Sears Craftsman Lifetime Guarantee (The Forever Full Warranty Put to the Test)
Last week I dug up six bushes that lined the front gardens of our house. Unfortunately, the bushes came down with crown gall, an incurable disease that attacks some types of plants (see Green Gardenista’s article on identifying crown gall for more information).
I grabbed my Craftsman fiberglass shovel from its hanger in the garage and started digging around the roots of the first bush. In an attempt to gain extra leverage, I wedged the shovel between the bush and our concrete porch and pushed down sharply, only to have the fiberglass handle buckle, and subsequently break in two. I was forced to finish the job, carefully, with an old wooden-handled spade shovel.
A few days later I scooped up the remains of my Craftsman shovel, loaded them into the back of the Corolla, and headed down the road to the local Sears. My shovel bore the signature Craftsman Forever Full Warranty sticker, a promise that this shovel will be replaced, no questions asked, at any Sears nationwide.
The Forever Full Warranty Put to the Test
Severed shovel in hand, I walked into Sears and found the nearest sales associate. He saw my pitiful shovel, yelled “broken shovel, Leon” across the room, and told me to go grab a new one off the rack in the back. I walked back and found that my version of the shovel had been discontinued and replaced with a newer red-handled model that looked a bit sturdier. I walked back to the front of the store and stepped up to the register. Leon greeted me. “Just one second and we’ll have you squared away.” I noticed he rang up my new shovel for $0.01, and credited me $0.01 for my broken shovel. As we finished up the checkout, Leon handed me the receipt with a coupon attached – free shoes. I don’t need them, but a nice gesture nonetheless. Here’s the new shovel:
I was in and out of this Sears in under 5 minutes. The Craftsman warranty rocks, and here’s why:
Why Sears’ Craftsman Manual Tools Warranty Rocks
Sears Craftsman hand tools warranty is everything a warranty should be:
- The warranty covers manual (non-power) tools for the life of the tool (not just the life of the original owner).
- Fully transferable. If you sell the tool, the warranty goes with it.
- No receipt/proof of purchase required. You only have to bring back the pieces.
- No hassle / no questions asked. It doesn’t matter if you broke the tool doing something with it you shouldn’t have been doing. If you have the pieces, you can get a new tool.
- On-the-spot trade in. You don’t have to “send it to the factory.” You can walk into any Sears, find the tool, and make the trade instantly.
- Free upgrades to newer models. If the broken tool is discontinued, you get the latest model of that tool instead at no additional cost.
What do you think? Have you had a good (or bad) experience with Sears’ Craftsman Warranty? Tell it here.
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31 Responses to Sears Craftsman Lifetime Guarantee (The Forever Full Warranty Put to the Test)
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October 17th, 2008 11:42 am
I have had several positive experiences with Sears…
I once stripped out the gears in a ratchet wrench. Walked into Sears, showed how the ratchet wouldn’t hold and they gave me the gear replacement kit. Got it home, took about 5 minutes to swap out the damaged gear and it was good as new.
Another time, I brought in an old Craftsman power drill. My Dad passed it down to me after using if for maybe 15 years. The only trouble was that the manual chuck was worn out. After my experience with the ratchet I walked into Sears and inquired about a replacement chuck. The sales man was very friendly and even offered to change the chuck from me. I agreed because I had previously studied the drill’s construction and knew the chuck was riveted to the motor shaft. I thought there was a trick or something to getting the chuck off.
The salesman was convinced that it was screwed to the shaft even after I explained that if you look down the chuck you would see the rivet. Well, the salesman finally resorted to jamming a screwdriver into the motor to stop it spinning and started to swiftly bang on the chuck with a mallet. I knew the motors shaft was going to break but stayed silent since maybe he was right and the screw was below the rivet. He claimed to have changed several of these before.
Next thing, the chuck and shaft are broken clean from the drill. You could plainly see now how the chuck was riveted to the shaft. Now it was junk. The salesman offered me any drill as a replacement for 80% off. Got a great new drill for $20.
October 17th, 2008 1:06 pm
Wow! What great customer service. I will make sure to remember that if any of our Sears Craftsmen tools break.
October 18th, 2008 7:02 pm
I have used the craftsman lifetime warranty one two occasions… once I broke a 9/16 box wrench using a “leverage extender,” the other time it was a pair of pruning shears. Both times no questions were asked and it was a quick and simple exchange.
That’s why if you look in my tool box you will see all craftsman hand tools.
