I NEVER heard of anything like that!! I would be getting on the phone and calling the main office and talk to someone there and tell them what happend. Get the name of the person who you are talking to so if anything else happends you can talk to the same person!! The ONLY reason I could think of why they didn't replace it is because the tool was miss-used. (sp) like you used it for a hammer or something like that?? Other than that I would be on the phone!! Top

Top Dawg!! Only the Big Dawgs Bark!!

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif This is what a Sears Managerchick once told me about the tool warranty: "The warranty is a money-maker for Sears because as you take the tool in for replacement, and the smiling clerk gives you a new one, you ALMOST ALWAYS buy someting as long as you are in the store and feeling good about getting a new ratchet or end wrench." You see, Don; by mailing it off, two things enter the equasion: (1) They can more easily blow off the warranty; a check mark is easy compared to facing an irritated mechanic; and (2) there IS no purchase of more tools at the time of exchange, so there is no value to Sears to honor the warranty./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

I've never had a problem getting a tool warrantied at Sears. I even brought back one of their torque wrenches AFTER the one year warranty that particluar tool had and they still replaced it. Try just taking the tool to a bigger store next time you are near one. They will probably just look at it, toss it in the box under the counter and give you a new one.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

I agree with cjjeepercreeper, bring it into a large store and they will probably replace it. Be very nice about it. Sugar always does better than vinegar.

As a side note: I would wonder about some tools that get consumed during use, any tool that is sharpened, like a chisel, etc. I wonder if the warranty may not cover just waring out. I don't know what the defect with yours is however.



Good luck.

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky & Snow(Skiing that is)

 

That suprises me, the Sears by me even exchanged a 3/8" air ratchet that I broke, no questions asked.
Also, the other night I was in Sears and the guy in front of me exchanged three hammers. The ones he
was exchanging looked like they had been left outsdie for years. They were not broken, just very rusty,
no arguement, and he walked out with three brand new hammers.

 

I have had a similar experience with Craftsman. A few teeth broke off a tap I was using, so I went to return it. The guy told me it wasn't covered. I told him it was a Craftsman and I wanted a new one. We went back and forth, and finally I said, "Look, it's a Craftsman. Craftsman tools are lifetime guaranteed against breakage. Mine is broken, I want a new one." He finally gave in and gave me one, but he clearly wasn't happy.

On another note, I returned a ratchet to them and they mailed me a different one. The one I gave them was polished and long handle, they sent back a short one with a matte handle, and it even had the cheesy mechanism. I complained, but they claim it was the one I gave them originally. Just be wary of them. Personally I think it's a scam.

I have had so many positive experiences with them I've gone to buying Popular Mechanic's tools from Wal-Mart, they don't have an exclusionary clause, will take anything for exchange, and no waiting.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled, It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!
'88.5 Zuki, 5" Calmini, Locked, Swamped, Rolled, and just generally broken in right!

 

Thats why i like mastercraft. Not too long ago I broke my 1/2 inch ratchet in lets just say "A fit of anger". On my way to the store i was rehursing alternate ways that the tool could have been broken. When I got to the parts counter. The woman looked at me, smiled, fixed the tool, and smiled again. Didn't ask how I broke it or even for a invoice to prove I had bought the tool.

I need to get a girlfriend I'm getting to close to my jeep.

 

Remember the discussion some months ago about tools, and I was touting Snap-On and Mac. Well at least you don't have this problem with them. I had a plastic mallet that was at least 30 years old, it broke, the Snap-on guy gave me the closest thing they make now, a cool orange one with two different heads. The one I broke had a wooden handle and 2 yellow plastic heads.

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

I think you can take craftsman stuff to Home Depot and they will replace it with their brand that is also lifetime warrantied. I think it is Husky. I have never used any of their tools, so I can't tell you if they are good or not.

G'luck

/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif MNT /wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif

 

Go back to the Sears and demand satisfaction...I work there and their policy is such that if you tell them what you want and why you want it, they basically are compelled to give it to you. If they don't, go to a higher up. Repeat until satisfied. You'll end up getting more than just a new tool.

Moneyless, Will weld for jeep accessories.

