Craftsman Tool Warranty is alive in 2025

[porsche930dude]

Iv got so many damn tools its actually a relief when one breaks and I can scrap it. As satisfying as it is to get a tool warrantied sometimes its just easier to buy a new one. Like my gearwrench ratchet wrenches I love them and a few times the 9/16 and 1/2" went bad. Back when advance auto carried them they gave me a hard time with the warranty but they did it. Then they stopped and I havnt seen them around so just bought a new one on ebay. I had a bunch of s-k stuff broken so did the online warranty thing and I thought it didnt go through because I never got any sort of confirmation so did it again. Well they sent me doubles and each one in its own box 10x bigger than it had to be lol well their system is flawed but im happy. I should ebay some of the socket sets I never use. That old craftsman stuff is getting pricey.

[rfuerst911sc]

I did an online claim via the website LWJ provided . Told them I had a broken breaker bar and a slipping ratchet both 1/2 inch . The next day I received a reply that they would send replacements . Great . They stated it could take 10 - 14 days as the tools would be sent from some warehouse .

Two weeks goes by and nothing and I never received a tracking number . I replied to my original email asking for a tracking number . The next day I received the email reply with tracking . Great . However the tracking said the shipment had been " stuck " with UPS for a week in the next town over . Took several searches to find a phone number for the hub the parts were stuck at .

Called the number and the lady puts me on hold for a few minutes as she researches . She comes back and says it looks like the shipment is lost . Yeah right . She said contact the vendor and have them initiate a lost package claim . Ugh . So I contact Craftsman via the email and explain the situation . Two days later I receive an email stating they don't normally send warranty replacements again if they are lost in shipment .

But I was told they will make an exception and send out replacements a 2nd time . Again no tracking info was provided . At this point I think I have a 50/50 chance of seeing the tools . Lo and behold the package was delivered on Monday . Shiny new tools . I am happy for the final results but their lack of providing tracking numbers made this transaction difficult .

[masraum]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

Iv got so many damn tools its actually a relief when one breaks and I can scrap it.

I'll send you a box and $25 for shipping. Pretend you broke as many tools as you can stuff in the box! I'm here for you. I'll throw myself on that grenade for you, buddy!

[Zeke]

I bought a 3/4" drive socket set. I could not stand the thought that someone would find me using a floor jack on a breaker bar. The set was used and old ostensibly meaning they are made out of good steel. I have used a long pipe as a cheater to do over 250 ft lbs. How do I know I got to 250.?

I don't. Old VW or 911 rear axle nut. Tight as hell is 250 to me. Besides, you have to back it up a bit or possibly advance it just a little to install the cotter. So close enough is the answer.

PS, I did do the length times my weight calc for grins. It's all good. I think the old school mechanics just sat on the air impact for 30 seconds.

I like this wrench!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nT9lymhc6sU?t=26&feature=share

[pwd72s]

www.tekton.com has the best tool warranty...they don't ask for the broken tool back. It doesn't matter where you got the tool. Just fill out their online form, send a pic of the broken tool, and they ship a new one. Taiwan made, but I consider their quality as good as the old USA made craftsman stuff, or better in some cases. The Tekton 90 tooth ratchets are really good, in my opinion. Scroll to the bottom of this link for ratchet details:
https://www.tekton.com/flex-ratchet-set-srh92004

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

I did an online claim via the website LWJ provided . Told them I had a broken breaker bar and a slipping ratchet both 1/2 inch . The next day I received a reply that they would send replacements . Great . They stated it could take 10 - 14 days as the tools would be sent from some warehouse .

Two weeks goes by and nothing and I never received a tracking number . I replied to my original email asking for a tracking number . The next day I received the email reply with tracking . Great . However the tracking said the shipment had been " stuck " with UPS for a week in the next town over . Took several searches to find a phone number for the hub the parts were stuck at .

Called the number and the lady puts me on hold for a few minutes as she researches . She comes back and says it looks like the shipment is lost . Yeah right . She said contact the vendor and have them initiate a lost package claim . Ugh . So I contact Craftsman via the email and explain the situation . Two days later I receive an email stating they don't normally send warranty replacements again if they are lost in shipment .

But I was told they will make an exception and send out replacements a 2nd time . Again no tracking info was provided . At this point I think I have a 50/50 chance of seeing the tools . Lo and behold the package was delivered on Monday . Shiny new tools . I am happy for the final results but their lack of providing tracking numbers made this transaction difficult .

