At one point, Sears said “we unconditionally guarantee the tools, they must be high quality”.I wouldn't say much, I've stripped out a 1\2" drive newer ratchet trying to loosen a stubborn bolt only to then remove it easily with a 40 year old 3/8" drive.
It's not just a tool's failure point, it's also the quality in production. The newer Craftsman tools are not subjected to the same quality control as the older ones, and this is the case with many things nowdays. The socket aren't as polished inside and out, wall thickness has been reduced ect.
One doesn't have to look too far back to see Sears failed the brand, then K-Mart couldn't use the brand to keep themselves on life support and now, as far as I know, Lowe's is the only store selling them and their return policy is horrible on a lifetime guaranteed tool.
After Lowe's has had their fill of the brand not carrying it's own weight, Craftsman will be degraded to an internet brand you'll find on Amazon and ebay. This saddens me because it was America's brand, and was destroyed through corporate greed for higher profit margins. (Remington, Winchester, General Motors, GE ect).
Older Craftsman tools will always have a place in my garage, but when it comes to newer tools, there's way better and less expensive options out there.
Sorry for hijack kickbacked.
Then, it became “we unconditionally guarantee the tools, they must be cheap”…