I need to replace my ROS, anybody use the Craftsman?

[Brian Biela]

I need to replace my ROS, originally I was thinking about the Bosch, then I read that Fine Woodworking picked the Craftsman as the best value. Does anyone have any experience with it? While I would love to buy the Festool is out of my budget.

Thanks!

[Bill Dufour]

Is Sears still in business or is this sold by someone else?
Bill D

[Dave VanDewerker]

Craftsman is now owned by Stanley Black and Decker, so the ROS is probably a copy of the B&D or the PC.

[Richard Coers]

I've considered Craftsman the bottom of the barrel since about 1980. A Black and Decker/Craftsman is no different. I've not been impressed with FWW reviews recently. Their last review of wall hanging dust collectors was really a fluff article.

[glenn bradley]

Value would presume longevity in a small powered hand tool. I've killed a couple of Craftsman but, am still running the Bosch I bought in 2002; do the math. Now that Lowe's, Ace, and others are selling "Craftsman" I would just look into the warranty. The common Bosch units carry a year.

[Bruce King]

Just get a DeWalt and add on a speed controller.
A 500 watt light dimmer mounted in an electrical box works great.

[Frank Pratt]

Way back in the '70s, my dad bought a Craftsman router, drill, jig saw and a couple of sanders. They were miserable things to use & within a couple of years of hobby use, every single one of them was dead. Since then I've occasionally had a look at Craftsman power tools, but the quality was always poor. I'd way rather have a Ryobi than a Craftsman.

[Prashun Patel]

My prejudice against Sears is just too great.

I've owned 2 CPO Bosch ROS's. Both it and the 1617 router I bought can't be killed.

Get one with variable speed.

[james manutes]

5" Bosch here , going on 10 years . I'm very happy with it . 2 yrs. ago I bought a 6" Rigid ROS for a specialty need , and it's good also . Only $100 w/ good power , var. speed , DC fine . Balance and vibration fair . I still use it to power thru rough sanding tasks .

[Stan Calow]

"Value" is very subjective, but it doesn't mean that they were equal performance-wise. Just that the C-man was good enough for the price. Sometimes a good sale price makes a difference. It also depends on how often and how long you're going to use it. When I judge value to me, I think of how many hours (per week, month, year) I'll actually be using something. Its not worth it for me as a homeowner/hobbyist to always buy the best, or next-to-the best, based on what I do with it.

Sears never actually manufactured any of their power tools or appliances, they just put their name on it. I've gone through several drill/drivers over the years (P-C, Panasonic, DeWalt), and my current Craftsman Pro model has been the longest performing one of them all. Considering the price I paid for it, yeah, it was the best value.

[Dave Sabo]

Value would presume longevity in a small powered hand tool. I've killed a couple of Craftsman but, am still running the Bosch I bought in 2002; do the math. Now that Lowe's, Ace, and others are selling "Craftsman" I would just look into the warranty. The common Bosch units carry a year.

This sounds reasonable, but in the real world things are way more complex.

I have a Craftsman Industrial 1/2 sheet sander that was my dad’s (from the 60’s) and still works to this day. It’s big , heavy, and not particularly refined. It abrades wood though.

I also have a Festool EC sander that lasted all of three months before crapping out. Was repaired under warranty. Twice. It’s a darling of the snobby wood butcher crowd , but under your premise, it’s a P.O.S.

The first sander I purchased was a B&D 1/4 sheet sander. It was/is great for what it’s meant to do. It’s now 35years old and just had the brushes replaced. Does it leave as nice a finish as the EC. Well no, it leaves better sometimes because the EC is in the hospital.

I agree Bosch sanders represent a sweet spot for performance and cost. I have 2-3 myself. I also agree that Craftsman isn’t a great bet these days. But, I’ll wager they will still have some gems from time to time. Once had a craftsman router that was made by Bosch and was identical except for the red plastic instead of blue. On the whole, I’d steer clear today.

I will say my favorite sander for finishing is the Festool ets125. It still brings a smile to my face every time I use it, which is often. 200 clams is steep price for sure, but the difference between that and my PC333 & Bosch 1295 is like night and day. Enough so that the xtra cost was quickly forgotten. If you sell on the carrying case to an eager fanboy for $50-75 , the resulting cost is pretty reasonable for what you get.

[Jon Endres]

Have owned a Ridgid 5" ROS since new, going on 12+ years, it's been a bulletproof machine although I replaced the pad once, replaced the dust bag too when I accidentally sucked up in my dust collector and wrecked the bag frame. Oops! I also have a Bosch 3107DVS 5" ROS and the big Bosch 1250DEVS 6" ROS which is a beast of a sander. Also just picked up a Ryobi One+ 18v cordless which is nice but not as balanced or smooth as any of the corded models. Almost everyone makes a cordless 5" ROS now and I would definitely consider those. One less thing to drag around, especially if you connect a dust hose. I'm one of those guys that has enough sanders to just put a different grit of paper on each one.

