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Craftsman tools not warranted/guaranteed forever
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a
replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim |
Jim L. wrote:
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston |
If it is true all over it is a decided change from older policies. I've
returned 30 year old ratchet wrenches. I suspect that this is an example of poor employee training. Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim |
"Jim L." wrote in message . com... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim I used to think highly of Craftsman tools. I don't know about that nowadays. It seems to me that their quality is going south. Think about this: if they know how long their tools will last with average use, they can make a profit off lesser quality tools. Let's take a tool that cost them $2 to make and an average consumer *might* trade it in three times during their lifetime. If they can sell that tool for $10, let's say, they're still making a profit off their tools. (I'm just picking numbers out of the air, here, and this is just my theory. YMMV) So, what this means is that they can put out lesser quality products than they used to and ride on their name. I've been buying Husky lately and have been satisfied so far. They have the same guarantee IIRC and I like their ratchets a lot better. Relz |
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 19:32:46 GMT, "Jim L." wrote:
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Ask to talk to the manager. It used to be that Sears managers had discretion on items like this. At least you'd get a second opinion. I wouldn't trust a Sears sales droid to know the real answer. --RC Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine? |
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 11:38:44 -0800, Winston
wrote: Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston Hand tools so tough, they're guaranteed forever.* Did you know that the first Craftsman hand tool we sold back in 1927 is still under warranty today? So are all the hand tools we've sold since. That's what is known as having confidence in our quality. As the Craftsman Unlimited Hand Tool Warranty clearly states... If any Craftsman guaranteed forever hand tool fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it for free repair or replacement. Period. "taken from craftsman site." http://www.epinions.com/content_160868175492 Link to bob vila site where bob states that a ratchet is covered by the above policy. I'd ask a manager |
Jim L. wrote:
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim I think we're witnessing the end of an era guys. Gawd only knows WHAT it will be like now that Kmart and Sears are getting married. http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/17/news...0/sears_kmart/ Does this mean we'll be soon able to buy a Martha Stewart "designer" hack saw at Sears, guaranteed to cut through prison window bars? Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) "As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public schools" |
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a
replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Unless they changed something in the last few days, he's full of it. I've had Craftsman ratchets replaced with no problem. They sometimes will give you a free rebuild kit if the model is right, instead of a whole new ratchet, but they will always make good on it. GTO(John) |
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a
replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Wait a minute, scratch my last reply. Ratchets and most moving-part hand tools are warranted forever, but torque wrenches are for one to two years depending on model. It's been that way for years. Try it with different staff in the future and someone might bite. GTO(John) |
"Jim L." wrote in
. com: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim As far as I am aware (last week), the salesman had no clue what the real policy was. I've returned several over the years, including last week. I have only once been questioned, a few years ago, and it was as he was handing me a brand new 3/4" drive long wratchet in exchange for the broke one. He asked 'so just how long a pipe did you have on that?" I replied "Oh, about 6'", he just smiled. I went about my way. Now, there IS a difference....if the wratchet says "Sears", there is no warranty to speak of, the wratchet must say "Craftsman" to be covered under the warranty. The "Sears" brand of tools is cheap China/Tiawan/whoever ****. -- Anthony You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make better idiots. Remove sp to reply via email |
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 22:50:50 GMT, Anthony
calmly ranted: "Jim L." wrote in .com: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Yes, I've been fighting it since the late 1970s--on nearly every Crapsman tool I've broken and taken in to return. Now, there IS a difference....if the wratchet says "Sears", there is no warranty to speak of, the wratchet must say "Craftsman" to be covered under the warranty. The "Sears" brand of tools is cheap China/Tiawan/whoever ****. All Searz tools are cheap chiwanese chit AFAIC. -- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive -- |
"Jim L." wrote in message . com... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim I am sure ratchets are covered under their warranty, but not torque wrenches. Do you still have a receipt? Return it under their "satifaction guarenteed" policy! I bought a set of Craftsman hand tools that came in a plastic case. The case fell apart and Sears did not have a suitable replacement. I then told the tools manager that I was not satisfied, I got my money back! Greg |
"GTO69RA4" wrote in message ... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock snip Unless they changed something in the last few days, he's full of it. I've had Craftsman ratchets replaced with no problem. They sometimes will give you a free rebuild kit if the model is right, instead of a whole new ratchet, but they will always make good on it. GTO(John) It was a torque wrench, not a rachet! Sorry, no warranty! I believe they are warranteed for 90 days! Greg |
Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a
replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. I had a similar experience earlier this year. The ratchet mechanism on my torque wrench wasn't working. First, I went to the local Sears repair center. They wouldn't touch it. Next, I went to my local retail store. The clerk stated the limited warranty on torque wrenches. I said, ok, but the ratchet is the problem. He said leave it. I did and they repaired the ratchet. Maybe I got lucky. Gary Repesh |
Power tools have never been covered under their forever policy.
