Lifetime warranty on tools and other ramblings

easternnc4me

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A post in another thread regarding tools got me to wondering. I bought some Craftsman tools years ago from Sears. The one in Greenville is closing in February. I had a ratchet that had a broke shift lever. I carried it to the Sears store recently and they would not exchange it. They had a sign up saying there are not exchanging tools under warranty. The lady told me I would have to go the Jacksonville or Raleigh store or call Craftsman. I mentioned in the other post that lifetime warranty is useless for local exchange if the retailer is no longer in business. I had read online that other people stated Lowe's would only exchange Craftsman tools bought from them. However I came across this article:
"
FULL STATEMENT FROM LOWE'S CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:

"we will honor all lifetime warranties no matter where the CRAFTSMAN hand tool was purchased. We ask that customers bring in the item, and we’ll replace it if we have the product. If we do not have the product, customers can call the Customer Care Hotline (883-331-4569)."
Maureen Wallace, Lowe's

Link here: https://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer...ill-lowes-honor-craftsman-lifetime-warranties

I'm going to carry the ratchet to my local Lowe's today to see what they say. They have the ratchet in stock (same part number). If not I can always call Craftsman. If Lowe's does replace Craftsman no matter where purchased that will be great for those of us who have Craftsman tools. Yeah Yeah. I know. Craftsman is now made overseas. Owned by Stanley, etc. The purpose of this is not to discuss which brand is better. I don't make a living turning wrenches. I just do simple task.

Something else I've noticed. The ICON brand at Harbor Freight is gaining a following. I went to the Rocky Mount and Greenville stores and only one store had ONE comfort grip ratchet in stock. All the others were sold out. They are cheaper that Craftsman at Lowes and also have a lifetime warranty. I don't expect Lowes or Harbor Freight to go under like Sears is doing. I have a cousin that buys the Pittsburgh brand at Harbor Freight. I talked to him this week and he said he has never had an issue with a return to Harbor Freight and did not need a receipt.

Another musing. I have a Stanley ratchet that the shift lever is broken on. I called Stanley earlier this week to ask about buying a shift lever to replace it. I was told they don't sell parts and they would send me a new ratchet. Came in yesterday. Great customer service.

I've been trying to do some cleaning up that is long over due. Got some tools that are rusty that I will be cleaning up. Online search reveals people use WD-40, motor oil and other things to put on their tools to prevent rust. I decided to give Fluid Film a try. Lanolin based. Non-hazardous - Non-toxic. Great test results (several Youtube videos) and some people up north apply it under their vehicles to keep them from rusting.
Question from all of this:
1. This is not for the professional (users of Snap On, Matco, Proto, etc in their line of work). What tools do you generally buy and why?
2. What do you use to clean your tools?
3. What do you use to put on your tools to prevent rust?

Fluid film videos:


 
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I try to clean them up when I’m done with them. I’m not always successful. But most of my tools are at least 20 years old and some are over 50 years old (my Dads). We had mostly craftsman collected over the years with a small amount of Mac and Snap On mixed in, and a good collection of GearWrench stuff. There are toolboxes scattered all over at the house. And Dads building has small boxes on the benches that could be used to work on stuff. I want to get a large rolling chest soon(Probably Harbor Freight) and consolidate my stuff and dads stuff Into one box and free up shelf space to have to work on stuff.
 
I don't expect Lowes or Harbor Freight to go under like Sears is doing.

Remember when Sears was one of the biggest retailers in US? No one thought they'd go away, either.

I grew up in a Craftsman home, and own a lot of Craftsman stuff. I was worried when I first heard about Sears,but with Lowes picking it up I think it'll all be ok.
Ive read, too, in another thread here that Lowes will replace Kobalt with Craftsman tools, though not sure if that's entirely accurate.
 
I use Craftsman, Kobalt, and Pittsburgh. The heavier use the tool, the better quality I try to buy. I’ve found that quality is not consistent across a brand. Not a fan if the new Craftsman stuff, much of it feels even cheaper than the old, and no better than a Pittsburgh.
I don’t have much of a rust issue as I have a dehumidifier in my garage.

I was in HF earlier this week and they had only 4 icon products in stock, 3 wrench sets and a single breaker bar. It’s definitely getting good reviews so far. I want some of their ratchets.
 
Ive read, too, in another thread here that Lowes will replace Kobalt with Craftsman tools, though not sure if that's entirely accurate.
I have friends at both Lowe’s and Stanley, that is in fact the plan. I’m surprised how long it’s taking to do so. They will keep Kobalt as a brand for products that don’t compete with Craftsman.
 
Craftsman also shows up in Ace hardware stores, not sure what kind of service you'd get on a replacement, but something to consider trying.
 
Our sears has been closed for a year or more, i usually go to harbor freight for tools now. They've come a long way, and have good/better/best tools. Never had any problems with anything from there.
 
