[Paulespo]

I see a lot of Craftsman TS around Including mine. The Model # go way back. How can you tell when a TS was made ? I would like to know what year mine is and why they change from 113.298720 to 113.******. Does anyone have a clue??

 

[Toolman2]

A good place to start is www.owwm.com. Look for Crafstman, it'll show a history and show what model numbers (the first 3 digits) go with what years. Additionally, you can probably find a manual for it there as well. If not, go to www.hammerwall.com and search for a manual there.:thumbsup:

 

[dodgeboy77]

Here's a tip that sometimes works. Go to Sears Parts Direct: http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action?sid=PSHx20080114x00001

Look at the parts diagrams, or if they have it, the manual for your saw. Sometimes there will be a date on one of the documents, like the last page of the manual.

This doesn't always work but sometimes you get lucky. Also, keep in mind that if you find a date, it might be for a tool that was made for several years and that date might be for the first year of production.

Also, the first three digits always indicate the manufacturer. If you do a web search, you can find those codes. 113 is probably Emerson.

Bill

 

[toolguy1000]

I see a lot of Craftsman TS around Including mine. The Model # go way back. How can you tell when a TS was made ? I would like to know what year mine is and why they change from 113.298720 to 113.******. Does anyone have a clue??

usually, changes in the last six digits occur when they change something about the saw like the material the extension wings are made of, the style of the cabinet and whether the saw came with or without a leg stand.

also, if the tool has three digits, a "period" and then 5 digits, it usually predates the 70s, when the second set of numbers went from five to six digits.

 

[woodnthings]

model numbers say a lot

The first 3 numbers of the model no. tell you who manufactured that product. For example a 113.***** model number was manufactured by Emerson Electric:

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=222

and here:
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/Craftsman/manufacturers.aspx?sort=2

Quoting....
King-Seeley was headquartered in Ann Arbor Michigan. Besides wood/metal-working machinery, King-Seeley also made Thermos bottles, metal lunch boxes, picnic coolers, refrigeration components, etc. The Central Specialty Division of King-Seeley, located in Ypsilanti, was responsible for woodworking and metalworking machinery.
In 1964, all of King-Seeley's design patents, tooling, and parts stock were bought by Emerson Electric Co. of Paris, TN; Emerson then took over production of machines for Sears.
One notable machine was the 10" cabinet saw, introduced in 1953 and made until Emerson dropped its production in 1966. It was reportedly the first machine to have the arbor ground and trued in place, i.e., after being mounted in the saw.

 

[knotscott]

No clue about when most of the individual model #'s changed (ditto for the portables), but here's what I think to be true about the stationary saws....Prior to Emerson, the Sears stationary saws were made by King-Seeley (1950's?). The 113.###### contractor saw series was made by Emerson in the USA from before I can remember until around 1997. After 1997 they went to the 315.###### series made by TTI/Ryobi until 2004 (pretty much the same design as the Emerson made saws, but made overseas).

Next up for Sears were the "zipcode" hybrid saws with cabinet mounted trunnions (22104, 22114, 22124) made by Steel City/Orion made until around 2007/2008.... the 22116 is the current hybrid (still made by SC/Orion) and replaced the 22124 when the riving knife requirements went into effect. The 21833 hybrid style contractor saw came along shortly after, and is also current.... made by Dayton AFAIK (imported through Colovos to keep us guessing). (As a side note, both the Emerson saws and the TTI/Ryobi contractor saws lived on for several more years carrying the Ridgid banner, and those were replaced by a Steel City/Orion made hybrid saw (R4511), and then the R4512 hybrid style contractor saw made by Dayton.)

TTI/Ryobi still makes at least some of the portable jobsite saws and the Ryobi BT3100 clone (21829) for Sears, as well as their dreadful benchtop saws. The 21828 portable is the same as the Ridgid R4516.

Emerson Craftsman:

Emerson Ridgid:

TTI/Ryobi Craftsman:

TTI/Ryobi Ridgid:

Steel City Craftsman 22114:

Steel City RIdgid R4511:

Dayton Craftsman 21833:

Dayton Ridgid R4512:

 

[Oakwerks]

It's early 1990's.....

 

[rrich]

I've seen a couple of references to 1987 as the date of manufacture for 113.298720.