Companies who back their product. Service or Warranty

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tq60

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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There may be a better place for this. If so, moderator, please move.

With many companies driving the cost out of the business, the quality goes with it.

What once was a lifetime warranty becomes limited or timed.

Craftsman was well made at one time. Stores were common at one time.

You could drop off the busted tool and get another one.

Now you locate some place that carries the product, but exchange? Good luck.

The reason for this thread is to place the GOOD STUFF so we can share what we discover as it may make a difference in buying.

Years ago, we picked up a set of Bondhus Ball end Allen wrenches at an estate sale.

Great tools, old set as all markings worn off the case.

Busted the ball on one, and another was slipping a bit, so we ordered a new set as we wanted to get Metric and found a combo set.

Package stated lifetime warranty.

So we go to the web page, and it states to send item in for replacement.

We used their message service to ask if we needed an RMA.

They answered the next morning and just wanted photos and shipping address

Sent photos and address, they stated replacement shipped.

Today, we received a FedEx envelope with 2 brand new Allen wrenches.

Fiskars also has done same with multiple products.


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PrimeWeld. They wrote the book on customer service. The red and blue ones can't match it.

They make (import) several different models of welders. I have a couple of them. I don't work in a production shop, so I can't attest to the longevity on those environments, there are plenty of testimonials out there on the PrimeWeld Users Group on Facebook. It was started by a PrimeWeld customer. Now the owners of the company are on that page a lot. If a customer has an issue, we often see one of the owners (Gene or Dustin) chime in and make it right.

3 year no hassle warranty, including round trip shipping if necessary. I see story after story about them just shipping a new machine (2 day delivery) - no questions asked.

I've yet to talk to anyone in that group that has had a less than stellar experience either with the products (I love both of mine) or the customer service.
 
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Right before I quit being a car mech and went packing equipment the SnapOn guy I was dealing with started jacking me around saying stuff wasn’t warranted. So I quit dealing with them thinking it was company policy. Then the composite handles on my hammers started falling apart and I emailed SnapOn and they asked for my info and a pic of the hammer. And sent me a brand new one. It started happening to my brass hammer and they replaced that too. Sad I had to find out it was the dealer, not the company that was the problem.
 
Some may argue but I put Harbor Freight in this category. Hand tools have a lifetime warranty and their extended warranty is usually a good value on other stuff. Plus, they're the only nationwide tool chain in the US, and they support trades educators as well.
 
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McMaster-Carr... excellent customer service.

Shortly after buying my horizontal mill, I ordered new belts for it... a set of 3 v-belts. They offer 'matched length' belts to ensure that you won't end up with one more loose than the other 2.

When I installed the belts, one was loose... on examining the belts, it was a different part number. I called McMaster and explained the issue... the next day, 3 more arrived... all matching lengths.

They only had to replace the one with the different number... but replaced all three to be sure I received a matching set. They told me to keep the first three...

Off Topic... but also Henry Rifles. Back when I was gunsmithing, a customer brought me a Henry .22LR survival rifle... he said he loaned it to a friend to hunt rabbits, and the friend 'lost' all of the internal parts... trigger assembly, bolt, everything.

I called Henry and asked if the parts were available. They took a list of what was needed and said they would ship the next day. I said 'ok, but how much will that cost?'. "No charge, lifetime warrantee".

I protested... the parts didn't break, they were lost through negligence, incompetence, etc. They told me it didn't matter... as long as I had the serialized receiver, everything else was covered under warrantee.

-Bear
 
Not a tool, but probably equally important to guys, Weber Grills. I had one of their entry level models years ago. I had to buy a new regulator hose since a squirrel ate a hole in it, of course on the day I forgot to turn the tank off, so lost an entire tank of propane as well. The customer service rep recommended a spring like sleeve they sold to help with animals eating the hose. I declined thinking how likely is that to happen again. Well, not much later, I call to order another hose and the CS rep notes that I recently bought a hose and asked why. I tell her my squirrel story, after she stops laughing, she says they are sending me a new hose and the hose protector free of charge. When it came time to buy my next grill, I didn’t consider anyone else even for a second.
 
