Gearwrench Warranty, does it exist??

[rlitman]

You were 2 for 2 in dealing with idiots on the phone.

Here is a link to their website where they list all the BIT SOCKETS. They are torx, hex, triple square, etc.
http://www.gearwrench.com/sockets/bit/

Actual sockets are a completely different category and absolutely under the warranty.

That was exactly my point.

I'm guessing 99.9999% chance you're right. But the people on the phone see the word socket and that's all they know. They couldn't identify a bit socket from a socket or a breaker bar from a ratchet...

They work for a tool company. They don't have to be geniuses, but the have to know what they're selling and repairing! It's no excuse.

 

[Ign]

I wouldn't waste my time with directly contacting GW. With companies that have poor/inconsistent customer service, you must know a friendly local authorized dealer.

Don't disagree but dealers come and go. To me it's far more reassuring when a company stands behind their products.

In the case of Snap-On the drivers will grumble but Snappy corporate via chat has been extremely helpful. That won me over from anti-Snap-On to pro-Snap-On - it was clear to me THE COMPANY wants me as a customer.

 

[PartsGuy27]

Just so everyone is clear;

I am not saying Gearwrench makes bad tools. I understand that my 3/8" ratchet is umm excessive. Not to mention I'm 6'7 300+ lbs so I can put a whole lotta force on things.

The socket is the weak link, it breaking is what happens when the 300 pound gorilla meets the load.

 

[Yarpo]

Just so everyone is clear;

I am not saying Gearwrench makes bad tools. I understand that my 3/8" ratchet is umm excessive. Not to mention I'm 6'7 300+ lbs so I can put a whole lotta force on things.

The socket is the weak link, it breaking is what happens when the 300 pound gorilla meets the load.

It *****, few companies really stand behind their product and employees seem to drop the ball from company to company. Dave from Tekton certainly seems to put them ahead of many companies in that regard.

 

[Handyandy23]

I normally don't get caught up in tool warranty and rarely buy a tool amd warranty is factored into the decision. Except for cordless tools. That said. Im glad i went with Tekton socket sets for my van.

I agree I very rarely warranty things, and realistically it shouldn't be an important factor. But reading people say they pulled products new out of boxes that were defective and then given a hard time by GW puts me off completely. If I break a tool doing something stupid I'll own up to it but the company at least has to acknowledge their responsibility for giving me a working product to start with.

Also to those saying they haven't had issues at Advanced Auto or wherever, that's great, but it seems obvious from multiple examples that GW themselves ****. I shouldn't need to rely on a retailer to be the go-between. Someone else mentioned it has to be the Advanced Auto you made the original purchase from, which is even more of a damper.

 

[PartsGuy27]

My ratchet measures 18" stem to stern.

 

[nbpt100]

I have never seen GW at Autozone. Advanced Auto use to sell GW. My local store still has some inventory which they are depleting. (They are bringing in a new house brand for hand tools. I hope they are half decent) I would try an advanced and see if they have any 13mm in stock. If no luck there then keep at it directly with GW via the phone. They should take care of this but it may take some time. I agree wit the person that said you got a bad apple on the phone.

 

[plinker]

As far as Gearwrench is concerned, I have been avoiding buying their stuff for a while unless it's something somewhat exclusive to them. I dont think the quality is as good as it was when they were making Napa's stuff a few years ago.

FWIW, if you intend to stop buying Gearwrench, Husky should be avoided as well, others too I'm sure (same company you know).

As far as warranty, If you have a local retailer, ok, but they sure dont seem to want to deal with warranty issues when you email them (going by the tone of what is said in the emails I've seen here and my own).



One thing worth mentioning, many seem to use a really long ratchet as a breaker bar or when they need something the next drive size up. Most of the time they should be used for "reach" not breaking stuff loose. Everyone does it once in a while, but it isnt something to make a habit of simply because you can get hurt and/or you end up with broken tools.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Don't disagree but dealers come and go. To me it's far more reassuring when a company stands behind their products.

In the case of Snap-On the drivers will grumble but Snappy corporate via chat has been extremely helpful. That won me over from anti-Snap-On to pro-Snap-On - it was clear to me THE COMPANY wants me as a customer.

There are some tool brands that require you to return broken tools to where you bought it like Mayhew, so it's probably better to get into the habit of getting to know your local suppliers and support them every now and then by buying something. A large brick and mortar tool store stocking a decent selection of name branes to me is one stop solution for most of my warranty problems.