October 20th, 2008 8:35 am
Ryan & Paul, thanks for the stories/confirmations. There are a few folks out on the blogosphere who have had a hard time, but I think it was due to undertrained staff in their particular store. Paul, I’m slowly making the move to all Craftsman tools for the same reason. You just can’t beat the lifetime guarantee.
October 21st, 2008 7:58 pm
Sears changed their warranty on tape measures. The warranty is more restrictive. If you break the measure part it is NOT covered anymore. If you have an old yellow one you can exchange it still but now they will give you a red one that doesn’t carry the full warranty.
October 27th, 2008 1:17 pm
Works great, except for precision tools.
Had a nice torque wrench from Sears. If you know about their plastic handled ones, they have a little “ring” that locks it at the setting you want.
Well mine broke. Took it back to them and its not covered outside their 90 day warranty, and a fix would have been a new one.
The wrench still works ok, just a PITA to use.
$20 torque wrench from Harbor Freight, all is good now
October 27th, 2008 1:36 pm
I worked at the sales counter in the tool department in my local Sears several years ago. When I worked there it was any “hand tool” screw drivers, pliers ratchets etc. It does not cover “power tools” or torque wrenches. Everything that does not have the forever warranty is label to have a 90 day warranty.
If your looking into buying Craftsman tools I don’t know if they still do it but you can sign up for the Craftsman Club and they would send you a sale paper just for the members and I think you could get a discount off anything but I cont remember. But it was only 1 week a month.
October 28th, 2008 10:09 am
Friend of mine had an old (1950s I think) Craftsman ratchet and socket set. One day he stripped out one of the sockets. took it to Sears, they gave him a new socket, no problem; they even remarked that “well, we don’t make that style of socket anymore” (it had a kind of decorative knurled ring around it) so he should just “keep the old one; it would be a shame to break up the set”.
Very cool.
November 2nd, 2008 7:37 pm
Even though I am not fond of Sears, their tools are top quality. I have taken back ratchets when they have become stripped and had them replaced… no questions asked!
November 6th, 2008 8:10 pm
My son was using my 40 year old Craftsman 3/8 ratchet handle when the bearings fell out of it. He returned to our local Sears and the gave hi a reconditioned, beat up, scared handle that is in worse condition than the broken handle. This is not the first incident I have had with Sears on there tool Guarantee. Last year I was given infer red thermometer for Christmas, it lasted one day, I was given a replacement, and that lasted two days. I went back to the store and requested my money back. The price of the thermometer had changed so they gave only the new price back to me SHORT $2.75. I no longer buy tools at Sears. Sears does not stand behind ther product.
December 9th, 2008 6:01 pm
I only buy craftsman hand tools. Period. If they are hand tools, I will only buy craftsman with lifetime warranty. I have never had any trouble with craftsman hand tools. There have been times that I have used the wrong tool for the job, because I was too cheap to buy a longer (more torque) version. When it breaks, they replace it. Sometimes I have replaced the same tool 2 or 3 times in the same day. I have even broken a plastic socket holder stick, and they have replaced it. You have to remember though it is *only* hand tools without any electrical components.
March 17th, 2009 3:41 pm
My experience with Craftsman tools has been great.
I don’t like to write a lot so I am just going to say this.
Why in the world would you buy any hand tool that is not Craftsman?
I don’t even know why there are still other tool companies out there they should be broke.
For example Stanley, yeah it’s a good brand but if you want to claim your warranty you have to have your receipt.
And if you have a big tool box who has the time/space to save every single receipt for every single tool in your tool box.
With Craftsman tools you don’t need that.
I am proud to say that every Hand tool I own its Craftsman.
May 4th, 2009 3:47 pm
My past experiences with Craftsman were similar to what I am reading here, but buyer beware … things are changing!!! I took a screwdriver in with a chewed up handle (it spent many long years in my toolbox, but I think the dog got ahold of it).
When I tried to exchange it, the manager of the store (Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs) told me it wasn’t covered. I used to spend extra on Craftsman just for the no-hassle guarantee. As a small business owner, I don’t have time for this, so it’s goodbye Craftsman, hello Snap-On! I won’t be seen in Sears again!
