Craftsman Tool Warranty

John T

Well-known Member
So, I got a pleasant surprise last night when I took a couple items to the local Sears and asked about their warranty.

1) I had a 17mm 3/8 drive socket that busted apart (they didn't ask if some dude used an adapter and a long 1/2 breaker bar, don't ask dont tell kinda like one of former President Clintons policies I guess lol) and I expected they would replace that.

HERES THE SURPRISE

2) I had a 35 year old 3/4 drive ratchet which was only missing the little reverse flipper, I think it must have been pressed onto the teeny square shaft and fell off about 10 years ago. Its still worked if you used pliers to turn the teeny square shaft IT WAS ONLY MISSING THE TINY THUMB FLIPPER.

So I walk up to the counter and laid them down and asked if the items could be repaired/replaced under warranty. He asked for my phone number, I didn't have to sign anything I just stood mute after that. So he goes and gets a new socket off the rack and hands it to me, AND THEN doesn't even hardly look at or ask the problem with the big ratchet HE JUST GOES AND GETS ME A BRAND SPANKIN SHINY NEW BIG 3/4 DRIVE RATCHET AND HANDS IT TO ME NO QUESTIONS ASKED !!!!!!!!! That's got be an expensive item

Just wanted to tell that story and how happy I was with the local Sears store and how they handled that to my surprise regarding a 35 year old ratchet that was only missing one small part. Now that I quit farming I may well NEVER use that ratchet again but it looks nice inside the box and you can reverse it without using pliers.

John T
 
The last time I returned tools to Sears. I ran into a retired Gestapo Agent. Thought I would never get them exchanged.
 
I have never had any problems having damaged, broken, even worn out Craftsman tools replaced under warranty by sears.

Dean
 
John, I am glad it all worked well. I just don"t get the problems a lot of folks seem to get when the go to a sears store for a tool exchange.
I bought my first set of too waaaay back in 1980. since then I have put together and additional 3 sets + 1 metric set buying pieces in pawn shops and garage sales, Whereever! over the years. 95%+ of them are well worn, very, very few were worth keeping, from from get-go! Most all pieces were promptly taken to my local Sears store to exchange for a better non worn, New tool. Only once or twice have I had any static from a sears sales person.
I have simply informed the Newby I have been buying Tools since "Before they were Born" It is My call, Not theirs and to get on with it! ALSO...
It is the "Tool that is Warranted" not the "Original Purchaser" like some of the other name brand tools.
It is suppose to work just like that, every time!
Later,
John A.
 
I have a couple of comments here.

First of all, I have never had a problem with the Sears warranty program. It used to be that you got a new tool. Now, if I take a ratchet in they have a box of reconditioned tools they go through and replace it with that. I'm OK with that, and the last time I did ask if I could have a different one. The one he pulled out had someone's initials scratched on it. No problem. I found a ten inch crescent with the jaw missing one time. They replaced it as well. Probably shouldn't have done that one as I could see the road rash on the side of it.

Klein tools will do that too, to a certain extent. It is largely up to the dealer though. Their "official" policy is that Klein tools are warranted for the normal life of the tool, not that of the owner. My Klein rep ( I work at a place that sells Klein ) tells me to "take care of my customer" and if Klein rejects the warranty he will cover it for me, and so far he has done just that.

I do feel that truly abused tools of any brand should not be warranted, even if the warranty states (as Sears used to say) that the tool will be replaced for any reason.
 
Apparently not everything has a lifetime warranty. I had a torque wrench that needed replaced and was told it only had a 1 year warranty. The sales guy got a new one off the rack and read the limited warranty to me. I got an old ratchet from my dad's tool box that was not working and took it in. They gave me a new one for that one though and it must have been an antique.
 
Decades ago I found a 3/4 Craftsman socket on the road. Years later I broke it with a cheater bar on it. Sears replaced it. This summer I found a rusty 1/2-9/16 box end wrench that had been laying in my field for years. Sears replaced it. Same with a few socket handles over the years. Puller was no longer available, but they gave me a similar one.
 
And if you exchange an American made wrench you bought in the '80's , you will receive a chicom made replacement .
 
Ok. Would you rather have the USA made broke tool or a Chi made that might work? Their warranty is still pretty generous.
 
Have had several less than joyous dealings with Sears over the years on replacing family purchased/owned Craftsman tools from the late '40s/early '50s.
 
Guys, Just today I took in 3 pieces of a 4 piece Craftsman Grill set I got 2 weeks ago from some junk trader. Walked in, went to the Screwdriver section (they are there & in the Grill section too) picket up a new set went to the counter gave my phone # the man, He tapped on the register, handed me my trade out ticket and Brand New Grill set and out the door I went.... No cross words, No Static about some BS point! That simple!!!
Later,
John A.
 
Never had a problem at Sears with replacing my Craftsman tools. Snap-on is another story. Moved to a new job and the Snappy rep gave me a song and dance about how he did not have to warranty my screwdriver, blah, blah, blah, but he would just to be nice. I told him I would just sell the set on eBay and buy a Craftsman set, since the lady at the Sears counter doesn't give me any lip.
 
I have heard that if you work as a mechanic for a living, don't go into Sears wearing your work uniform.

They have turned down the warranty for a "professional" rather than a "hobbyist" depending on the shirt you are wearing!
 
If they give me a china made tool for my USA tool..I"ll keep my broken USA tool and find USA parts some where (ebay maybe) and if it can"t be fixed..i will find a used one that is USA made.....Buy American!
 
I subscribe to the "normal use" warranty. I took in a ratchet that jammed with normal use and got a replacement, no guilty feelings. Another one that was damaged when "somebody" tried to use it as a hammer went in the trash, that wasn"t Sears" fault.
 
I've never tried to warranty a craftsman tool. The closest sears store is over 70 miles away and carry a very limited selection of tools.

I buy craftsman sockets and wrenches off ebay. I make sure they are listed as made in U.S.A. before I buy.
Yesterday I bought a 11/16 wrench with free shipping for $2.49. When they are that cheap. I won't waste my gas driving 70 miles to exchange. I'll just bay another one.

S-K tools warranty is a joke. I have a lot of S-K tools.
 
Just today I took a 12in. adjustable Sears wrench into our local Sears store. It said "SEARS" on the handle. I had had this wrench for quite some time,. The thumb roller was not operating correctly...would jump...not catch. It was kind of a spring loaded thing. I asked for a replacement. No problem. They went to the shelf and got a 12in. CRAFTSMAN wrench.

Husky at Home Depot has replaced a socket and extension bar sight unseen. I just called the 800 number listed on the package, as instructed by the sales person, and gave the item number and they sent a new one to my house.
 

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