I was a professional mechanic for over 40 years started out with Husky tools and SK tools and never had a problem getting them replaced. Then when I hit the big time of working at Dealerships it was easy to jump on a tool truck and buy what I needed be it Snap-On, MAC, or Marco. Of course I never had a problem getting my tools replaced, but I also payed threw the nose for that kind of service. I still have my tools replaced, I just have to chase the tool trucks to get my tools replaced. If I can’t find a tool truck Harbor freight is my go to, tools are a good price and the quality has gotten very good and if some thing brakes there is no problem getting it replaced.
Tekton's warranty of just sending a picture of the broken tool, and they send you a new one is fantastic. I can see how for a mechanic that isn't great, because you really need that replacement ASAP. But for myself (farmer/rancher), its awesome. I am 100 miles from my nearest lowes and harbor freight, and 300 from a home depot. In house warranty isn't an option, so getting mailed the tool is fantastic!
I too am a mechanic and I used to take hand full of craftsman tools to my local Sears and get replacements no questions asked, but that was about 30 years ago, then they started to say to me only 5 items at a time. Lastly they "picked and chose" which items got "life time" warranty! Very sad! I'm gonna try out Tekton! Heard you could just send them a picture of your broken Tekton tool and they send you a new one! Check them out!
I was trying to replace a pair of wire cutters that would not cut wire at Harbor Freight. I had their higher end cutters. They accused me of being a thief, when I tried to have their warranty honored. I was a club member with all kinds of their tools. To this date I haven’t been back to Any Harbor Freight store. Thank you to the Ceredo, WV Harbor Freight, from a former patron.
One other note: I was told by several professional mechanics that you NEVER tell them you use them professionally because you lose your guarantee. My Craftsmans are from the 1980's. I got the HF ratcheting combo wrenches and they are WEAK. I can see the open end flex, that was 10 years ago, maybe it's better now.
Lowe's tried to pull this crap on a 1/2'' socket wrench that I had for maybe 5 years, so I called Lowe's corporate line and they actually called the store I was at and told them they HAD to take it back no matter if they don't carry it anymore or if i don't have a receipt. Walked out with a new one after the corporate person talked to the customer service lady. Call corporate if you run into this problem, I was told that stores pull this shit all the time and to call corporate if I have any problems with warranty replacement at any of the Lowe's locations.
Craftsman is no longer! Seems like just a ghost of itself and the market is going to others willing to step up. Craftsman was at its peak when Bob Villa was introducing they're latest technologies and advancements. Unfortunately this is where we're at. I try and take it easy on my old sets for sentimental value and good memories. I also take it easy on my Dad's old Snap-on and Craftman tools. I'm considering Carlyle, Capri, and really excited about Ingersol & Rand hand tools! I just don't want to destroy my old stuff, it's all American made! Another brand I forgot to mention is OTC! I've been buying up alot of their special tools on Amazon and Ebay! Thank you Brother, take care! 👍 Harbor Freight maybe taking the majority of Craftman's market; however, Napa has also stepped up into the walk-in/tangible market! Also a giant note! I only buy 6 point sockets! There is no other reason for 12 point unless you have an old-ass Ford with the 12 point requirement.
I'll buy from Harbor Freight for impact-grade tools. Never had a problem with them in over 10 years. Much lower prices, too. I use mine commercially in very heavy duty applications. Zero failures.
In 1994 I start my career with Craftsman and warranty was a piece of cake. Sears Canada do not exist anymore. Over the years I have upgraded to Snap-on on my tools and having double is very handy. For the Snap-on warranty, it depends on who you have for franchise. Over the years, I got 6 different Snap-on dealers and the one I get now is warranting a lot more than my pass dealers. Now, I do not carry a tab on the tools truck and it seem to play in my favour. Unfortunately 20 years ago that was a different story.
Already took the place of Mac, Matco, and Cornwell. I can spend $300 at harbor freight and walk out able to perform 90% of vehicle repairs. Snap on makes a decent wrench and that's about it anymore.
My sockets now are all chrome Quinn or Pittsburgh impact. I even bought a $10 die grinder that locked up after about 40 hours of use...here's a new one, no questions asked. Hard to beat HF exchange policy.
Justin.i just started watching your channel about two weeks ago.i live in a small town in idaho and work at the largest small and large equipment rental business in our area.i work on everything from weed eaters to excavators.the snap on truck shows up every tuesday and i hear ya on crazy fucking prices on shit.i drive 30 minutes to twin falls to HF for my stuff.great vids keep it up and thanks for the info.cheers buddy.
Warranty shall be accepted by the seller/retailer when the customer has the receipt, same rule applies to hardware stores, since they require proof of transaction that it occurred and that it is within the clauses warranty claim.
I just went to Lowe's a few weeks ago and had zero issues getting a Craftsman Torx bit socket replaced. I just went in, grabbed the one I needed, went to customer service gave them both over and walked out with the new socket. The only bad part of the experience was turning in a US tool for a China tool, but a working China tool is better than a broken US tool.....
I went to return an easy-out set over 40 years ago at Sears since one of the easy-outs broke with out much pressure applied. I was told that they don't warranty any impact tools and that they considered an easy out as a impact tool. At that point I pointed to his Sears sign and told them why did your sign say satisfaction guaranteed. I was not satisfied! I also found out Crapman tools have the thinnest wall sockets out there on the market and that is why they always break. Buy only professional tools that last if your in the field. I don't want to return my tools because they broke, time is money How many times do you wear out K-D, Snap On, Mac, or even Blackhawk tools. They have been around for a long time for a reason if you wear them out they will swap them out if they are still around. Stanley makes most of the tools that are considered consumable even kobalt and even Crapsman too now. Get good tools that last if your going to use them everyday. Remember you get what you pay for.
About 4 years ago, i traded my multitool a couple of times, NO HASSLE. the last tine i tried to do a warrenty exchange, They woulnt do it. So i agree, craftsman is not the same. As for Milwaukee tool. Jus had a bad experience w their warrenty on my m12 brushless impact and my brushless hammer/ drill. Being that they are Milwaukee, i thought, " cool they are gonna do the exchange, except i had to get them to send me a prepaid label to send back" which was an easy experience. ALTHOUGH, I ALSO HAD THE PACK OUT SYSTEM W THEM. THEY WERE A BLACK FRIDAY SALE. HAD TO MAIL THE PACKOUTS TO A DIFFERENT PLACE IN DALLAS, TX, WHILE THE DRILLS WENT TO ANOTHER STATE!!!!
My local Lowe's sucks major ass I split a 22mm 3/8s shallow chrome doing brakes on a Nissan it was an old USA made socket so when I found out that Lowe's sells Craftsman I went there after work and decided to buy some tools on top of my warranty socket but the CS rep was a total tool and I had to go all the way up to the store manager just for them to say "we don't warrantee Craftsman that you didn't buy from us" I threw all the tools I wanted to buy on the counter took my socket and left and this is why I say that Home Depot with Husky is way better than shit Lowe's I never had an issue with HD
On the Pittsburgh Pro lifetime warranty: I bought, among other things the 3/8" torque wrench for $11.99 with coupon. When I got home I found it to be defective. When I returned a few days later they didn't even check my receipt or even take a good look at the wrench. I just grabbed another and it's been fine and a great deal to boot. Plus made in Taiwan not PRC.
Yeah, I had a Craftsman ¼" drive ratchet where the quick release would stay depressed and wouldn't hold the sockets. I asked if they can repair it, no was their and I asked if can exchange it, again no because the particular square USA made was not produced so I couldn't exchange it for the newer model.