 

Definitely find a larger Sears around you. I worked in the Hardware and Plumbing department at Sears for 3 years, and I took back ANY tool that was a craftsman(handtool) and replaced it with it's equal or better if we didn't have the original in stock. I don't know how they do it now, but, I was on commission and I made commission off of your return. We were very happy to replace whatever you brought in. I used to replace tape measures for people who would say, "I dropped this off the roof and it busted." I didn't care because the fact of the matter was that it broke, and I needed to honor the warranty.
Yes, part of the marketing campaign behind the warranty is to get you to buy something else while you are there.
NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CRAFTSMAN HAND TOOL, IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH AN EQUAL TOOL. If they don't make that style of chisel any more, they have to give you the newer version of it, no questions asked.
"Customer satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back." Tell them you aren't satisfied.
Bryan/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

 

My socket collection had dwindled and I didn't have the right tools for the job. It was about 10:00pm and everything was closed with the exception of Home Depot. I went in and said screw it, give me the big assorted kit (300+ pieces). The sockets are fine but the ratchets suck! The 1/4", 3/8", and the1/2" all seem to jam up frequently. So I reach for the old snap on 1/4" , 3/8", and the craftsman 1/2". All hand me downs from my grand father.

BigHG
84 CJ7

 

I don't know about any other state, but Maine and New Hampshire Sears exchanges your broken tools for used rebuilt tools, like my last 2 ratchets, mine where physically clean but broke , they replaced them with ratches that where used as hammers. I was not happy and let them know but it did not help, they ship all these tools to 1 retired fella that rebuilds the tool with new guts and sends it back. Under every register in the tool department is a tool box with rebuilt tools, take a look.... Total B.S. I'll spend the cash now on Snap-on....

 

Sears is getting stingy with the warranty, because they have been screwed so many times. For instance, my uncle goes to farm auctions and buys the five gallon buckets of broken tools. You can pick these up for usually just a couple of bucks. There are inevitably quite a few tools that are lifetime warranties. My uncle then promptly returns them to the various stores for replacements. I don't agree with this practice, but there are an awful lot of tools in the farm shop that were really never paid for. This is one of the reasons that Sears is getting picky about what is returned.

Cage Up, Wheels Down
Jeepfiend
All my Jeeps are in pieces!

 

Brad,
If you remember I was one of the ones comimg down strongly in favor of Craftsman for 2 reasons. First the quality is very good compared to the cheap imports and second because of the outstanding warranty.

Have to back off on that a bit now. There was a very nice Sears Tool store about a mile from the house. Same problem there as has always plagued Sears, the store vs catalogue, but other than that a very good Sears tool store. Have been noticing for years that Sears quality seems to be going down or maybe it's that they have more than one quality - Craftsman 1 & 2, and lesser stuff. Whatever, it seems like the quality has gone down.

Our real nice Sears Tool store closed its doors, and I learned later that all the Sears tool stores closed down, at least in the Houston area. Stores don't shut down if they are making money.

Whatever the reason, bad management, less customer service, degradation of quality, stiff competition from other low profit stores - whatever the reason, Sears is not on my shopping list anymore. It's taken a long time, and I'm not mad at them or greatly disappointed. It just seems like there isn't any real good reason to go there anymore.

 

Most of the tools I got passed down from my dad were Craftsman. On the rare ocasion I broke one I took it back and got a new one without any grief. I always loved craftsman tools and bought nothing else. When I started wreching more then typical shade tree howler monkey stuff I started to notice the flaws in their designs, especially the screwdrivers and wrenches. Both of these are poorly shaped and when used a lot on tough fasteners they begin to really hurt my hands. The final straw was trying to remove the phillips head screws that hold the door on my Scout. They've been there for 34 years and don't like coming out. After about an hour of trying to get the #%@^#@ screws out my hands were nearly bleeding and hurting bad. That was the final straw, the Craftsman stuff lives in my trail tool box. I can't stand the thought of paying the insanely high prices for Snap-on and MAC except for the items that are truely special so I've been going to Home Depot and getting the husky tools. The wrenches and smooth and a bit longer then Craftsman and the screwdrivers don't cause pain. Happy Jeepin'
Travis

Jeeps, Jeeps everywhere but not one that runs/wwwthreads_images/icons/frown.gif.

