Craftsman tools warranty and workmanship today

[Travelover]

never broke any of my Sears rachets, broke several sockets, screw drivers, combo wrenches, took back and got new ones ,no questions.
My complaint is the tools bought in last 10-15 years have lousy chrome plating, one winter and they rust, my old stuff still ok. Even my Harbor Freight throwaway stuff has better chrome plating than sears.

I agree about the plating. The screwdrivers that I keep in my barn are all rusty just from normal condensation. I took them back to Sears and they said rust doesn't count as a defect. I pointed out that the Craftsman Unconditional Guarantee was about whether I was satisfied or not, which I was not. They relented and gave me replacements but they're rusting now.

 

[littletoes]

Too the first post on this thread, personaly I do not think that any tool that has been mistreated should have its warrantee honored.

If you are placing pipes on handles or whatever, and the tool breaks, that should be on you. They were not made for that type of treatment, no tools are.

I say this knowing I've done the same thing, but I have not taken a tool back after I've abused it. When I did it, I knew what I was doing, and when/if I broke it, I replaced it out of my own pocket.

I work with my hands for a living, and when I see something that I've done get abused or destroyed because somebody didn't want to treat it right, I don't fix it for free.

 

[weldingisfun]

Why don't you tell us how you really feel, Littletoes?

Just messin' with you, brother. I have to agree with you.

While I'm at it, welcome to TBN.

 

[jake98]

I have to agree here too. Guys used to bring tapemeasures back and get them replaced. If they didn't have the all encompassing return policy we'd probably be able to afford a higher quality tool.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I know a good many truck mechanics that work part time after retirement that use Craftsman and they all have a policiy the right tool for the job. Iffin its a stubborn bolt or nut it gets a breaker bar of the right size. The teeth in a ratchet arent meant to be pulled on like that. But the customer service I get at the nearest store in Corinth MS , wont take crap back. They say they are just a dealer heres your number to call. I have to go al lthe way to Tupelo or Florence AL. I bought a set of punches for work and they have dowel punch that says for alignment puropses only, I was using it to spud a flange oring fitting on the dozer at work and the hose slipped and broke my punch. They wouldnt replace it. I just save any broken tools from Craftsman and every 2 months Ill go to either store and trade. I was in the Corinth branch out of neccesity and needed a spare set of small side cutters for my service truck. They had a box and it was labeled Craftsman but it was made in China. I put them down. I buy a few tools from junk stores for a purpose to get cut off and welded back in angles and such but need a good medium duty tool. I go to flea markets alot and get some good deals. I got a good 10 piece set of Husku standards for 10 bucks and a pair of American coldchisels that were inch and a half thick for 5. I also take alot of tools in trade for back hoe work I did a dig out on the weekend and got a 500 dollar set of Proto 1/2 drive with a pull handle and a half in ratchet as well as the full set of shallow and deep well sockets. I was at the scrap yard the other day and a mann had 3 buckets of scrap on thetrailer chains and nails and bolts but I kept looking through them and foun a 5 inch 1/4 drive Wright pull andle and 4 sockets I try to buy US or Eroupean tools when ever I can I also like Kobalt but I also screen their stuff for USA. I had a Wright ratchet the other day and the ball bearing lack woore out and also the ratchet spring was weak. I took it to my nearest dealer and they wanted to charge me for it. Ill have to send it to Wright Home office. I think customer service is one of the real US tool markets killers. I dont do bussiness with Snap on any mosre becuase They dont like to drive 1/4 mile off the route to sell me tools at work I like to buy one at a time as money permits. I also found I can go to the Diesel mechanics class at the college and buy through a student and get a pretty good discount on Snapon stuff.

 

[littletoes]

Thanks for the welcome folks.

I haven't broken that many Craftsman tools, but that might be because I don't own that many, and perhaps they are not the first ones I grab. We all have favorite tools, and we seem to grab them first for our own reasons.

Either they just fit right, or they work so well.

 

[Bedlam]

After going back and reading my post, I have to agree with little toes myself. I would expect them to break under these conditions(cheater pipe).
however My comment wasn't with what was done in the past 30 years ago its was about the ratchets being crap right from the get go..


I quote myself via copy and past lol

Last time I went in they wouldn't exchange it for one on the shelf they would only 'give' me one form a drawer, with no packaging. I assume these were rebuilt. Well right off they were bad. slipped and bound up I soak them in oil to try to loosen but no luck.



This was the main concern I had. I do use pipes on my breaker bars but I assume they could break. but that isn't a problem I would just weld them back.

Again...Its not that they are abused. because they haven't these two inparticular were bad from the get go.

I assume they were meant at one time to be used. Not to look fancy sitting a blow mold box.

 

[Bedlam]

Just an update of my recent visit to exchange the 2/8 and the 1/4 inch ratchet at sears.

It was crowded due to the holiday shoppers, but i went to the wall and found the brand new replacements and made my to wait in line,the line moved fairly fast with three registers open.
The clerk looked and I said i needed to exchange them due to the teeth slipping. He said no problem but turned and opened the drawer and took out some of the 'rebuilt' one. I said that as I had gotten replacements that were rebuilt and they were bad from the git go, that I would just assume use the brand new ones.
He hesitated but said I can do that . And rang up the return (exchange) sale.II asked who rebuilt them and in a tired reply he said I do right here in the store.
He went on on how they didnt and I said I wonder if the box of replacement parts says china on it.He didn't deny or confirm . But I wonder now if they are rebuilding them its possible that they had a bad batch of parts to use.
He also stated that they shouldn't be greased or even oiled .they are 'factory ' grease with the proper amount.I find it hard to believe there could be enough grease to cause the tooth to jump.


At any rate I left with two new ones..We shall see.