Keep in mind that I do not & I am not speaking on behalf of any corporation but, I work for a big, Name home improvement store which was mentioned in this video & I just wanted to say, My local Lowe's sells individual Craftsman impact sockets, & sets! Along with selling individual impact Kobalt sockets, in there drawers! Personally, I do not trust electronics from Harbor Freight! I purchased an electronic die grinder & a 6"benchtop grinder & they both failed immediately! I replaced the 6'bench grinder with a 8" & it to failed immediately however, I purchased a used/returned Central Pheumatic 21 air compressor from Harbor Freight & once I realized that the air releif valve that allows air to escape to allow the weak electrical motor to power the piston, to compress air, I replaced the valve & it to failed so, I installed a twist in & out drain valve & have to manually control the air compressor which ia a huge pain it the rear & I WILL NEVER BUY A AIR COMPRESSOR WITH THIS DESIGN EVER AGAIN UNLESS I find a company which sells rock solid air relief valves 1st!!! So, I ended up purchasing a Delta bench grinder from Lowe's & a 20 ton shop press from harbor freight1 What I am trying to say is, One must pick & choose where to get what! So far, I have not snapped any of my Pittsburgh impact sockets & I hope to keep it that way!!!! I need another 1/4" T-handle wratchet set! The one that I have now was made by Husky, (I think) The T-handle was extendable I love that set but, the plastic case broke & the sockets do not stay in place & I lost some key pieces! I want the exact model & cannot find it!
I just went to Lowe’s last week with 2 worn out impact sockets (13/16 and 3/4 that were 20 years old), the guy said I don’t know and called his manager. The manager walked over to the individual socket drawers and gave me 2 brand new Chinese made impact sockets and said thank you for coming to Lowe’s. The only issue I had was the security guard at the door, wanted to speak with the manager, he thought I stole them. (No receipt). I can live with that.
Uh, *no* Lowe's. Warranty it because it is the *same brand.* If they want the return customers and inherit the reputation for loyalty and quality to makes sales and profit based on a longstanding reputation, then stand by what it was built upon. Or change the name to craftsmEn, from Craftsman, and have a new warranty. That excuse (not bought here) is as inaccurate and as false as saying, if you buy a new *Ford* vehicle at a dealer in Atlanta, GA and move to Austin, TX and it is within the warranty mileage & months since new and you have a mechanical issue, that you have to take your Ford back to the Ford dealership in Atlanta because the Ford dealership in Austin cannot provide the warranty service. Either represent the brand or don't, but don't try to profit on 1 side and cry poor on the other when the product needs to be backed up by the company. BS.
I took a Crafsman Ratchet to Lowes they would not replace or repair it. Had to call craftsman warranty deptment and they wanted proof of purchase in which I did not have it. It was about 50 yrs old. No sears store in Tucson so I was screwed on the warranty.
I had this issue with some old Sears craftsman and haven't went back to them since.. Husky at Home Depot is what all my sockets are now, luckily I only live 15 mins from a Home Depot and they sell all of the individuals and haven't had any issues with warranty items. Same with Harbor Freight.
@Lord Raiden Stanley Black and Decker owns Dewalt, Stanlet, B&D, and now Craftsman. They choose where to sell it. You can also find Craftsman at Napa and Northern Tool. Lowes already has Kobalt. I have seen the Kobalt section downsizing, so its likely that part of the deal wity SB&D was to downsize Kobalt. I wish Harbor Freight bought out Craftsman.
@@andybub45 Yes I agree. If they had bought out craftsman it may have raised the quality of their own tools a bit. If Harbor Freight would raise the quality a notch or two, they really wouldn't be too bad, at least for general or light mechanic use. Buyer beware! Jpol.
I understand your frustration with them. Craftsman is bringing back their metal hand tools production to the USA by the end of next year! They recently bought a facility down in Texas and manufacturing is supposed to start ASAP. They already are producing quite a few products in the USA. I dunno. Keep your eyes open and ears to the ground for Craftsman. Follow them on Facebook & Instagram to see when it's happening. The reason they say not to use them in a commercial environment if you want to successfully warranty them is because Craftsman isn't a professional tool brand. They made some DAMN GOOD stuff in the previous decades, but not anymore. I'm not sure how the warranty works for those other USA brands like SK Tools or Proto, but they're worth checking out. They're really old brands, too, who are still in business.
I go to Ace hardware here in Wisconsin to warranty my craftsman if i need to and they never even question it. Our lowes here has these little drawers that are full of individual sockets chrome, impacts, torx and wrenches
I bet most of the 'lifetime guarantee' on tools from stores is just a marketing gimmick, in the small print they nearly always say 'does not cover commercial use' meaning the 'lifetime guarantee' is for diy use only. They copy snap-on etc designs, cover them in chrome and put 'pro' on them, knowing that diyers will pay waaay more for them because they say 'pro' on them, compared to standard/cheaper tools. Another example of this is when a restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, they said 'congratulations your foods great, now double your prices' this was almost standard practice when giving out this award (on a tv documentary a while ago). This just goes to show most the time your paying extra for the badge and fancy design.
I never thought Sears would go out of business. Check out all of your chrome sockets, wrenches, ratchets etc. before they totally lock the doors. Even if Craftsman will replace your impacts, shipping will be expensive, and hopefully you'll get new ones back.
I have worked at a Canadian tire they gave the staff a 50% off on tool discounts. I had got a standard and metric wrench set. I had broke a wrench and took it into get replaced. They told me that I needed to show proof of purchase. I had my uniform on and side if you cant find the recipe then we cant replace it.
Just with past experiences with sears has always been no questions asked. I too am an auto mechanic and some of my co-workers have said they had to argue with lowes to get there craftsman tools waranteed. Lowes apparently will only replace broken tools not worn tools. So chipped chrome on wrenches and sockets (which would slip and cause bloody knuckles) was not going to be replaced. Our sears was closed about 1 yrs ago so like you mailing our tools in and waiting was not an option. I will stick with my tool trucks and harbor freight for there ease of replacement.
I found out a long time ago that if you tell them you are a mechanic and use them for your job, they will not warranty the items. Craftsman only warrants for Harry Homeowner not for commercial or professional use. That is why you pay the price from the tool trucks because they warrant due to commercial use.
Shame on Sears !! I remember when the customer was always right attitude was commonplace. Customer service hasn't gone down hill, it fell off the cliff !!! You should buy a new set and mail in the sockets you need to warranty and when you get them back return the new set. 90 days no question asked right? That way you can keep working. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and videos, Rodney
I have the top an middle craftsman box full of craftsmen tools an another craftsman top an bottom boxes an a snap on top box an last year I got turn on to Harper freight an brought a 5 drawer tool cart an I been filling it up with harbor freight tools. So now I'm a harbor freight tools fan
A lot of folks will chime in regarding the quality of a tool, but very few talk about the quality of the company that backs them. That is likely the most important aspect for tradesmen. Companies like Harbor Freight and Tekton are eager for your business, and are both family owned. That bit always escapes conversations.
I gave Lowe's a hard time replacing a wrench. Because it was a flex head 3/4 wrench, I told them that I will warranty the wrench one way or another. I told them i could buy a new set, put in the wrench that was broken, and then return it all new. They were pissed, but gave me the wrench.
I had an issue at Lowe’s trying to warranty a T15 and they wouldn’t exchange it out because it came in a set, and I didn’t have the entire set any longer.
Craftsman just went down hill since they moved to Lowe’s I have a pair of wire cutters that the head broke right off not long after I bought them and I took them to Lowe’s had the exact same pair brand new in my hands and talked to a manager and he said if I don’t have the receipt and it was longer then 90 days then they weren’t gonna touch them I had to call craftsman and mail it off so I agree “lifetime warranty” just means it’s lifetime if you buy another one 🤦🏻
If you buy Craftsman at Sears, they will relace it it. If you buy Craftsman from Lowes, you need a receipt. They are actually two different items. The ones at Lowes are made by Stanley Black and Decker. The ones at Sears are still made by sears overseas.
I have a 6 inch 1/2 inch drive chrome extention I have had for 6 years and cannot return it.Sear manager told me it looked like i hit it with a hammer.It is 10 years old.I dropped it a lot of times.Sockets I still have because they do not carry that size.Also I was told when I cracked a 1/2 drive impact sears will not warranty it at all,But that was 10 years ago I tried ti bring it back.I scored some at a yard sale and use them.
Sears ain't Sears anymore, but I agree with you, buying tools is a use til it gives out and throw away. Have bought Harbor Freight tools and had no trouble with their warranty.
