Author Topic: K-mart still in trouble - closing MORE stores...  (Read 9510 times)

Offline Jesse James

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Re: K-mart still in trouble - closing MORE stores...
« Reply #30 on: January 9, 2017, 06:10 PM »
I have 2 really...  one's 20 minutes away, one about 7 to 10 maybe?  They still had a decent foothold in the east and northeast for the most part.

We had a Sears Grand, but it went kaput.  Sucks because I did exchange my craftsman stuff there when I needed to.

Craftsman's guarantee varies (Anything with Evolve isn't as easily exchanged as the regular stuff), but yeah it's not as simple as walk in and get a new one, as it once was...  Sometimes they hassle you on seeing receipts, despite the tool being stamped what it is...  Annoying junk.

It's weird too, like I say.  Individual things that you may get as a replacement to a "set" are labeled made in the USA, while everything in the "set" you got was made in China... 

Like I say, the quality is about on par (or even below) Harbor Freight.  You have to navigate it, know what you're looking for, at, and talking about...  Like HF's 72 Tooth Ratchet is insanely well done, and rivals Snap On, and blows Craftsman's stuff out of the water.  That said, I'd prefer a Craftsman Torque Wrench to a HF (not that HF is bad, I just know the Craftsman is more accurate).

I don't think you can get much 6 point stuff at HF, only 12 point, and you really should have 6 point wrenches and such for breaking nuts loose...  I LOVE my Craftsman electric impact guns too, but HF's corded gun is every bit as good as Craftsman's corded gun, and even has replaceable brushes and things.  But Craftsman's cordless impact gun is miles superior to HF's and has the torque to rip lugs off, and I've even broken axle nuts with it.  HF's cordless stuff is very much more miss than hit.

On wrenches, I've got ratcheting Craftsman, and I have regular box wrenches and things, and they're all Craftsman, and I prefer them to HF, but when I want something like a super long box wrench, I tend to look at HF at this point.

I can't justify the $ spent on Snap On and MAC and such (though I do have some inherited tools from both, and love them).  Craftsman isn't terrible, but it's not what it was in the 70s and 80s for sure.  They still have Craftsman Tool Stores here, not sure about all your different areas though.  They only sell tools and maybe some appliances too?  I forget, but they're small stores, usually in a plaza, and I'm hoping those somehow live on as a place to go LOOK at the tools you want to buy.  Otherwise it's all online, and sometimes you have to hold a wrench or something to know how you'll like it.

That all said, HF has tons of cool stuff.  I could go broke there buying/trying anything they have.  I have far more things from them that I love than things that crapped out on me.  And they are really easy to deal with on exchanging anything.  I've never had a single issue.
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Offline Ben

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Re: K-mart still in trouble - closing MORE stores...
« Reply #31 on: January 9, 2017, 07:10 PM »
My local store is finally on its way out. Not surprised. Every time I tried to buy something there, I'd either not be able to (Jyn Eadu exclusive), it wouldn't be in the system, or the computers/registers wouldn't work properly, so I stopped going months ago. Not going to miss it, as it was kind of the place that time forgot, but it does suck to see another empty storefront on the road that store was on, University Avenue.

I just hope they don't get a great exclusive for Episode VIII.
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Offline P-Siddy

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Re: K-mart still in trouble - closing MORE stores...
« Reply #32 on: January 9, 2017, 07:16 PM »
I was surprised when they closed the Godfather's out by Crossroads which has more traffic and leave the one on Uni open, which as you said was a ghost town.

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: K-mart still in trouble - closing MORE stores...
« Reply #33 on: January 10, 2017, 02:45 PM »
Must be nice to have a "local store."  I haven't even driven by a KMart in years.

I've driven by a couple of empty ones with no signs.
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