A post in another thread regarding tools got me to wondering. I bought some Craftsman tools years ago from Sears. The one in Greenville is closing in February. I had a ratchet that had a broke shift lever. I carried it to the Sears store recently and they would not exchange it. They had a sign up saying there are not exchanging tools under warranty. The lady told me I would have to go the Jacksonville or Raleigh store or call Craftsman. I mentioned in the other post that lifetime warranty is useless for local exchange if the retailer is no longer in business. I had read online that other people stated Lowe's would only exchange Craftsman tools bought from them. However I came across this article:
"
FULL STATEMENT FROM LOWE'S CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:

"we will honor all lifetime warranties no matter where the CRAFTSMAN hand tool was purchased. We ask that customers bring in the item, and we’ll replace it if we have the product. If we do not have the product, customers can call the Customer Care Hotline (883-331-4569)."
Maureen Wallace, Lowe's

Link here: https://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer...ill-lowes-honor-craftsman-lifetime-warranties

I'm going to carry the ratchet to my local Lowe's today to see what they say. They have the ratchet in stock (same part number). If not I can always call Craftsman. If Lowe's does replace Craftsman no matter where purchased that will be great for those of us who have Craftsman tools. Yeah Yeah. I know. Craftsman is now made overseas. Owned by Stanley, etc. The purpose of this is not to discuss which brand is better. I don't make a living turning wrenches. I just do simple task.

Something else I've noticed. The ICON brand at Harbor Freight is gaining a following. I went to the Rocky Mount and Greenville stores and only one store had ONE comfort grip ratchet in stock. All the others were sold out. They are cheaper that Craftsman at Lowes and also have a lifetime warranty. I don't expect Lowes or Harbor Freight to go under like Sears is doing. I have a cousin that buys the Pittsburgh brand at Harbor Freight. I talked to him this week and he said he has never had an issue with a return to Harbor Freight and did not need a receipt.

Another musing. I have a Stanley ratchet that the shift lever is broken on. I called Stanley earlier this week to ask about buying a shift lever to replace it. I was told they don't sell parts and they would send me a new ratchet. Came in yesterday. Great customer service.

I've been trying to do some cleaning up that is long over due. Got some tools that are rusty that I will be cleaning up. Online search reveals people use WD-40, motor oil and other things to put on their tools to prevent rust. I decided to give Fluid Film a try. Lanolin based. Non-hazardous - Non-toxic. Great test results (several Youtube videos) and some people up north apply it under their vehicles to keep them from rusting.
Question from all of this:
1. This is not for the professional (users of Snap On, Matco, Proto, etc in their line of work). What tools do you generally buy and why?
2. What do you use to clean your tools?
3. What do you use to put on your tools to prevent rust?

Fluid film videos:


I know my opinion will be an outlier, but here goes.
I turned wrenches professionally for 34 before getting sick of the auto ' business', I still liked the cars.
I still have most of the Craftsman tools I started out with along with addon sets of Matco, Cornwell, some stray Mac and very little Snap-On.
Local dealers came and went and I couldn't get replacement tools without chasing down a tool truck and I started subbing in broken sockets with Kobalt, Husky, Stanley and the like. Somewhere along the line I picked up a Harbor Freight flat, floppy head ratchet for a particular tight spot task thinking I would just use it for that and nothing else because it would be a knuckle buster if I used it for 'real' work. Half a dozen years later it was still a very useful, often used tool.
I used Snap-On air impacts for many years and had a love/hate relationship. Their 3/8" impacts were beasts, but broke a lot. Their 1/2" impacts were puny, all were damned expensive. I had mediocre luck with Ingersoll, Mac and Matco air ratchets.
I had picked up some minor Harbor Freight tools along the way; digital micrometer, magnetic pickups, etc.
At some point about 4years a go I was looking at my socket tray in disgust with 3 or 4 different brands and went to Harbor Freight and bought a matched set of 1/4" drive sockets and took the mismatch set home.
Another $350 impact's hammer mechanism broke and I picked up a $89 one, it was a beast and lasted 1-1/2 years before the snap-ring socket retainer broke off. It was out of warranty like the Snap-Ons and out of warranty repair for Snap-On is more than $89, so you can see where this is going.
The point is a professional tech can make a living with less than top tier tools, whatever that means. I shop for value, not marketing and name recognition. Sadly many of the vaunted brands are off-shored anyway; look on the label of a DeWalt, Bosch or Black & Decker sometime.
Tool clean-up? WD40. Door locks? WD40. Moisture blocking electrical connectors? WD40. Door hinges, battery connections, hood latches? Wurth HHS2 if you can find it, otherwise spray chain lube. Window run channels and door gaskets? Silicone spray, dry type is best without leaving a dirt magnet behind.

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I know my opinion will be an outlier, but here goes.