So far have warranted out 2 siezed up ratchets for the new gunmetal ratchets and never had a problem... no receipt just walked in and they told me to get the rachet I wanted and they just marked it down no questions asked
I took several Craftsman ratchets back to Lowe’s on 01/02/2020 with no problems. If Craftsman starts that crap that will be the end of Craftsman Tools.
Busted one socket of a set that I bought at Harbor Freight. May have been my own fault. Took the set back to HF, showed the set and broken socket to the first cashier I saw. Walked out with a new, unopened set in under two minutes.
Love Harbor freights lifetime warranty, bought a 3/8 breaker bar out of cheapness and thinking it's all I'd need, it wasn't enough and it broke at the anvil, took it back to harbor freight and asked if I could get the 1/2 inch and just pay the difference, was able to use a coupon for 8.99 walked out of there paying nothing, I go to Harbor freight for a majority of my tools
If you are gonna go that route, just buy harbor freight stuff and warranty through them. Sears, Lowe’s, the depot. None of that is for full time mechanics. It’s for weekend warriors. I know snap on and all the truck brands are more expensive, but it’s like a convenience store, you pay more because they conveniently come to you. That’s why I wait and wait until truck brand tools go “on sale” before I buy them. But at the end of the day I know I walk out and say “this is broke, worn out, fucked” and I get a new one right then and there Not saying you have to use truck brands because there are plenty of other quality brands, but warranty can be a pain because you have to wait and send them out. I’ve started picking up grey Pneumatic socket sets because they are cheap and I use them as a back up for when another socket is broke or worn out. That way while I’m waiting for my daily to get warrantied I’m not without Grey Pneumatic 3/8 metric 7-19 short and deep $45 on Amazon. Perfect back up set or shit buy 2 and keep one as a spare and your still under $100
Actually I bought a mechanic set of Craftsman, and on first use the 6 inch extension broke off with very little force. Sears was gone in my town already and lowes gave me the runaround and it was not impact. I called Craftsmen and the got the number off the side ask no questions mailed me a new one. Didn’t even ask for the old one.
Follow up on this 2021-01-17. I have returned several Made In USA Craftsman tools that I have owned for 30 years to Lowes recently. One 1/2" drive ratchet and a 3/8" drive ratchet. They accepted the returns and gave me new ones without any questions. Didn't need a receipt, either, obviously. Now, I admit that I didn't know when I took them back that Craftsman was no longer made in the USA. I didn't know that until after I got home and heard it in a TH-cam video. If I had known I would probably have tried harder to get the old ones fixed.
As far as Sears n Lowe's, lifetime b.s. Did you REALLY expect Lowe's to do anything? The teenagers working in the tool department at my local store don't even know what a bench grinder is and the "manager" didn't either! If I need to warranty a Craftsman, no matter what it is, I head straight to my local Ace Hardware. I don't know if they all do this, but, my local store has no problem replacing them. If they don't have the individual tool on the rack, they'll open a set. If they don't have it in the store, they'll order it and have it in a day or two. Harbor Freight is definitely taking market share from many of the traditional tool brands. I bought the fancy Quinn 1/2" drive digital torque wrench during the 4th of July sale and absolutely LOVE it! I only ended up paying $127 n change for it after coupons too.
I've been buying quite a few harbor freight tools. most of them hold up quite well. I did break a half inch drive impact extension and the salesman took look at it and shook his head like he couldn't believe it was broken. went over and grabbed another one gave it to me and said have a good day
I’ve had no trouble getting replacements from Lowe’s and craftsman themselves. If anything craftsman makes it too east to get replacements, it’s ripe with fraudulent customers. Keep in mind this is within the last two years.
here in Maryland we have individual chrome and impact sockets at lowes that are craftsman and they will switch them out as per the craftsman lifetime warentee
I gave up on Craftsman tools in the mid 80's because of their BS return policies, so I went with Harbor Freight and I still have that set and working on Semi's I have never broken any to this date
Invest into Sunex for impacts (and other items). They're similar to Tekton's warranty and have a no BS exchange policy. They don't care where you bought it. Snap a picture of the broken item and a new one will be shipped to you. You still have to wait but no shipping stuff back first. Very high quality sets with no skips made out of Cr-Mo.
Craftsman's lifetime warranty is straight bull! Every time I had to bring in a socket or wrench, I'd get a new one off the shelf, but when I'd bring in a ratchet, or ratchet wrench they would give me a refurbished one instead of a new one from the shelf. I'd only get a new ratchet if they didn't have a refurbished one on hand. And the refurbished ones never lasted as long as when they're brand new. So then I bought Snap-on ratchets, same thing, the tool guy would simply take my tool, rebuild it there on the truck and hand it back, again still never worked the same as if it were new. So, I agree all bullshit!
I've never had a problem with the Craftsman warranty at Sears, Lowes or Ace. Broken socket, worn bit on a scewdriver, broken nail punch or worrn wrench. Just get a similiar hand tool off the shelf and they let you walk right out the door with the new tool. The warranty is for hand tools, not power, electric or air tools. Your problem here is that your sockets are worn, not broken. You'd be better off breaking each one with a hammer and replacing them one at a time.
This is 100% different than the experience I just had doing a warranty at Lowe’s. My store did not have anything Craftsman in stock but Kobalt mailed me brand new ratchets within a week (maybe 8-9 days) and I still have my old ones. They did not ask me to mail them anything. I think these stores were under the impression you were trying to get brand new sets of tools for a few broken sockets. Anytime I’ve ever broken something from a set they opened the case and gave me just that one item. If you actually tried to replace just the broken sockets I guarantee you the results would be different. If you give me your information and exactly what sockets you need I guarantee I can get those replaced for you.
my lowes warrantied my impacts no questions asked my lowes has drawers of all the old product i bought mine 15 years ago when we had sears had no problems
My neighbor worked for Sears all his life. He always said don't feel bad about returning anything Crafstman because the original manufacturer pays for it. Borh scum bag companies.
I went into Lowe's one day with a 30 year old craftsman 3/8 drive ratchet that had failed. I had to talk to two different managers just to swap it out for a new one and I got the whole we don't have that exact ratchet I looked at the guy and said no shit this one's 30 years old. After about 20 minutes they finally gave me wonder was made in Taiwan because apparently Lowe's doesn't carry the full USA made ratchets anymore. As for Harbor Freight no issues whatsoever swapping out a broken tool at least hand tools
Home Depot had a tool exchange program a while back....take in any tool and exchange it free for a Husky branded tool-free. Husky states no receipt required for exchange. Oreilly auto parts also has good lifetime warranty on tools. Just remember the phone number for warranty. Gave up on Craftsman. Lowes used to love marketing their Kobalt lifetime warranty brand. Well try finding Kobalt now. Its all Craftsman. Lowes will eventually stop carrying Craftsman just like it did with Kobalt.
Never a problem replacing something from HF. If it has a lifetime warranty, you don't need a receipt or even need to be the original owner; just take in your broken tool and they hand you a new one, period. Just make sure that you bring in the set if that's how it's sold; 9 times out of 10 they're gonna want to replace the whole thing (which is just fine by me).
Warranty. Most Craftsman hand tools are advertised as having an unlimited lifetime warranty. ... If for any reason your Craftsman hand tool ever fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it to any Sears store or other Craftsman outlets in the United States for free repair or replacement. MAKE THEM WARRANTY THEM!! WRITE TO SEARS LOWES AND ACE HARDWARE!
I know how you feel, I'm not a mechanic but I do work on my own cars, and if I have my wife on my back telling me that she needs her car and then I gotta deal with exchanging a tool crap, yep I'm to buy whatever company satisfys me the most, as long as I don't have to deal with their crap.
Why the hell with craftsman. Not even snap-on would replace anything that had normal wear & tear & nor should it. Where do you get the idea a warranty is the same as a guarantee , it ain't . He got good life out of those sockets
I stop buying craftsman some time ago. Most of craftsman tools are made over seas but still charge as if made in USA. I ran into Lowe’s and Ace who many times refuse to warranty them. So I buy harbor freight and no problems.
@@williamriley2528 are u in bred? Craftsman, Snapon, S&K, etc... would not replace whole sets because wear. Even back when they were doing great business. Especially if you say your a pro. I've seen them deny single tool warranty claim to pros. Also William Riley my local HF Will warranty single sockets, keep the rest of the set and sell the incomplete sets at a discount. Mr Know It All.
