome craftsman set at lowes, complete, was repackaged, and put on top, never bought or cycled through during refreshes. 57 hahaha. Also picked up 2 of those kobalt mech sets in the blown cases? The big bulky ones? 227pc a few months ago for 60 something dollars each that were clearanced from bf during jan/feb time frame. After holidays my grand son got the kobalt home owners 230pc tool set, and the 300pc kobalt set with damaged foam, for 75 and 99 discounted, he just got their impact set, and they all sit inside a white US general toolcart haha. pretty nice collection for so cheap. I remember working at Sears in the late 70s early 80s in socal haha. Still have tools from there from back then. Have proto challenger branded grey hound los angeles on them...man I am old...
I miss Sears. My local Sears closed in 2017 but had really started going downhill starting in 2010. Not only did my Sears have the retail store but they also had the Sears Auto Center and even a Sears small engine workshop. We used to take our lawn mowers and weed eaters to the small engine workshop to get worked on.
Thank you for this video! I miss visiting my local Sears store! I bought my 2009 Craftsman 21"lawn mower, and my 2011 30-inch Craftsman Professional series snowblower, and my Kenmore Elite washer and Dryer, as well as my Craftsman Mechanics socket set - all of which I still use to this day. Just a testament to how good their brand is!
Thank you for the tour. I still have literally hundreds of various tools from the seventies and eighties purchased there.. and my Kenmore washer and dryer purchased new there in 96 still working well! Doing a load now! 😆
Yeah I live in PA and I bought my Kenmore gas stove and Kenmore fridge on a black Friday sale at Sears about 10 years ago or more and they still work. I think I paid like 1500. For the set. Probably should be buying a new set in a couple years. I'll wait till their junk.
Nope, keep them and repair them as long as parts are available for them. Most repairs can be easily made at home and there are plenty of YT videos on how to do it. Depending on the model, they were made by much more reliable manufacturers than who Sears sourced them from in the later years.
Back in the day when I would take trips to Florida it was a must to go to at least 3 or 4 different stores and check it out. They had so much more down there and a fair bit of specialized stuff. We only had the common stuff. Wrenches sockets screw drivers. You know what im saying. It's sad that they are all but gone. I just wanted to thank you for the little trip down memory lane 👍👍👍👍🇨🇦🔧
THE RED STRIPE FITS ALMOST EVERY 6 GALLON TO 32 GALLON MADE SINCE 1988, BEFORE THAT THEY HAD ONES THAT WERE GREEN AND BLUE AND PURPLE STRIPE THAT FIT OTHER VACS.
@@wesman7837 THE RIDGID ONES ARE A LONGER BY LIKE A HALF AN INCH, AND THE THEY DONT FIT SHOP VAC, SHOP VAC HAS THEIR OWN FILTER, THE BLACK STRIPE SEARS FILTER IS SHOP VAC
Man, I miss shopping Sears stores. I'm a tool lover and would go to one quite often just to see if they had anything new to purchase or buy something just to add to my tool collection. Karma finally caught up with them. They were marketing crooks as they would mark up their retail prices right before a big sale to make people think they were getting a good deal not realizing people were in there a week earlier eyeing certain things and knew the real shelf price of the item.
In about 2010 or 2011, I bought an Evolv torx driver at a Sears Hardware, in the middle of a job--I needed a particular size. That stupid, gummy handle made it impossible to grip the tool. My hand kept slipping around it. I ended up turning it with pliers. I made them take it back for a refund. (I was really annoyed. I couldn't get the tool in a normal Craftsman handle!) They told me at the time that Craftsman would be replacing ALL their traditional tools with that style handle. Good thing THAT never happened.
Yup, I still have mine that my dad bought me for Christmas in 1986! It's probably the same set! I have gotten a lot of great use out of them, and haven't had to warranty out more than a few sockets and a couple screwdrivers, and I expanded on that set over the years, but most of my stuff is still Craftsman USA tools! I have started getting a lot of Gearwrench stuff since Craftsman stopped making their tools in America, and some Husky stuff from Home Depot.
Wow, Great vid. I was smiling the whole time you were in the CraftsMan tools section. Thank you for the trip back Down my wonderful memory lane as a kid, then teen, and adult.
Our Sears in El Paso is in the same boat alot of empty space and it feels so sad😢. I have memory going to the tool section. Just sold my last old Craftsman tools set eBay and it got replaced by Milwaukee and Mac Tools.
I visited that Sears store last year! I was surprised to see how much stuff they had still in there. I miss Sears if they didn’t have bad leaders they would’ve had great competition with Amazon! 😃
Wow, that brought back so many memories. My wife's and I, our second date, was the mall( 1994). The first stop I had to make was Sears. That's all gone now, except the wife, of course.
Man, blast from the past for sure. I used to love the tool section. Funny thing about this one was there weren't any power tools, seemed to be automotive hand tools.