Hardly and outlier- I have turned wrenches for fun and profit and my toolboxes look like the ASPCA kennel of tools. I have had good tools fail and total unknown crap brands outlast all my expectations and become a "go-to" wrench. Doesn't matter to me as I'm not a tool snob- S-K, Proto, Williams, Craftsman, Mac, Matco, HF, Husky, Kobalt, and one Snap-On that I found on the ground or I wouldn't have any.
 
I've got some old Craftsman and some of my Dad's old S&K tools. I bought a set of deep well impact sockets from HF to get the 2 sizes I needed for my motorcycle axles. The 27mm one broke the first time I used it. And I use a ratchet only on the bike. I took the set back and they only took the broken one. They gave me a new set plus let me keep the old set. The new one hasn't broken yet.
The HF tools don't even compare to the quality of my old Craftsman and S&K. I haven't handled any of the new Chinese Craftsman tools yet but I would guess that they are about the same as HF.
 
Door locks? WD40. Moisture blocking electrical connectors? WD40. Door hinges, battery connections, hood latches? Wurth HHS2 if you can find it, otherwise spray chain lube. Window run channels and door gaskets? Silicone spray, dry type is best without leaving a dirt magnet behind.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

By the way, this is the time of year to squirt a little WD40 in the door locks to prevent freezing, and hit the ignition switch too.
Spraying some silicone on a rag and wiping down the door rubbers will keep the doors from freezing shut when the wet, freezing weather comes. Squirting some in the window run channels will make power window regulators not strain so much and last longer.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
I dust locks with graphite, or spray with alcohol and ptfe, the stuff in wd40 gums up over time in my experience.
 
My tool collection is a mutt. I used to try and buy American, then Quality Brand X, then most everything went overseas and it's all the same hit-or-miss quality.

Sadly, with only a few exceptions, I consider most newer tools to be wear items/disposable. On the positive side, replacements can generally be had on the cheap. Case in point was a Porter Cable VS 3x21 belt sander - a friend cleaned it up and got it working after the flood, but it never variable'd again and only lasted a few years more.

When it crapped out, the choice was a) new PC belt sander for $280 or b) Harbor Freight POS on sale for $29. I figured, if it lasted for the one project, it was still a better economic decision.

I still have and use the HF bet sander... 12? 13? years later.

My focus nowadays is on the task at hand, and the most efficient way to get the results I desire. Tools are a means to an end, and I buy/use accordingly.
 
I dust locks with graphite, or spray with alcohol and ptfe, the stuff in wd40 gums up over time in my experience.
I've not tried alcohol or PTFE, opting for water repellency. I assume this is PTFE dry film lube?

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I’m a amateur tinker or parts changer. Don’t consider myself a mechanic, I’ll change alternators, starters, brakes, and etc. I also use my tools for home projects. I used to work on my son’s motorcycles when he raced motocross. I enjoy the 2 cycle motors for the simplicity. I have some Craftsman sets and after Sears started going under and Lowes was closer than a Sears location so I started buying some Kobalt sets. I found my older Craftsman sets to be slightly better quality but not by much. I haven’t tried any newer Craftsman sets so I can’t compare the two. The Kobalt sets have served me well and I’ve only had to replace one item. Which was a 1/2 breaker bar. Truck I was working on was used at the beach a lot to drive out on the surf and the brake caliper bolts were really stuck. Instead of spraying and waiting a day or two I threw a 4 ft steel pipe on the end and well let’s say the bolt won and I had to spray and wait a day anyways lol. As far as cleaning I typically wipe down when I’m done and if they are really dirty I’ll spray a little WD-40 on it to cut the grease. For moving parts I’ll lubricate with a little white lithium grease as needed. I don’t use like I used to so they stay in my shop or trucks tool box and I haven’t had issues of rusting.


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I've not tried alcohol or PTFE, opting for water repellency. I assume this is PTFE dry film lube?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
I generally use a ptfe spray lube, but recently bought some very fine ptfe powder and mixed it with HEET in the red bottle and put it into a pressurized aluminum spray can. Have used it as dry lube for a number of things, including guns, but haven’t shot it into a lock yet. My theory on locks is that the alcohol will flush gunk off the pins and leave a dry film behind. It works with the commercial sprays, hope it works with my diy spray.
 
I prefer to buy brands that are well known and trusted, and have the lifetime warranty...if it's a heavy use item.
Im NOT paying 3x as much for a wrench I'll only use a few times, when I can get a cheap version at HF or walmart etc

Just this week I bought a 4 pack of adapters (3/8 ratchet to 1/2 socket etc) for 5 shipped.
I wont use them enough, and on too big of a job to break, so I dont care about cheaping out on chinese adapters or random wrench etc
 
Spraying some silicone on a rag and wiping down the door rubbers will keep the doors from freezing shut when the wet, freezing weather comes. Squirting some in the window run channels will make power window regulators not strain so much and last longer.
Silly "girl" question: How do I get to these window run channels to do the silicone application? Would something like that be in my Haynes(?) car book?
 
