Who Owns Craftsman Tools? Stanley Black & Decker, Lowe's and Manufacturing Explained

Key Points

Stanley Black & Decker owns the CRAFTSMAN brand after completing its purchase from Sears Holdings in March 2017.
Lowe's is a major CRAFTSMAN retail channel, not the brand owner; Sears-related channels received a separate perpetual licensed route in the 2017 transaction.
CRAFTSMAN products do not have one universal factory or country of origin, so manufacturer, importer and warranty responsibility must be verified by model and market.

Who Owns Craftsman Tools? Stanley Black & Decker, Lowe's and Manufacturing Explained

CRAFTSMAN is owned by Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. The U.S. tool group completed its purchase of the CRAFTSMAN brand from Sears Holdings in March 2017. Lowe's is an important retail channel, but it does not own CRAFTSMAN. Sears also did not remain the brand owner: the 2017 transaction created a separate perpetual license that allowed Sears-related channels to continue sourcing and selling CRAFTSMAN-branded products under the agreed terms.

The ownership answer does not identify who made every CRAFTSMAN tool. The brand covers hand tools, cordless tools, storage, outdoor equipment, wet/dry vacuums and other products. Stanley Black & Decker has its own manufacturing operations, while product records also show different importers, factories, countries of origin and historical suppliers for particular models. The exact SKU—not the logo alone—determines the responsible parties.

CRAFTSMAN Ownership at a Glance

Company or relationship	Verified role	Important boundary
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.	Current corporate owner of the CRAFTSMAN brand	The parent company is not automatically the named manufacturer or seller for every SKU
CRAFTSMAN	Tool, storage, outdoor-equipment and cleanup brand	A brand name does not identify one universal factory
Sears Holdings in the 2017 transaction	Former owner and recipient of a perpetual licensed retail route	The license did not leave Sears as the brand owner
Lowe's	Major current U.S. retail channel for CRAFTSMAN products	Retail distribution does not equal corporate or trademark ownership
Other authorized sellers	May sell eligible CRAFTSMAN products and support returns under applicable terms	Seller authorization, assortment and warranty handling can differ
V20	CRAFTSMAN cordless battery platform	It is a product system, not a separate company or universal cross-brand standard
Manufacturer, importer and warranty party	Product- and market-specific responsible entities	They must be verified from the model label, manual, recall and warranty documents

CRAFTSMAN ownership, Sears licensing, Lowe's retail channel, V20 platform and product-responsibility map

*Stanley Black & Decker owns the brand. Licensed channels, retailers, battery platforms and product-level responsible companies occupy different layers.*

When Did Stanley Black & Decker Buy CRAFTSMAN?

Stanley Black & Decker completed the purchase on March 9, 2017, one day after the transaction closed. The company said the deal had a net present value of approximately $900 million and gave it the right to develop, manufacture and sell CRAFTSMAN-branded products outside the Sears Holdings and Sears Hometown & Outlet channels.

Stanley Black & Decker's acquisition accounting later reported an estimated cash purchase price of $887.4 million. That figure included the initial payment, a later payment and the estimated value of percentage payments on new Stanley Black & Decker CRAFTSMAN sales through March 2032. The two figures describe the transaction using different accounting presentations; they should not be turned into competing purchase prices without context.

The acquisition moved CRAFTSMAN from a retailer-centered heritage into a broader brand portfolio. Stanley Black & Decker's 2025 Form 10-K lists CRAFTSMAN among the significant trademarks in its Tools & Outdoor segment and identifies it as a principal brand for DIY and tradesperson-focused tools, hand tools, storage and outdoor equipment.

Does Sears Still Own CRAFTSMAN?

No. Sears Holdings sold the CRAFTSMAN brand and related intellectual property to Stanley Black & Decker.

The confusion comes from the license built into the sale. Stanley Black & Decker granted Sears Holdings a perpetual license to continue sourcing and selling CRAFTSMAN-branded products through Sears-related channels. The license was royalty-free until March 2032 under the original accounting disclosure, with a royalty specified after that point.

That arrangement separated two roles:

Brand owner: Stanley Black & Decker.
Licensed channel under the transaction: Sears-related retail operations covered by the agreement.

A licensed product can therefore carry the CRAFTSMAN name without making the licensee the brand owner. Buyers dealing with legacy products should also check the model number, seller and warranty documents because the responsible company can depend on when and where the product was sold.