I loved sears. I still have my best Christmas present ever from my parents. It was 30 yrs ago, my parents bought me a big Craftsman mechanic set. That set of tools has saved me countless thousands of dollars over the decades. A couple grand last week alone. 😂😂😂
This is an actual store in the mall on orange blossom. This is also one of the cleanest Sears locations you will have ever been in. There are actually 13 stores spread across 7 states. Those top drawers are used by many who just need drawers, they are placed on a shelf right under the workbench top. Actually, there is a group from the USA that are seeking to buy the Craftsman name and tooling rights with it.
The Sears in my local mall growing up was right next to the movie theater so I would go in there before or after movies. They always had an amazing tool section, with weird and niche tools that Home Deport didnt carry. Also had a pretty good electronics and appliance section. I really miss them
At one time, Craftsman tools were pretty much the only tools I would buy. And I purchased quite a few lawn and garden items there. I know my parents always bought their house paint from Sears.And I enjoyed going to the lawn and garden and the tool area in the stores. Their tools were pretty good quality and you couldn't beat the lifetime guarantee on their hand tools. .
The evolve was the start of it, they was starting to make those over seas. At my prior local Sears the evolve had a warranty but you had to bring the receipt with the broken tool but they took the receipt. That was about thirteen years in Bridgeport WV. Craftsmen was my go to till they sold out, I miss Sears & Kmart
Kenmore made everything once upon a time, even sweepers and other small appliances. Nice to see the name is still around although the quality probably isn’t
Kenmore quality has definitely gone downhill, they used to be the best. My parents bought a Kenmore washer in the early 1970's and it lasted them over 30 years before they replaced it for a larger unit, Oh and it was still working and washed a load of clothes till the day they delivered the new one and took the old one away
In the eighties and early nineties I would do a weekly trip to Sears. Clothes, household goods, appliances and of course tools. As a tradesman I would spend $75-100 a week on tools. Everything was good quality at obtainable prices. If you wanted cheap you went to K Mart
The tools are all packaged as kits. I remember the days they had individual sockets, ratchets ,screw drivers pilers hammers, punches, wrenches etc. Nobody is going to get anything broken replaced.
I was there a couple weeks ago. Honestly, as an old Sears fan & a Craftsman fan, i was a little underwhelmed. Love how big the section is but after i while i realized it's more or less just rows and rows of the same stuff and not much else to look at. And as a not so huge fan of Lowes, i actually think there's more Craftsman to look at over there and more interesting stuff as well
We had an excellent performing Sears store attached to our mall close to the border, always full with locals and a lot of people from Mexico, a sneaky mall rep renewed their lease and Sears mgr did not read the fine print and they were ousted after a couple of years to make room for several different stores, mgr was promptly let go.
You walked passed the suitcase set with the 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 drive ratchet set. I’ve had one in my truck since I was in high school so about 14 years. It’s saved me in a pinch many times
Surprisingly i wear a pair of wolverine boots daily for work and they have lasted well over a year with no signs of falling apart. Paid like $100 and they are the most comfortable boots i have owned
Man I so miss roaming around the Craftsman tool section at Sears and the Sears Hardware\Craftsman tool store that used to be around too. What is really super, super shocking here is the fact that none of the tools are locked up, behind glass in the security cabinets at all! Like n o t h i n g is locked up at all!!! In this day & age that is super rare to see anywhere! ! I didn't know any Sears stores existed anywhere anymore. I thought they were all long gone alongside KMart (Sears owned too) stores. Oh the memories of past Sears trips in my younger years, wishing I could buy the big huge shiny chrome Craftsman tool set with the big chest! Sadly, they aren't all that they used to be back then! Cool to see man, thnx for the trip! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️🔧🔩🗜️📏✏️📐🥾🦺🪓😆 ✊🏻🇺🇲🦅🇺🇲✊🏻
I recently visited the local hometown mall from my childhood. The former Sears store was now a bargain outlet store that sold returns from online retailers. How ironic ☹️
Sears USED to be the absolute best! My parents and I bought everything from Sears back in the 80's up through the mid 2000's. From Tools to appliances to clothes, almost everything that I had came from Sears. They had everything you needed for reasonable prices. Your video tour of one of the remaining stores unfortunately tells the sad story as to why they've all but gone completely out of business. Poor inventory, wildly fluctuating prices (mostly bad), and no one there. Of course, thier buyout and merger of the failing Kmart stores ultimately sealed thier fate.
When Sears was still in full swing back in the early 90's they had a store in Homestead, Florida. I was in there and was looking at bicycles, the one i came across had a large scratch on it. I called over to the manager, pointed out the scratch, and i said to him, "How much would you take off because of that scratch? His response was, "We don't discount for that kind of stuff here at Sears." Well, he lost that sale and they closed that location about 6 months later. Now look at Sears; that kind of aloof thinking and many other things is why they are what they are today. That is just damn sad.