A company named CycleElectric makes charging systems for Harleys. Generators, regulators, stators and rotors. Have them in both my bikes. Few years back my generator I brought new 14 years ago died. They're in Dayton and relatively close. I called them, asked about bringing it to them and they said no; sent me a pre-paid shipping label with instructions. Sent it to them, got it back in about a week. Looked brand new. Called them to see what I owed since I knew it was out of warranty.
The owner handled my call about that; said it was only the brushes and no charge.
Try that one at AutoZone.
 
C-Bag said:
Right before I quit being a car mech and went packing equipment the SnapOn guy I was dealing with started jacking me around saying stuff wasn’t warranted. So I quit dealing with them thinking it was company policy. Then the composite handles on my hammers started falling apart and I emailed SnapOn and they asked for my info and a pic of the hammer. And sent me a brand new one. It started happening to my brass hammer and they replaced that too. Sad I had to find out it was the dealer, not the company that was the problem.
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In this case I believe it was just as much a problem with Snap On as it was with the dealer. When a dealer warranties a tool, they absorb part of the cost of replacing it whether they sold it or not. In most cases it's 40% of the replacement cost. Over the years I've had similar problems with the handles on their tools. At one time they just replaced the handle. More recently they site liability problems with installing or even giving away replacement parts and just replace the entire tool.

Keep in mind their tools don't have a blanket guarantee to last forever. If you read the paperwork closely, they're guaranteed not to wear out, and only to the original customer. I've seen people try to get sockets and wrenches warrantied that were abused by being beaten on with a hammer, had been bent with a pipe wrench, and a number of other. In those cases, the company rejects the warranty claim and the dealer gets to absorb the entire cost of the replacement.

The length the dealer is prepared to go through for the customer seems to be a direct relationship between the amount of money a customer spends with them and the amount of warranty the customer expects. If a customer is spending $1,000.00 a year and expects to warranty $500.00 worth of tools, it's probably not worth the dealer's time to do business with that person. On the other hand, if the customer is spending $10,000.00 a year and is only asking to warranty $200.00 the dealer can still make enough to stay in business.

As for HF I wouldn't put them in the preferred category. Over the years I've purchased a number of tools and pieces of equipment from HF. One of the first items was a 1.000 lb. hydraulic table. When it was only 60 days old the hydraulic cylinder started leaking. I took it back and was told they couldn't just replace the table, but they could order me a new cylinder. It took over 8 months to get the replacement part.

On another occasion I bought a high-speed die grinder. It wouldn't run more than 5 minutes without getting so hot I couldn't hold on to it. Again, I took it back and asked for a replacement. They plugged it in, and it worked, but again got hot almost immediately. As long as it was turning, they said the tool was functional and couldn't be warrantied. It didn't seem to matter that within 5 minutes it was once again so hot the employee had to set it down for fear of burning his hand. Hardly what I would call good customer service. I do still buy a few things there when I can't find them elsewhere. I just keep in mind anything they sell is good for a one-time use and is considered disposable.

I believe they day of the "lifetime warranty" is all but gone because of the abuse. As a kid I remember working at the local Prange Way department store. At the time their moto was "It's Not Yours Until You Like It". Loosely translated you can return anything at any time if you're not satisfied.
Their warranty policy was abused so badly they eventually went out of business. I recall people asking to warranty shoes that were several years old and worn out, kids clothes that that were either worn out or had been grown out of, furniture that was purchased before the holidays, used for a party then returned, rifles and shotguns that were purchased prior to the hunting season and returned when the customer either got their limit or when the season ended. In short people were willing to abuse the warranty to the point the company could no longer withstand the losses.
 
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Smith and Wesson lifetime warranty no questions asked they send a prepaid shipping label. Pays shipping both ways. I also second Henry great American company! Suburban tool also I had ordered a v block for my master grind. When it came in the hold down hoop for the v block was all over the place. It was a cast piece and when it relaxed it sprung and would not fit in the slots. I called they were happy I informed them they were not aware of the problem. Sent out a new one free of charge. Kalamazoo saw was also great to work with.
 
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Streamline Vulcan flashlight.

This one was a thrift store found.

Like new, in box, needed battery, easy.

Used for years, great unit.

One day, I was working on a scissor lift. It was sitting on the muffler behind the engine, and after repairs, the engine started, and we were using it and noticed a smell.

Yup, I left it on muffler and now somewhat melted.

Contacted company to BUY REPLACEMENT, they do not sell parts.

They wanted a serial number, and they stated it qualified for "upgrade," sent in, and they replaced it, free.

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