Craftsman has always had that warranty. If you read the fine print in it it has been that way. Because craftsman did have a professional tools. So what you should have done is told them that you use them at your house not for a business. Most of the tools are the same thing. But no one reads the warranty on tools. Just wanted to let everyone know. I do work as a mechanic so I have looked at tools and the warranties on them. It getting harder to get any tools replaced when they are broken any more. But harbor freight is is getting really good with their tools. As others have said a tool truck is good but remember you pay for a good tool. And a cheep tool you're probably not going to make it last. But it's how you use them to. I have tools that is have when I was 13,14 years old and no problem. And I have bought tools also auto parts stoor and have no problems. But it is harder to get good tools anymore. The quality is not what it was years ago. Remember if you can go to a auction and find old tools and get them there if you can.
Harbor frieght for the win ! I had to warranty my hercules no questions asked my snap on guys warranties my sockets no questions asked matco I mailed them in
Wall Craftsman won't be selling any tools will they...??? Even Harbor Freight honors a walk-in warranty with no receipt on their Pittsburgh Pro Tools....!
Justin you might want to go back up to that Lowe's and look at the sockets they have. I just went to my Lowe's and they do sell individual impact sockets deep and shallow in 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive. I bet your Lowe's sell them also. They were in the pull out bins at socket area.
Warranty ain't for shit anymore, for the quality and warranty hassle craftsman offers, I'll take Pittsburgh pro or icon from HF over the no warranty China made craftsman junk any day of the week. The last thing I had Sears cover by warranty was a 3/8" ratchet I had a USA made panel ratchet I ask for a rebuild kit was told they no longer carried them I called the 1-800 number and craftsman sent a replacement without the me having to send in the broken USA made ratchet however they wanted a $5.00 S&H to ship the replacement but after very little rebuttal they decided to eat the cost and shipped the replacement free of charge but sadly the days of the craftsman no haggle warranty are gone you can no longer simply walk into a Sears with a bursted socket ratchet screwdriver etc and walk out with a new replacement, without doubt it's obvious the tool name is under new management, craftsman now offers the same warranty all other Stanley Black and Decker tools have 5 minutes or 5 miles.
Craftsman is off my choice of hand tools. I'm not a professional, like you, but I still want something that can be returned. I own some of my original sockets and 1/2 inch rachet from 50 years ago. I've taken the socket drive apart to clean and lube it, but that's it. In recent times, I use either Harbor Freight or Duralast from Autozone. Either of them are available nationwide and honor their warranties.
It appears Sears and S/B&D have just made a hot mess out of Craftsman, that's too bad. I had plans of buying a Craftsman mechanics tool set from Lowe's that is more comprehensive and complete to replace the smaller, Crescent brand set I bought at NAPA to keep in my truck. I don't feel like it now. The Gearwrench 239 piece set is looking like a better option. I have the Pittsburgh 1/2", metric impact socket sets in shallow and deep. I haven't had any issues yet, but they're not used everyday either. I feel pretty confident I can warranty any or all the sockets without any heartburn.
I actually bought the 224 piece Craftsman Mechanics set today for that same reason. I felt like it was the more complete set. After talking to the manager it's sounds like they will warranty the chrome sockets and wrench's ohh... and now I have a receipt and bought it from there store so I hope for better customer service. We shall see.
Justin Dow I’ve considered the 224 piece set as well. The Crescent set I bought at NAPA was on clearance, but it lacks some pieces I’d like to have with me when needed.
@@donaldhollums3278 I'll post the video on that Craftsman Set. I would say it's worth it even if you go into it thinking it's a throw away set. I think you'll still be happy with what you get out of it. Let me know what you think. Cheers!
Justin Dow I’ve watched that film you did a couple of times because it piqued my interest and the price is over half of the price of the Gearwrench set I’ve looked at.
Donald Hollums Awesomeness. Well I’m putting together the video now on the new 224 piece kit so be looking for that post I think you’ll like what it has to offer and I’m gonna be actually using it for a few jobs so you’ll get to see me abusing the craftsman tools and how well they actually hold up on the job
Craftsman the once Greatest name in Tools is just that, a name. Nowadays to many options with Lifetime Warranties. 35 years ago when I started building my tools. It was off to Sears to buy Craftsman. Sadly how far they’ve fallen.
I used to be all about craftsman. It’s all my dad ever used and what I started with. I think even if I broke something I wouldn’t try to exchange it for anything they’re selling today. Unfortunately a good affordable brand is gone, and since harbor freight is stepping up there game why wouldn’t you.
So in other words dont buy Craftsman if you think that you would ever have to warranty them. But I would still take Craftsman over HF, HUSKY, KOBALT. In all the Craftsman tools that I have ever owned I have only broke 1 socket and 1 1/4 ratchet. But I do have to say HF warranty is actually really easy.
Osh (orchard supply and hardware) here in CA, use to warranty craftsman easily for me they did sale a few impacts individually and warranty them they unfortunately closed up shop now
I warrantied a half inch ratchet USA made for the newer one. They needed my ID since they gave me a gift card and used the gift card for the new purchase. Ive been debating just to go to harbor freight since its much simpler to warranty. I only work on my own stuff. It looks like harbor freight carries more variety than craftsman. Craftsman is a shadow of what it used to be.
I used to work at a Sears store years and years ago. The company always used to say that they would sell off every brand they owned BEFORE parting ways with Craftsman. That being said, who honestly did not see this coming when Craftsman was the first asset Sears sold off??? Stanley B&D tools have always sucked in my personal opinion, and I fully expected Craftsman to rapidly deteriorate in quality and warranty when Stanley B&D bought them. I was not at all surprised to see you make this video. I don't think it is fair to fault either Sears or Lowes for the warranty issue though, as they can only do what the vendor, Stanley B&D in this case, will allow them to do. The instant replacement at Sears stores went away shortly after Stanley bought Craftsman. Sears no longer owns the brand, so they no longer get to make the rules. In the case of Harbor Freight, they own every brand they sell, so it is very easy for them to warranty whatever is broken on site.
Can't speak for the impact sockets but I have warrantied my sockets from craftsman direct. They just had me snap photos of each with the part number and they mailed me new ones free of charge. It took 7 weeks which sucks compared to swapping out in store same day.
Sears repeatedly refused to repair or warranty out a american made 1/2 ratchet (my fathers). They even refused to sell me the repair kit. So I'll buy harbor freight before I'll buy crapsman. Fuck craftsman.
There needs to be a class action lawsuit over this. Also should never have to give ID to exchange warranty items. People need to stand up and fight.
I was a professional mechanic for over 40 years started out with Husky tools and SK tools and never had a problem getting them replaced. Then when I hit the big time of working at Dealerships it was easy to jump on a tool truck and buy what I needed be it Snap-On, MAC, or Marco. Of course I never had a problem getting my tools replaced, but I also payed threw the nose for that kind of service. I still have my tools replaced, I just have to chase the tool trucks to get my tools replaced. If I can’t find a tool truck Harbor freight is my go to, tools are a good price and the quality has gotten very good and if some thing brakes there is no problem getting it replaced.
Tekton's warranty of just sending a picture of the broken tool, and they send you a new one is fantastic. I can see how for a mechanic that isn't great, because you really need that replacement ASAP. But for myself (farmer/rancher), its awesome. I am 100 miles from my nearest lowes and harbor freight, and 300 from a home depot. In house warranty isn't an option, so getting mailed the tool is fantastic!
I too am a mechanic and I used to take hand full of craftsman tools to my local Sears and get replacements no questions asked, but that was about 30 years ago, then they started to say to me only 5 items at a time. Lastly they "picked and chose" which items got "life time" warranty! Very sad! I'm gonna try out Tekton! Heard you could just send them a picture of your broken Tekton tool and they send you a new one! Check them out!
I was trying to replace a pair of wire cutters that would not cut wire at Harbor Freight. I had their higher end cutters. They accused me of being a thief, when I tried to have their warranty honored. I was a club member with all kinds of their tools. To this date I haven’t been back to Any Harbor Freight store. Thank you to the Ceredo, WV Harbor Freight, from a former patron.