I can't get past the submit bar because even if I post a date, say 1/1/1980, it still tells me they need more info. Damn, my sockets are so old, they were made in the USA and have a 5 digit product code! lol I guess I'll need to call them. Since I have to talk to an actual person, I guess I'll round up my rusty and cracked Crapsman screwdrivers, too.

[rfuerst911sc]

^^^ I put " over 40 years ago " in the fields asking for purchase date . It worked for me . Good luck ��

[WPOZZZ]

Had to call it in and ended up at a call center in the Phillipines. The lady sent me an email that I could reply to, and requested pics of the damaged sockets. Maybe 2 weeks for a replacement.

[matthewb0051]

I just bought a Craftsman 3/8" socket set for my son on Amazon. It was pretty bad looking quality. Certainly not the stuff we used to get when they had to plug in the Sears 1,000 digit product code into their early days digital cash register. Not even close.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

I just bought a Craftsman 3/8" socket set for my son on Amazon. It was pretty bad looking quality. Certainly not the stuff we used to get when they had to plug in the Sears 1,000 digit product code into their early days digital cash register. Not even close.

Precisely why the old USA made Craftsman tools are fetching prices on ebay that are a bit shocking to me.

[A930Rocket]

I have quite a few craftsman tools, but haven’t broken anything in ages. I do have a couple of 3/8 inch craftsman ratchets, but they’ve discontinued them, but I can’t get parts to fix them. I have a Kobalt 3/8 inch ratchet, that when I’m using, changes direction. I keep meaning to take it back to Lowe’s to exchange it.

[Geneman]

Try SONIC. They are huge supporters of IMSA . Feel great and have not broken one yet in since inception. love the ratcheting box ends

[cjh]

I took my Craftsman 1/4" & 3/8" drive ratchets apart today to be cleaned and greased. I hope the 1/4" will work better now.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by cjh

I took my Craftsman 1/4" & 3/8" drive ratchets apart today to be cleaned and greased. I hope the 1/4" will work better now.

I did the same thing maybe couple of years ago. Used carb cleaner on the parts, then superlube synthetic grease. The ball bearing in the 1/4" sure was a *****..made a tool to push it down & hold it out of a small paperclip, pounding the paperclip as flat as I could make it.

[porschedude996]

I tried to return a S-K 1/4” x 6” flex extension that “Bird-Caged”. The tool didn’t have a part number on it, it came as a piece in a kit with other 1/4” pieces. The guy claimed they never made one. I sent him a photo of the box, the part number tag, and the broken tool.

He retracted her statement and sent me a 6” fixed extension.

Moral of the story to him, is you don’t always know everything in you 6 years of service. Dam young’ins. A lot of my tools were older than him I suspect.

Have you ever tried to return a Snap-On? If you’re not on his driving route, they mostly give you the cold shoulder in my experience. If you try to contact the factory, you may get the “Please provide your receipt “. Huh, I never kept that sort of stuff. With the invent of thermal printers, they ghost out on a few months. The secret is to befriend a guy still working in the automotive repair trade that has the mobile Snap-On guy frequent his place of employment.

I have heard stories about how Snap-On treats the dealers. Like long delays, or expected to suck it up. Delays mean his truck doesn’t have that replaced tool to sell to another mechanic.

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Precisely why the old USA made Craftsman tools are fetching prices on ebay that are a bit shocking to me.

The sockets I called about were Made in the USA.

[pwd72s]

^Wow! How'd you do that?

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

^Wow! How'd you do that?

Both were 17mm, and I must have done it changing wheels on my BMW maybe 10 years ago. I only used hand tools like a breaker bar and torque wrench, so no idea how the deep socket shattered. And I found the standard socket was cracked tigntening some wheel bolts. It kept slipping on the nut, so I looked at it and Now I have many spares of sockets used for wheel bolts. lol

[speeder]

You should get a set of decent impact sockets in 1/2" drive for lug nuts and anything tighter. Even cheap ones are a lot stronger than those pot metal chrome ones.

[rfuerst911sc]

Tekton makes a nice set of thin wall impact sockets . I only use them for wheels as they fit the Porsche wheels great without scratching the wheel nut holes . I use heavy wall impact sockets for the tough stuff .