Staring at a string of numbers on your Craftsman tool and wondering what any of it means? You’re not the only one scratching your head. That Craftsman model number is actually a coded map to your tool’s entire history — who built it, when, and exactly which parts fit it. Read this guide to the end, and you’ll decode any Craftsman number like a pro.
What a Craftsman Model Number Actually Tells You
Craftsman never built most of its own tools. Instead, the brand contracted hundreds of outside manufacturers — called Original Equipment Manufacturers, or OEMs — to build everything from table saws to refrigerators. The Craftsman model number was the system that kept it all organized.
The classic format looks like this: XXX.YYYYYYYY
Here’s how it breaks down:
- The prefix (digits before the decimal) — identifies the OEM that built the tool
- The digits after the decimal — define the specific model, configuration, and bundled accessories
- The version suffix (e.g., /01) — tracks mid-production engineering changes
That last part — the version suffix — matters more than most people realize. Two tools with identical base numbers but different suffixes can have completely different internal parts. Order without checking the suffix, and you’ll likely get the wrong components.
The Master List of Craftsman OEM Prefix Codes
Because Craftsman sourced from so many factories, the prefix is the only way to trace a tool back to its true maker. Here’s what you need to know, broken down by category.
Power Tools
| Prefix | Manufacturer | What They Made |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Atlas Press / Clausing | Metal lathes, drill presses |
| 103 | Central Specialty / King Seeley | Early drill presses, belt-driven table saws |
| 113 | Emerson Electric | Table saws, band saws, jointers — the heavy cast-iron era |
| 135 | Skil / Bosch | Circular saws, routers, handheld sanders |
| 315 | Ryobi | Late-1990s direct-drive tools, aluminum-top table saws |
| 900 | DeWalt / Black & Decker | High-end cordless and corded portables |
The 113 prefix from Emerson Electric is the holy grail for vintage woodworkers. These tools feature heavy cast-iron trunnions and belt-drive systems that accept modern aftermarket upgrades easily. The 315 Ryobi models that replaced them use direct-drive motors and lighter aluminum — a completely different engineering world.
Outdoor Power Equipment
| Prefix | Manufacturer | What They Built |
|---|---|---|
| 247 | MTD | Modern riding mowers, zero-turns, snowblowers |
| 271 | Kioritz / Echo | Two-stroke string trimmers, chainsaws, blowers |
| 358 | Beaird-Poulan | Consumer chainsaws, yard tools |
| 500 | Briggs & Stratton | Small engines across almost every platform |
| 917 | Roper / American Yard Products | The most common vintage riding mower prefix |
The 917 prefix covers decades of popular riding mowers and garden tractors. The 247 prefix covers most of what you’ll find on dealer lots today.
Appliances and Home Infrastructure
| Prefix | Manufacturer | Product Category |
|---|---|---|
| 106 / 110 | Whirlpool / KitchenAid | Washers, dryers, refrigerators |
| 139 | Chamberlain Group | Garage door openers |
| 253 | Frigidaire | Refrigerators, freezers, window ACs |
| 706 | Waterloo Industries | Metal tool storage chests |
| 714 | Montezuma | Modern tool storage (post-2020) |
Knowing the appliance prefix tells a repair technician exactly which replacement parts ecosystem to shop. A 106 washer uses Whirlpool water pumps and control boards. A 253 refrigerator uses a completely different compressor and defrost system.
How to Decode Serial Numbers on Outdoor Equipment
There’s no single universal date code for Craftsman outdoor equipment. Each OEM used its own format. Finding the production date depends entirely on the prefix.
Where to find the label:
- Riding mowers — under the operator’s seat or on the frame beneath it
- Walk-behind mowers — on a sticker at the rear of the cutting deck
- Snowblowers — on the rear base plate between the wheels
- Chipper shredders — near the engine’s recoil starter housing
917 Prefix (Roper / American Yard Products)
Three formats exist depending on the production era:
MMDDYYxxxxx — Used heavily in the late 1990s and 2000s. The first six digits are the exact calendar date.
- Example: Serial starting with 061508 = June 15, 2008
YYWWxxxxx — Uses calendar week instead of the exact day.
- Example: Serial starting with 0423 = Week 23 of 2004
YYYYWWDxxxx — Full four-digit year, calendar week, and day of the week (1–7).
247 Prefix (MTD)
MTD uses an 11-character alphanumeric sequence. The first five characters hide the date code.
Pre-2021 format (PMDDYxxxxx):
- Position 1 = product line
- Position 2 = letter for the month (A = January, B = February… L = December)
- Positions 3–4 = day of the month
- Position 5 = last digit of the year
The single-digit year creates a decade ambiguity — a “0” could mean 1990, 2000, or 2010. Cross-reference the engine’s own date stamp to confirm the decade. Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, and Tecumseh all stamp production dates directly into the engine housing.
