Sears

The tools alone will outlast the company. Never buy anything less than a craftsman tool and only from this store. Its legendary tools have inspired generations of fathers such as mine to retell the tale of the warrantied wrench with the no question return and replacement. Craftsman tools are heirlooms within American families. I should direct the next commercial based on this idea. Please contact me if you are interested in making this happen.

Sears use to be my go-to store for all large appliances. This may not be the case any longer. We just recently purchased two sets of new washers and dryers from them with the warrant because we sold one home, then had to move and downsize. Both sets were purchased with the "warrantee". They advised me to put off a service call until spring... with a washer that was checked and level and was ALWAYS OUT OF BALANCE! It took me all day to get one wash done! It ended up being a faulty part! They are not the Sears they once were. We're looking for a new appliance store.

Over the years, a new Craftsman gas weed trimmer has served me well for around 8 to 10 years. I believe maintenence and good gas and oil played a role in their longevity. The Craftsman Model #******* is the first trimmer I've ever returned. It looks great and feels balanced in the operating position. But in comparison to my previous Craftsman trimmer, the first operational difference I noticed about the Model #******* was its excessive fuel consumption. A tank of 40-to1 mix would normally get me through at least 2 cuttings with my old unit... even with its slightly bigger engine. I had to refill the ******* twice to finish one cutting. This trimmer also vibrated much more than my previous Craftsman trimmers, and it never quite reached full RPM at wide-open throttle. But the most frustrating difference I had to contend with was the direction of rotation of the string head. At some point since I purchased my previous Craftsman unit someone on Sears' design team made the decision to reverse the direction of rotation from counter-clockwise to clockwise. Clockwise rotation is common with homeowner-grade, curved-shaft trimmers. But all of the straight-shaft models I've ever owned rotated counter-clockwise. If this had been the only issue with the ******* I would have made a dedicated effort to 'get used to it'. But despite my years of proficiency in using gas trimmers I left gouges and scalped spots in several locations around the yard ...and one casualty.... a severed rose bush which my wife, thankfully, still hasn't discovered. Bottom line? If you're accustomed to a clockwise head rotation on a straight shaft, medium-duty gas trimmer, and if you don't mind a shaky, noisy machine that drinks gas like a hopped-up V8 then the Model #******* Craftsman 25cc 'WeedWacker' is a good deal at $129.99. The people at Sears were very nice and understanding when I returned the trimmer and refunded my full purchase price immediately. I still have (and love) my Craftsman hand tools, push mower and gas blower. And I'm especially proud of my 1985 12 HP Craftsman II riding mower which is just as dependable as always. But I will not consider buying another Craftsman gas trimmer. Change may be good, but the Model #******* should be an embarrassment to the Craftsman name. In the opinion of a brand-loyal consumer, Sears should have looked elsewhere for an 'improvement' target and left their best-selling gas trimmers alone.