The results are in and the readers of Popular Mechanics magazine have named Craftsman as their favorite hand tool brand as part of the magazine's 2009 Reader's Choice Awards.

This is the first year Popular Mechanics conducted the survey to determine reader's favorite choices in consumer products. More than 7,000 participants voted in nearly 30 categories with at least five competing brands per category. The votes have been tallied and readers selected Craftsman as the number one preferred brand in hand tools.

"Craftsman is thrilled to be recognized by the readers of Popular Mechanics magazine," said Guenther Trieb, senior vice president and president, Brands, Sears Holdings Corp. "The Craftsman brand is built on arming our customers with the tools, the knowledge and the confidence to complete a project of any size. The trust that the readers of Popular Mechanics have shown in our brand is extremely rewarding to everyone at Craftsman."

For more than 80 years, Craftsman has been a leader in the hand tool category, providing tough, smart and long-lasting tool solutions to customers. From general purpose tools to mechanics tool, personalized tools and plumbing tools, Craftsman offers the right variety of hand tools needed to get the job done. All Craftsman hand tools come with a lifetime warranty to provide reassurance that no matter what, Craftsman will be there for every project, from start to finish.

"The Craftsman brand offers a distinct advantage to the tool portfolio at Sears," said John Froman, senior vice president and president, Tools, Lawn & Garden at Sears Holdings Corp. "Through Craftsman we are able to provide our customers the tools they can use to take on any DIY challenge. We're excited to see the brand honored by the customers who use those tools every day.

"Congratulations to Craftsman on this honor," said Bill Congdon, publisher, Popular Mechanics. "Our readers are very knowledgeable consumers, and they demand quality and performance in any product they buy. We consider them to be the neighborhood advisers on Main Street America, the guys their friends and family turn to for answers, solutions and recommendations."

Craftsman hand tools are available for purchase at Craftsman.com and at Sears and Kmart stores nationwide. For more information on Craftsman and Craftsman's wide selection of other products including power tools, lawn and garden equipment and storage, visit the website.

About Sears Holdings:

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fifth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday products, which are offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.