I have two of those "jack in a box" sets, one bought in 2002 and one bought in 2013. I would keep one at my sister's house to do oil changes and maintenance on her family's vehicles. When she moved, I got all of that equipment. That is likely a model #50188 set. It's been cheaper than $219 in the past. I want say I paid $99 for my seat in 2002 the set my sister bought was $99 but then it went down in price to $89 and I made her get the adjustment at Sears. Montezuma makes those tool storage units for Sears. The previous ones were made by Waterloo for decades. Yes, Sears had an optical center for eye wear and exams and also had a portrait studio for taking photos. I believe Kenmore grilles were made by Grand Hall for a number of years. Samsung and LG make some of the Kenmore models and I agree, they are to be avoided. Kenmore appliances have been sourced from various manufacturers over the years such as Frigidaire and Whirlpool.
I work at Harbor Freight and I had a customer tell me he tried claiming a lifetime warrantee on a craftsman shovel and lowes told him they didn't honor the warrantee in store and he had to call craftsman customer service. Customer service told him he has to send back the broken shovel and then they would send him a new one. Instead of mailing it back he just went into Harbor Freight and bought a new shovel.
I was changing my oil earlier today and the oil filter wrench I used was craftsman and I was thinking man I wish they were still around and just sold made in USA stuff. They would probably do ok if they stuck with made in USA
@@ericdigeratu true, they are better managed nowadays. But that also means they don't have the essence nor the features of the US stores. Yes you'll find Craftsman tools, but forget about finding Kenmore appliances or Die Hard batteries among other homegrown brands. No Auto Centers, no Photo boot, no optical center (used to be available in the US but not in Mexican locations), so they're effectively a Sears by name only
Get all my tools from swap meets , pawn shops, Facebook market, and estate sales. I love finding new old stock craftsmen usa. Picked up a bunch of files last week 😊
When Sears sold the craftsman name, they had a clause in the contract that would allow them to make and sell craftsman tools using their existing supply chain for 15 years. A little later their main manufacturer for the USA tools Easco merged with another company and a little later that company merged with another (now apex tools) during that time is when things started going over seas.
Craftsman can be warranted out at Lowes if sears in not around, and Diehard is warranted out at Advance auto parts stores. Both brands were Owned by Sears and sold with the stipulation that Sears stores could continue to use the name as long as they are still in business. Stanley/Black and Decker own them but Lowes carries them mostly, and Advance Auto Parts owns Diehard brand.
If you take notice, the only people who still talk about sears at all are the people who bought tools there and maybe the appliance department… big maybe on that. They could probably just become a tool and appliance store that offers some repairs/services on both.
I remember maybe a year or so before ours closed, going with my dad (who’s a mechanic) and he had a bag full of broken tools he wanted to exchange and after looking at their offerings at the time he just kept his old broken stuff, kinda sad
Sears sold the Craftsman name to Stanley Black & Decker a few years back. However, they have the right to source product from any vendor that they choose and I believe they get royalties from SBD from all sales. So that is why you see a different version of the product in Sears versus Lowe’s or Ace.
I don't think Craftsman ever made their own tool boxes and have always been rebranded. I bought a large tool box on wheels and the top chest during a closeout black Friday sale for $595 in 2015 before they closed and once I found out they were closing years later I tried effortlessly to add to it wanting to purchase the middle 2 drawer chest plus the side cabinets but they told me they no longer sold them and after emailing customer service asking if there was anyway possible I could get my hands on them they replied with contact information and it ended up supposedly being the manufacturer of them. I couldn't ever get them to say they made the Craftsman's toolboxes but they were the exact dimensions to fit my box and why did I ever receive the contact from a Sears representative if they weren't. Can't remember what brand they were listed as but after finding out they only came in red and the cost + shipping I had to pass on them as mine is black.
I have two of those 42 piece Torx sets and while they are made in China, they are not bad. I'd much rather that they be made in the USA like the majority of my Craftsman tools are. Fortunately, Craftsman tools were sold by the thousands and turn up everywhere at yard sales, garage sales, estate sales and the like.
That 42 piece bit set at 6:42 is a decent set. I bought that same set for about $50 right before my local Sears closed down about 10 years ago. No clue what that set sells for now, but for $50 it's a dam fine set. I'd actually pay up to about $75 for it to be honest.
So much stock their too it looks weird so many old looking new tools it looks like the modern kohls stores around me but with tools, very vacant. But too bad they dont have the main line stuff, like V series and Overdrive.
Sears will always have a place in my heart. I remember going with my dad every Saturday morning looking at tools.
Me too! First off to our local downtown diner to get breakfast! then off to the Sears!! What great memories 🥰
You appear to be the ONLY person in the store. No customers, no employees. Looks like a SEARS museum.