I have, however, gotten a replacement on one of their DigiTork digital torque wrenches before - no questions asked. In fact, they didn't have the same model as I brought in so I got to pick whatever one I wanted. Got a real nice upgrade in the process. Robert "Winston" wrote in message ... Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston |
"GTO69RA4" wrote in message ... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Wait a minute, scratch my last reply. Ratchets and most moving-part hand tools are warranted forever, but torque wrenches are for one to two years depending on model. It's been that way for years. Try it with different staff in the future and someone might bite. GTO(John) That just jogged my memory. I had a 1/2" breakover type Craftsman torque wrench that had the rotating sleeve that locks the torque setting. The plastic sleeve split, took it back, and talked to a guy I know had worked there for years about it. He couldn't do me any good. Torque wrenches didn't have the lifetime warranty. I've time and again taken broken ratchet wrenches and they gave me the rebuild kit, however. I hope that hasn't changed. The torque wrench episode was about two years ago. Garrett Fulton ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups ---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =--- |
First of all, ratchets are covered by the lifetime warranty, His problem is
that he has a TORQUE ratchet, Sears does NOT warranty this for life. Only the year as stated. Searcher 1 (Sears or is that KMART employee) "Modat22" wrote in message ... On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 11:38:44 -0800, Winston wrote: Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston Hand tools so tough, they're guaranteed forever.* Did you know that the first Craftsman hand tool we sold back in 1927 is still under warranty today? So are all the hand tools we've sold since. That's what is known as having confidence in our quality. As the Craftsman Unlimited Hand Tool Warranty clearly states... If any Craftsman guaranteed forever hand tool fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it for free repair or replacement. Period. "taken from craftsman site." http://www.epinions.com/content_160868175492 Link to bob vila site where bob states that a ratchet is covered by the above policy. I'd ask a manager |
presuming you have a crafstman hand tool, that was originally guaranteed for
life, the sales person is just plain lying. Here's a story: I went into a local sears store to return a small allen wrench that I had broken. the sales person said "those aren't guaranteed". I asked a second person, same answer. So, I took my sears catalog and cut out the lifetime warranty statement, taped the statement and the broken wrench to a piece of paper, and wrote a note explaining how it was fraudulent to offer a warranty and then not honor it. I packaged it up, addressed it to the president of sears in Chicago, and sent it off. Within 3 days I had a letter from the senior manager saying: "I really wish you hadn't written that letter ....." with a replacement allen wrench attached. The replacement wrench was defective (large piece of flashing), so I went back holding the wrench in my hand. When I entered the tool area, a salesman saw me holding the wrench and literally RAN over to me and said "I'll replace that right away for you, SIR", and RAN into the back and got me a new one. You can imagine the local manager getting a call from the president's office asking if he wanted to keep his job..... You may wish to follow this approach. "Jim L." wrote in message . com... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim |
"Winston" wrote in message ... Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston I bought a new 3/8' VSR drill from Sears many years ago while working on the castle. Died in about ten days. I returned it and was told that they would gladly repair it for me. Probably take a week. Nope, says I, I just bought this drill and need it now, not next week or in two weeks. Now!! I was handed a second drill. Same routine. Lasted a few days less than the first one. Took it back. Same routine from them, same rebuttal from me. Got a third one. It lasted about a week. Took it back. Same routine, but this time I said I'd had enough fun driving back and forth exchanging drills that aren't worth owning. Talk about a slow learner! Got my money back and bought a similar drill, B&D, one of their top end models. Cost (lots) more money, but it's still running after 20 years. I'll never again buy a Craftsman electrical tool Not worth it if you use them for serious work, at least not to me. Harold |
"Jim L." wrote in message . com... Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim I have warranted many, obviously old, ratchets with out complaint. |
In article ,
Anthony wrote: Now, there IS a difference....if the wratchet says "Sears", there is no warranty to speak of, the wratchet must say "Craftsman" to be covered under the warranty. The "Sears" brand of tools is cheap China/Tiawan/whoever ****. If 'Craftsman' is forged into it, it is guaranteed. If "Craftsman' is on a decal stuck to the tool it is guaranteed until the sticker falls off. -- Free men own guns, slaves don't www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/ |
I am pretty sure that Craftsman Sockets are made by Danaher. The same