[Rob Sack]

In the shop we use pneumatic RO sanders, but in the field we use electrics. We need to be clean and as dust free as possible working in clients home. I almost pulled the trigger on a Festool sander and vacuum, which came to about $800.00 plus or minus as I recall. About the same time, Fine Woodworking did a survey of electric RO sanders. Of course, Festool came out on top but right behind it was the Craftsman. For about $60, I took a shot. The vibration, or lack thereof, is pretty descent and when hooked up to my little Stanley shop vac we use on the jobsite, it is virtually dust free. I can't speak for Sears, since I haven't been in one in over a year, but I believe Lowe's carries the full line of Craftsman tools.

[Justin Rapp]

The first drill I owned was a craftsman many years ago, and it didn't last but a year. I went to Dewalt and immediately could tell the difference. Yes, I know they are now owned by the same company. Craftsman in my view is entry level home-owner grade, not worthy of a hobbyist or professional.

I now have a Milwaukee ROS that I grabbed from a big box store maybe 5 or 6 years ago. It is flawless except of course vibrates my hand after a while like most of them do. The last power tool I picked up was a Makita compact router and it's smooth as can be. Last year I also got to check out a lot of the Makita tools at a woodworking show and was really impressed. If I was going to buy a new ROS, i'd be looking at the Makita BO5041.

[Ron Selzer]

Lot of people on here knocking Craftsman power tools. Sears sold Craftsman power tools from cheaper than cheap to Professional. Every Professional Craftsman tool I have used was very good quality. The cheap drills could be burned up in the first use, mid range would last an hour or two of heavy abusive use., the professional line just kept on going. Black and Decker was the same way back then 1960-1980. 1/2" Craftsman drill paid $60 for it late 1970's run it for hours with a 1" auger bit in wood from 1913. You better hang on it as it wasn't stopping. Had to pull the plug on it more than once when someone else used it and it got the better of them. & 1/4 worm drive saw will cut or kick back at you when it binds no stopping it. Haven't been able to buy Craftsman or Black and Decker Professional line since 1990 or before. My Craftsman 1/2" drill got stolen in 1998 still would buy one if I could find one.
Ron

[Justin Rapp]

Lot of people on here knocking Craftsman power tools. Sears sold Craftsman power tools from cheaper than cheap to Professional. Every Professional Craftsman tool I have used was very good quality. The cheap drills could be burned up in the first use, mid range would last an hour or two of heavy abusive use., the professional line just kept on going. Black and Decker was the same way back then 1960-1980. 1/2" Craftsman drill paid $60 for it late 1970's run it for hours with a 1" auger bit in wood from 1913. You better hang on it as it wasn't stopping. Had to pull the plug on it more than once when someone else used it and it got the better of them. & 1/4 worm drive saw will cut or kick back at you when it binds no stopping it. Haven't been able to buy Craftsman or Black and Decker Professional line since 1990 or before. My Craftsman 1/2" drill got stolen in 1998 still would buy one if I could find one.
Ron

There were a very select handful of Craftsman Professional tools that did exist, however the stuff they build now and maybe the last 20 years is basically not such good quality. Craftsman has a name for itself that is existed when Sears was thriving back in the mid 1900's and on their hand-tools/mechanics tools. Now that Craftsman is no longer a 'Sears' thing, they are basically pumping out low-end electric tools and riding the coat-tails of the 1960's Craftsman name.

I have a bunch of craftsman mechanics tools sets and they are all just fine. No motors and no moving parts except a ratchet. Except now if I break a socket I don't think the 'new' craftsman is going to support the warranty.

[Jim Becker]

This is really a brand positioning thing at this point given that Craftsman is a Stanley Black and Decker brand and they seem to have been massaging things with Dewalt toward the top and Craftsman a bit below that with PC kinda getting completely out of the focus if what folks are hearing is correct. The big purveyor of Craftsman tools at this point is Lowes, although the brand is available elsewhere.

When it comes to sanders, I learned long ago that better quality is a lot more comfortable to use. So if you can actually test for vibration, dust control, etc., that's a good thing.

[Ron Selzer]

There were a very select handful of Craftsman Professional tools that did exist, however the stuff they build now and maybe the last 20 years is basically not such good quality. Craftsman has a name for itself that is existed when Sears was thriving back in the mid 1900's and on their hand-tools/mechanics tools. Now that Craftsman is no longer a 'Sears' thing, they are basically pumping out low-end electric tools and riding the coat-tails of the 1960's Craftsman name.

