Ridgid Pipe Wrench Warranty Problems

[kensnelling]

Since it has been 2 days and no reply yet, I think they have answered how they are going to handle it

Not on anyone's side here, as I don't have a dog in this fight, but after telling you 3 times they won't do anything unless you retun the tool for inspection,. I believe they indeed "have answered how they are going to handle it".

Just a question though. have you called the customer service phone number? In the past I seem to have gottem better results on the phone than in emails.
It's seems easier to say no via email than to a real voice.

Ken

 

[lilranch2001]

Not on anyone's side here, as I don't have a dog in this fight, but after telling you 3 times they won't do anything unless you retun the tool for inspection,. I believe they indeed "have answered how they are going to handle it".

Just a question though. have you called the customer service phone number? In the past I seem to have gottem better results on the phone than in emails.
It's seems easier to say no via email than to a real voice.

Ken

Plus maybe Tracy is a hottie, if she is give her MY contact info

 

[lostcause]

to be honest, it's no different than the way most businesses operate for warranty work now. if you break a part on a new car you can't just email them a picture and tell them to mail you the part - you have to take the vehicle to them and let them look at and replace the defective part, even if it is as simple as putting a new ash tray in. in many cases it would be a nice simple solution if they would just mail you the parts, but they all have their policies on how things have to be done.

there are those places that will allow a warranty claim with a phone call, mail, or pictures, but not every place does it. i had a set of internal torx sockets arrive from tooltopia and one had not been cut - it was just the circular center blank hole. i sent them an email and explained that i had to use some of the other sizes from that set immediately and could not send the whole set back. a couple days later they sent me the correct replacement individually and told me to toss the bad one. i expected to get referred to the manufacturer, or at least have some problem. i was prepared to order and pay for the individual piece myself since i expected more hassle than the warranty claim was worth, but they surprised me.

i've gotten pretty cynical about warranties over the years. i rarely buy a product because of the warranty because downtime and hassles often make it easier to replace than claim, sad to say. high priced stuff i'd probably worry about though.

 

[BobRip]

I have a 50 year warranty on my roof shingles and the manufacturer is out of business. It was put on wrong so a few shingles come loose a year. Here is my take on long warranties.

1. The product is really good and last so long you are happy when it fails.

2 The product is of poor quality and the company goes bankrupt since it cannot afford to pay the claims.

Either way the warranty was not worth anything. I do believe that longer warranties indicate they built the product as good as they could.

 

[LD1]

Verdict is in on the pittsburg (HF Brand) pipewrench.

Overall Fit and quality is as good as can be expected from a $11 wrench. The handle of the Ridgid does have a little more mass around the jaws.

But even at that, it is a 14" pipewrench and I dont think I could ever break even the HF one without at lease a 3' pipe on the end

As far as the hardness of the jaws:

....................Upper Jaw....................Lower Jaw
Ridgid..............12Rc.............................42Rc
Pittsburgh........22Rc.............................35Rc

So....The cheapo one from HF has a softer bottom jaw by a little, but a harder top jaw.

Time will tell if the jaws hold up as well as the Ridgid. I do have some regular (non-aluminum) ones from HF, And have used them a lot. I have no complanits with them at all. Jaws still look great.

And keep in mind also that this is a 5 year old ridgid too. I dont know if there new jaws are as good or if they went the way of many other companies???

 

[lilranch2001]

Verdict is in on the pittsburg (HF Brand) pipewrench.

Overall Fit and quality is as good as can be expected from a $11 wrench. The handle of the Ridgid does have a little more mass around the jaws.

But even at that, it is a 14" pipewrench and I dont think I could ever break even the HF one without at lease a 3' pipe on the end

As far as the hardness of the jaws:

....................Upper Jaw....................Lower Jaw
Ridgid..............12Rc.............................42Rc
Pittsburgh........22Rc.............................35Rc

So....The cheapo one from HF has a softer bottom jaw by a little, but a harder top jaw.

Time will tell if the jaws hold up as well as the Ridgid. I do have some regular (non-aluminum) ones from HF, And have used them a lot. I have no complanits with them at all. Jaws still look great.

And keep in mind also that this is a 5 year old ridgid too. I dont know if there new jaws are as good or if they went the way of many other companies???

I am surprised by the huge disparity of rockwell hardness on the two Ridgid jaws

 

[ray66v]

I am surprised by the huge disparity of rockwell hardness on the two Ridgid jaws

Why? It's Chinese made. Close enough, and sometimes not close enough, are par.

It would not surprise me if they were made in the same place as the HF jaws.

 

[RobertBrown]

Now these tools have a "lifetime" warranty. Do to how I acquired the tool, returning to place of purchase is out of the question and I have no reciept.

I've spent many years very close to an assortment of Rigid pipe wrenches. there were many days where the wrench didn't leave my hand but for a few moments except for lunch and afernoon break.
Rigid does not offer a lifetime waranty on the jaws. If you use the wrench alot on cast iron fittings the jaws will last a year or 2, maybe 3. Then they get dull and start to slip and thats bad for your teeth .
I have never seen or heard of a jaw splitting like that. I would think that if you send that jaw back to Rigid they will send you another, cause it should not have cracked or split.
I for one would like to know how you got that to splt. I have used a 6' cheater pipe on a 14" pipe wrench more than once and have had the wrench, or the pipe, or both bend, but never seen a jaw break or split. Were you using the wrench sideways....maybe to pull up a well drop pipe?

 

[Car Doc]

As far as receipts are concerned on returns or warranty when in question. I tell them it was a gift there is nothing they can say about that it isn't a dis qualifier in any small print I have ever read or was aware of. fwtw

 

[LD1]

I've spent many years very close to an assortment of Rigid pipe wrenches. there were many days where the wrench didn't leave my hand but for a few moments except for lunch and afernoon break.
Rigid does not offer a lifetime waranty on the jaws. If you use the wrench alot on cast iron fittings the jaws will last a year or 2, maybe 3. Then they get dull and start to slip and thats bad for your teeth .
I have never seen or heard of a jaw splitting like that. I would think that if you send that jaw back to Rigid they will send you another, cause it should not have cracked or split.
I for one would like to know how you got that to splt. I have used a 6' cheater pipe on a 14" pipe wrench more than once and have had the wrench, or the pipe, or both bend, but never seen a jaw break or split. Were you using the wrench sideways....maybe to pull up a well drop pipe?

Here is how it happened. And this is typically the ONLY time I use the 14" wrench. I usually use channel locks on smaller stuff. If it is big enough to warrant a pipe wrench, I usually grab the 18 or 24:thumbsup:

But how it happened was a case where TWO wrenches were needed. You know...when you want the pipe to come loose in a certain place, one wrench just doesnt get it, cause it usually spins at another joint:confused2:

So I used the 14, got a good bite on the pipe and let it spin around until the handle stopped on the pipe ~10" next to it. That way I didnt have to hold it while trying to turn the other wrench. And the other wrench was only a 24" and no cheater.

As far as receipts are concerned on returns or warranty when in question. I tell them it was a gift there is nothing they can say about that it isn't a dis qualifier in any small print I have ever read or was aware of. fwtw

That is indeed what I told them. That it was a gift and I dont know where it was purchased nor have a receipt.