Consumer Reports: Top Picks and Recommendations for Sears Home, Craftsman Tools, Diehard Batteries, and Kenmore Appliances

At Consumer Reports, we work hard to save you time and money when you shop. To achieve this goal, we have created lists of what to get and what to forget based on our expert testing. Today, we are going to take a trip to Sears home to explore some of their top products in various categories.

First Stop: Kenmore Appliances

Sears is home to the Kenmore brand, which offers a range of high-quality appliances for your laundry room. One of the standout features of the front-loading Kenmore Elite washer is its ability to hold about 24 pounds of laundry. This makes it an excellent choice for larger families or households with multiple occupants. Furthermore, this washer has been ranked as a Consumer Reports top pick, indicating that it meets our high standards of performance and reliability.

The matching dryer also falls short of our recommended list but still receives an excellent rating in all categories except for noise. In our wash test, we washed a large number of fabric swatches with various types of stains, including wine, Coca-Cola, and pig's blood. We then checked how much of the stain is removed after one cycle using our color imita system. The results were impressive, as this washer excelled at removing tough stains to keep your floors clean.

In terms of vacuum cleaners, Kenmore scores well in three out of four categories. Their back upright and bagged canister vacuums both impressed us by effectively removing embedded dirt from carpets and even better at cleaning hardwood floors. One innovative feature we've never seen before on a vacuum is the QR code inside the back compartment, which allows you to scan it with your smartphone and access the Kenmore website to purchase replacement bags for your model.

Diehard Batteries: Top Rated Car Battery

Consumer Reports also tested various car batteries from different manufacturers, including Diehard. The Diehard Advanced battery stood out in our testing due to its excellent reserve capacity. This means that if you accidentally leave your lights on for a while, these batteries will have enough energy to still start your car even in cold temperatures.

For those looking for a reliable and affordable snow blower, Sears offers a heavy-duty Craftsman model with a 30-inch clearing width. While it scored just below our top-rated Cub Cadet, it is significantly cheaper and still gets the job done. Additionally, Sears also offers a compact Craftsman model that is certified as a CR Best Buy, indicating that it's an excellent product at a great price.

This compact model is particularly cost-effective for areas with limited snowfall, as it can handle the plow pile at the end of the driveway with ease. Its 24-inch width makes it easier to store than larger models, making it an attractive option for smaller households or those with limited storage space.

However, not everything you find at Sears is a top pick. In our testing, we found that their cordless drill fell short, ranking only one of nine Craftsman models on our list. For this type of product, we recommend considering other options such as Ridgid, which offers better speed and power.

In the realm of lawnmowers, Sears' self-propelled model also failed to meet our expectations. If you're in the market for a reliable lawn mower, it's best to look elsewhere and consider top-rated models from Honda or Torro.

Finally, when it comes to paints and stains, Sears' house brand products did not impress us as much as some of their competitors. In contrast, brands like Baer and Benjamin Moore consistently topped our recommended lists in these categories.

Shopping Lists: What to Get and What to Forget

At Consumer Reports, we have created shopping lists for various retailers, including Sears, Walmart, Costco, and Lowe's. These lists provide you with the top picks and recommendations based on our expert testing, ensuring that you make informed purchasing decisions and save time and money in the process.

By following these lists, you can avoid making costly mistakes and find the best products to suit your needs and budget. Whether you're shopping for appliances, tools, or household essentials, Consumer Reports is committed to helping you make the most of your hard-earned money.