company that owns Jacobs and Fluke. Dan Larry Jaques wrote in message Now, there IS a difference....if the wratchet says "Sears", there is no warranty to speak of, the wratchet must say "Craftsman" to be covered under the warranty. The "Sears" brand of tools is cheap China/Tiawan/whoever ****. All Searz tools are cheap chiwanese chit AFAIC. -- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive -- |
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On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 00:56:45 GMT, "Searcher"
wrote: First of all, ratchets are covered by the lifetime warranty, His problem is that he has a TORQUE ratchet, Sears does NOT warranty this for life. Only the year as stated. I bought my 9-44478 150 Ft-Lb DigiTork sometime after 1981 (the receipt I found in the box for the 9-44467 blow-molded storage box from Catalog is dated 6/29/86) From the back of the instruction booklet (dated 6-1-81): FULL 90-DAY WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN DIGITORK (tm) MICRO ADJUSTING TORQUE WRENCH If, within 90 days from the date of purchase, this Craftsman Digitork (tm) Micro Adjusting Torque Wrench fails due to a defect in material or workmanship, Sears will repair and/or calibrate it free of charge. LIMITED WARRANTY After 90 days and until one year from date of purchase, Sears will repair any defect in material or workmanship in the torque wrench, free of charge. This warranty coverage does not include recalibration. Warranty service is available by returning the wrench to the nearest Sears store in the united states. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state. -- Bruce -- -- Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700 5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545 Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net. |
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On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 22:03:26 -0800, "Harold & Susan Vordos"
wrote: "Winston" wrote in message ... Jim L. wrote: Today I tried to return my Craftsman clicker /ratchet torque wrench for a replacement because the lock-unlock switch is defective. Sales associate told me they only guarantee hand tools having moving parts for one year. Hammers and screwdrivers are examples of those with the "forever" warranty. Since ratchets have moving parts they are only warranted for one year. I don't know what to say about adjustable wrenches, pliers, gas torches,universal joint sockets, hand braces,tape measures, micrometers, and so on into the night. Any others run into this policy? Jim Salesperson smirked when I brought back a 1/2" Craftsman drill for repair/replacement. It was two years old. "Unless you bought an extended warranty when you bought the drill, there is nothing we can do for you." I went home, tossed it in the trash and bought a Makita. It works real well. --Winston I bought a new 3/8' VSR drill from Sears many years ago while working on the castle. Died in about ten days. I returned it and was told that they would gladly repair it for me. Probably take a week. Nope, says I, I just bought this drill and need it now, not next week or in two weeks. Now!! I was handed a second drill. Same routine. Lasted a few days less than the first one. Took it back. Same routine from them, same rebuttal from me. Got a third one. It lasted about a week. Took it back. Same routine, but this time I said I'd had enough fun driving back and forth exchanging drills that aren't worth owning. Talk about a slow learner! Got my money back and bought a similar drill, B&D, one of their top end models. Cost (lots) more money, but it's still running after 20 years. I'll never again buy a Craftsman electrical tool Not worth it if you use them for serious work, at least not to me. Harold Well, there are Craftsman power tools, and there are craftsman power tools. Their cheap stuff is pretty well crap. An example is circular saws. They currently have 4 consumer grade saws, and one professional. The pro is every bit as good as the Makita 5007nb or Dewalt dw368 Same with the belt sander. 3 consumers, and 1 professional. The cheap Makita stuff is every bit as bad as the Craftsman low end stuff. Cheap Bosch stuff too. |
Thay only replace with the same part number if that number is no longer made
you are out of luck..period |
wrote in message ... On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 22:03:26 -0800, "Harold & Susan Vordos" wrote: Well, there are Craftsman power tools, and there are craftsman power tools. Their cheap stuff is pretty well crap. An example is circular saws. They currently have 4 consumer grade saws, and one professional. The pro is every bit as good as the Makita 5007nb or Dewalt dw368 Same with the belt sander. 3 consumers, and 1 professional. The cheap Makita stuff is every bit as bad as the Craftsman low end stuff. Cheap Bosch stuff too. The "professional" Craftsman stuff used to be Black and Decker, which was OK. The regular Craftsman power tools were extremely low grade junk that would quite often fail immediately. I don't think I've purchased one of their power tools in 20 years. I've never seen a Bosch or Makita product in the same league as a Craftsman tool- I've been using both for quite a few years. |
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The "professional" Craftsman stuff used to be Black and Decker, which was
OK. The regular Craftsman power tools were extremely low grade junk that would quite often fail immediately. I don't think I've purchased one of their power tools in 20 years. I've never seen a Bosch or Makita product in the same league as a Craftsman tool- I've been using both for quite a few years. Currently, the high-end Craftsman tools are a mix of DeWalt, Skil (the 77 wormdrive), and Bosch (jigsaw). There may be others now, but I haven't checked recently. GTO(John) |
