Recently I noticed that there are more and more 'non-Craftsman' tools available at Sears - the kinda tools that were available at stores like K-Mart and Walmart.
So it seems that Sears is already selling cheaper tools alongside the Craftsman tools. Hopefully, this will keep the Craftsman line intact and quality won't degrade.
There's always Snap-on.... (Hmmm - wonder if Walmart's looking to buy them out quietly...)
What tabs said is true - in today's disposable society, folks aren't as concerned about quality - "if it breaks, get a new one" seems to be today's mantra. It is sad that is what our society feels - seems there's less respect and pride for things. Too bad...
As long as our society continues to embrace the 'disposableness' of current things, we won't see an increase in quality, IMHO.
-Z-man.