I was under the impression that some people were having trouble finding them, but that could just be a few people and not a general issue. I agree though, when I see people complaining (not questioning, but just whining) about not having tools and who can't craft, I just wonder why. Granted that not every trader has all stations working, but even if it's just a forge, you can load it up from what you scavenge during the day, then put a bunch of wood frames in it for fuel and let it cook all night. It's not perfect, and you basically can't use it at night, but it's still better than trying to rng into items.
That also gives me a decent rhythm. Farm what i need and am going to shove in the forge during the day while scavenging, let it cook at night while i craft, explore, do quests, or try and cobble together a base and defenses. Maybe i'm just not having the same problems with the game others are experiencing, and i'm really liking the changes. Grinding doesn't bother me like it does some people, and while some things need adjustment (some of the gating for skills seems more restrictive that i'd prefer, items need balancing), I figure that is exactly what the experimental portion is for...finding what needs to be fixed and going from there.