One other note: I was told by several professional mechanics that you NEVER tell them you use them professionally because you lose your guarantee. My Craftsmans are from the 1980's. I got the HF ratcheting combo wrenches and they are WEAK. I can see the open end flex, that was 10 years ago, maybe it's better now.
Lowe's tried to pull this crap on a 1/2'' socket wrench that I had for maybe 5 years, so I called Lowe's corporate line and they actually called the store I was at and told them they HAD to take it back no matter if they don't carry it anymore or if i don't have a receipt. Walked out with a new one after the corporate person talked to the customer service lady. Call corporate if you run into this problem, I was told that stores pull this shit all the time and to call corporate if I have any problems with warranty replacement at any of the Lowe's locations.
Craftsman is no longer! Seems like just a ghost of itself and the market is going to others willing to step up. Craftsman was at its peak when Bob Villa was introducing they're latest technologies and advancements. Unfortunately this is where we're at. I try and take it easy on my old sets for sentimental value and good memories. I also take it easy on my Dad's old Snap-on and Craftman tools. I'm considering Carlyle, Capri, and really excited about Ingersol & Rand hand tools! I just don't want to destroy my old stuff, it's all American made! Another brand I forgot to mention is OTC! I've been buying up alot of their special tools on Amazon and Ebay! Thank you Brother, take care! 👍 Harbor Freight maybe taking the majority of Craftman's market; however, Napa has also stepped up into the walk-in/tangible market! Also a giant note! I only buy 6 point sockets! There is no other reason for 12 point unless you have an old-ass Ford with the 12 point requirement.
That’s too much trouble for a company who preaches Lifetime warranty. Good video and information thanks Justin
I'll buy from Harbor Freight for impact-grade tools. Never had a problem with them in over 10 years. Much lower prices, too. I use mine commercially in very heavy duty applications. Zero failures.
In 1994 I start my career with Craftsman and warranty was a piece of cake. Sears Canada do not exist anymore. Over the years I have upgraded to Snap-on on my tools and having double is very handy. For the Snap-on warranty, it depends on who you have for franchise. Over the years, I got 6 different Snap-on dealers and the one I get now is warranting a lot more than my pass dealers. Now, I do not carry a tab on the tools truck and it seem to play in my favour. Unfortunately 20 years ago that was a different story.
I think Harbor Freights going to take a lot of the market share Craftsman had
Darren Porsch Yuppers
Yep they getting my business lol
Already have. Pittsburgh/Quinn now populating my toolbox. My dads old craftsman tools being pushed to the back.
Already took the place of Mac, Matco, and Cornwell. I can spend $300 at harbor freight and walk out able to perform 90% of vehicle repairs. Snap on makes a decent wrench and that's about it anymore.
My sockets now are all chrome Quinn or Pittsburgh impact. I even bought a $10 die grinder that locked up after about 40 hours of use...here's a new one, no questions asked. Hard to beat HF exchange policy.
Justin.i just started watching your channel about two weeks ago.i live in a small town in idaho and work at the largest small and large equipment rental business in our area.i work on everything from weed eaters to excavators.the snap on truck shows up every tuesday and i hear ya on crazy fucking prices on shit.i drive 30 minutes to twin falls to HF for my stuff.great vids keep it up and thanks for the info.cheers buddy.
My Lowe's sells individual impact Craftsman sockets & kobalt sockets, They are in the drawers at my local Lowe's!
my local Lowes gave me a brand new 3/8 torque wrench for my 22 year old one that failed. no questions asked. no lies.
Warranty shall be accepted by the seller/retailer when the customer has the receipt, same rule applies to hardware stores, since they require proof of transaction that it occurred and that it is within the clauses warranty claim.
I just went to Lowe's a few weeks ago and had zero issues getting a Craftsman Torx bit socket replaced. I just went in, grabbed the one I needed, went to customer service gave them both over and walked out with the new socket. The only bad part of the experience was turning in a US tool for a China tool, but a working China tool is better than a broken US tool.....
They did the same thing to me back somewhere around 82......
I've never bought another Craftsman product since and I never will till the day I die
I went to return an easy-out set over 40 years ago at Sears since one of the easy-outs broke with out much pressure applied. I was told that they don't warranty any impact tools and that they considered an easy out as a impact tool. At that point I pointed to his Sears sign and told them why did your sign say satisfaction guaranteed. I was not satisfied!
I also found out Crapman tools have the thinnest wall sockets out there on the market and that is why they always break. Buy only professional tools that last if your in the field. I don't want to return my tools because they broke, time is money How many times do you wear out K-D, Snap On, Mac, or even Blackhawk tools. They have been around for a long time for a reason if you wear them out they will swap them out if they are still around.
Stanley makes most of the tools that are considered consumable even kobalt and even Crapsman too now. Get good tools that last if your going to use them everyday. Remember you get what you pay for.
About 4 years ago, i traded my multitool a couple of times, NO HASSLE. the last tine i tried to do a warrenty exchange, They woulnt do it. So i agree, craftsman is not the same.
As for Milwaukee tool. Jus had a bad experience w their warrenty on my m12 brushless impact and my brushless hammer/ drill. Being that they are Milwaukee, i thought, " cool they are gonna do the exchange, except i had to get them to send me a prepaid label to send back" which was an easy experience. ALTHOUGH, I ALSO HAD THE PACK OUT SYSTEM W THEM. THEY WERE A BLACK FRIDAY SALE. HAD TO MAIL THE PACKOUTS TO A DIFFERENT PLACE IN DALLAS, TX, WHILE THE DRILLS WENT TO ANOTHER STATE!!!!
My local Lowe's sucks major ass I split a 22mm 3/8s shallow chrome doing brakes on a Nissan it was an old USA made socket so when I found out that Lowe's sells Craftsman I went there after work and decided to buy some tools on top of my warranty socket but the CS rep was a total tool and I had to go all the way up to the store manager just for them to say "we don't warrantee Craftsman that you didn't buy from us" I threw all the tools I wanted to buy on the counter took my socket and left and this is why I say that Home Depot with Husky is way better than shit Lowe's I never had an issue with HD
On the Pittsburgh Pro lifetime warranty: I bought, among other things the 3/8" torque wrench for $11.99 with coupon. When I got home I found it to be defective. When I returned a few days later they didn't even check my receipt or even take a good look at the wrench. I just grabbed another and it's been fine and a great deal to boot. Plus made in Taiwan not PRC.
Yeah, I had a Craftsman ¼" drive ratchet where the quick release would stay depressed and wouldn't hold the sockets. I asked if they can repair it, no was their and I asked if can exchange it, again no because the particular square USA made was not produced so I couldn't exchange it for the newer model.
Keep in mind that I do not & I am not speaking on behalf of any corporation but, I work for a big, Name home improvement store which was mentioned in this video & I just wanted to say, My local Lowe's sells individual Craftsman impact sockets, & sets! Along with selling individual impact Kobalt sockets, in there drawers! Personally, I do not trust electronics from Harbor Freight! I purchased an electronic die grinder & a 6"benchtop grinder & they both failed immediately! I replaced the 6'bench grinder with a 8" & it to failed immediately however, I purchased a used/returned Central Pheumatic 21 air compressor from Harbor Freight & once I realized that the air releif valve that allows air to escape to allow the weak electrical motor to power the piston, to compress air, I replaced the valve & it to failed so, I installed a twist in & out drain valve & have to manually control the air compressor which ia a huge pain it the rear & I WILL NEVER BUY A AIR COMPRESSOR WITH THIS DESIGN EVER AGAIN UNLESS I find a company which sells rock solid air relief valves 1st!!! So, I ended up purchasing a Delta bench grinder from Lowe's & a 20 ton shop press from harbor freight1 What I am trying to say is, One must pick & choose where to get what! So far, I have not snapped any of my Pittsburgh impact sockets & I hope to keep it that way!!!! I need another 1/4" T-handle wratchet set! The one that I have now was made by Husky, (I think) The T-handle was extendable I love that set but, the plastic case broke & the sockets do not stay in place & I lost some key pieces! I want the exact model & cannot find it!