 

[Handyandy23]

Generally speaking the strength of the socket should be determined by the size of the bolt head, which in turn is related to the bolt size and torque. Of course there will be variance in strength of materials / grade used, but generally speaking you won't have an OEM out a 13mm bolt head on something torqued to 150 ft lbs.

The OP's sockets would have broke if he used an 8" ratchet or a 4 foot pipe. The 13mm head bolt was torqued to **-ft lbs and required that much force to turn it. It doesn't really matter if you use a really long ratchet and your arm input is small, or if you use a short ratchet and have to input more of the torque through your arm.

Maybe if OP was using a shorter ratchet he would have "felt" the high forces being applied more and thought better to grab a 1/2" socket. But given it was a factory head bolt it couldn't have been rusty, so I can't see it being a lot more than factory specs, which isn't that high. I've used some really cheap sockets on some really long bars and never had one break, so seems weird 2 of these GW ones broke.

This is all somewhat moot because I still think the key takeaway for me is their customer service stinks, so the quality of the product is almost irrelevant if their CS is a non starter.

 

[FakeNewsRealHP]

A Snap-on chrome socket would probably have broken in the same scenario... that being said I’ve broken 10x more Snap-on sockets than gearwrench and I primarily use my gearwrench. If you have to think “something’s gonna break if it’s not this bolt” than stop... that’s not directed to o.p. Just a general rule because 90% of the time it’s your knuckles or skin! And besides I make my local Apex truck errr matco warranty my gearwrench for me and he has them next week. Snap-on if he even shows up waits to fill an order if he doesn’t have a tool on hand.


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[Yarpo]

Generally speaking the strength of the socket should be determined by the size of the bolt head, which in turn is related to the bolt size and torque. Of course there will be variance in strength of materials / grade used, but generally speaking you won't have an OEM out a 13mm bolt head on something torqued to 150 ft lbs.

The OP's sockets would have broke if he used an 8" ratchet or a 4 foot pipe. The 13mm head bolt was torqued to **-ft lbs and required that much force to turn it. It doesn't really matter if you use a really long ratchet and your arm input is small, or if you use a short ratchet and have to input more of the torque through your arm.

Maybe if OP was using a shorter ratchet he would have "felt" the high forces being applied more and thought better to grab a 1/2" socket. But given it was a factory head bolt it couldn't have been rusty, so I can't see it being a lot more than factory specs, which isn't that high. I've used some really cheap sockets on some really long bars and never had one break, so seems weird 2 of these GW ones broke

Are you a high jumper because you've made some gigantic leaps here. Where did he say....factory headbolts or that it wasnt rusty? It's in his junkyard tool kit and I doubt he, nor you, nor me know if it was a factory headbolt. Some clown could have put on a new head and covered the bolts with loctite for all we know. Theres a reason OP was using an 18" ratchet and broke two sockets. it's far from weird, most sockets probably would have broken.

It's a shame GW gave him the run around for abit, but hes getting new sockets.

 

[Ign]

There are some tool brands that require you to return broken tools to where you bought it like Mayhew, so it's probably better to get into the habit of getting to know your local suppliers and support them every now and then by buying something. A large brick and mortar tool store stocking a decent selection of name branes to me is one stop solution for most of my warranty problems.

Sure but you're assuming such a thing exists everywhere. We have a HD but that's as close as you're gonna get to a "large B&M store." And no, the internet didn't scare "tool stores" away here - they never existed.

Technically O'Reilly and TSC sell Mayhew. I guess a Snappy truck might, too.?.?.?..not sure. I would have access to all those.

But you raise an excellent point - probably the reason I like COMPANIES that stand behind their **** is because I'm rural. Finding a dealer is often not an option. But oddly, the internet is EVERYWHERE (thus Snap-On chat in my previous example).

 

[plinker]

Sure but you're assuming such a thing exists everywhere. We have a HD but that's as close as you're gonna get to a "large B&M store." And no, the internet didn't scare "tool stores" away here - they never existed.

Technically O'Reilly and TSC sell Mayhew. I guess a Snappy truck might, too.?.?.?..not sure. I would have access to all those.

But you raise an excellent point - probably the reason I like COMPANIES that stand behind their **** is because I'm rural. Finding a dealer is often not an option. But oddly, the internet is EVERYWHERE (thus Snap-On chat in my previous example).

Around here (20mi radius) the only place where you'd get any tools that would be considered pro quality is the local-ish Napa. Otherwise it's the Matco & Snap-on truck. Even if you expand the range out to 50mi, Fleet farm, Menards & home depot arent really cutting it.

