The core reason crafting fails in this game is the same reason it fails in every MMO.

There is no decay.

That and it's a 3:1 cost to replace the crafted over reward gear, using identical content for both.

A system that had reasonable decay and a logical cost for crafted alternatives would mean people would grind in crafted and save their reward, end game stuff for serious content. It still all comes back to no decay means never replaced and that is a nail in any crafting coffin.