Afraid I have to agree. I've never had a problem/question returning a
Craftsman tool. Ever.
(Even way back in college when I went in with a buddy who was returning a
1.25" socket full of black gunky stuff. He was asked "What's wrong with
it?" Reply: "It just doesn't smoke as well as it used too....")
And when I needed a drive gear for the garage door opener that came with
the house (~15 years old), it was available, on the web, for the princely
sum of $15.
Just dumb luck I guess.
On the note about polished surface wrenches, I'm pretty fond of the pebbly,
slightly rough surface on the Craftsman. I find I can't get as good a grip
on the polished MatCo or Snap-Ons, and when I really need to reef on
something my fingers tend to slip. Personal preference.
iii
At 07:24 AM 6/23/99 -0400, jvanho01@tir.com wrote:
>
>It's to bad that you have had such a bad experience with Sears and
>Craftsman tools. I have been using them for over 40 years and have
>returned tools for replacement on the West Coast, Gulf Coast, and the
>Midwest and I have never had a problem with them questioning the guarantee.
> I have even had them break apart sets to get a particular wrench that they
>didn't have as a separate item. They have also replaced screwdrivers that
>were obviously used as prybars and not question the abuse. Perhaps, it has
>a lot to do with the attitude that ones goes in with that affects the way
>the sales persons react. Just my experience and $.02 worth.
>
>Jim V.
>
>At 01:26 AM 6/23/99 Wednesday -0600, Michael D. Porter wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>Bob Hamilton wrote:
>>>
>>> Aaron,
>>>
>>> I personally have no complaints about Craftsman tools - used them
>>for years.
>>
>>One of my complaints is that every time I have walked into a Sears store
>>in the last twenty years with a broken Craftsman tool in my hand, I got
>>an argument. First, the clerk would tell me it was not warranted (and,
>>knowing their routine) would say, "it's not a Sears tool, it's a
>>Craftsman tool. It has a lifetime guarantee." Then, they would say,
>>"but, it's been abused. We don't warrant abuse." I would say, "how can
>>you tell it's abuse?" And the simple-minded clerk would say, "well, it's
>>broken. That's abuse."
>>
>>Those companies who sell tools to tradesman who know tools, companies
>>who sell tools to them with a lifetime guarantee, don't try that
>>routine. Likely, some Sears branches are better than others with regard
>>to returns, but having experienced the same line from three different
>>stores in three different geographical locales at three different times,
>>I conclude that experience of mine to reflect company policy. I don't
>>bother with them any longer with respect to hand tools.
>>
>>And, yeah, I bought an air compressor from them six years ago, one with
>>the oil-less compressor pump built into the rear of the motor, and it
>>destroyed itself after forty hours of occasional use, one week after the
>>warranty expired. I bought the necessary replacement parts at my own
>>expense ($75), repaired the compressor, and it failed again,
>>catastophically, ten hours later. A twelve-year-old could look at the
>>connecting rod and the cylinder-to-connecting rod geometry, and know it
>>was a deficient design.
>>
>>Screw `em. Sears, frankly, is full of bean counters these days. They
>>don't know tools, and can't provide a tool which will last a lifetime
>>because they are too busy trimming pennies. And, the price of the
>>Craftsman line of tools (presumably guaranteed for life) is no bargain.
>>And, don't bother trying to find repair parts for twenty-year-old
>>Craftsman tools... they typically don't exist.
>>
>>Cheers.
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