If there was an Epstein's in town (or even in the state) that would be a different story. Probably just as well there isnt as I'd be broke.

 

[Handyandy23]

Are you a high jumper because you've made some gigantic leaps here. Where did he say....factory headbolts or that it wasnt rusty? It's in his junkyard tool kit and I doubt he, nor you, nor me know if it was a factory headbolt. Some clown could have put on a new head and covered the bolts with loctite for all we know. Theres a reason OP was using an 18" ratchet and broke two sockets. it's far from weird, most sockets probably would have broken.

It's a shame GW gave him the run around for abit, but hes getting new sockets.

At the end of the day I don't really care if he put the socket on an impact and used it to remove a bolt with a whole bottle of loctite on it.

Two different customer service reps told him "we don't warranty sockets". Period. And he was lucky enough to have the second one say "we'll replace them for you this one time to be nice". That along with several other similar stories.

That's plenty reason enough for me to spend my money elsewhere. Nothing special enough about GW to sway me to spend with them when a company like Tekton has all the same value with none of the headaches.

 

[Yarpo]

At the end of the day I don't really care if he put the socket on an impact and used it to remove a bolt with a whole bottle of loctite on it.

Two different customer service reps told him "we don't warranty sockets". Period. And he was lucky enough to have the second one say "we'll replace them for you this one time to be nice". That along with several other similar stories.

That's plenty reason enough for me to spend my money elsewhere. Nothing special enough about GW to sway me to spend with them when a company like Tekton has all the same value with none of the headaches.

Unfortunately not all employees meet our standards nor probably the companies standards, you'll see this with every brand from tools to auto parts to electronics. There's plenty of other good companies to buy from so I'd certainly say take business elsewhere, but these issues are not unique to GW. Continuing on, not all sockets are created equal. Outside of OEM tools which I have no idea how you'd warranty and Carlyle, Gearwrench has the nicest/cheapest sockets I've seen, and generally speaking their sets don't have skips. They Knurl their sockets and dual stamp them with fairly large markings. Something many companies can't manage, or as someone else pointed out haven't done, must be part of their race to the bottom. Plus they offer sockets others dont, just look at semi deeps offerings, not the easiest to find

 

[ItsNemo]

Warranty aside...OP should have been using 1/2" drive with a heavier socket and not broken the thing in the first place.

Warranty wise, technically they don't cover abuse (which this is) but everyone assumes hand tools should never break no matter how they're used and that if they do, warranty should cover them. That said, if customer service never asks how it broke, then it should be swapped out for failure, period.

 

[PugetDude]

Anyone want a broken GearWrench 1/2" ratcheting tap handle?
I used it once... no luck getting it warranted.
Maybe you'll have better success than I did.
Pay shipping and it's yours.

 

[nbpt100]

I guess from what I am getting from this is that Apex Gear Wrench has cut back on their warrantee and getting harder to work with. How disappointing. Most of my gear wrench stuff are Torx and hex bit sockets. I hope they hold up because it sounds like they will stone wall me if I try to warrantee. I do have some SAE ratcheting box wrenches that I use on small engine work that I have use hard and have held up very well.

The beat goes on. Plenty of brands to work with out there for basic sockets.

 

[PartsGuy27]

Warranty aside...OP should have been using 1/2" drive with a heavier socket and not broken the thing in the first place.

Warranty wise, technically they don't cover abuse (which this is) but everyone assumes hand tools should never break no matter how they're used and that if they do, warranty should cover them. That said, if customer service never asks how it broke, then it should be swapped out for failure, period.

Definitely not abuse. What am I supposed to do, carry a torque wrench with me at all times to make sure I am not putting more torque on the socket than the manufacturer recommended?

I would hope the people on this forum know that when things need to get done you use what you have with you.

I ended up getting that bolt out by borrowing a Snap-On socket from someone else at the junkyard and guess what, it didn't break.

 

[patchap]

Surprised that it broke, I use cheap Canadian tire chinesium 3/8 sockets on 18" ratchets all the time and have never split one. Even kicking the ratchet to crack GM factory locktited caliper bracket bolts
That's horrible customer service, if I did break one I could go to any crappy tire and have it replaced in a matter of minutes.

 

[shawhite]

Warranty aside...OP should have been using 1/2" drive with a heavier socket and not broken the thing in the first place.

Warranty wise, technically they don't cover abuse (which this is) but everyone assumes hand tools should never break no matter how they're used and that if they do, warranty should cover them. That said, if customer service never asks how it broke, then it should be swapped out for failure, period.