I just went to Lowe’s last week with 2 worn out impact sockets (13/16 and 3/4 that were 20 years old), the guy said I don’t know and called his manager. The manager walked over to the individual socket drawers and gave me 2 brand new Chinese made impact sockets and said thank you for coming to Lowe’s. The only issue I had was the security guard at the door, wanted to speak with the manager, he thought I stole them. (No receipt). I can live with that.
Lowe's position is they bought Craftsman's "goodwill" and brand recognition, not the maintenance legacy costs.
sorry but life time goes with the name and they know it.
Uh, *no* Lowe's.
Warranty it because it is the *same brand.* If they want the return customers and inherit the reputation for loyalty and quality to makes sales and profit based on a longstanding reputation, then stand by what it was built upon. Or change the name to craftsmEn, from Craftsman, and have a new warranty.
That excuse (not bought here) is as inaccurate and as false as saying, if you buy a new *Ford* vehicle at a dealer in Atlanta, GA and move to Austin, TX and it is within the warranty mileage & months since new and you have a mechanical issue, that you have to take your Ford back to the Ford dealership in Atlanta because the Ford dealership in Austin cannot provide the warranty service. Either represent the brand or don't, but don't try to profit on 1 side and cry poor on the other when the product needs to be backed up by the company.
BS.
I took a Crafsman Ratchet to Lowes they would not replace or repair it. Had to call craftsman warranty deptment and they wanted proof of purchase in which I did not have it. It was about 50 yrs old. No sears store in Tucson so I was screwed on the warranty.
I had this issue with some old Sears craftsman and haven't went back to them since.. Husky at Home Depot is what all my sockets are now, luckily I only live 15 mins from a Home Depot and they sell all of the individuals and haven't had any issues with warranty items. Same with Harbor Freight.
Funny because when craftsman went up for sale, harbor freight actually put in a bid to buy craftsman. Imagine what that would have looked like!
I think it would have been better for Harbour freight to buy Craftsman than Stanly Crap and Decker.
more china stuff lol
@Lord Raiden Stanley Black and Decker owns Dewalt, Stanlet, B&D, and now Craftsman. They choose where to sell it. You can also find Craftsman at Napa and Northern Tool. Lowes already has Kobalt. I have seen the Kobalt section downsizing, so its likely that part of the deal wity SB&D was to downsize Kobalt. I wish Harbor Freight bought out Craftsman.
@@andybub45 Yes I agree. If they had bought out craftsman it may have raised the quality of their own tools a bit. If Harbor Freight would raise the quality a notch or two, they really wouldn't be too bad, at least for general or light mechanic use. Buyer beware! Jpol.
I understand your frustration with them. Craftsman is bringing back their metal hand tools production to the USA by the end of next year! They recently bought a facility down in Texas and manufacturing is supposed to start ASAP. They already are producing quite a few products in the USA. I dunno. Keep your eyes open and ears to the ground for Craftsman. Follow them on Facebook & Instagram to see when it's happening.
The reason they say not to use them in a commercial environment if you want to successfully warranty them is because Craftsman isn't a professional tool brand. They made some DAMN GOOD stuff in the previous decades, but not anymore. I'm not sure how the warranty works for those other USA brands like SK Tools or Proto, but they're worth checking out. They're really old brands, too, who are still in business.
I go to Ace hardware here in Wisconsin to warranty my craftsman if i need to and they never even question it. Our lowes here has these little drawers that are full of individual sockets chrome, impacts, torx and wrenches
My Mac tools impact sockets are 40 years old and work just fine, never had a problem with exchanges!
I bet most of the 'lifetime guarantee' on tools from stores is just a marketing gimmick, in the small print they nearly always say 'does not cover commercial use' meaning the 'lifetime guarantee' is for diy use only. They copy snap-on etc designs, cover them in chrome and put 'pro' on them, knowing that diyers will pay waaay more for them because they say 'pro' on them, compared to standard/cheaper tools.
Another example of this is when a restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, they said 'congratulations your foods great, now double your prices' this was almost standard practice when giving out this award (on a tv documentary a while ago). This just goes to show most the time your paying extra for the badge and fancy design.
I never thought Sears would go out of business. Check out all of your chrome sockets, wrenches, ratchets etc. before they totally lock the doors. Even if Craftsman will replace your impacts, shipping will be expensive, and hopefully you'll get new ones back.
I have worked at a Canadian tire they gave the staff a 50% off on tool discounts. I had got a standard and metric wrench set. I had broke a wrench and took it into get replaced. They told me that I needed to show proof of purchase. I had my uniform on and side if you cant find the recipe then we cant replace it.
Just with past experiences with sears has always been no questions asked. I too am an auto mechanic and some of my co-workers have said they had to argue with lowes to get there craftsman tools waranteed. Lowes apparently will only replace broken tools not worn tools. So chipped chrome on wrenches and sockets (which would slip and cause bloody knuckles) was not going to be replaced. Our sears was closed about 1 yrs ago so like you mailing our tools in and waiting was not an option. I will stick with my tool trucks and harbor freight for there ease of replacement.
I found out a long time ago that if you tell them you are a mechanic and use them for your job, they will not warranty the items. Craftsman only warrants for Harry Homeowner not for commercial or professional use. That is why you pay the price from the tool trucks because they warrant due to commercial use.
Shame on Sears !! I remember when the customer was always right attitude was commonplace. Customer service hasn't gone down hill, it fell off the cliff !!! You should buy a new set and mail in the sockets you need to warranty and when you get them back return the new set. 90 days no question asked right? That way you can keep working. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and videos, Rodney
I have the top an middle craftsman box full of craftsmen tools an another craftsman top an bottom boxes an a snap on top box an last year I got turn on to Harper freight an brought a 5 drawer tool cart an I been filling it up with harbor freight tools. So now I'm a harbor freight tools fan
A lot of folks will chime in regarding the quality of a tool, but very few talk about the quality of the company that backs them. That is likely the most important aspect for tradesmen. Companies like Harbor Freight and Tekton are eager for your business, and are both family owned. That bit always escapes conversations.
I gave Lowe's a hard time replacing a wrench.
Because it was a flex head 3/4 wrench, I told them that I will warranty the wrench one way or another. I told them i could buy a new set, put in the wrench that was broken, and then return it all new. They were pissed, but gave me the wrench.
Yep. I freakin hate lowes, and vowed never to shop there again. They have horrible customer service
I had an issue at Lowe’s trying to warranty a T15 and they wouldn’t exchange it out because it came in a set, and I didn’t have the entire set any longer.
Man that sucks .. when I worked at Sears in 90s I found 4 bags full of craftsman tools that were worn out . They replaced them all no questions
Craftsman just went down hill since they moved to Lowe’s I have a pair of wire cutters that the head broke right off not long after I bought them and I took them to Lowe’s had the exact same pair brand new in my hands and talked to a manager and he said if I don’t have the receipt and it was longer then 90 days then they weren’t gonna touch them I had to call craftsman and mail it off so I agree “lifetime warranty” just means it’s lifetime if you buy another one 🤦🏻
If you buy Craftsman at Sears, they will relace it it. If you buy Craftsman from Lowes, you need a receipt. They are actually two different items. The ones at Lowes are made by Stanley Black and Decker. The ones at Sears are still made by sears overseas.
We have a Canadian Tire .they take all back .no problem 👍🇨🇦
I have a 6 inch 1/2 inch drive chrome extention I have had for 6 years and cannot return it.Sear manager told me it looked like i hit it with a hammer.It is 10 years old.I dropped it a lot of times.Sockets I still have because they do not carry that size.Also I was told when I cracked a 1/2 drive impact sears will not warranty it at all,But that was 10 years ago I tried ti bring it back.I scored some at a yard sale and use them.
Sears ain't Sears anymore, but I agree with you, buying tools is a use til it gives out and throw away. Have bought Harbor Freight tools and had no trouble with their warranty.
I had no problem at lowes. I just pulled up the no question asked warranty on line . They gave me a new socket and i was on my way.