 

Re: Craftsman Lifetime Warranty

The reason they don't warranty chisels (& the tap someone else mentioned) is that they are not "tools" - they are considered "bits", like drill bits. You can use a drill bit by hand (either to drill soft material or as a round file), but it's not a "Craftsman hand tool" and doesn't have the LT warranty. They don't consider most things made to wear as they're used to be hand tools - chisels, punches, taps, dies, drill bits, etc. Read the back of the card or pouch to see what the warranty is before you buy.

HOWEVER, (as someone mentioned) everything they sell goes out the door under that slogan "Satisfacton Guaranteed or Your Money Back". So just demand your money back & then buy it again - maybe they'll get the message and start cooperating the first time.

In reply to:

...buys the five gallon buckets of broken tools. You can pick these up for usually just a couple of bucks. There are inevitably quite a few tools that are lifetime warranties. My uncle then promptly returns them to the various stores for replacements. I don't agree with this practice, but there are an awful lot of tools in the farm shop that were really never paid for.

That's not true - someone bought those tools at Sears in good faith with the promise of a lifetime guarantee. The guarantee doesn't say "...to the original purchaser..." - as long as the word "Craftsman" &/or the part number are visible, it's covered. ...no matter who owns it, or how he got it (excluding theft, of course). Probably half of my Craftsman tools came from pawn shops, and I am totally comfortable going from the pawn shop to Sears & getting a new 1/2" ratchet for $4./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

Steve 83 Bronco 4.9L

Build it; Don't buy it...

 

I'm not going to rag on craftsman. I have a pretty good local store. All I have to say is that I wrenched for a long time, and you want the best when it's your bread and butter. My stuffs 90% Snap On. $$$$$$$$$$$$? Yes big time, but I've never had a bad thing to say abouth them other than the cost. Nuff said.

http://home1.gte.net/rythem/davescj7.htm
rythem@gte.net
"Get your finger outta there"

 

Ask to speak to the manager. When he or she comes, take them outside and point above the door. Ask them, What does that say? If you won't replace my tool, I want my money back! What are you going to do to satisify me?

 

Guess what, You gotta read the fine print on these Warrenties. They all say "LIMITED" lifetime warrenty. Basically means limited to manufacuring defects, so if your ratchet breaks 2 years down the road, it really dosen't matter, you are buying a new ratchet. I sell some lifetime warrenty stuff, and honor the warrenty, regardless of the problem. I feel if the manufacturer has a lifetime warrenty, it dosen't matter what the problem is. they still need to take care of it, or change the warrenty, and get a rid of the fine print. Just my opinion.

Ray

 

FYRBALL, as one who works there, allow me to reassert that if you complain long enough, you get what you want, no matter how irrational it may seem...And I don't think that our requests here are irrational... Another sidenote, the "limited" in limited warranty is one limitation...to the original purchaser...that applies to all craftsman tools, diehard batteries, lifetime warranty struts/shocks, etc...all is LIMITED LIFETIME warranty, once again, the limited applying to the ORIGINAL purchaser. Not to be picky or anything, but that's the way it goes. Don't give up on Sears. And on a related note, anyone need a price on tires? Drop me an e-mail, and I'll get you set up!
Deano

Moneyless, Will weld for jeep accessories.

 

I be workin' there to and I have seen some pretty crusty tools come back and we exchange them no problem. The only problem we have is when people come in with bags and buckets from garage sales and flee markets and try to exchange them at once. Some one mentioned earlier about not being covered if it's abused or used for what it's not intended, Not true. If you use your largest screw driver as a pry bar and bring it in bent and in two pieces, we'll change it. That rachet makes a bad hammer, we'll change that for you to. Everything with the Lifetime Warranty is marked as such. Not everything is Lifetime though. Vises are only 2 years etc. I've had people come in with 40yr old drills and try to exchange them "because they are Craftsman and its a Lifetime Warranty". If the chisels blade is dull of chiped your out of luck, but if the shaft is in two, you might get a new one. Just a suggestion.

'88 Sahara, 4.2, auto, 4.0 head swap (finally).