How is Sears on taking tools back
 

I bought a tool set in a case a few weeks ago. Finaly got around to putting it all in the case, and wouldn't you know it, as soon as you put it on its side, they all fall out.

This sucks.

I am going to return later today.

Michael

They still stick by the rule that the customer is always right.

Sears is excellent with tool returns. I returned a rachet drive after many years of use, they replaced it without question. When I worked construction, I can remember some of the guys going in to get replacements. I cant remember any of them having any problems either.
Mike

returned a 40 year old torque wrench that had broke, no questions asked

I broke a breaker bar that was older than I am. They replaced it with one far far beefier. Beautiful.

This thread makes me think that Sears really stands behind their tools (as they should, as it is the only really consistently profitable part of their business).

I wonder, how do really expensive manufacturers like Snap-On and Mac Tools compare?

I haven't ever had a problem with 'em either but I suppose some of it depends on who you talk to.

Snap-on replaces everything as well. That is why they cost what they cost.

This is a sore subject for me. I bought all my Husky tools from Home Depot when they had the same lifetime guarantee as Craftsman. At the time you could just bring a broken tool back to the store. They have since changed their policy so that you have to send it to the manufacture. :mad: I sent them a long email about how much BS their change in policy was, including a rant about how it was fitting that a store of such disrepute would sponsor a world class ass like Tony Stewart.

If you have a product not working correctly within an unreasonably short period of time the store has to take it back. By selling you something you get an implied warranty of merchantability. Which means that unless they sold something marked "as is" that is has to work for a reasonable amount of time or the store (not the manufacturer) has to make it right. A few weeks is too short of a period for a tool to not working. Plus Sears is great when it comes to tools.

Sears will not replace my rotary dremel tool, nor my torque wrench, should they happen to fail.
Nor my electric screwdriver, which is beginning to near the end of it's life.

I don't believe their "lifetime replacement" warranty covers any sort of power tools, just the hand tools.

On a lighter note, I once found a pair of Craftsman needlenose pliers in the street. They had the crap beat out of them, they were rusty and even the rubberized grips were pretty much shredded. Took them to Sears, just to see if they would replace them....they did, no questions asked. COOL!!! :cool:

Randy

The lifetime replacement warranty is only on the Craftsman brand. They sell other makes of tools there also.

I've had great experience with Sears.

Had a blade get jammed in my jigsaw (the type with the no-tool blade change) after having used it for quite some time. I took it in to see if they had some way of getting it out and they just handed a new one to me!

I needed to buy a washer/dryer and they had no problem matching the price another store was offering on a similar model.

Had a recent fiasco buying an HD television. Basically it was ordered and I was told they had the TV in stock. Showed up and there was no television. They gave me the sale price on the TV I originally ordered on a better television they actually had in stock.

I know a guy who loves garage sales...one of his favorite "finds" is a broken Craftsman brand hand tool...he'd pick 'em up for a dime & a quarter, return them for a replacement..

My torque wrench is Craftsman. It is NOT covered.

They took it back no questions asked.

Michael

Being from a family of mechanics, and owning a shop, I have bought a lot of tools over the years. Even so, YMMV.

Our local Sears has told us that the lifetime warranty does not apply to power tools, or to "precision tools" such as their micrometers and such. Their digitorque and microtorque torque wrenches are only covered for 90 days.

Snap-on has a system of "independent dealers" and YMMV depending upon your individual dealer. Some have repaired ratchets for me with no problem at all, while others tell me I have to buy the ratchet repair kit. I think it may depend mostly upon how much business you do with them.

I have also bought from the MAC tool guy, but since MAC and PROTO are just sub-brands of The Stanley Works, I really hate to pay the premium for their tools. Many of the basic tools are made in the same dies, with different name plates slipped in the die for different production runs. They claim that their Proto line gets some additional QC treatments that the plain Stanley line does not.

Back when Lowes carried the really shiney, kinda square bodied wrenches, I bought a bunch of them. Why? Because they were made by JH Williams (a division of Snap-on) and private labelled for Lowes. Now, the wrenches are different. Althought they still carry the Lowes "Kobalt" brand label, they are now made by Danaher - the same company that makes MatCo and who now makes Craftsman.

Pre-1994, Craftsman hand tools were made by Stanley.
Husky is made by Stanley.

I buy almost all of my basic hand tools from Craftsman, simply because I know I can walk into Sears and get a replacement without any hassel, and without having to wait on the tool truck to come by.