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wrote in message ... snip---- Well, there are Craftsman power tools, and there are craftsman power tools. Their cheap stuff is pretty well crap. An example is circular saws. They currently have 4 consumer grade saws, and one professional. The pro is every bit as good as the Makita 5007nb or Dewalt dw368 Same with the belt sander. 3 consumers, and 1 professional. The cheap Makita stuff is every bit as bad as the Craftsman low end stuff. Cheap Bosch stuff too. You are most likely right. I think, for the most part, the home shop types tend to use their tools in a rather light fashion. Certainly not continually, like a guy does that works with his tools daily on the job. It is for that reason that when I buy a tool that will get little to no use, I head for HF. If I'm going to get inferior quality, I fully intend to pay a price in keeping with the quality. If it serves my purpose for the job at hand, I'm pleased. I also purchased a ½" Hitachi hammer drill while working on the castle. I used it exclusively for drilling concrete, so it got little use. About the third time I used it, perhaps ten days after warranty had expired, the trigger switch died. Took it to an authorized repair station where I was told "tough luck" and had to pay for a new one, which promptly died again. Tough luck I was told yet again, so I never repaired the damned thing and have never again purchased anything made by Hitachi, nor do I say anything complimentary about them. The switch was obviously not suited to the application. All I did was use it as it was intended to be used. Incidentally, the failure was in the variable speed. The drill continued to run, just on or off. It did that until about a month ago, when it quit completely. Any advice regards buying a new hammer drill that may not get much use? HF? Can't afford, nor can I justify, a good one, like Hilti, which would be my first choice if I worked with it daily. Harold |
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 02:14:46 GMT, "ATP"
wrote: wrote in message .. . On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 22:03:26 -0800, "Harold & Susan Vordos" wrote: Well, there are Craftsman power tools, and there are craftsman power tools. Their cheap stuff is pretty well crap. An example is circular saws. They currently have 4 consumer grade saws, and one professional. The pro is every bit as good as the Makita 5007nb or Dewalt dw368 Same with the belt sander. 3 consumers, and 1 professional. The cheap Makita stuff is every bit as bad as the Craftsman low end stuff. Cheap Bosch stuff too. The "professional" Craftsman stuff used to be Black and Decker, which was OK. The regular Craftsman power tools were extremely low grade junk that would quite often fail immediately. I don't think I've purchased one of their power tools in 20 years. I've never seen a Bosch or Makita product in the same league as a Craftsman tool- I've been using both for quite a few years. You want to take a look at the new professional 15 amp 7 1/4" circular saw. It is hands down the best saw I've seen for the money at $199 list Canadian. They have a 15 amp version available with the "laser trac" now too - a fantastic saw. The non laser trac pro saw was cat#092-921-166 and was on special this summer for $169.They had them on at the Woodstock Wood Show for something like $139. My old Delta 7 1/4" is still doing the job, as is my 8 1/4" Milwaulkee so I didn't get one. Neither one has gotten much use in the last couple of years. |
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 18:22:03 -0800, Winston
wrote: wrote: (Snip) The cheap Makita stuff is every bit as bad as the Craftsman low end stuff. Cheap Bosch stuff too. I still own the inexpensive Makita drill and circular saw I purchased ~20 years ago. They both still work just fine, though both have been through some pretty tough use. Ya guess I got the best of a bad design? Me, neither. In that time, I have 'used up' a cheap B&D 3/8" drill, a more expensive Sears 1/2" drill, a cheap impact wrench and a couple Skil circular saws. Didn't take long, either. My 'King Kong' (Really) drill press and Enco (bad old days) belt sander both keep on chooglin. I do not know why. --Winston 20 years ago Makita built ONLY quality stuff. The bean counters got to them like every other company - and chances are VERY good your 20 some year old Makita will still outlast the one you would buy tomorrow. B&D is one real good example of a company that went from "top shelf" stuff to "down the tubes" over the last 20 or so years. Likely almost 30 years since they started the downhill slide. They bought DeWalt because they needed a "respected" name for their "pro quality" tools. No-one would trust a B&D any more. A SEARS drill is a cheap drill - like a B&D. I have an electronic feedback electronic controlled Craftsman drill that I find to be VERY good, as well as a pair of craftsman cordless drills - 12 and 14.2 volt that I'm happy with. As an electrician, My dad used up a fair number of drills - 3/8 and 1/2" OVER THE YEARS - and he used Makita cordless drills as power screwdrivers. IIRC the red ones stood up real well, then the green ones just dropped like flies. I still have his old Craftsman Professional 1/2" drill (model 315) That he bought in 1967? and he used to rough in several thousand houses. He had it out for repair ONCE and bought some other make of drill to use in it's place. IIRC it was only after burning out 2 or 3 replacements inside a period of several months that he decided to get the old one fixed. It is still one nasty thing to hit a spike with drilling on a ladder - it'll take you clean off the ladder faster than you can say "craftsman". Not variable speed. |