Does Lowe's Own CRAFTSMAN Tools?

No. Lowe's is a retailer, not CRAFTSMAN's parent company.

Lowe's currently presents itself as a major destination for the brand and sells CRAFTSMAN power tools, V20 batteries, outdoor equipment, storage, shop vacuums and floor-care products. That channel relationship is commercially important, but it does not transfer corporate ownership or prove that Lowe's manufactured the products.

CRAFTSMAN is also not a universal Lowe's-exclusive brand. A 2024 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notice for a CRAFTSMAN V20 tiller listed Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Blain's Farm & Fleet, certain military exchanges and Amazon among the sales channels for that model. Current availability can change, so authorized status should be checked for the exact seller and product.

Retailer and brand roles should remain separate:

The retailer may be the invoice seller and first return point.
The brand owner controls the CRAFTSMAN portfolio and intellectual property.
A Stanley Black & Decker affiliate or another authorized company may be the importer or manufacturer of record.
The applicable warranty determines who must repair or replace the product.

Who Manufactures CRAFTSMAN Tools?

There is no accurate single-company or single-country answer for the entire CRAFTSMAN range.

Stanley Black & Decker describes itself as a global tools and outdoor-equipment manufacturer and documents specific U.S. production. Its current U.S. manufacturing page says CRAFTSMAN toolboxes are made in Sedalia, Missouri, using global materials. It also describes Massachusetts production of blades used across several group brands, including CRAFTSMAN.

Those examples are real, but they are not a brand-wide origin statement. Regulatory records show other product routes:

A 2024 CPSC recall for model CMCTL320B CRAFTSMAN V20 tillers named Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc. as importer and China as the country of manufacture.
A 2023 recall for specified CRAFTSMAN fiberglass hammers named Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. as importer for the CRAFTSMAN models and Vietnam as the country of manufacture.
Historical CRAFTSMAN products can have still other manufacturers. A 2003 wet/dry-vacuum recall named Emerson Tool Company as manufacturer for the covered CRAFTSMAN models. That old record does not describe today's complete vacuum range, but it shows why a brand-history shortcut is unsafe.

The correct answer is therefore product-specific. Stanley Black & Decker owns CRAFTSMAN and manufactures within a global group system, but public evidence does not support claiming that every CRAFTSMAN product is made by one affiliate, one supplier or one factory.

Where Are CRAFTSMAN Tools Made?

CRAFTSMAN products are made in more than one country.

Some named storage products and accessories are made in the United States with global materials. Other regulatory records identify China or Vietnam for particular tools. Origins can also change when a model, supplier, factory or production period changes.

Before stating that a product is “made in the USA” or “made in China,” check:

the country-of-origin marking on the exact product and packaging;
the model, type number and date code;
the named manufacturer or importer on the label and manual;
the declaration, certification or recall notice;
the factory and shipment documents for commercial sourcing; and
whether “made,” “assembled” or “made with global materials” is the actual claim.

The founding country, current parent company's headquarters and product origin answer three different questions.

What Is the CRAFTSMAN V20 Platform?

V20 is CRAFTSMAN's main 20V MAX cordless system for power tools and outdoor equipment. CRAFTSMAN's May 2026 V20 ADVANCED battery release said the batteries could be used with more than 100 existing V20 products. Lowe's also groups current CRAFTSMAN tools and outdoor equipment around the V20 platform.

“20V MAX” is a marketing convention based on maximum initial battery voltage. Product documentation commonly identifies 18 volts as the nominal voltage under load. That does not make V20 batteries compatible with every 18-volt or 20-volt product on the market.

Compatibility should be confirmed from the exact tool, battery and charger documentation. Common ownership with DEWALT or BLACK+DECKER does not establish cross-brand battery compatibility, and a battery-system name does not identify the factory or warranty party.

CRAFTSMAN in Outdoor and Cleaning Equipment

CRAFTSMAN matters to World Clean Biz because the brand crosses from workshop tools into yard maintenance and jobsite cleanup.

Stanley Black & Decker's 2025 annual report places CRAFTSMAN in outdoor categories that include lawn and garden equipment, mowers, pressure washers and related products. Lowe's current CRAFTSMAN assortment also spans outdoor power equipment, shop vacuums and floor care.

