Craftsman Tools Lifetime Warranty: A Personal Experience

When it comes to tools, trust can make or break your experience, especially with brands like Craftsman. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to use both Craftsman and J.C. Penney's tools under their lifetime warranties, and here are the outcomes of these experiences.

Craftsman Tools

While purchasing tools from Sears, I encountered only one return issue. It pertained to a 2 Phillips screwdriver whose tip had stopped gripping anymore. According to Sears' warranty policy, the screwdriver was cheerfully exchanged for a new one. This experience left me with a positive impression of Craftsman's commitment to quality.

J.C. Penney's Lifetime Warranty

Another brand that offered a lifetime warranty was J.C. Penney's. I owned a socket wrench from this brand, but when it failed, I was directed to Sears for a replacement. Although J.C. Penney's no longer sold tools, they still supported their product by redirecting customers to Sears.

Breaking Down the Tools for Repairs

Beyond personal experience, I had a mechanic friend who was skilled in collecting tools. He would frequently attend yard sales and purchase broken SNAP and Craftsman tools. These would then be presented to different tool representatives for replacement, allowing him to build an impressive collection of high-quality tools.

Changes Over the Years

My personal relationship with Craftsman tools began to change around five to six years ago. Prior to this period, Sears was the only place where these tools were available with a no-questions-asked guarantee. However, starting then, Craftsman began providing refurbished items in place of new ones. Since then, I have not had to return any tools as they were eventually sold off.

Historical Anecdote about Policy

Aside from my own experiences, I recall a significant moment when my brother-in-law needed to replace an unusable bent screwdriver. The department manager initially refused, citing the policy that the tool only needed to break. My brother-in-law's clever maneuver involved placing the screwdriver in a vice and deliberately breaking it. This humorous approach earned him a replacement tool, demonstrating the flexibility of some industries in accommodating customer needs.

Reflecting on the Old Days

Those were simpler times when Sears honored the Craftsman tools' lifetime warranty without hesitation. Recently, I encountered a situation where Orchard Supply, a supplier of Craftsman tools, would not exchange a rusted socket. This event made me reminisce about the reliability of Craftsman tools in the past and the stark contrast with their current policies.