Craftsman and Sears suck

[97lt1]

fanaticrockford wrote:
So maybe i am uninformed. Maybe craftsman should do something about this other then advertising craftsman as having a lfetime warranty.Whats the diifrence between craftsman and harbor freight tools? I can buy a similar screw extractor set at harbor freight and when it breaks return it with no hassles.

Anybody who has worked on cars long enough know there is a difference in quality from company to company. Most people buy craftsman because they are the best tools for at home.

When it comes to tools you get what you pay for. Go buy a Snap-on ratchet ($100) and a Craftsman ($30), use both of them and tell me which is better. Then go buy a Harbor Freight ratchet and compare it to the Craftsman one.

Bottom line is Craftsman tools don't suck and there warranty on tools are basically the same as Snap-On, Mac, Matco, you just don't have to track down a dealer to get a tool warrantied.

[BlueSRT0483]

Where you referring to screwdriver bits? or an actual hand-held screwdriver? If so, I'm pretty sure you can exchange the handheld one, since that's a tool that is known to be used under your own power.. Easy rule of thumb, if you use your hand with it, it's warrantied.. if it goes into a power tool... no warranty really..

[Joel]

every craftsman too i have bought is very well marked with the warranty.

[ticklemedaly]

all craftsman hand tools are lifetime warranty.....and they advertise the hell out of that. As for the others, yes, they are limited. all craftsman cutting tools (this includes extractors) have no warranty at all.

now, my experience with craftsman and sears is a lot different. I had an air ratchet with a 2 year warranty on it. brought it in the first time, they almost wanted to charge me $20 more than the thing is new to get it fixed, then one of the guys realized that it had a 2 year warranty....well, they "sent it out" and i never got it back. fought with them for a year, and finally after 10 trips to the store they said to bring in the original receipt and they will give me a new one.......now, why did it take them that long??? screw them, ill buy mac for life, why? I may pay more, but my tool reps replace my tools with no questions asked, and it doesn't take them a year to replace one. they either have it on the truck, or takes a few weeks depending on the tool.

Ry

[ticklemedaly]

97lt1 wrote:
Anybody who has worked on cars long enough know there is a difference in quality from company to company. Most people buy craftsman because they are the best tools for at home.

When it comes to tools you get what you pay for. Go buy a Snap-on ratchet ($100) and a Craftsman ($30), use both of them and tell me which is better. Then go buy a Harbor Freight ratchet and compare it to the Craftsman one.

Bottom line is Craftsman tools don't suck and there warranty on tools are basically the same as Snap-On, Mac, Matco, you just don't have to track down a dealer to get a tool warrantied.

right on the money.

Ry

[darkelvis]

YAY harbor freight!!! Ok, so I'm broke. After this summer. YAY MAC!!!

[94NDTA]

Snap-on FTW.

[darkelvis]

:icon_puke_r: snap-on :icon_puke_l:
:icon_cheers: MAC :icon_cheers:

[Turbo5Oh]

i have been working as a tech./manager for 6 years now and i know the meaning of a good tool but 90% of the time ur paying for a name, example $350.00 set of flank drive snap-on wrenches
not saying i do not own snap on or mac tools all my air tools, screw drivers ratchets, diag. tools and speacialty stuff, but all my wrenches are craftsman and sockets are a mix of craftsman and cheap shit if u know what ur looking for in tool quality u can save thousands buying off brand stuff

ive worked with some of the best techs in town and u can find a lot of cheap jap tools and craftsman stuff in their overpriced made in the tiawan snap on tool boxes

if someone can explain to me 1 good reason to spend 6 g's on a tool box ill give u a $1

any way back on subject, yeah sears is rather stingy on their warranty stuff but no one will warranty that stuff for more than a year

[wa2fastcamaro]

Geez how did I miss this thread. Well as most of you know I worship Craftsman tools, I have almost every hand tool they sell, and 4-8 of the tools I use the most, just in case. They warrenty the hand tools forever, and I have never had a problem with that, shit in the last 2 months I have exchanged over 200 hand tools, and it really pays off considering you never have to buy the tool more than once like with the cheap jap crap.

granted they only have a 1 year warrenty on power tools, air tools and all the other stuff that can wear out and break easier, but I have never had a problem with that, most of my air tools are snap-on and most of my power tools at assorted brands. I stick with name brands that are affordable.

On the note of tool boxes, I never figured out why someone would pay up to 10K for a snapon box, when I can get a nicer bigger craftsman one for less than 2K. I love my craftsman tool box, and am considering buying another one. They have ever warrentyed my box when I had a few things wear out.

But ya thats my opinion.

Also harbor freight stuff may be cheap but I like that stuff too, I like that its cheap and if you lose the tools their cheap to replace, and some of it has a good warrenty, like I have blown through 7 of the cheap sawzalls, but hey, they keep giving me a new one.

But everyone has their own opinion on tools, just like cars.

[bader3245]

Well, my dad sold Snap-On for 10 yrs and Mac for 8 in the Minot area and like he always told me, and i sitll firmly belive it. The best Warranty is the one you NEVER have to use. ALL of the tools that i use on a regular basis for wrenching on my MX bike are Mac....ie. 8,10,12 mill sockets and wrenches, Mac rachets, and Mac screwdrivers. On the flip side, for the tools that dont get as much use and abuse, they are all Craftsman, and work just great.

[2slo50h]

Just had this dispute on another forum over other tools...

Park Tools, or Pedro's

:icon_scratch:

Edit...

FTW, DROOOOOL!:icon_thumright:

http://parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=6&item=MK%2D129

[Guest]

So, what we can gather from this thread is that if you read the packaging that the tools come in, you can determine the warranty that is available for the tools when buying at Sears.

FWIW, someone said use a Snapon and then use a Craftsmen and you'll know why you paid more for Snap-on...I have used both and I prefer the ratchet that came with my Crescent toolkit (Sams Club) I got for Christmas a few years back over both of them.

[ticklemedaly]

every tool from all brands will be different....and it will very in dependability based on what you use it for all the time. point being, in the end it will be all on personal taste and use. If you dont like spending a lot (investing) in tools, then you will NEVER appreciate high end tools. If you dont mind, and use them on an hourly basis, then you will aquire a taste in a specific brand, based on how you use them.

Ry

[TakeYourTopOff]

Their is always a rule breaker to everything but when I was working as a tech (most of my handtools are SK) and yes their is a general rule of thumb the snap-on and mac have tighter manu. tolerances and will last longer.... their was one guy in a shop of 5 that had mostly snap-on and another that had ALOT of Mac neither of those guys had the headack of getting things warentyed but those of us (2 with SK) had some but the guy with craftsman was making a monthly trip to sears for warenty stuff.... craftsman is just fine if your not making your money with them or like for us in fargo you have a sears that stocks a full line of the products on hand and can get it taken care of that day

In 5 years I worked at that dealership never once seen or heard that the mac or snap-on rachtes got rebuilt but my sk once and the snap-on 3 times