I have a bunch of craftsman mechanics tools sets and they are all just fine. No motors and no moving parts except a ratchet. Except now if I break a socket I don't think the 'new' craftsman is going to support the warranty.


I agree the quality no longer is there. I quit years ago trying to get replacements on Craftsman tools.
Point I was trying to make was at one time Craftsman did make good tools along with cheap tools and several levels in between.
Now days you need to put hands on every tool and then decide which one is best for you.
Ron

[Dave Sabo]

Craftsman seems to be available at ACE in pretty good numbers to.

The prices are a lot higher than when you could buy them at a Sears store.

[Jim Allen]

I have a Craftsman Professional ROS (Model 315.279890), purchased in 2007, that still works just as well as it did 13 years ago. With that said, I bought a 2 gallon vacuum this year and it is a piece of junk.

[Dave Sabo]

I have a Craftsman Professional ROS (Model 315.279890), purchased in 2007, that still works just as well as it did 13 years ago. With that said, I bought a 2 gallon vacuum this year and it is a piece of junk.

This guy thinks the C'man vac is top notch after a head to head showdown between several brands. His was a lot bigger than 2gal though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSN7PXwn1yU


Like I hinted at before, top shelf co.'s can make crap and bottom dwellers can make gems. On the whole, you're odds are better staying with the top tier manufactures.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

If I can throw my two cents into the pot.... For power tools that are going to get hard continuous use and/or use a variety of attachments, like 4 inch grinders. I get the cheapest Harbor Freight "ON SALE" grinder they have. I have about 7 or eight of the things with the various tools I use already on them ready for use. When one craps out, I toss it in the bucket. #1 son comes by occasionally and robs the cords and other stuff he uses and I take them to the recycler ever 5 or 10 years or so...

I do have a big Makita grinder and a Dewalt also. They only get used for finish work. I bought the Makita new in 1982.

For Power tools that are only going to get used for finish work like orbital or oscillating sanders I go ahead and get Makita, Bosch or DeWalt.

For cordless stuff I use Ryobi because that's what I have the most of.

But,

If I were doing this for a living, I would go 100% with the good stuff. Having a grinder crap out on me in the shop is a blessing because I get to take a break and go to town. Having one crap out in the middle of a job is wasted time, and time is money.

Alan

[Jim Allen]

This guy thinks the C'man vac is top notch after a head to head showdown between several brands. His was a lot bigger than 2gal though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSN7PXwn1yU


Like I hinted at before, top shelf co.'s can make crap and bottom dwellers can make gems. On the whole, you're odds are better staying with the top tier manufactures.


i have several C'man vacuums I love all of them 2 G, 20 G all purchased before 2010!

[Dave Sabo]

i have several C'man vacuums I love all of them 2 G, 20 G all purchased before 2010!




The test subject is a 2020 model, for reference.

[Rob Sack]

As mentioned earlier, I stand by my review of the Craftsman RO sander even though I haven't purchase any other Craftsman power tools in over 30 years. But in all honesty, the tools made by the "better" manufacturers can be less than reliable. My Bosch Bulldog was a great tool that saw limited use and was well taken care of. Yet a plastic part on the switch mechanism broke and a trip to the Bosch factory service center revealed that the replacement part is no longer available and the tool is now worthless. The same for my Bosch 3 x 21 belt sander, which was my favorite among the five I have in the shop. Dealing with the Milwaukee factory service center here in Southern California was an exercise in frustration that required the Milwaukee sales rep getting involved. And unless you are a masochist, forget about dealing with the Dewalt factory service center here. I have had generally good experiences with Makita power tools as far as reliability and their factory service center is concerned. Although it has been years since purchasing any new tools from Hitachi, the ones I currently own have been reliable and my experiences with their factory service center has always been positive.

[Tom Bender]

I have a couple of Dewalt ROS's and like them. Had one fail after a few years and replaced it with same, but with variable speed.

[Charlie Jones]

I had a Craftsman 5” ROS that I bought in the early 90’s . It went for years. When it quit I went to Bosch. I am on the second pad. It has worked flawless. I made my own adapter to hook a 2.5 dust collection hose to it. Now the dust collection works to!

[Erik Loza]

I've had the Craftsman for about ten years. No complaints, just replaced the pad. I've used Festools and they're awesome but for the price and amount of use I get out of mine, can't find a good argument to upgrade.

Erik

[Ray Newman]

"When it comes to sanders, I learned long ago that better quality is a lot more comfortable to use. So if you can actually test for vibration, dust control, etc., that's a good thing."
--Jim Becker

BINGO! I have a PC 5" ROS that just seems to vibrate the devil out my hand at times. Starting to use my almost 30 year old and heavy PC half sheet sander more, even though the dust collection is somewhat lacking.