What was interesting to learn in this ordeal was that Craftsman was simply stamping their name on other name brand products that were cheaper or Chinese junk in the era of Lampert.
Actually an improvement from days past, when they were big enough to bend industry to it's will.
They have always rebranded, that is nothing new. What they used to do was to change the specs of generic parts in order to capture their parts market, to the point that even motor specs were different.
Standard Briggs or Tecumseh on that machine? Not on your life. Everything down to the valve guides and crankshaft bearings were altered, just a little bit, so that standard stock would not fit, and you were enslaved into the Sears parts system, which was a nightmare.
I quite literally would not buy used Craftsman small engine equipment, because their only use was as scrap for other Craftsmans - Recycling the parts otherwise was impossible. And there was no sense in trying to restore old Craftsman machines, as the parts system was so very bad, and incredibly (3x price) expensive.
What little I have had to do with their machinery lately, that is not the case anymore. Their rebranded Husqvarna equipment is the very same as Husqvarna makes for everything. Maybe they just don't have the buying power anymore.
That all said, I have a great respect for Craftsman hand tools and such - my road box is full of them. But I will not buy anything from them more complicated than that, even yet, for fear of that part system entrapment and planned obsolescence.
