Is it better to buy a Craftsman power tool "As is" in a Sears GooB sale or a Hoosky tool at full price at Home Depot?

"As is" means they don't even guarantee it will work when you plug it in, and you can't return it. You can get a better warranty at a yard sale: "If this thing doesn't work, can I bring it back?" "Sure". Any purchase other than "as is" would be a better deal than the risk of buying a power tool that doesn't work at all.

I think that would depend on the quality of the Craftsman power tool. The days are long gone when one could always trust the quality of a Craftsman tool. Now some are very good but a lot of them are cheap Chinese junk. If the tools appear equal in quality then get the Husky with the warranty.

All power tools are good if you take care to use them with respect == keeping them clean and never overtaxed..--- I buy Sears and have for many years and the use is for home repairs ......

Crafstmans tools can be good or bad, depending on where they are made, but they do not tell you when you buy them. There are dffierent manufacturers for Crafstman.

I would always buy Dewalt from Home Depot because they are quality tools.

Like everyone has said, price vs use!

For hand tools, I really don't mind Husky at all! (even though I work around mechanics who bust my balls)

My theory is, I lose more tools than I break! So warranties don't really excite me.

For battery power tools, I generally buy Dewalt for work because I use them every day and they take a beating. But, I buy Ryobi for home because the batteries are cheaper (1/2 the price) and they don't get used as much.

For Electric tools (drills, grinders, sawzalls, etc) I haven't seen any that can beat Milwaukee.

In my Fathers days, owning Craftsman tools were a source of pride. Sears really stood buy their products and people knew that so when you bought a wrench, you bought it for life. These days, however, with the recent developments Sears has gone through, I don't think there is much pride left.

I will cheerfully add a Craftsman hand tool to my bag and never worry about whether it is going to perform. It will. NOTE: less sure about Chinese-sourced Craftsman branded tools. Get the USA made ones and you'll be good to go.

I won't buy Craftsman brand power tools for any reason, unless they are at least 40 years old. Those tend to be pretty stout. From the late 70s onward, Craftsman power tools became lower-quality equipment and not worth purchasing. I have a Craftsman brand radial arm saw from about 1975 and it's a beast, but I was also offered a ca. 1987 Craftsman radial, I gave that a pass. The older one is a rebranded Rockwell, the newer one I had no idea. It had a bit too much flex in the yoke. Craftsman handheld power tools, forget it. You can do better even if you have to pay twice as much for something else.

They're often rebranded Skil or Black and Decker, and I wouldn't buy those either.

I haven't seen any Husky branded power tools at Home Depot. None.

If your intended use is just the normal residential crap, then I would take the chance with the craftsman. I personally do not like Husky tools but if those were my only two choices, and I had to rely on them for my living, I'd go with the known(husky) as opposed to the possible broken return that was put back on the shelf.

You could register it with the manufacturer and get the guarantee with them.

your intended usage is?

the professional or "retired" professional who still does odd jobs will get the Husky every time.

If the price is right, Craftsman usually work well, and you are fine without a warranty.