Post-2021 format — MTD switched to alphabetic year codes to end the ambiguity:
| Letter | Year |
|---|---|
| M | 2021 |
| N | 2022 |
| P | 2023 |
| Q | 2024 |
| R | 2025 |
This change became critical during an actual federal safety recall of 30-inch mini riding mowers. Affected units had serial numbers from 1G20MB20001 through 1L17MB20228. Decoding 1G20M means: Product Line 1, July, 20th day, 2021.
536 Prefix (AMF / Murray)
This prefix uses a four-digit Julian date at the start of the serial.
YDDDxxxx format:
- Y = last digit of the year
- DDD = the day of the year (001–365)
- Example: Serial starting with 5123 = 123rd day of a year ending in 5 (like 1995 or 2005)
Use the engine date to pin down the correct decade, just as you would with older MTD equipment.
Reading Forge Codes on Craftsman Hand Tools
Hand tools don’t have room for model number plates. Instead, manufacturers stamped forge codes directly into the steel during production. These codes served a practical purpose — when defective tools came back under Craftsman’s lifetime warranty, the return facility needed to know which factory caused the problem and charge them for it.
Early Series Codes (Pre-1946)
- BE / H-Circle — New Britain Machine Company / Hinsdale Manufacturing, roughly 1931–1947
- CF — Herbrand Corporation, 1930–1936
- C8 — J.P. Danielson, same era
- C-Circle — Champion DeArment (later known as Channellock). These pliers introduced the famous “Nested Diamonds” gripping pattern in 1936.
Danielson tools stand out because they used an L.M.Y date stamp — letter for the production run, M for the month (1–12), and Y for the last digit of the year. Their typography looks like a typewriter font, and by 1942 they switched to a “Herringbone” gripping pattern.
Modern Series Codes (1946 to Present)
- V / VV / VW / VJ / VG / G / G1 / GK — Moore Drop Forge (1945–1968), then Easco (1969–1989), then Danaher Corporation through the 1990s and 2000s
- WF / E WF / Q WF / T WF — Western Forge, screwdrivers and wrenches, roughly 1965–2008
- PR / S PR / V PR / W PR — Pratt Read, screwdrivers, 2002–2008
- K / K-Circle — SK Hand Tool Corporation
Finding a socket with a VV or G stamp confirms it’s from the peak Danaher era. That matters for collectors building historically complete sets.
Locating Model Numbers by Tool Type
Knowing the format helps, but you still need to find the label. Craftsman’s official location guide covers modern tools, but here’s the quick reference:
- Stationary power tools (113/315 series) — riveted metal plate on the left side or rear of the base cabinet
- Garage door openers — hidden behind the light bulb cover on the motor housing; you must hinge or remove the plastic lens to see it
- Riding mowers — metal plate on the bracket supporting the operator’s seat
- Walk-behind mowers — sticker on the rear of the cutting deck
- Modern CM/CMX tools — label on the left side of the seat bracket (tractors) or rear deck (walk-behinds)
The 139-prefix garage door openers are worth a special note. Finding that label confirms full compatibility with Chamberlain and LiftMaster parts — all three brands share the same logic boards, nylon drive gears, and limit switches.
The Modern Era: CM, CMX, and the Stanley Black & Decker Transition
When Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman brand and launched over 1,200 new tools, the old three-digit OEM prefix system went away. Manufacturing moved in-house, and so did the naming logic.
New tools now use CM or CMX prefixes that identify the brand itself rather than the factory. Outdoor power equipment often uses CMX-xx-AM or CMX-xx-AS sequences. Handheld tools follow a standard CM string.
The V20 cordless platform marked another big shift. These 20-volt lithium tools share internal architecture with Stanley FatMax tools — same motor casings, same battery form factors, different branding. That’s useful intel when you’re hunting compatible batteries or spare parts.
Battery and charger date codes are now refreshingly simple:
- Batteries — six-digit date code engraved on the top surface next to the charging contacts
- Chargers — same six-digit format on the underside of the base
That’s a far cry from the cryptic Julian codes of the 1980s — and it makes tracking battery age and warranty claims much faster.
Why the Version Suffix Is the Part Nobody Checks (But Should)
Here’s the thing most people skip: the version suffix at the end of the model string. On appliances especially, manufacturers change internal components mid-year without changing the visible housing. The version code — formatted as /00, /01, and so on — tracks those changes.
A refrigerator labeled 106.xxxxx/00 may use a completely different control board than the same model labeled 106.xxxxx/01. Order without it, and the part won’t fit even though the fridge looks identical. Always copy the full model string, including everything after the slash, before you order anything.
That Craftsman model number on your tool isn’t just a filing system — it’s a direct line to the factory, the production date, and every compatible part ever made for it. Now you know exactly how to read it.