😂
I was going to say that as well, no other people except for him
I did see one other customer, but they turned out to be a security guard.
I thought they closed all the sears store
You Right!.... Its Looks Like A SEARS Museum!...
Thank you for the tour. I miss the old SEARS. I was a frequent customer going back to the 1970s and bought many ratchets, sockets, and wrenches there. One of my biggest enjoyments was getting the SEARS catalog and their tool catalog every year.
Oh and their Christmas Catalog
I used to love going to Sears for the tool section. They had everything you could want. My first big set was like 400 pieces. I bought it with my first pay check.
I miss Sears. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. My local Sears closed in 2022
Yes, too bad they are gone. Replaced with Harbor Freight. Geez.
I still remember taking every dollar I received for high school graduation, putting an extra hundred with it and spending it all on tools. Used them in college taking automotive technology.
I still have most, if not all, of them today.
Graduated high school in 1983.
Greg in Michigan
$169 for 320 piece is really good actually. At lowes, a 10mm regular depth socket is $7.99 each for a comparison if parted out. I still buy old craftsman all day and if broken or average quality, exchange for proseries or series v at lowes. I dont ask, I take the old tool, pick out the replacement I want and head to customer service. They give two sh**s and just do it.
I miss the sears stores. Great stuff when I was younger and needed tools,jacks ,tool box’s. .i know Lowe’s sells craftsman but the seats stores by me were a great go to store for my home tools and lawn accessories.would love to see them again
too bad they suck now!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, but they just ain't the same since Stanley purchased the brand and I was excited when Lowe's announced they would be carrying the brand not realizing they would only stock 1% of what you could walk in a Sears store and find.🥲
Look at that Beautiful store boy how times have changed and not for the better .
Our Hometown Sears is now a Pot Shop! Definitely adding Insult to Injury. I really miss Sears and Radio Shack. Many fond memories of both. Thanks for sharing!
Man, that was my grown up toy store. I miss the Sears Craftsman section. Thanks for the post man!
I miss Sears.
I worked part-time at this sears store in the tool section in the late 90's. The tool section is a shadow of its former self. The section you're in used to be automotive tools, imagine a sears tool area 6 times larger, that is what the tool section used to be like in the 90's. Lawn and garden used to be next to the tool section and plumbing section. Even back then though things were starting to be made in china. All of my craftsman hand tools are made in the USA I still have my craftsman lawn tractor too.
My father had mostly craftsman tools. He passed away 30 years ago and I'm retired.
There are lots of stores that are no longer around. Circuit City, Comp USA, Radio Shack, Block Buster video. Just to name a few.
Those in their 30's wouldn't even know of the stores we had in the 90's as they were either to young or not born before many of these stores went out of business
There are so many brand name stores that have closed in the past two decades. Huge names like the ones you mentioned that were the anchor stores at every mall. It’s really kind of strange to think about how much has changed. It’s almost like we live in a different country.
I’m in my 30s and I remember all those stores. I was a mechanic right out of high school and went to Sears in the 2000’s to get my first tool sets. It was still pretty great back then. Lots of automotive specialty tools.
I remember going to the sears in Winston Salem with my father to get tools or warranty them, used to be rows and rows of toolboxes, and just isles and isles of hand tools and air tools and whatever else you could name, My last gift from him before he passed away was a 3/8th drive craftsman socket set and a black "Limited edition" 24" craftsman toolbox, Just like his but 15 years newer and in black. My tools are just scattered brands just to get the jobs done, his were all craftsman, and a little bit harbor freight.
The fact you're alone on top of the completely and fully stocked store sounds like a heavenly dream
sticky fingers?😂
@@dasi2383 more like a kid in a candy store if you ask me, sight is just amazing
Wow!! I didn't realize any brick and mortar Sears stores still existed. Fond memories from the 60s and 70s.
I loved going to Sears especially the tool section.
Diehard was originally a Sears brand going back to the 60s, it was bought by Advance Auto about 5 years ago but stuff still sold at Sears, Carquest and Advance.
I remember when you got a $100 craftsman kit every Christmas and could fix about anything with it. You got a new one every year to make up for lost, broken tools.
still can at lowes, and they have a full lifetime warranty
I greatly miss that store. I just found out that we still have an actual Radio Shack about 40 miles from me, and I want to go reminisce.
I'll have to buy from someone else now. I miss Sears and Montgomery Ward and K-Mart. Who remembers Fishers Big Wheel? Lol ! Man I'm getting old.
Monkey Wards
Heck yeah and attention customer we have a blue light special on aisle…
Montgomery Ward and Service Merchandise! These two and Sears also had an auto department that you could get your car serviced at.
so nostalgic, thanks for the video...craftsman was the best back in the day..made in usa, lifetime warranty...good to see that there is still sears around....have not seen sears in decades....cool video
I visit my daughter stationed at Ft Bliss occasionally in El Paso. Their Sears store is still “open” but pitifully under stocked. I had to ask where the tool section was. It made me sad to see a former bustling store look so defunct. We were at this store before a few years ago when it was busy. I retired after 37 years in the service department. Can’t say I miss work, but the friends made along the way I do. Thank you for the video.
