Why the heck does America still use outdated measurement and date units?

[eyoungren]

Not that far.

I am 82 miles from the I-17/101 intersection. Plus however far you are from there.

But the important thing is how far you are from the new Buc-ees. LOL. I will be there on opening day to get a brisket sammich.

LOL!

101 and 17? About 20 miles. I'm much closer to the 101 and I-10. You know, close to where the Buc-ees is going in.

I think that'll probably be about 10-15 minutes from my house, depending on traffic.

EDIT: They'll be in the area of I-10 and Bullard. That's Goodyear. Christmas 2025.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Sadly, many Craftsman tools are no longer US made. Snap-On and Mac, are, AFAIK.

Yes, it is true that most tools, including Craftsman's are not longer made in the USA. Craftsman hand and power tools, compressors, vacuum-cleaners, etc., are readily available at Lowe's. But most of Mac and Snap-On tools are delivered to the work place, I least in Alaska.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Drill bits? Never seen them in a Lowe's or Home Depot.




I do. Originally WV and now AZ.

Drill bits sets, and single packages can be purchased at the local Home Depot, Lowe's, hardware stores. Just searched online the local Home Depot store, and the number is: "2,477 results" Any brand and drill bit size one can think about can be found at Home Depot and Lowe's.

This one is Lowe's in Fairbanks:

Drill bits at Lowes.com: Search Results

Find drill bits at Lowe's today. Shop drill bits and a variety of tools products online at Lowes.com.

www.lowes.com

Now, what is more confusing isn't tools being metric or not, but the great number of different screw and bolt heads; Phillips, slotted or flat, and a myriad of torx and other screw heads and the drivers (bit) needed. It has gotten so difficult these days that if buying deck screws the package comes with the correct torx drive.

 

[eyoungren]

Yes, it is true that most tools, including Craftsman's are not longer made in the USA. Craftsman hand and power tools, compressors, vacuum-cleaners, etc., are readily available at Lowe's. But most of Mac and Snap-On tools are delivered to the work place, I least in Alaska.

You can blame Edward Lampert for Craftsman. One of the many brands from Sears that he sold off when he took over Sears. He's also the reason Sears and K-Mart are dead.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

So do stores there carry the metric ones? All you can get here at the big box and hardware stores are the SAE ones. IF you want metric you need to go to Amazon. If you want good ones, then you need to go to someplace like Grainger.

Metric only here in the stores for years. But I mostly by online.

Simply not true; you can get imperial sizes at B&Q, Halfords, MachineMart, Screwfix to name a few, and nearly every autofactors carry them as well.

 

[jlc1978]

Yes, it is true that most tools, including Craftsman's are not longer made in the USA. Craftsman hand and power tools, compressors, vacuum-cleaners, etc., are readily available at Lowe's. But most of Mac and Snap-On tools are delivered to the work place, I least in Alaska.

Same here. Mac and Snap-On cater to the professional market. My dad, a mechanic, had a lot of Snap-On tools. One day he broke a torque wrench and showed it the Snap-On guy when he stopped buy. Gave him a new one, even though my dad said the tool was 20 years old and my dad said he didn't expect him to replace it.

Craftsman, in the Sears days, was like that and the replacement was as high quality as the original. If I broke one of my 60+ years old ratchets I'd look to see if I could rebuild it before replacing it.

Milwaukee hand tools are still Made in USA.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

You can blame Edward Lampert for Craftsman. One of the many brands from Sears that he sold off when he took over Sears. He's also the reason Sears and K-Mart are dead.

Agree.

Same here. Mac and Snap-On cater to the professional market. My dad, a mechanic, had a lot of Snap-On tools. One day he broke a torque wrench and showed it the Snap-On guy when he stopped buy. Gave him a new one, even though my dad said the tool was 20 years old and my dad said he didn't expect him to replace it.

Craftsman, in the Sears days, was like that and the replacement was as high quality as the original. If I broke one of my 60+ years old ratchets I'd look to see if I could rebuild it before replacing it.

Milwaukee hand tools are still Made in USA.

Craftsman tools still honors the warranty, but without Sears stores around it is a little more difficult. I still have and use a Sears (Craftsman) 5-gallon air compressor I bought in Vermont in 1979. Not a single malfunction throughout all those years of use. I damaged and replaced the electric cord's plug, and several years ago added some compressor lubricants, but that's about it. It is a lot quieter than the the "pancake" compressors I use with some of my air tools

I have some Milwaukee tools, too. The 12-volt Red lithium are quite reliable. Makita has a lot of good tools, but the new ones aren't longer made in Japan.

 

[jlc1978]

Craftsman tools still honors the warranty, but without Sears stores around it is a little more difficult.

Lowes carries them but sure about warranty support there.

I still have and use a Sears (Craftsman) 5-gallon air compressor I bought in Vermont in 1979.

I’ve gone to Rigid lately because of the warranty. I’ve had several batteries and a tool replaced for free. Not the same Rigid of the calendar day but reliable reasonably priced tools

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Lowes carries them but sure about warranty support there.




I’ve gone to Rigid lately because of the warranty. I’ve had several batteries and a tool replaced for free. Not the same Rigid of the calendar day but reliable reasonably priced tools

I believe that Craftsman and other brands honor the warranty through the Lowe's & Home Depot's Customer Service sections.

 

[splifingate]

I believe that Craftsman and other brands honor the warranty through the Lowe's & Home Depot's Customer Service sections.

I can purchase New Craftsman, and (theoretically) get replacement/support for older-equivalent stuff from my local Ace Hardware stores (at least all the ones to which I have patronized).