May 24th, 2009 1:40 am
I have taken my broken Craftsman tree trimmer to the nearest SEARS store four times with no saisfaction. (36 miles round trip) The first three times they were out of stock and told me to check back, they could not notify me if and when they were in stock. The fourth time, I asked for a credit on a gift card to use to order it on their website. She could not give me full credit without a receipt and offered to make an adjustment when I picked up the new trimmer. I accepted her offer. When I returned home, I tried to order it from their website. It would not let me order it for in store pickup because they didn’t have it in stock at ANY of the stores in this area. I e-mailed my complaint to SEARS. Here is their reply. “Dear Charles Manning, Thank you for your recent correspondence. We are always interested in hearing from our customers, and regret it was this type of situation that prompted you to contact us. We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced and understand your frustration with your trimmer. Unfortunately, you do need a receipt in order to exchange a Craftsman tool. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered with your trimmer. We appreciate your business and value you as a SearsHoldings customer. We certainly hope you will continue to make Sears Holdings your choice for quality and value. Sincerely, Joanne J. “
August 11th, 2009 9:31 pm
Always had pretty good luck with the craftsman brand, true some of stuff Sears sells is junk, but their mechanics tools have always stood up to heavy use/abuse on the farm. Half of all the craftsman tools in my chest are over 20 years old, I’ve only had to return a couple of ratchets and a breaker bar under the life-time warranty, and each time the clerk would just hand me a new tool and wish me a good day. But the most compelling reason to buy craftsman is the fact that the majority of it’s hand tools are still made in the USA, that’s a big deal to me.
September 11th, 2009 4:48 pm
Hell ya sears rocks….
January 9th, 2010 10:12 am
I had a fire in my garage. Most all tools are craftsman. Could anyone tell me if the guarantee covers fire damage?
January 9th, 2010 10:12 pm
Lyn, non-power tools would be covered. Power tools are not (but both should be by your homeowner’s insurance).
February 19th, 2010 8:12 pm
Sears in Jackson Ky would not replace a alan wrench ,a screwdriver bit,and a Scribe ,the only thing they would replace is my ratchet. He said they didnt have numbers to send them back by,I bought all these tools in a set he said if you cant buy them alone and seperate they are not covered.. This is my bad experiance every time i go they do kinda give me a hard time like it is coming out of his pocket..LOL
March 4th, 2010 8:13 pm
I have one of my dads Craftsman tools that was broken. I took it to two different Sears stores near me. I explain what the tool was and they had no idea what it was and they had nothing like it. I had Googled the items patent number. That did not help them. I said so can you give me a simular tool, they said they had nothing like it. I asked them what to do next they said to send a photo to Sears. They said they could do nothing for me. It is not a power tool. So I am nowhere. I still have a broken Craftsman tool, no replacement, no one can help me and no free shoes like one of the forums contributors.
March 6th, 2010 6:04 pm
just had a 3/8″ ratchet exchanged, no questions asked! Another happy sears customer
April 3rd, 2010 1:11 pm
New Sears return policy violates personal privacy and is a security risk…
I just tried to return a hand tool under the lifetime warranty that has prompted me to solely purchase Sears Craftsman products for years. Before I left with a new tool, I had to surrender my name, address, phone number, and drivers license number. This is a new policy that just went into effect as of 2010.
What is the big deal you ask? In 2001 Sears sent me a letter stating that their customer database had been breached and that all of my personal information and credit card numbers had been stolen. Two years later, I had lost a total of $13000 with multiple identity fraud incidents. All the proof that Sears should require for their lifetime hand tool warranty is the old broken tool.
It saddens me to realize that my business relationship with Sears has now ended. This latest issue was the last straw and I have been enduring failing customer service and over-automated contact for years. There is no loyalty in business for the average American consumer any longer. Buyer beware.
April 24th, 2010 5:08 pm
I hear a lot of people complaining about trivial stuff, Like They wouldn’t take back my hex key, or my screw driver i let my dog chew on , or my single drill bit … You guys need to understand they are a business, If you cant prove that your unmarked hex key is a craftsman , why should they take your word for it? or a single drill bit that probably has no markings on it at all. And if you noticed on the package when buying there is probably no mention of the forever warranty… Not all things are covered, Such as things without labels or other small pieces… If you let your dog chew on your screwdriver , it probably sat out side for a while and picked up some rust, Besides the fact if you dont care enough about your tools to let your dog chew on them , why should they swap it out?