wrote in message ... On 21 Nov 2004 00:52:45 GMT, (HaroldA102) wrote: Thay only replace with the same part number if that number is no longer made you are out of luck..period Not true. I have had 30 some year old tools replaced with "today's equivalent" - different part number, but same function/description. Yep, me, too. I took in an old cracked socket that bore no resemblance to the sockets of today. My father had it in some old tools he had owned for years. Walked in with it in my hand and walked out no less than a minute later with a new socket. I must say they've always been pretty good about replacing mechanic's hand tools. Harold |
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 21:57:47 -0800, "william_b_noble"
wrote: Within 3 days I had a letter from the senior manager saying: "I really wish you hadn't written that letter ....." with a replacement allen wrench attached. I would have sent that letter right back to the president of Sears. When you get in trouble, you write an apology. You don't complain about having gotten in trouble for the first place. I tend to go right above a local manager's head as well if I have a problem with a company. It scares them into actually fixing the problem rather than just satisfying a single customer. |
statement below is just plain not true, I've replaced several items with new
ones when old part # is no longer in existance - in one case (lathe chisel) they dont even cary an equivalent, so they gave me store credit on a different tool. "HaroldA102" wrote in message ... Thay only replace with the same part number if that number is no longer made you are out of luck..period |
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 21:57:47 -0800, "william_b_noble"
wrote: Within 3 days I had a letter from the senior manager saying: "I really wish you hadn't written that letter ....." with a replacement allen wrench attached. I would have sent that letter right back to the president of Sears. When you get in trouble, you write an apology. You don't complain about having gotten in trouble for the first place. I tend to go right above a local manager's head as well if I have a problem with a company. It scares them into actually fixing the problem rather than just satisfying a single customer. The locals on the floor don't normally care - they just want to get rid of you (and any problem you have). I bought a Sears 3-1/4" electric plane once - got it home and evidently it had been assembled incorrectly at the factory as you *could not* retract the blade far enough to keep it from taking about 1/8" off the wood. Rather than fixing it myself (which I sometimes just go ahead and do), I decided to return it to the store for a replacement. The replacement was fine and the blades could be retracted until they would not even touch the wood (as it should be) - and told the salesman that the unit I was returning should be sent back as it was manufactured wrong - and could not be used - demonstrating the problem so he would understand. Also letting him know that if it got sold to another customer, that it would "bounce back" to him again due to this problem. "OK - I'll take care of it" says he. - - - Several days later, I was in the store - sure enough - there sat the planer on the shelf, waiting to be sold again.... sheeeessszzzz -- why bother? Ken. |
It is always a bit of a gamble, but my philosophy for tools that I use
relatively infrequently (which in my home shop is almost everythng) is a used quality brand over new cheap junk. I'd go for a used Bosch, Hilti, or similar over a new Harbor Freight piece of junk. Even a Milwauke rep at an industrial show once confided that nobody makes hammer drills like "the Germans." I saw a Hilti 1/2 inch hammer drill with a case, a few drills and a bunch of fasteners at a Pawn shop the other day for under $50. Scraped up and dirty, but seemed to be in excellent mechanical shape. I was tempted, but I have a similar Bosch that has been going strong for years. Mill Any advice regards buying a new hammer drill that may not get much use? HF? Can't afford, nor can I justify, a good one, like Hilti, which would be my first choice if I worked with it daily. |
I tend to go right above a local manager's head as well if I have a
problem with a company. It scares them into actually fixing the problem rather than just satisfying a single customer. Sometimes -- but it does not always work. I had a bad experience with Circuit City a while ago. It will be the last experience I have with them as I will not ever go in one of their stores again. Local manager was completely un responsive. I went to the internet, found the President's name, and wrote him a letter. I got a phone call from somebody who identified himself as an "executive assistant." His message amounted to something like "We have our policies; we do not care if our sales person mislead you; and we do not care if we lose you as a customer." I asked him why he bothered calling -- and he could not seem to answer. I wish them the best of Chapter 11. Mill |
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