Silly "girl" question: How do I get to these window run channels to do the silicone application? Would something like that be in my Haynes(?) car book?
I roll the windows down and use the straw that usually is taped on the side of the silicone can to spray it in the channel (that you can see above the door frame) where the glass runs; then run them up and down a few times to get it distributed evenly.

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Craftsman went downhill in the mid 90's....if its a tool older than that....try to repair it. I have seen craftsman ratchet repair.kits online. If not, Lowes will probably take care of it. They are generally good about taking back most anything.
 
I roll the windows down and use the straw that usually is taped on the side of the silicone can to spray it in the channel (that you can see above the door frame) where the glass runs; then run them up and down a few times to get it distributed evenly.

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Thanks!
 
Went to my local Lowe's this morning. Walked in and told the young lady at the counter I needed to exchange a ratchet. She asked me to go get one like it and bring it back. Got one with the same number (44809. Mine had USA stamped on it. The new one doen't of course). Brought it back to Customer Service and she asked another associate how to do the exchange. The other associate assisted me from there. She put the amount of the new one on a gift card and then used the gift card to exchange it out. YMMV at your local Lowes. Comparisons. The older model on the left. Newer model on the right. The older model is a little heavier and "beefier" Also, the new ratchet was nearly bone dry. A smidgen of almost dried grease in the back of it. If you buy one chances are it will need greasing.
 

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Left Tarboro and rode to Greenville. Stopped by Sears. Picked up some wrenches since they were having a sale of up to 40% off. Lady said liquidation of that store is suppose to start tomorrow. I'm going to guess they will send things like tools and appliances to the Jacksonville store. Then road over to Harbor Freight. I used Irwin Vise Grip Snap Ring pliers to remove the snap ring on my ratchets yesterday and they were a pain. A lot of people online recommended the Channel Lock snap ring pliers fr right at $30 at Lowes. Harbor Freight had the Quinn brand similar to Channel Lock for $10. Bought them and used them this evening and they worked great.
 
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I was coming out of the Greenville Walmart yesterday and there was a display that said "Scan to see what is coming soon". It had a picture of a Hart adjustable wrench. Looks like Walmart is going to carry Hart brand tools which would explain why nearly everything else in tools (Stanley) is on clearance. For you guys that live near bigger cities this isn't an issue. But for those like me who bought most of my tools years ago (Craftsman mostly and some Kobalt) because of the lifetime warranty this sucks. Looks like the Chinese Craftsman at Lowes and the Pittsburgh Pro and Icon series at Harbor Freight will be what I look at. At least Harbor Freight is hassle free (for now) with their return policy. I'm not a professional wrench turner. Don't need Snap On, MAC, etc. Just to reiterate a lifetime warranty doesn't mean squat if the store is no longer around (or is to far away like Home Depot is for Husky brand). On a side note I had a Stanley 1/2 drive ratchet that the shift lever was broke on. I called Stanley to order the part. I was old they don't sell parts and they would send me a new one free of charge. Sure enough it showed up a few days later. At least their customer service was great.
 
My Walmart already has Hart products
 
Shameless plug for Husky wrenches and socket sets, lifetime warranty at Home Depot.

If Home Depot were closer I would buy Husky. I would have ordered one of the 200 piece socket sets for $59. But Knightdale is the nearest one near me so no go on that. Regarding Walmart, it has had some Hart tools in the store since Black Friday. It looks like they will be bringing more tools in.
 
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Check your local auto parts stores for tool brands. I bought a set of Gear wrench ratchet wrenches from sears a while back and the guy at sears told me if one broke they would have to send it off and get a replacement for it but one of the local auto parts stores(can't remember which) would warranty it and replace it on the spot. Some of them carry husky and other brands and will warranty them.
 
I worked at Home Depot back in the late 90’s...you know, back when they were hands down the best store because the original owners still owned it and gave a damn.

I came in one morning to open the hardware department and there was a Husky rep already there doing stuff to the ratchets and sockets. He told me to talk to every single person who came into hardware and ask them what type of sockets/ratchets they had. If it wasn’t Husky, tell them to go home and get it, bring it to the store, and give them a comparable Husky set. No questions asked.

They were trying hard to push the Husky name. Back in those days Home Depot had the balls to make such a bold move. Unequivocally customer service.

Nevermind who’s brand is better. This is how you get guys to shake their tool allegiances and switch over to your brand.

It would be great to see Lowe’s step up and fill the huge hole Sears left in Craftsman’s name. Return things to the glory days of walk in with a broken one, walk out with a new one, and go tell your friends about the good experience.

I didn’t even go to business school and I know that’s a solid financial plan.
 
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