Craftsman Tool Warranty is alive in 2025

[LWJ]

So I popped a 15mm deep socket the other day. I guess I am far stronger than I look.

So I went to Lowes to get a replacement after doing an online search to determine the warranty protocol. And...FAIL. What a bunch of idiots.

They did give me a number for Craftsman. So I called. 15 minute hold. And...I got a new socket. It arrived today. No questions. No BS. Nothing.

Is the quality what it was way back? Probably not. But I still have a matching set. And that is good for something.

Thought y'all might care.

Be well.

[Racerbvd]

Your experience is better than ours, we have found that “Craftsman”!will only warranty it they have not changed the part number or design. BITD, you could take a broken screwdriver, wrench or socket to Sears and they would replace replace it no questions asked with the newest version of the tool, these days, you are SOL.

[herr_oberst]

M15 deep socket. Were you using it on lugnuts? Sparkplugs? M15 seems like a size I rarely use - but I'm no pro.

Congratulations on getting made whole by a faceless corporation. It's not the usual result these days. Savor the victory.

[LWJ]

Shhhh. It was on the lug nut of a John Deere Gator. Not the best tool for the job. But I used a 1' ratchet handle so it's not like I over levered the thing.

As for Byron? My 6pt 3/8 drive deep socket set has been discontinued. The phone person said this and I started to get testy. Then I found the same specced socket on their website as I spoke with them. I got the new P/N socket. I would call them back. If they don't make the part? I think you are SOL. But if they have one very very close? I would ask.

Report back. I have a bunch of old Craftsman stuff. Most came from garage sales and pawnshops. It would please me to have a solid warranty.

[fastfredracing]

Ill let you know how it works for me .. I just bought a 3/4 craftsman " ratchet and extension , becuase it was the weekend, and I had already broken every 3/4" ratchet and breaker bar I owned tyring to get the lug nuts loose on my new to me Peterbilt towtruck project . No one , anywhere had 1 " drive stuff available . The snap on man wants a kidney and my sons first 4 years of wages after he gets out of school for this stuff, but Ill probably end up purchasing the good stuff eventually anyhow after I break everything else .
I specifically purchased craftsman, because I was pretty sure I would be breaking something . Sure enough, I twisted the 6" 3/4 extension . The ratchet held up to a 6 foot long pipe over it and me , hanging on it with all my body weight trying to get those buggers loose .
I was hoping to have my rear air brake shoes changed on Saturday afternoon. ended up taking me 5 hours to get one wheel off . I have a one inch impact wrench , and it only removed about half the lugs . I think I have my prodecure down pat now, and should be able to make quick work out of the other side . . The fronts busted loose pretty easily .
I need to toughen up my home tool set now . I think my weak link is my compressor . It simply cannot keep up with those big impact wrenches . I have an old emglo compressor that I wore out in my shop . I think Ill rebuild that, and moveit to my home shop .

[BK911]

I tried to return a standard 3/8" rachet.
New one had a different part number but was otherwise identical.
Wouldn't swap it out.
Guessing sears did this deliberately.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by LWJ

So I popped a 15mm deep socket the other day. I guess I am far stronger than I look.

So I went to Lowes to get a replacement after doing an online search to determine the warranty protocol. And...FAIL. What a bunch of idiots.

They did give me a number for Craftsman. So I called. 15 minute hold. And...I got a new socket. It arrived today. No questions. No BS. Nothing.

Is the quality what it was way back? Probably not. But I still have a matching set. And that is good for something.

Thought y'all might care.

Be well.

I have my Dad's Craftsmen box wrenches. They're at least 60 years old. So....what's that phone number?

[LWJ]

Here is the website:https://www.craftsman.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopat19kyqXwYaAiR-6V5QAoOqShtaaF5JYEnHJDkJEqq1ZGzuwm

I think the phone number is there somewhere. You can do online claims as well.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by BK911

I tried to return a standard 3/8" rachet.
New one had a different part number but was otherwise identical.
Wouldn't swap it out.
Guessing sears did this deliberately.

They must have changed the policy recently because a few years ago, I was in the same boat and Lowes just gave me the latest version of both of my 3/8 ratchets that had failed.