CRAFTSMAN's official wet/dry-vacuum category includes a V20 cordless two-gallon model as well as multiple corded shop vacuums. This supports a clear cleaning adjacency: the same brand can serve drilling, cutting, storage, lawn work and wet/dry cleanup. It does not prove that one company manufactures every product in those categories.

For distributors and service businesses, the opportunity is the cross-category customer relationship. The risk is assuming that one battery, spare-parts path, warranty or supplier agreement covers the entire CRAFTSMAN catalogue.

Who Handles CRAFTSMAN Warranty and Service?

Warranty coverage depends on the product line, model, market and purchase channel.

CRAFTSMAN's U.S. warranty page directs customers to look up coverage by model number and says a product may be returned to the original place of purchase for repair or replacement depending on the applicable terms. It also states for covered categories that warranty eligibility can depend on purchase from CRAFTSMAN or an authorized seller, and that proof showing when and where the product was purchased may be required.

That means “bought at Lowe's” can matter for a U.S. claim without making Lowe's the corporate owner or universal warranty provider. The retailer may process a return, while CRAFTSMAN customer care, an authorized service center or another named company handles a different part of the remedy.

Commercial buyers should retain the invoice, model and date code, seller authorization, warranty document and service correspondence. A lifetime hand-tool warranty should not be transferred automatically to a battery, mower, vacuum or licensed product.

What Buyers, Dealers and Suppliers Should Verify

Before relying on a CRAFTSMAN ownership or manufacturing claim, record:

Product identity: Exact model, type number, voltage, date code and package configuration.
Brand route: Stanley Black & Decker product or a product sold through a licensed historical channel.
Seller: Authorized retailer and legal company named on the invoice.
Manufacturer: Company named on the label, declaration, certification or current regulatory record.
Factory and origin: Physical production site, country and production period for the SKU.
Importer: Market-entry company responsible for the destination country.
Battery system: Documented compatibility among the tool, battery and charger.
Warranty: Coverage, exclusions, authorized-purchase conditions and responsible service route.
Parts: Availability of batteries, filters, hoses, blades, consumables and repair components.
Recall status: Model and date-code match against current safety notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns CRAFTSMAN tools today?

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. owns the CRAFTSMAN brand. It completed the acquisition from Sears Holdings in March 2017.

Is CRAFTSMAN owned by Lowe's?

No. Lowe's is a major retailer for CRAFTSMAN products, not the brand owner.

Does Sears still own CRAFTSMAN?

No. Sears Holdings sold the brand to Stanley Black & Decker. The transaction gave Sears-related channels a perpetual license to continue selling covered CRAFTSMAN-branded products under the agreement.

Who makes CRAFTSMAN tools?

There is no single manufacturer for every CRAFTSMAN product. Stanley Black & Decker has internal manufacturing operations, while exact manufacturer, importer, factory and origin depend on the model and production period.

Are all CRAFTSMAN tools made in the USA?

No. Stanley Black & Decker documents some CRAFTSMAN products made in the United States with global materials, while regulatory records identify China and Vietnam for other specified models.

Are CRAFTSMAN V20 batteries compatible with DEWALT 20V MAX?

Common group ownership does not establish battery compatibility. Use only compatibility documented for the exact CRAFTSMAN V20 tool, battery and charger.

Does CRAFTSMAN make wet/dry vacuums?

Yes. CRAFTSMAN's official range includes corded wet/dry shop vacuums and a compact cordless V20 wet/dry vacuum. Manufacturer and warranty responsibility still need model-level verification.

Who provides the CRAFTSMAN warranty?

The answer depends on the product, market and warranty terms. In the United States, CRAFTSMAN provides model-specific warranty information and may direct customers to the original authorized seller, customer care or an authorized service route.

Final Answer

Stanley Black & Decker owns CRAFTSMAN after buying the brand from Sears Holdings in 2017. Lowe's is a major retail channel, not the owner, while Sears-related channels received a separate perpetual licensed route in the original transaction.

Ownership does not produce one universal manufacturing answer. CRAFTSMAN covers tools, storage, outdoor equipment and wet/dry cleanup through a multi-product, multi-country system. Verify the exact model's manufacturer, origin, importer, seller, battery compatibility and warranty provider before making a sourcing or service claim.