So far have warranted out 2 siezed up ratchets for the new gunmetal ratchets and never had a problem... no receipt just walked in and they told me to get the rachet I wanted and they just marked it down no questions asked
Harbor freight is loving this shit
I took several Craftsman ratchets back to Lowe’s on 01/02/2020 with no problems.
If Craftsman starts that crap that will be the end of Craftsman Tools.
Busted one socket of a set that I bought at Harbor Freight. May have been my own fault. Took the set back to HF, showed the set and broken socket to the first cashier I saw. Walked out with a new, unopened set in under two minutes.
Edward Dickson Boom!! 🍻👍
Love Harbor freights lifetime warranty, bought a 3/8 breaker bar out of cheapness and thinking it's all I'd need, it wasn't enough and it broke at the anvil, took it back to harbor freight and asked if I could get the 1/2 inch and just pay the difference, was able to use a coupon for 8.99 walked out of there paying nothing, I go to Harbor freight for a majority of my tools
Craftsmans should have a no questions asked policy for their warranty..
If you are gonna go that route, just buy harbor freight stuff and warranty through them. Sears, Lowe’s, the depot. None of that is for full time mechanics. It’s for weekend warriors. I know snap on and all the truck brands are more expensive, but it’s like a convenience store, you pay more because they conveniently come to you. That’s why I wait and wait until truck brand tools go “on sale” before I buy them. But at the end of the day I know I walk out and say “this is broke, worn out, fucked” and I get a new one right then and there
Not saying you have to use truck brands because there are plenty of other quality brands, but warranty can be a pain because you have to wait and send them out. I’ve started picking up grey Pneumatic socket sets because they are cheap and I use them as a back up for when another socket is broke or worn out. That way while I’m waiting for my daily to get warrantied I’m not without
Grey Pneumatic 3/8 metric 7-19 short and deep $45 on Amazon. Perfect back up set or shit buy 2 and keep one as a spare and your still under $100
You can go on Amazon and get 1/4,3/8,1/2” shallow and deep for $200
Actually I bought a mechanic set of Craftsman, and on first use the 6 inch extension broke off with very little force. Sears was gone in my town already and lowes gave me the runaround and it was not impact. I called Craftsmen and the got the number off the side ask no questions mailed me a new one. Didn’t even ask for the old one.
Follow up on this 2021-01-17. I have returned several Made In USA Craftsman tools that I have owned for 30 years to Lowes recently. One 1/2" drive ratchet and a 3/8" drive ratchet. They accepted the returns and gave me new ones without any questions. Didn't need a receipt, either, obviously. Now, I admit that I didn't know when I took them back that Craftsman was no longer made in the USA. I didn't know that until after I got home and heard it in a TH-cam video. If I had known I would probably have tried harder to get the old ones fixed.
As far as Sears n Lowe's, lifetime b.s. Did you REALLY expect Lowe's to do anything? The teenagers working in the tool department at my local store don't even know what a bench grinder is and the "manager" didn't either! If I need to warranty a Craftsman, no matter what it is, I head straight to my local Ace Hardware. I don't know if they all do this, but, my local store has no problem replacing them. If they don't have the individual tool on the rack, they'll open a set. If they don't have it in the store, they'll order it and have it in a day or two. Harbor Freight is definitely taking market share from many of the traditional tool brands. I bought the fancy Quinn 1/2" drive digital torque wrench during the 4th of July sale and absolutely LOVE it! I only ended up paying $127 n change for it after coupons too.
I've been buying quite a few harbor freight tools. most of them hold up quite well. I did break a half inch drive impact extension and the salesman took look at it and shook his head like he couldn't believe it was broken. went over and grabbed another one gave it to me and said have a good day
I’ve had no trouble getting replacements from Lowe’s and craftsman themselves. If anything craftsman makes it too east to get replacements, it’s ripe with fraudulent customers. Keep in mind this is within the last two years.
here in Maryland we have individual chrome and impact sockets at lowes that are craftsman and they will switch them out as per the craftsman lifetime warentee
I gave up on Craftsman tools in the mid 80's because of their BS return policies, so I went with Harbor Freight and I still have that set and working on Semi's
I have never broken any to this date
Invest into Sunex for impacts (and other items). They're similar to Tekton's warranty and have a no BS exchange policy. They don't care where you bought it. Snap a picture of the broken item and a new one will be shipped to you. You still have to wait but no shipping stuff back first. Very high quality sets with no skips made out of Cr-Mo.
Craftsman's lifetime warranty is straight bull! Every time I had to bring in a socket or wrench, I'd get a new one off the shelf, but when I'd bring in a ratchet, or ratchet wrench they would give me a refurbished one instead of a new one from the shelf. I'd only get a new ratchet if they didn't have a refurbished one on hand. And the refurbished ones never lasted as long as when they're brand new. So then I bought Snap-on ratchets, same thing, the tool guy would simply take my tool, rebuild it there on the truck and hand it back, again still never worked the same as if it were new. So, I agree all bullshit!
I've never had a problem with the Craftsman warranty at Sears, Lowes or Ace. Broken socket, worn bit on a scewdriver, broken nail punch or worrn wrench. Just get a similiar hand tool off the shelf and they let you walk right out the door with the new tool. The warranty is for hand tools, not power, electric or air tools. Your problem here is that your sockets are worn, not broken. You'd be better off breaking each one with a hammer and replacing them one at a time.
Harbor Freight will pull one from a full set, then throw the full set with a missing piece on their clearance rack. No questions asked.
This is 100% different than the experience I just had doing a warranty at Lowe’s. My store did not have anything Craftsman in stock but Kobalt mailed me brand new ratchets within a week (maybe 8-9 days) and I still have my old ones. They did not ask me to mail them anything. I think these stores were under the impression you were trying to get brand new sets of tools for a few broken sockets. Anytime I’ve ever broken something from a set they opened the case and gave me just that one item. If you actually tried to replace just the broken sockets I guarantee you the results would be different. If you give me your information and exactly what sockets you need I guarantee I can get those replaced for you.
my lowes warrantied my impacts no questions asked my lowes has drawers of all the old product i bought mine 15 years ago when we had sears had no problems
My neighbor worked for Sears all his life. He always said don't feel bad about returning anything Crafstman because the original manufacturer pays for it. Borh scum bag companies.
I went into Lowe's one day with a 30 year old craftsman 3/8 drive ratchet that had failed. I had to talk to two different managers just to swap it out for a new one and I got the whole we don't have that exact ratchet I looked at the guy and said no shit this one's 30 years old. After about 20 minutes they finally gave me wonder was made in Taiwan because apparently Lowe's doesn't carry the full USA made ratchets anymore. As for Harbor Freight no issues whatsoever swapping out a broken tool at least hand tools
Home Depot had a tool exchange program a while back....take in any tool and exchange it free for a Husky branded tool-free.
Husky states no receipt required for exchange.
Oreilly auto parts also has good lifetime warranty on tools. Just remember the phone number for warranty.
Gave up on Craftsman. Lowes used to love marketing their Kobalt lifetime warranty brand. Well try finding Kobalt now. Its all Craftsman.
Lowes will eventually stop carrying Craftsman just like it did with Kobalt.
HF is 3 blocks away, Craftsman is a week and a migraine away. Then they send you the wrong replacement tool.
Never a problem replacing something from HF. If it has a lifetime warranty, you don't need a receipt or even need to be the original owner; just take in your broken tool and they hand you a new one, period. Just make sure that you bring in the set if that's how it's sold; 9 times out of 10 they're gonna want to replace the whole thing (which is just fine by me).
Warranty. Most Craftsman hand tools are advertised as having an unlimited lifetime warranty. ... If for any reason your Craftsman hand tool ever fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it to any Sears store or other Craftsman outlets in the United States for free repair or replacement.
MAKE THEM WARRANTY THEM!! WRITE TO SEARS LOWES AND ACE HARDWARE!
I know how you feel, I'm not a mechanic but I do work on my own cars, and if I have my wife on my back telling me that she needs her car and then I gotta deal with exchanging a tool crap, yep I'm to buy whatever company satisfys me the most, as long as I don't have to deal with their crap.
The hell with Crapstmen! I bought them cause they were "guaranteed forever", the quality or the warranty is not there anymore!