Ultimate Tool Reviews.. Brings back some very good memories going to the Sears store to check out all cool Craftsman tools. I really wish Sears stores along with Craftsman in them would make a big come back. I heard an investor bought out K-Mart and Sears and not to long after that they both went out of business. Maybe that was the plan to make room for big stores like Target and Walmart.
Kmart would likely still be around if the investor of Sears hadn't dragged them into it.
Man, I miss tool shopping at Sears.
Eddie Lampert, the vampire that drained the life out of Sears and Kmart to fill his and his friends pockets with billions of dollars.
Crazy Eddie - the guy who kept saying that he is trying to save Sears, by selling off all if the sears name brands. His group also owns Autozone... interesting he didnt transfer any brands over.
Fail Fast Eddie Lampert, if Auto Zone belongs to him he doesn’t get any of my money. I won’t buy any of that cheap made junk from ROC. Fast Eddie destroys everything he touches including a bunch of malls that are gone now.
Just picked up a 282 black chrome craftsman set at lowes, complete, was repackaged, and put on top, never bought or cycled through during refreshes. 57 hahaha. Also picked up 2 of those kobalt mech sets in the blown cases? The big bulky ones? 227pc a few months ago for 60 something dollars each that were clearanced from bf during jan/feb time frame.
After holidays my grand son got the kobalt home owners 230pc tool set, and the 300pc kobalt set with damaged foam, for 75 and 99 discounted, he just got their impact set, and they all sit inside a white US general toolcart haha. pretty nice collection for so cheap.
I remember working at Sears in the late 70s early 80s in socal haha. Still have tools from there from back then. Have proto challenger branded grey hound los angeles on them...man I am old...
I miss Sears. My local Sears closed in 2017 but had really started going downhill starting in 2010. Not only did my Sears have the retail store but they also had the Sears Auto Center and even a Sears small engine workshop. We used to take our lawn mowers and weed eaters to the small engine workshop to get worked on.
It’s nice too see the store is in nice shape, clean and organized. Not how I would have assumed
Hey I like and miss Sears
It’s cool to still see a nice store even if it’s small.
Thank you for this video! I miss visiting my local Sears store! I bought my 2009 Craftsman 21"lawn mower, and my 2011 30-inch Craftsman Professional series snowblower, and my Kenmore Elite washer and Dryer, as well as my Craftsman Mechanics socket set - all of which I still use to this day. Just a testament to how good their brand is!
Thank you for the tour.
I still have literally hundreds of various tools from the seventies and eighties purchased there.. and my Kenmore washer and dryer purchased new there in 96 still working well! Doing a load now! 😆
Everything is stocked to the brim and row and row of the same thing. There's like 20 tool carts that's insane
Nice. My first tool set was Craftsman.
Thanks for sharing 😊
Yeah I live in PA and I bought my Kenmore gas stove and Kenmore fridge on a black Friday sale at Sears about 10 years ago or more and they still work. I think I paid like 1500. For the set. Probably should be buying a new set in a couple years. I'll wait till their junk.
Nope, keep them and repair them as long as parts are available for them. Most repairs can be easily made at home and there are plenty of YT videos on how to do it. Depending on the model, they were made by much more reliable manufacturers than who Sears sourced them from in the later years.
I miss Sears, I would go with my Grandfather and parents often.
When they closed my local Sears in Dallas and Irving I was extremely saddened.
Back in the day when I would take trips to Florida it was a must to go to at least 3 or 4 different stores and check it out. They had so much more down there and a fair bit of specialized stuff. We only had the common stuff. Wrenches sockets screw drivers. You know what im saying. It's sad that they are all but gone. I just wanted to thank you for the little trip down memory lane 👍👍👍👍🇨🇦🔧
We have an old craftsman vacuum so I think that’s what the filters are for
They fit the Shop-Vac, and Rigid brands, too! They are a very common filter for many brands!
THE RED STRIPE FITS ALMOST EVERY 6 GALLON TO 32 GALLON MADE SINCE 1988, BEFORE THAT THEY HAD ONES THAT WERE GREEN AND BLUE AND PURPLE STRIPE THAT FIT OTHER VACS.
@@wesman7837 THE RIDGID ONES ARE A LONGER BY LIKE A HALF AN INCH, AND THE THEY DONT FIT SHOP VAC, SHOP VAC HAS THEIR OWN FILTER, THE BLACK STRIPE SEARS FILTER IS SHOP VAC
Man, I miss shopping Sears stores. I'm a tool lover and would go to one quite often just to see if they had anything new to purchase or buy something just to add to my tool collection. Karma finally caught up with them. They were marketing crooks as they would mark up their retail prices right before a big sale to make people think they were getting a good deal not realizing people were in there a week earlier eyeing certain things and knew the real shelf price of the item.
