Ken Schumm wrote:

On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 21:26:52 GMT, Other Brother Kevin
wrote:

[...]


I buy all my hand tools at Sears, NOTHING beats the Craftsman deal. I
bought a digging fork almost twenty years ago, last year I returned the
SIXTH one for a new one. Another half dozen large pruners have been
returned and a couple of shovels. You can't beat it, buy it ONCE and
you're done, when it breaks take it back. They cost a bit more initally
but make up for it in the long run.



On the other hand, I had a pair of craftsman locking pliers that were
very poorly made. The jaws were misaligned and cheaply tack welded and
they were balky to operate and very prone to pinching the fingers. I
took them back to Sears and they offered to replace them with another
pair that was equally crappy. I tossed them and bought a pair of
Vice-grip brand pliers that are far superior in every way. What good
is a lifetime replacement warranty if the tool breaks when you need it
most or if they replace one crappy tool with another that is just as
bad?




My above returns are not due to crappy manufacture. These tools see as
much work as some contractors tools. My property is a field of stones,
some over 1000 pounds and I don't have a tractor.
I also have a wood lot that was logged off a few years before I bought
the place so I've been cleaning and thinning.

Kevin