OT: Craftsman Tools

[nospambob]

[Wilson]

Last week I had a craftsman ratchet crap out on me, so took it back to Sears. Instead of a new ratchet, they had a supply of exchange tools near the register. When I asked about those tools, the salesman told me that they were reconditioned. Now I was under the impression that the replacement tools were supposed to be new. Anyone else have experience with this matter?

[C 956]

sears will replace your worn out tool.itdoesn't say with a new tool.

[Steve]

I took a damaged socket driver in for replacement a couple of weeks a go. The "kid" (hey, I trying to be polite!) stood a fiddled with the ratchet for a bit and "repaired"it. He handed it back to me and acted as if that were the end of the story.

I stood my ground and took a new one from the display rack and told the "kid" that it was now "repaired". As I turned to leave, I nearly stepped on the department manager who'd been watching the entire episode. She didn't say a single word to either me or the "kid".

It appears to be that they'll (Sears) do their best to get away with the very least that they can when they can. Be firm, stand your ground and (with hope) watch them "do the right thing".

-- Steve Penury is the Mother of Invention

[Bob S.]

Steve,

Your sig line doesn't work or is the server just down?

Bob S.

"> Penury is the Mother of Invention

[Steve]

Oh my and Uh Oh! That pesky "q" snuck in there somehow and got to be the OOOOPS! from typing on a laptop when I be used to am old-fashioned full-sized ms split keyboard... :-(

Thanks, Bob!

(without the q) should do it :-)

[GTO69RA4]

I've always been given a new ratchet at the local Sears, but that's not the case everywhere. This isn't a recent cost-cutting thing. Back in the '50s in some places they'd just give you a rebuild kit for free instead of a whole ratchet.

GTO(John)

[Lazarus Long]

[Larry Laminger]

Anyone else have experience with

Yep, just keep finding things wrong with the replacement...eventually they'll give in a get you a new one. Once they tried replacing my ratchet with one that had somebody's name engraved on it. When I wouldn't accept it, they tried getting me to take one that was similar to the one I returned. No deal sez I. They offered to take mine and mail it to me after they re-built it. They finally gave in and let me get a new one.

Another time. A seven year old pair of aviation snips gave up the ghost. I returned them for a new pair with no problem. The first time I used them, the handles bent together making them useless. I returned these and it went kinda like this:

"We no longer guarantee the handles on these things."

"What?"

"Too many have been getting returned."

"But the warranty says..."

"Sir, the warranty specifically says that we don't guarantee the blades will stay sharp."

"The blades are sharp...I guess. I never got to cut anything with them, the handles bent together the first time I tried using them."

"Well, we don't cover the handles either."

"Oh, well just what is covered."

Picking up the snips, the clerk looked them over and found that the little swing lock still worked. "This thingy is what's covered."

"Kindly get your manager over here."

Manager picks up snips looks at me "Nope, not covered, sorry."

I began reading the warranty out loud and s-l-o-w-l-y (so they could understand.) They finally gave me a replacement pair, but only after realizing that nothing short of police action would get me out of the store. I left with a warning from the manager that should this pair fail, they will not replace them. I've been abusing those snips just dying for the chance to take them back.

[Bob Moody]

There was a time, maybe 15 or 20 years ago, when I bought ONLY Craftsman tools. Then, apparently, the kids in suits took over at Sears and now I buy anything BUT!! The list of failures is long. Routers in particular, sanders also. The list goes far beyond ratchet tools.

Bob Moody

[Eric Ryder]

you must be pretty paranoid when you start munging your home page addy:)

[Larry Laminger]

I'm with you on the power tools. Most of their hand tools (the "real" Craftsman ones) still hold up pretty good.

I'm on the road every day and my income depends upon my tools doing what they should. I like Craftsman over the others mainly because of the the guarantee and the fact that Sears can be found everywhere I go. If/when a tool fails, it seldom takes me more than a few minutes to be back in business.

[Jim Giblin]

I have a similar experience. When I first got into woodworking I bought Craftsman tools, hand and power, exclusively. I still use most of the hand tools but, as the power tools failed or wore out, I purchased Delta/Jet/Porter-Cable/etc replacements. Not only has Craftsman tool quality gone down but the replacement parts no longer match the original specs. I went into Sears to purchase a replacement hose for my Craftsman shop vac. The original hose was molded on a metal spring-like core and had hard plastic fitting on both ends. The replacement was a flimsy, extruded contraption that was of unbelievable poor quality. I continue to use the old hose with a little duct tape. Sears seems to have worked very hard to drive the quality of their tools and the Craftsman name into the ground.

[Subw00er]

I've had a couple hand tools go bad and I've always been given new tools (matched as close as possible) with no questions asked. I didn't even have to hit the register. I ONLY but Craftsman hand tools for this reason.

On a side note, anyone ever miss a tool they traded in for a new one. Even though they didn't work that well, I was partial to a pair of vise grips I had. They used to be my moms.. oh well.

[Bridger]

I have never BOUGHT any sears tools new. I have a bunch I inherited from both grandfathers and some uncles and such. I did exchange a busted breaker bar for a new one.

I don't do much auto mechanicing anymore. for the amount I do, the craftsman stuff is adequate, although I hate how sloppy the ratchets are and the ridges and edges on the open end wrenches. some of my stuff is SK, wright and snapon. those are good tools.

for anything other than automotive hand tools the stuff at sears seems to be overpriced junk. the car tools are barely adequate. Bridger

[CW]

That's what happens when you let the bean counters run things.