The evolve line was just the beginning of the end to their "prosumer" grade.
In about 2010 or 2011, I bought an Evolv torx driver at a Sears Hardware, in the middle of a job--I needed a particular size.
That stupid, gummy handle made it impossible to grip the tool. My hand kept slipping around it. I ended up turning it with pliers. I made them take it back for a refund. (I was really annoyed. I couldn't get the tool in a normal Craftsman handle!) They told me at the time that Craftsman would be replacing ALL their traditional tools with that style handle.
Good thing THAT never happened.
I got my first set of tools in 1979. I think it was $99. Box, wrenches, ratchets and sockets. Screwdrivers and hex wrenches.
Yup, I still have mine that my dad bought me for Christmas in 1986! It's probably the same set! I have gotten a lot of great use out of them, and haven't had to warranty out more than a few sockets and a couple screwdrivers, and I expanded on that set over the years, but most of my stuff is still Craftsman USA tools!
I have started getting a lot of Gearwrench stuff since Craftsman stopped making their tools in America, and some Husky stuff from Home Depot.
@@wesman7837 If you warranty it out for an exchange, it would be Made in China
Wow, Great vid. I was smiling the whole time you were in the CraftsMan tools section. Thank you for the trip back Down my wonderful memory lane as a kid, then teen, and adult.
Our Sears in El Paso is in the same boat alot of empty space and it feels so sad😢. I have memory going to the tool section. Just sold my last old Craftsman tools set eBay and it got replaced by Milwaukee and Mac Tools.
Oh man, those old USA made Craftsman tools are AWESOME! I don't know why you would sell them!
Wow, this brings back memories. My dad used to bring me to Sears. Now that Sears is gone so is he. I don't think I can go to Sears without my dad.
I visited that Sears store last year! I was surprised to see how much stuff they had still in there. I miss Sears if they didn’t have bad leaders they would’ve had great competition with Amazon! 😃
Wow, that brought back so many memories. My wife's and I, our second date, was the mall( 1994). The first stop I had to make was Sears. That's all gone now, except the wife, of course.
Man, blast from the past for sure. I used to love the tool section. Funny thing about this one was there weren't any power tools, seemed to be automotive hand tools.
I loved sears. I still have my best Christmas present ever from my parents. It was 30 yrs ago, my parents bought me a big Craftsman mechanic set. That set of tools has saved me countless thousands of dollars over the decades. A couple grand last week alone. 😂😂😂
This is an actual store in the mall on orange blossom. This is also one of the cleanest Sears locations you will have ever been in. There are actually 13 stores spread across 7 states. Those top drawers are used by many who just need drawers, they are placed on a shelf right under the workbench top. Actually, there is a group from the USA that are seeking to buy the Craftsman name and tooling rights with it.
CRAFTSMAN IS OWNED BY STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER
The Sears in my local mall growing up was right next to the movie theater so I would go in there before or after movies. They always had an amazing tool section, with weird and niche tools that Home Deport didnt carry. Also had a pretty good electronics and appliance section. I really miss them
Man that brings back so many memories my dad always bought craftman tools.geeze I was a kid then he is still kicking in his 70s
Bring back Sears and Toys R US!
At one time, Craftsman tools were pretty much the only tools I would buy. And I purchased quite a few lawn and garden items there. I know my parents always bought their house paint from Sears.And I enjoyed going to the lawn and garden and the tool area in the stores. Their tools were pretty good quality and you couldn't beat the lifetime guarantee on their hand tools. .
Lowe's Hardware should invest in Sears brand stores and bring it back to what it used to be. Sears was the Amazon store before corporate got greedy.
I used to deliver to those stores for years and then eventually they weren't no more as the malls died too.
Very cool walkthrough. Thanks! I remember what the tool section was like in the 90's and this is about 10% of that!
The evolve was the start of it, they was starting to make those over seas. At my prior local Sears the evolve had a warranty but you had to bring the receipt with the broken tool but they took the receipt. That was about thirteen years in Bridgeport WV. Craftsmen was my go to till they sold out, I miss Sears & Kmart
Thanks for this video, it was so nostalgic. I know you can get craftsman at lowes but sears was a vibe man. It was an experience.