Does Lowes still sell Craftsman tools but not honor the warranty now? Or only if it's a tool that you bought from them? That sucks.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Ill let you know how it works for me .. I just bought a 3/4 craftsman " ratchet and extension , becuase it was the weekend, and I had already broken every 3/4" ratchet and breaker bar I owned tyring to get the lug nuts loose on my new to me Peterbilt towtruck project . No one , anywhere had 1 " drive stuff available . The snap on man wants a kidney and my sons first 4 years of wages after he gets out of school for this stuff, but Ill probably end up purchasing the good stuff eventually anyhow after I break everything else .
I specifically purchased craftsman, because I was pretty sure I would be breaking something . Sure enough, I twisted the 6" 3/4 extension . The ratchet held up to a 6 foot long pipe over it and me , hanging on it with all my body weight trying to get those buggers loose .
I was hoping to have my rear air brake shoes changed on Saturday afternoon. ended up taking me 5 hours to get one wheel off . I have a one inch impact wrench , and it only removed about half the lugs . I think I have my prodecure down pat now, and should be able to make quick work out of the other side . . The fronts busted loose pretty easily .
I need to toughen up my home tool set now . I think my weak link is my compressor . It simply cannot keep up with those big impact wrenches . I have an old emglo compressor that I wore out in my shop . I think Ill rebuild that, and moveit to my home shop .

Man, that sucks. I recently had the same situation but only with a car, some chimp massively over-torqued the lug nuts and I had to use my floor jack handle as a cheater to bust them loose! And this was with no rust involved, they were lug bolts on an older Mercedes. Is rust a factor on your truck? Regardless, it sounds like someone really screwed you over on those. You might have to take it to a rail yard and get someone to use the impact that they use on trains on them, or at least a big rig shop. They probably would not charge you much to bust them loose and retighten them to a reasonable torque so that you can work on your truck. I'd call around. They have the right size compressor.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by speeder

They must have changed the policy recently because a few years ago, I was in the same boat and Lowes just gave me the latest version of both of my 3/8 ratchets that had failed.

Same for me. Two half inch and a quarter inch ratchet. No hassles.

[rfuerst911sc]

I think Ace hardware stores sell Craftsman hand tools . Anyone ever tried returning a broken tool there ?

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

I think Ace hardware stores sell Craftsman hand tools . Anyone ever tried returning a broken tool there ?

Like Lowes, they told me I have to contact Craftsman.

[rfuerst911sc]

^^^ well that sucks . I went to the website and submitted a question on how to get warranty replacements for my broken breaker bar and ratchet . I bought these at Sears 40 + years ago . Will be interesting to see if I get a reply .

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

Like Lowes, they told me I have to contact Craftsman.

My friend who told me that, said they t was Craftsman’s. He has been using Craftsman for over 50 years and the job he just retired from (Maxwell House, coffee) as a head maintenance guy, so he’s gone through some at work. I actually like the Kolbalt brand from Lowe’s, they feel good in my hands and they have a lifetime warranty and actually honor it. Like others here, I still have the set of Craftsman tools that I bought in high school, and also like others here, garage sales, pawn shops, flea markets (Swap Meet to those on the other coast) and have traded in broken Snap-On, Matco, Mac tools to the route drivers and received brand new high end tools.

This is the first real toolbox I bought, in the 90s, at a pawnshop for a couple hundred bucks. And the ratchet, I don’t remember, but it was in my kit at the warehouse I occupied from the late 80s until last year.

[Lyle O]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

I think Ace hardware stores sell Craftsman hand tools . Anyone ever tried returning a broken tool there ?

My 1/2" ratchet died a couple of years ago, and my local ACE replaced it on the spot, no questions asked. The thing was 40 years old, too...

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by Lyle O

My 1/2" ratchet died a couple of years ago, and my local ACE replaced it on the spot, no questions asked. The thing was 40 years old, too...

Good to know , I will have to swing by the local Ace and see what they say .

[rfuerst911sc]

I just received an email reply to my inquiry about my broken breaker bar and ratchet . The email says new and improved replacements will be sent to me from the factory . The email provided the part numbers being sent . There was no request to ship the broken parts back or even pics of the broken parts . That's great customer service in my book !

I was totally honest in my email that these were purchased 40 + years ago from Sears . I am not trying to get anything by lieing I just want the warranty to be honored . I realize this is just one transaction but I am very impressed with the customer service .

[herr_oberst]

I was out in the garage today and I realized, I haven't taken a ratchet or a screwdriver back to sears in ages, even though I have lots of craftsman ratchets and screwdrivers. And this is why: These harbor freight ratchet handles and this Stanley 6x screwdriver are the ones I reach for most all the time anymore. I got so tired of throwing craftsman products across the room (figuratively, of course) and it started to dawn on me one day that these cheapies work better. Tighter fit, they don't change direction when they're buried deep inside tight spaces, the one with the swivel handle fits perfect in my palm for 90 percent of what I need it for....I still use mostly craftsman sockets, and I have a lot of combination wrenches too that work good enough for the likes of me, but those don't generally get used up with the kind of projects I do.

[Por_sha911]

I wonder if they would ask you to send in the broken socket if it was a
10 mm ?