If you own, or are thinking about buying a Craftsman woodworking tool, you should also buy a copy of the instructions or the owner's manual.

First and foremost, the owner's manual will provide you with the correct safety information when operating your powered radial arm saw, table saw, band saw or jointer planer. Your health and safety is not worth risking, and the owner's manual will give you the neccessary information to keep your wood working fun and hazard free.

Secondly, buying a copy of a Craftsman owner's manual will enable you to learn the vast functions that your power tool is capable of doing. Most people don't know that with the correct add-on accessories, your radial arm saw can double as a sander, or a molder/shaper.

Third, if you are buying a used Craftsman tool, the manual will give you the knowledge to properly set up and run your saw. For instance, a radial arm saw, one of the most versatile wood shop tools, can easily fall out of true, giving odd angled cuts and poor results with your project. The instructions give the how and why, as well as the neccessary specs, to true your saw for accurate cuts.

Fourth, trouble-shooting can ruin a great afternoon in the work shop. When a tool goes down, a manual will usually come in handy to help you check all the first steps, saving you valuable time and money.  One of the great things about Sears Craftsman tool manuals is that they almost always have very detailed exploded views of the equipment, along with a parts list, making repairs much, much easier, and will get you up and running much faster.

Sears manuals are often very universal in nature. Sears constantly is changing the model numbers of their tools, yet the manuals are virtually the same.  In my experience, part numbers carry over year after year.  

If you are shopping for powered woodworking tools, Craftsman quality is great, especially when considering the value, dollar for dollar, against other makes on the market. 

I have found that owning the respective tool manuals has made me a better, faster woodworker, with much less material waste. Having an owner's manual has also saved me tons of money, as well as time, when shopping for used or vintage parts.  I am simply more productive when in the shop, and have a much better understanding of shop safety, and what my Craftsman equipment is capable of accomplishing.  

Consider the small investment of having an owners manual...it is a world of helpful knowledge!!!!