Kenmore made everything once upon a time, even sweepers and other small appliances. Nice to see the name is still around although the quality probably isn’t
Kenmore quality has definitely gone downhill, they used to be the best. My parents bought a Kenmore washer in the early 1970's and it lasted them over 30 years before they replaced it for a larger unit, Oh and it was still working and washed a load of clothes till the day they delivered the new one and took the old one away
In the eighties and early nineties I would do a weekly
trip to Sears. Clothes, household goods, appliances and of course tools. As a tradesman I would spend $75-100 a week on tools. Everything was good quality at obtainable prices. If you wanted cheap you went to K Mart
The tools are all packaged as kits. I remember the days they had individual sockets, ratchets ,screw drivers pilers hammers, punches, wrenches etc. Nobody is going to get anything broken replaced.
I was there a couple weeks ago. Honestly, as an old Sears fan & a Craftsman fan, i was a little underwhelmed. Love how big the section is but after i while i realized it's more or less just rows and rows of the same stuff and not much else to look at.
And as a not so huge fan of Lowes, i actually think there's more Craftsman to look at over there and more interesting stuff as well
We had an excellent performing Sears store attached to our mall close to the border, always full with locals and a lot of people from Mexico, a sneaky mall rep renewed their lease and Sears mgr did not read the fine print and they were ousted after a couple of years to make room for several different stores, mgr was promptly let go.
You walked passed the suitcase set with the 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 drive ratchet set. I’ve had one in my truck since I was in high school so about 14 years. It’s saved me in a pinch many times
Surprisingly i wear a pair of wolverine boots daily for work and they have lasted well over a year with no signs of falling apart. Paid like $100 and they are the most comfortable boots i have owned
Man I so miss roaming around the Craftsman tool section at Sears and the Sears Hardware\Craftsman tool store that used to be around too. What is really super, super shocking here is the fact that none of the tools are locked up, behind glass in the security cabinets at all! Like n o t h i n g is locked up at all!!! In this day & age that is super rare to see anywhere! ! I didn't know any Sears stores existed anywhere anymore. I thought they were all long gone alongside KMart (Sears owned too) stores. Oh the memories of past Sears trips in my younger years, wishing I could buy the big huge shiny chrome Craftsman tool set with the big chest! Sadly, they aren't all that they used to be back then! Cool to see man, thnx for the trip! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️🔧🔩🗜️📏✏️📐🥾🦺🪓😆
✊🏻🇺🇲🦅🇺🇲✊🏻
used to love sears as a kid even though i didn’t understand how it worked. i believe all of them were closed here in canada
I recently visited the local hometown mall from my childhood. The former Sears store was now a bargain outlet store that sold returns from online retailers. How ironic ☹️
Yes sears did family pictures, remember doing that when I was little
I miss Sears!
Sears USED to be the absolute best! My parents and I bought everything from Sears back in the 80's up through the mid 2000's. From Tools to appliances to clothes, almost everything that I had came from Sears. They had everything you needed for reasonable prices. Your video tour of one of the remaining stores unfortunately tells the sad story as to why they've all but gone completely out of business. Poor inventory, wildly fluctuating prices (mostly bad), and no one there. Of course, thier buyout and merger of the failing Kmart stores ultimately sealed thier fate.
I wish those store would come back! Better than Walmart and cheaper than target and way more stuff
When Sears was still in full swing back in the early 90's they had a store in Homestead, Florida. I was in there and was looking at bicycles, the one i came across had a large scratch on it. I called over to the manager, pointed out the scratch, and i said to him, "How much would you take off because of that scratch? His response was, "We don't discount for that kind of stuff here at Sears." Well, he lost that sale and they closed that location about 6 months later. Now look at Sears; that kind of aloof thinking and many other things is why they are what they are today. That is just damn sad.
You guys really don't what you've lost.
I thought same walking into one in winnipeg, I juss had to look at most of them , I got older models of them tools
I have two of those "jack in a box" sets, one bought in 2002 and one bought in 2013. I would keep one at my sister's house to do oil changes and maintenance on her family's vehicles. When she moved, I got all of that equipment. That is likely a model #50188 set. It's been cheaper than $219 in the past. I want say I paid $99 for my seat in 2002 the set my sister bought was $99 but then it went down in price to $89 and I made her get the adjustment at Sears.
Montezuma makes those tool storage units for Sears. The previous ones were made by Waterloo for decades. Yes, Sears had an optical center for eye wear and exams and also had a portrait studio for taking photos. I believe Kenmore grilles were made by Grand Hall for a number of years.
Samsung and LG make some of the Kenmore models and I agree, they are to be avoided. Kenmore appliances have been sourced from various manufacturers over the years such as Frigidaire and Whirlpool.
I work at Harbor Freight and I had a customer tell me he tried claiming a lifetime warrantee on a craftsman shovel and lowes told him they didn't honor the warrantee in store and he had to call craftsman customer service. Customer service told him he has to send back the broken shovel and then they would send him a new one. Instead of mailing it back he just went into Harbor Freight and bought a new shovel.
