Craftsman tools at Lowes

[volare 1977]

Has anyone tried to exchange a broken Craftsman tool at Lowes? The local Lowes employees had no idea. One suggested I call Craftsman? I bet the tools will have to be mailed back for exchange.

 

[80mirada]

Most ACE hardware will exchange, but not all. Some Lowes are exchanging tools, but not all. It is taking a while to get the warranty straight among the Lowes employees. Stanley is exchanging them when you can't get someone local to do it

 

[7T8 Custom]

Good to know. My collection of broken Craftsman stuff is betting to be a half decent size.

 

[Greg55_99]

I just bought a new 21mm Craftsman wrench at Sears. They still stock the tools and do exchanges.

 

[MiradaMegacab]

I have an EXTREMELY difficult time exchanging broken Kobalt tools at Blowe’s.....
They require a receipt or photo ID and managers approval.

So much for their “Hassel Free LifeTime Warranty”......

 

[Oldiron440]

At one time you could take your used up beat up Craftsman tools back to Sears and get a full refund.

 

[80mirada]

If, you still have a Sears near you, they have closed so many, I don't expect anyone to live near one. Lowes are so hit or miss on there tool waranty. Kobalt is supposed to be a simple exchange according to their policies but any managers are trying to make themselves look good

 

[Dr Lebaron]

No Sears here.

 

[Oldiron440]

They at least took the name off the building in my town.

 

[Aspen500]

Sears went away here about 5 years ago. It was an "anchor store" in a downtown mall, which didn't help it any. Who wants to go through the hassle and traffic to go downtown, drive around one of the 6 level parking ramps, etc..............JCP went out over 10 years ago and last year, Yonkers and now, there are no anchor stores. Who knows what's actually in that hell hole anymore. I haven't been there for at at least 25 years. We lost one K-Mart (owned by Sears?) in the late 1980's and the other one went away in 2003.

I do know the Ace here will gladly exchange broken Craftsman tools, says so on a sign by the Craftsman tools section. Honestly, I have very few Craftsman tools anymore so haven't had an reason to test the signs claim.

Our former Sears. Note the meticulous building maintenance,,,,,,,,,,,NOT. This pic is from just before it closed.

 

[Darth-Car]

I bet that Sears store is about 30 years old. That could be a clone of one that we have here in a local mall. It will be closing in another week.

 

[Oldiron440]

The last time I was in the local one here they had five gallon buckets all over because of the water coming through the roof.

 

[Aspen500]

I bet that Sears store is about 30 years old. That could be a clone of one that we have here in a local mall. It will be closing in another week.

You're close, it (and the entire downtown mall) opened the spring of 1983. Funnily enough, that mall was built to reduce the blight and they tore down a crap load of old, abandoned buildings and closed a bunch of streets (it covers 8 blocks) to build it and now,,,,,,,,,,,the mall itself is causing the blight, lol.

 

[Oldiron440]

They did that here also, closed off main and built a mall, now the mall is empty, but then it was never full.

 

[volare 1977]

Same here. The mall that the Sears was in once was a very busy mall. Now the Mall owner had filed bankruptcy and was sold a few years back. It was improved somewhat but it never has picked up much and is still practically empty.

 

[Oldiron440]

The mall our Sears was in slowly emptied out, I think there is a drivers license station there and a smoke shop/ liquor store. The building the Target store was in collapsed an was taken down.
It seems the city planners don't have a clue, they try to prop up downtown and the city moved east any how.

 

[Duke5A]

How vulture capitalists ate Sears

This is a good read. Sear's CEO essentially cannibalized the company. It's a play we've seen done before to other companies. I stopped buying Craftsman tools after the redesign a few years back when they all started carrying a 'made in China' label.

 

[Aspen500]

Craftsman tools never were really all that good but for the price, I guess they did the job. Especially at work I always used to buy only Snap-On or Matco but in the past few years, their prices have gotten so ridiculous that I rarely buy from either of them anymore. Then again, after 30+ years, I don't really need that many new tools anyways. Next door (to work) at Advance Auto, they sell Gearwrench brand tools and I've been buying them instead. Damn good tools and the price almost seems too low and plus, IF I break one (lifetime warranty) I don't have to wait for the tool truck to come next week, I walk across the parking lot and exchange it for a new one. Failure is rare though. They also have Autocraft tools and they're OK for certain things but are nowhere as good as Gearwrench. Yeah,,,,,,,,made in China and that part I hate but a socket (for example) that costs $6 and is almost as good quality as Snap-On vs the same socket from Snap-On for $32, well,,,,,,,,,,,,the wallet wins. Snap-On makes the best tools in the world and most are Made in USA, right here is Wisconsin, don't get me wrong, I just can't justify the price. If you don't know, go to the Snap On Tools website and check the prices. On some things all you can say is "seriously?". There I go, rambling on again,,,,,,,,,,,sorry.

 

[Oldiron440]

I've got a snap on kr1001 tool box that replaced a kr1000 tool box I bought in 1988. Ther first one rusted so snap on warranty covered it with the new one in 1999. Now the new one has had the swivel casters replaced three times, the last time snap on replaced all the casters with heavy duty ones. They stand behind there toolboxs.
There made in Garner Iowa.

 

[7T8 Custom]

I stopped buying Snap-on after I broke a ratcheting tap driver that was made in Germany and the replacement I got had a made in China sticker on it. My dealer asked me what I was complaining about when the replacement was free. The original that I had lasted 15 years and the replacement I broke the second time I used it.