 

[jlc1978]

I can purchase New Craftsman, and (theoretically) get replacement/support for older-equivalent stuff from my local Ace Hardware stores (at least all the ones to which I have patronized).

I like my local Ace, it's a real hardware store with all sorts of screws, washers, fittings, etc.; as well as a staff that actually knows what they are selling.

Lowe's and HD used to have a lot of retired trades people who could give expert advice; now they all seem to be replaced by people who only know where the stuff is in an aisle. They do their best but if you've never been in the trades you just don't have the experience.

Don't even get me started on Leroy Merlin...

 

[SalisburySam]

Milwaukee hand tools are still Made in USA.

…but the company is since 2005 Chinese-owned, or at least Hong Kong-owned, by TTI Group. That Group also owns Ryobi, Hoover, and Dirt Devil among others. And Milwaukee has manufacturing sites in several countries. Interesting that Milwaukee Tools was once owned by Merrill Lynch for awhile.

 

[jlc1978]

…but the company is since 2005 Chinese-owned, or at least Hong Kong-owned, by TTI Group. That Group also owns Ryobi, Hoover, and Dirt Devil among others. And Milwaukee has manufacturing sites in several countries. Interesting that Milwaukee Tools was once owned by Merrill Lynch for awhile.

Yea, company ownership and manufacturing is pretty international now; for most manufacturers.

Ridgid, for eample, has been owned by Emerson Electric, since 1966. Their red and black hand tools are made in the U.S. by the Ridge Tool Company. But Ridgid orange and black power tools, as seen in Home Depot, are made in China by TTI; except some shop vacuums, made by Emerson in the U.S.

 

[Herdfan]

Lowes carries them but sure about warranty support there.

I took a ratchet back to them and they simply told me to go get another one off the rack. No control over which ratchet I got so I could have picked the most expensive one and they didn't seem like they would have cared.

 

[splifingate]

Lowe's and HD used to have a lot of retired trades people who could give expert advice

They still do, but it's most-probably Store-Dependent.

Anyone who truly excels in any of their own Core Areas is probably not in Retail

 

[JoeShades]

In school in the 80s I as taught both. Has that changed since? no more metric?

 

[splifingate]

Don't even get me started

A VC is not AC, and does not translate-well into DC

I own a S&R Catalog from the 40's, and it was definitely possible to direct-order an entire house back then.

Capitalism has run-rampant with the influence of our subjective perception....

 

[jlc1978]

Anyone who truly excels in any of their own Core Areas is probably not in Retail

Most I met were retired and HD was a second job after that.

I own a S&R Catalog from the 40's, and it was definitely possible to direct-order an entire house back then.

Cars as well, IIRC. S&R were the Amazon of the day.

 

[IvyKing]

Cars as well, IIRC. S&R were the Amazon of the day.

More like Amazon is the modern day equivalent of S&R, the main difference is quicker order fulfillment.

 

[splifingate]

Cars as well, IIRC

ha! yes...it's been a while. Teh Catalog was Sat afternoon light reading for me when I was much young(er) (and many, many more mileskilometers away) <s>

quicker order fulfillment

Astounding, and transformative, on far many levels.

 

[eyoungren]

I like my local Ace, it's a real hardware store with all sorts of screws, washers, fittings, etc.; as well as a staff that actually knows what they are selling.

I used to live rural and from 1980 to sometime in the late 80s/early 90s, True Value was the only hardware store around. We did have 84 Lumber and they did sell hardware but my dad primarily went there for sheets of plywood and 2x4s.

By the early 90s, the old K-Mart converted to a Builder's Square. Home Depot and Home Base were 30 minutes away. Mid-90s saw the first Ace Hardware in the area and by that time Builder's Square was gone (converted to a Food 4 Less).

The original True Value is still there I think (I left the entire area for Phoenix in 2000). Not sure about the Ace Hardware, but they had an actual warehouse store not just a small shop.

So, I was quite happy to hear a few years back that Ace was opening stores in my area. Unfortunately, Home Depot and Lowes are everywhere and closer and it's far more convenient to go there than it is to keep going down the street.

Shows you how old I am, LOL. Builder's Square is defunct as is Home Base. 84 Lumber and True Value are still around though.

 

[TheIntruder]

True Value recently declared bankruptcy and was sold to a competitor.

Like Ace Hardware, it is a co-op, so the stores are independently owned; the company that administers the brand and supply operation has changed hands.

The hardware drawer aisle at the indie stores like those are fantastic, but I wonder how much money they generate.

Pricing is on the honor system, and the employees at my store admitted that all the loose hardware that gets dropped or misplaced by customers is collected and thrown away.

I have a lot of Craftsman tools, but I'd have to question whether I'd even want what they would provide in terms of a warranty replacement today.

 

[Herdfan]

Pricing is on the honor system, and the employees at my store admitted that all the loose hardware that gets dropped or misplaced by customers is collected and thrown away.

åt the very least they should gather them by the pound and sell as a grab bag. Someone (probably me) would buy it. LOL.

I have a lot of Craftsman tools, but I'd have to question whether I'd even want what they would provide in terms of a warranty replacement today.

I have had several ratchet's replaced and the new ones are OK, but not great. But better than the broken ones.

 

[bousozoku]

A ‘pub’ or public house is typically a casual (come as you are) establishment for neighborhood locals selling simple food.
The American equivalent of a pub looks to be a local tavern.

When I lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there were many Publick Houses, along with some labeled "pubs", but very few bars. The metro area is filled with names you might know from the UK, although some of the spellings have changed over 300+ years.