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You Are Here : Home : Replacement Window Reviews : American Craftsman
American Craftsman Windows Reviews
Browse our American Craftsman Windows reviews from homeowners to discover if their 50 and 70 vinyl window series are a good option. These two series are (almost) universally regarded as builder grade, meaning they are often sold to builders looking to save money on big projects. The AC brand is not a very strong buy as far as I am conerned.
Are American Craftsman Windows Any Good? If I were to give this brand a rating, I would give it a 3 out of 10. There are much better options out there, even at the big box stores.
Who Sells American Craftsman Windows? The 50 and 70 series are almost predominantly sold at the big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. They tend to be similar to Jeld Wen window prices and other lower end vinyl branda. For more information on American Craftsman windows prices click here.
Tom - HWRC Editor - This Page Was Updated In January, 2024
American Craftsman Windows 50 Series
The American Craftsman 50 series is the entry level offering from the company. The AC 50 series comes with a beveled frame, a tilt in option on the double and single hungs, and dual weatherstripping. The 50 series can be ordered as a single or double hung, awning, casement, or as a fixed frame.
The American Craftsman 50 series gets a 3 out of 5 star rating.
Tom - HWRC Editor
American Craftsman Windows 70 Series
The American Craftsman 70 series is the slightly upgraded offering from the company. The AC 70 series comes with a brick mould frame, an upgraded locking mechanism, better weather stripping, and an upgraded screen. The 70 series can be ordered as a single or double hung, picture window, awning, casement, or as a fixed frame.
The American Craftsman 70 series gets a 3.4 out of 5 star rating.
Tom - HWRC Editor
American Craftsman Windows vs Andersen
Andersen once owned American Craftsman, but they sold both AC and Silver Line to Ply Gem back in 2018. Andersen primarily sells a high end wood clad that can be purchased through dealers or in big box stores. AC manufactures a low end vinyl window that is sold in the big box stores. The Andersen brand is definitely considered the much better quality brand over AC.
Tom - HWRC Editor
Good For Rental Properties
I feel AC are a good option when it comes to rental properties, but I would never recommend these to anyone who will be living in the property for an extended period. They are manufactured on minimum requirements and they use really cheap materials, overall the reviews I have read have been really poor. Anyone looking for a quality window should have a look at the Simonton; the 6500 series is a solid option and a reasonable price. Other considerations could be Gorell and Sunrise, both a better overall quality window than the AC.
Jason - Contractor - 2019
American Craftsman Windows Complaints
If anyone ever tells you that American Craftsman windows are anything but a cheaply made product, then don't trust them. These are made with cheap material and barely meet the minimum standards for approval. If you were planning to rent out a property or flip a house, I guess I could see why you might choose this but it's not something you want on your own home. The Consumer Reports seem to have good things to say about these, but it's all baseless.
They don't review quality products and practically glance at bargain brands to get their options. I'd go for a Simonton 6500 window instead. Craftsman can't compare to it. Just make sure you hire someone else besides Home Depot for the job, because they do a lousy job with the install. There are plenty of better deals in quality with the same pricing out there, like Gorell or Sunrise.
Fred - Installer in NJ - 2018
Great Choice
I recently had thirteen replacements done with American Craftsman and am thrilled with the outcome. I also had a look at the Jeld-Wen when making my decision and am happy I chose the 8500 series, which is better than their cheaper builder grade quality. We've had no problems to date. I did use Jeld-Wen in our holiday home and they are not as good quality as the American Craftsman we used on our main house.
Eric - Homeowner - 2017
7550 Series Leaking Problems
Does anyone have experience with these? We had them installed a short while ago and the minute it rained, our new replacements started leaking. The leaks seems to start right at the top, but then after looking at them closely I saw the top of each window actually leans inwards. Is this normal or was this an installation error?
James - Homeowner - 2016
[Contractor Response]
I have years of experience with installation and the one thing I tell all my customers is not to purchase anything at the local home building store. This includes American Craftsman. On most occasions these are cheap and the fact you are already having problems is testament to that. If I were you I would contact the installer right now and get them to come back and fix the problem. You may need to have a drip cap installed, but your installer will be able to advise you if this is needed.
Steven - Contractor - 2015
Problematic Design
American Craftsman is under the Anderson ownership. Out of all the options available out there, this is probably the poorest quality option. Even if you're on a tight budget and are hoping to find something cheap, I would pass these up due to the lack of high quality. If you are willing to sacrifice quality for lower price, though, then these are made for you. The design, though, is bad and fits the bare minimum of requirements. They tend to leak and are often drafty. It's made with cheap vinyl, making it more susceptible to leaks over time. And, even if that doesn't get you the overall look is bad and cheap.
Roger - Installer - 2014
Read additional Andersen windows reviews.
Home Depot American Craftsman Windows
The Jeld-Wen windows and the AC 8500 have never been my favorite. The quality is just lacking there. If you are going to go with a Home Depot AC window, then I would choose the Silverline 9500 over the 8500. Atrium makes an okay window if they are available. The Atrium 3000 window offers a lifetime warranty with an additional warranty for glass breakage, plus it happens to be a decent window line. Simonton windows are a good choice as well, though you can expect it to be significantly more expensive.
Trevor - Builder - 2013
Read additional Silverline windows reviews.
Hiring the Right Installers
I would never call AC a good choice. There will always be a place for it in the market for temporary installations or rentals, of course, since it's not necessarily bad. Make sure that you get a different installer than they provide, though, since many big box stores tend to hire the lowest bidder and that usually means bad quality installs. If you get the right replacement window installer, they can improve the window with their install, make it look better and last longer. At the very least, they can make sure that their install minimizes possible leaking and drafts. Installers sent by the store typically do a rush job because it means more profit for them, and they don't take the necessary time, which results in issues later. It's not like that for every installer, of course, but it's a gamble. You don't want to risk it.
Burton - Builder - 2012
Is American Craftsman A Good Window
I am in the process of replacing 20 holes (that was how the contractor termed it, seemed weird to me), so as with most people in the country I went onto the various consumer reports and saw American Craftsman had a really good ranking. It was later reading through the forums that someone mentioned that I shouldn't go on what I read on the consumer reports, as they only rate what you can purchase at a home building supply store. This sparked my interest, so I headed to my local Home Depot and was so disappointed when I saw the American Craftsman windows in person; they were so cheap in design.
Mike - Homeowner - 2011
American Craftsman Consumer Reports
I trusted the high ratings Consumer Reports gave to American Craftsman and took a look at them when I had to replace my old windows. Problem is, CR only looks at cheap windows in their ratings, I discovered. It's great that they only list windows that are most commonly accessible to everyone, but that often eliminates the quality windows from the list. Just take a look at what's offered in Home Depot. One look at the full-size floor models and you can tell that they are garbage. The windows are too loose, even with the sashes locked. I could go on about how they looked too, but this might get too long.
Chad - Past Customer - 2008
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