Yes this is great someone needs to bring this Sears/ Kmart brand back to the US. The crazy thing is they both still exist in Canada. 🇨🇦
I went here back in November! There were some customers in here and it was surprisingly stocked well! I love Sears hoping for a comeback
I was changing my oil earlier today and the oil filter wrench I used was craftsman and I was thinking man I wish they were still around and just sold made in USA stuff. They would probably do ok if they stuck with made in USA
They still have a great online store still and they still run appliance warranty and repairs
There's Sears in Mexico, but this is pretty cool to see. I didn't imagine I'd see a Sears again
There’s 9 left in the US. They’re all over Mexico because they sold their Mexican stores in 1997
@@ericdigeratu true, they are better managed nowadays. But that also means they don't have the essence nor the features of the US stores. Yes you'll find Craftsman tools, but forget about finding Kenmore appliances or Die Hard batteries among other homegrown brands. No Auto Centers, no Photo boot, no optical center (used to be available in the US but not in Mexican locations), so they're effectively a Sears by name only
@@engineer_alvagreed. it doesn’t have the charm and feel that our stores do
That is the cleanest I have ever seen any retail store in America
I ❤ Sears
Get all my tools from swap meets , pawn shops, Facebook market, and estate sales.
I love finding new old stock craftsmen usa. Picked up a bunch of files last week 😊
When Sears sold the craftsman name, they had a clause in the contract that would allow them to make and sell craftsman tools using their existing supply chain for 15 years. A little later their main manufacturer for the USA tools Easco merged with another company and a little later that company merged with another (now apex tools) during that time is when things started going over seas.
They went to China way before Stanley Black and decker brought the Craftsman name.
@@shawnthomas7404 I assume that was when they merged with the first company. I wasn’t sure when just knew it was sometime when Easto merged.
Video almost feels like going back in time. But it’s all made in China now vs it was all USA in the glory days
Husky at Home Depot used to all be made in USA to. Not anymore.
Craftsman can be warranted out at Lowes if sears in not around, and Diehard is warranted out at Advance auto parts stores. Both brands were Owned by Sears and sold with the stipulation that Sears stores could continue to use the name as long as they are still in business. Stanley/Black and Decker own them but Lowes carries them mostly, and Advance Auto Parts owns Diehard brand.
If you take notice, the only people who still talk about sears at all are the people who bought tools there and maybe the appliance department… big maybe on that. They could probably just become a tool and appliance store that offers some repairs/services on both.
I remember maybe a year or so before ours closed, going with my dad (who’s a mechanic) and he had a bag full of broken tools he wanted to exchange and after looking at their offerings at the time he just kept his old broken stuff, kinda sad
Sears sold the Craftsman name to Stanley Black & Decker a few years back. However, they have the right to source product from any vendor that they choose and I believe they get royalties from SBD from all sales.
So that is why you see a different version of the product in Sears versus Lowe’s or Ace.
Reminds of walking through K-Mart when I was a teenager watching as stuff got discounted more and more until eventually there was nothing left.
damn didnt realize the sears in my local mall is one of 9 left glad I still buy some tools there even there even if its barren
7:23 those die hard tool chests are craftsman rebrands I think. They look identical to the set I recently bought from Lowe's (other than the branding)
I don't think Craftsman ever made their own tool boxes and have always been rebranded. I bought a large tool box on wheels and the top chest during a closeout black Friday sale for $595 in 2015 before they closed and once I found out they were closing years later I tried effortlessly to add to it wanting to purchase the middle 2 drawer chest plus the side cabinets but they told me they no longer sold them and after emailing customer service asking if there was anyway possible I could get my hands on them they replied with contact information and it ended up supposedly being the manufacturer of them. I couldn't ever get them to say they made the Craftsman's toolboxes but they were the exact dimensions to fit my box and why did I ever receive the contact from a Sears representative if they weren't. Can't remember what brand they were listed as but after finding out they only came in red and the cost + shipping I had to pass on them as mine is black.
Die Hard is the original Sears battery brand. The Wal-Mart brand is Everstart
Think there’s Walmart Walmart batteries are called never starts
I have two of those 42 piece Torx sets and while they are made in China, they are not bad. I'd much rather that they be made in the USA like the majority of my Craftsman tools are. Fortunately, Craftsman tools were sold by the thousands and turn up everywhere at yard sales, garage sales, estate sales and the like.
That 42 piece bit set at 6:42 is a decent set. I bought that same set for about $50 right before my local Sears closed down about 10 years ago. No clue what that set sells for now, but for $50 it's a dam fine set. I'd actually pay up to about $75 for it to be honest.
Amazing in Canada we had simpsons/sears also loved it
They need to move that seats to a place where the people will appreciate it more!
Just five years ago I had a Sears store in my town, and another one twenty minutes away from me....
So much stock their too it looks weird so many old looking new tools it looks like the modern kohls stores around me but with tools, very vacant. But too bad they dont have the main line stuff, like V series and Overdrive.