For more information on our shopping lists and recommendations, be sure to check out our website or visit us on YouTube. With Consumer Reports, you can trust that you'll find the best products to meet your needs and budget.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enat Consumer Reports we work hard to save you time and money when you shop so we've created lists of what to get and what to forget and many of your favorite retailers based on our expert testing that today let's take a trip to Sears home to Craftsman tools diehard batteries and Kenmore appliances for your laundry room this front-loading Kenmore Elite washer can hold about 24 pounds of laundry and it's a Consumer Reports top pick the matching dryer fell just short of our recommended list but it rated excellent in all categories except for noise where it's still rated very good in our wash a test we washed a large number of fabric swatches soil with things like wine Coco and pig's blood then we checked how much of the stain is removed after one cycle with our color imita we were impressed at how well this wash removes things to keep your floors clean Kenmore Tufts three out of four vacuum categories in our ratings now our top choices this back upright and this bagged canister both vacuums were really impressive that removing embedded dirt from carpets and even better at cleaning hardwood floors one feature we've never seen before on a vacuum is the QR code inside the back compartment you just scan the code with your smartphone and it takes you to the kemar website where you can buy the right replacement bags for your model to keep your engine revving check out our highest rated car battery the diehard advanced many of the diehard batteries we tested an excellent reserve capacity which means if you accidentally leave your lights on for a while these batteries should have enough energy to still start your car out in the cold this heavy-duty craftsman snow blower with a 30 inch clearing width scored just below our top rated cub cadet but cost hundreds less also check out this compact craftsman model a CR Best Buy which means it's a great product at a great price this compact model is really cost effective for areas that typically don't get a lot of stuff it still can handle the plow pile at the end of the driveway and it's 24 inch width makes it easier to store than large remise now for a few items to forget if you're headed to Sears you can skip the cordless drill I'll only one of nine craftsman models we tested made our list most like good speed and power through better off with this cordless drill from Ridgid the same goes for craftsman self-propelled lawnmowers instead check out Honda or Torah which topped our ratings in that category also in our tests Sears house brand paints and stains fell short Baer and Benjamin Moore most often topped our recommended lists in these categories check out our shopping lists of what to get and what to forget at other retailers including Walmart Costco and Lowe's at Consumer Reports org or on our YouTube channelat Consumer Reports we work hard to save you time and money when you shop so we've created lists of what to get and what to forget and many of your favorite retailers based on our expert testing that today let's take a trip to Sears home to Craftsman tools diehard batteries and Kenmore appliances for your laundry room this front-loading Kenmore Elite washer can hold about 24 pounds of laundry and it's a Consumer Reports top pick the matching dryer fell just short of our recommended list but it rated excellent in all categories except for noise where it's still rated very good in our wash a test we washed a large number of fabric swatches soil with things like wine Coco and pig's blood then we checked how much of the stain is removed after one cycle with our color imita we were impressed at how well this wash removes things to keep your floors clean Kenmore Tufts three out of four vacuum categories in our ratings now our top choices this back upright and this bagged canister both vacuums were really impressive that removing embedded dirt from carpets and even better at cleaning hardwood floors one feature we've never seen before on a vacuum is the QR code inside the back compartment you just scan the code with your smartphone and it takes you to the kemar website where you can buy the right replacement bags for your model to keep your engine revving check out our highest rated car battery the diehard advanced many of the diehard batteries we tested an excellent reserve capacity which means if you accidentally leave your lights on for a while these batteries should have enough energy to still start your car out in the cold this heavy-duty craftsman snow blower with a 30 inch clearing width scored just below our top rated cub cadet but cost hundreds less also check out this compact craftsman model a CR Best Buy which means it's a great product at a great price this compact model is really cost effective for areas that typically don't get a lot of stuff it still can handle the plow pile at the end of the driveway and it's 24 inch width makes it easier to store than large remise now for a few items to forget if you're headed to Sears you can skip the cordless drill I'll only one of nine craftsman models we tested made our list most like good speed and power through better off with this cordless drill from Ridgid the same goes for craftsman self-propelled lawnmowers instead check out Honda or Torah which topped our ratings in that category also in our tests Sears house brand paints and stains fell short Baer and Benjamin Moore most often topped our recommended lists in these categories check out our shopping lists of what to get and what to forget at other retailers including Walmart Costco and Lowe's at Consumer Reports org or on our YouTube channel\n"