I keep my tools very clean and oiled , I have had 1 craftsman rachet fail in 15 years, Ive never had a socket strip or a wrench bend or anything like that, Although i own the correct tools for the job , if i know the tools going to snap if i try to do something, Such as people complaining of a screwdriver bending or breaking when they use it as a pry bar, get a freakin pry bar man, what do you expect? even if it does happen to snap from your own disregard, if you have kept it free from rust and didnt use it as a chisel with a hammer and have a super banged up tool., they will STILL replace it.
Also when they give you a “refubished tool” such as a rachet , that is in worse cosmetic condition than yours , you can decline their offer and ask if they have a better refurbished tool, and if not ask them if you can have a brand new one. When i did that, they said sure no problem….
Craftsman tools are the absolute best quality for the money, I think its hilarious when people complain about their power tool warranty(or lack there of) … Find a power tool with a forever, no questions asked warranty and ill start buying those instead of craftsman…. untill then ill just go ahead and realize the powers tools i buy will break regardless of brand , craftsman power tools i have had last as long as the dewalt and Milwaukee , cool thing is when a craftsman battery goes out , you can buy a new one for $30 .. If your dewalt or milwaukee goes out, get ready to shell out $75+… And they both last equally well from my experience.
Buy craftsman tools once, and you will never have to spend money on another hand tool of that sort ever again so long as you dont loose it, Leave it out in the rain , and keep it from thieves. People are silly to spend 3 or 4 times as much for mac or black hawk , they all come off the same assembly line as Stanley… or pay 5 or 6 times more for snap-on, which you need to deal with dousche bag snap-on guys , and pay middle men all the money on the pyramid scheme of the tool world…
May 17th, 2010 12:04 am
I went to Sears today with a broken Framing Hammer. They didn’t Offer to replace it. They said we don’t make that hammer anymore. We will give you $20 twards the purchase of a new $40 hammer. I asked for the Manager. This little 20 something girl said it was Craftsmans policy. If they don’ make that tool they don’t offer the upgraded replacement. Just $20. I won’t be buying anything from Sears for a long time!!!
May 29th, 2010 8:12 am
hey, i have never had anyissues, i had a flat blade screwdriver that was my dads when i was a kid , passed on ot me , it was dirty , had all kinds of holes drilled thru the hanle, the end broke off and was grinded back to a flat blade many times, and when i finally brought it to sears it was simply ” go grab one” and 2 minutes later i was walking out with a brand new flat blade!! no issues with all the abuse it had on it , lol
May 29th, 2010 8:14 am
adding on , my screwdriver was also dog chewed and rusted a bit !!! hoo ra for a good sales associate!!!
June 18th, 2010 8:42 am
[...] Best part of it all? All Craftsman hand tools carry a lifetime warranty. It’s a no questions asked (or at least it should be) warranty where you simply pull the replacement off the shelf. What if the item is no longer being produced? No problem, get something similar. Here’s a story of someone replacing a broken Craftsman shovel. [...]
June 18th, 2010 4:28 pm
Brought back a broken Craftsman Torc Wrench today. Sales rep refused to replace it. Said they thought it could be repaired and told my wife there would be a charge to repair it. My wife, trying to get me what I needed puchased a new Torc Wrench off the shelf. I am a bit disappointed in the handling of this. Could be a mis-understanding on my part… but I bet there are several other readers who misunderstood the same thing.
June 29th, 2010 12:40 pm
Bought a 3/8″ ratchet, used it 5 times and the left-right selector broke, went to Sears and got a new one. Brought it home and it broke again. Went back two more times and it broke. It’s broke again and I’m getting tired of returning it! It cracks and breaks off after moving it back and forth a few times. I had one for 30 years and never had this problem. The new tools Sears sells are junk!
July 18th, 2010 7:58 pm
I have never had a problem returning an item at Sears. I’ve even returned an old rusted socket that I found in my yard right after we moved here.Our water pressure at home is very high and had blown out any number of hoses. We purchased the Sears rubber hoses and they replace them each time they blow out, which isn’t often. They even replace them when I run them over with the Bobcat. They take my word for what size it is. Also, we purchased a number of 50 foot hoses with a bonus 10 feet. When they burst, they don’t have them anymore, so they give us a 75 foot.
Has anyone heard that the guarantee is going to stop? I had heard that someone else purchased them and they would no longer honor the guarantee.
July 27th, 2010 3:20 pm
Took my approsimate 25 year old Craftsman water hose back today to get a replacement. The clerk argued with me that since it had brass fittings on it, it was not fully guaranteed. Had to argu and ask for mangera assistance before they finally replaced it