Why the hell with craftsman. Not even snap-on would replace anything that had normal wear & tear & nor should it. Where do you get the idea a warranty is the same as a guarantee , it ain't . He got good life out of those sockets
Return stuff at Sears THROUGH THEIR FRONT WINDOWS!
I stop buying craftsman some time ago. Most of craftsman tools are made over seas but still charge as if made in USA. I ran into Lowe’s and Ace who many times refuse to warranty them. So I buy harbor freight and no problems.
I've never seen ANY of the big name companies swap a WHOLE set. Besides Harbor Freight.
That might be because Harbor Freight doesn't carry individual tools.... DUH...! Here's your sign...!
@@williamriley2528 are u in bred? Craftsman, Snapon, S&K, etc... would not replace whole sets because wear. Even back when they were doing great business. Especially if you say your a pro. I've seen them deny single tool warranty claim to pros. Also William Riley my local HF Will warranty single sockets, keep the rest of the set and sell the incomplete sets at a discount. Mr Know It All.
@@DONGRAECUS I think you're the inbred. (unhyphenated) & you can't even spell "warranty"...! Did you even graduate 6th grade...?
Craftsman has always had that warranty. If you read the fine print in it it has been that way. Because craftsman did have a professional tools. So what you should have done is told them that you use them at your house not for a business. Most of the tools are the same thing. But no one reads the warranty on tools. Just wanted to let everyone know. I do work as a mechanic so I have looked at tools and the warranties on them. It getting harder to get any tools replaced when they are broken any more. But harbor freight is is getting really good with their tools. As others have said a tool truck is good but remember you pay for a good tool. And a cheep tool you're probably not going to make it last. But it's how you use them to. I have tools that is have when I was 13,14 years old and no problem. And I have bought tools also auto parts stoor and have no problems. But it is harder to get good tools anymore. The quality is not what it was years ago. Remember if you can go to a auction and find old tools and get them there if you can.
I have never been told no by Craftsman.
This is a reason Napa sells craftsman....to hopefully make people switch to Carlyle ..... better warranty
Harbor frieght for the win ! I had to warranty my hercules no questions asked my snap on guys warranties my sockets no questions asked matco I mailed them in
Wall Craftsman won't be selling any tools will they...??? Even Harbor Freight honors a walk-in warranty with no receipt on their Pittsburgh Pro Tools....!
Home Depot use to swap craftsman for husky. All of them are made by stanley now. Done it several times...
Justin you might want to go back up to that Lowe's and look at the sockets they have. I just went to my Lowe's and they do sell individual impact sockets deep and shallow in 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive. I bet your Lowe's sell them also. They were in the pull out bins at socket area.
Warranty ain't for shit anymore, for the quality and warranty hassle craftsman offers, I'll take Pittsburgh pro or icon from HF over the no warranty China made craftsman junk any day of the week.
The last thing I had Sears cover by warranty was a 3/8" ratchet I had a USA made panel ratchet I ask for a rebuild kit was told they no longer carried them I called the 1-800 number and craftsman sent a replacement without the me having to send in the broken USA made ratchet however they wanted a $5.00 S&H to ship the replacement but after very little rebuttal they decided to eat the cost and shipped the replacement free of charge but sadly the days of the craftsman no haggle warranty are gone you can no longer simply walk into a Sears with a bursted socket ratchet screwdriver etc and walk out with a new replacement, without doubt it's obvious the tool name is under new management, craftsman now offers the same warranty all other Stanley Black and Decker tools have 5 minutes or 5 miles.
Craftsman is off my choice of hand tools. I'm not a professional, like you, but I still want something that can be returned. I own some of my original sockets and 1/2 inch rachet from 50 years ago. I've taken the socket drive apart to clean and lube it, but that's it.
In recent times, I use either Harbor Freight or Duralast from Autozone. Either of them are available nationwide and honor their warranties.
It appears Sears and S/B&D have just made a hot mess out of Craftsman, that's too bad. I had plans of buying a Craftsman mechanics tool set from Lowe's that is more comprehensive and complete to replace the smaller, Crescent brand set I bought at NAPA to keep in my truck. I don't feel like it now. The Gearwrench 239 piece set is looking like a better option. I have the Pittsburgh 1/2", metric impact socket sets in shallow and deep. I haven't had any issues yet, but they're not used everyday either. I feel pretty confident I can warranty any or all the sockets without any heartburn.
I actually bought the 224 piece Craftsman Mechanics set today for that same reason. I felt like it was the more complete set. After talking to the manager it's sounds like they will warranty the chrome sockets and wrench's ohh... and now I have a receipt and bought it from there store so I hope for better customer service. We shall see.
Justin Dow I’ve considered the 224 piece set as well. The Crescent set I bought at NAPA was on clearance, but it lacks some pieces I’d like to have with me when needed.
@@donaldhollums3278 I'll post the video on that Craftsman Set. I would say it's worth it even if you go into it thinking it's a throw away set. I think you'll still be happy with what you get out of it. Let me know what you think. Cheers!
Justin Dow I’ve watched that film you did a couple of times because it piqued my interest and the price is over half of the price of the Gearwrench set I’ve looked at.
Donald Hollums Awesomeness. Well I’m putting together the video now on the new 224 piece kit so be looking for that post I think you’ll like what it has to offer and I’m gonna be actually using it for a few jobs so you’ll get to see me abusing the craftsman tools and how well they actually hold up on the job
Why would any tool maker warranty WORN OUT tools? It's not broken!??
Craftsman the once Greatest name in Tools is just that, a name.
Nowadays to many options with Lifetime Warranties.
35 years ago when I started building my tools. It was off to Sears to buy Craftsman.
Sadly how far they’ve fallen.
I used to be all about craftsman. It’s all my dad ever used and what I started with. I think even if I broke something I wouldn’t try to exchange it for anything they’re selling today. Unfortunately a good affordable brand is gone, and since harbor freight is stepping up there game why wouldn’t you.
I Have A Local Ace Hardware That Sell Craftsman They Don't Care About The Receipt And Don't Even Ask For It
So in other words dont buy Craftsman if you think that you would ever have to warranty them. But I would still take Craftsman over HF, HUSKY, KOBALT. In all the Craftsman tools that I have ever owned I have only broke 1 socket and 1 1/4 ratchet. But I do have to say HF warranty is actually really easy.
JUSTIN ATV If it’s Chrome and you have a receipt is no issue. If it’s impact, air or Cordless your buying at your own risk
Osh (orchard supply and hardware) here in CA, use to warranty craftsman easily for me they did sale a few impacts individually and warranty them they unfortunately closed up shop now
I warrantied a half inch ratchet USA made for the newer one. They needed my ID since they gave me a gift card and used the gift card for the new purchase. Ive been debating just to go to harbor freight since its much simpler to warranty. I only work on my own stuff. It looks like harbor freight carries more variety than craftsman. Craftsman is a shadow of what it used to be.
I used to work at a Sears store years and years ago. The company always used to say that they would sell off every brand they owned BEFORE parting ways with Craftsman. That being said, who honestly did not see this coming when Craftsman was the first asset Sears sold off??? Stanley B&D tools have always sucked in my personal opinion, and I fully expected Craftsman to rapidly deteriorate in quality and warranty when Stanley B&D bought them. I was not at all surprised to see you make this video. I don't think it is fair to fault either Sears or Lowes for the warranty issue though, as they can only do what the vendor, Stanley B&D in this case, will allow them to do. The instant replacement at Sears stores went away shortly after Stanley bought Craftsman. Sears no longer owns the brand, so they no longer get to make the rules. In the case of Harbor Freight, they own every brand they sell, so it is very easy for them to warranty whatever is broken on site.
Can't speak for the impact sockets but I have warrantied my sockets from craftsman direct. They just had me snap photos of each with the part number and they mailed me new ones free of charge. It took 7 weeks which sucks compared to swapping out in store same day.
Sears repeatedly refused to repair or warranty out a american made 1/2 ratchet (my fathers). They even refused to sell me the repair kit. So I'll buy harbor freight before I'll buy crapsman. Fuck craftsman.