1/2 on a 13mm socket? I mean with this logic why even have a 3/8 set. GW has been on the decline since Bain Capitol bought them. This is almost always the case when a private equity firm buys a tool company their goal is to squeeze as much profit out of the company any way they can.

To the OP. Thanks for the heads up I already steer clear of GW since they started sending products to China now I will become even more mindful of it.

 

[Handyandy23]

Warranty aside...OP should have been using 1/2" drive with a heavier socket and not broken the thing in the first place.

Warranty wise, technically they don't cover abuse (which this is) but everyone assumes hand tools should never break no matter how they're used and that if they do, warranty should cover them. That said, if customer service never asks how it broke, then it should be swapped out for failure, period.

But the point of this isn't that they told him he abused the socket and wouldn't warranty it - that would be a different story. The statement was flat out "we don't warranty sockets" from two different employees.

I can understand if a company wants to stand up to what they think is unfair claims by someone that abused the tool (hypothetically, not taking sides in this particular case), but from the multiple stories I've read GW in general just doesn't want to warranty anything - even brand new defective tools.

 

[Handyandy23]

Unfortunately not all employees meet our standards nor probably the companies standards, you'll see this with every brand from tools to auto parts to electronics. There's plenty of other good companies to buy from so I'd certainly say take business elsewhere, but these issues are not unique to GW. Continuing on, not all sockets are created equal. Outside of OEM tools which I have no idea how you'd warranty and Carlyle, Gearwrench has the nicest/cheapest sockets I've seen, and generally speaking their sets don't have skips. They Knurl their sockets and dual stamp them with fairly large markings. Something many companies can't manage, or as someone else pointed out haven't done, must be part of their race to the bottom. Plus they offer sockets others dont, just look at semi deeps offerings, not the easiest to find

That's fair enough - knock on wood I haven't broken a socket in a really long time, so I haven't been in the market specifically for sockets. My comments are more in regards to their ratchets and gear wrenches as far as being "nothing special" compared to the competition.

And I agree that there are lots of good companies out there, so I'd rather spend money with them at this point.

 

[Mr_B]

No idea why people bother with warranty on lower cost sets, I just buy balanced on price and tool design and with intent cover warranty myself, 4 or 5 bucks a socket simply not worth time wasted ******* about chasing companies on warranty and you can self warranty as quick or slow as needed .
For cheap sets I like oem tools socketry, cheap buy, good design and plenty singles should you ever need replacements.
Pretty much all these companies lifetime warranty risky as either terms change or tool change and if do replace it with **** you wouldn't want use .
Tekton easy warranty but I wonder how long that will last, carlyle not bad but again never want pay full prices as I know warranty may lead to same quality replacemnet not available in future so no point paying for warranty you get no value from and simply self warranty as the cost is absolute minimal and self warranty service is always A1

 

[rlitman]

No idea why people bother with warranty on lower cost sets...

Because when you break a 13mm socket, your set is now missing a 13mm socket, and a different brand's socket bought from open stock at a local store may take its place, but may not fit into the case.

 

[ItsNemo]

1/2 on a 13mm socket? I mean with this logic why even have a 3/8 set. GW has been on the decline since Bain Capitol bought them. This is almost always the case when a private equity firm buys a tool company their goal is to squeeze as much profit out of the company any way they can.

To the OP. Thanks for the heads up I already steer clear of GW since they started sending products to China now I will become even more mindful of it.

If the 13mm bolt is that stuck that you need a big guy leaning into an 18" 3/8" drive ratchet...it's time to move up a drive size. This is exactly why they have larger drive sizes, because you eventually exceed the torque capacity of the smaller drive sizes. I know for certain my 1/2" 13mm socket from the exact same set is beefier than my 3/8" 13mm socket.

 

[Handyandy23]

No idea why people bother with warranty on lower cost sets, I just buy balanced on price and tool design and with intent cover warranty myself, 4 or 5 bucks a socket simply not worth time wasted ******* about chasing companies on warranty and you can self warranty as quick or slow as needed .
For cheap sets I like oem tools socketry, cheap buy, good design and plenty singles should you ever need replacements.
Pretty much all these companies lifetime warranty risky as either terms change or tool change and if do replace it with **** you wouldn't want use .
Tekton easy warranty but I wonder how long that will last, carlyle not bad but again never want pay full prices as I know warranty may lead to same quality replacemnet not available in future so no point paying for warranty you get no value from and simply self warranty as the cost is absolute minimal and self warranty service is always A1

In theory I agree I probably wouldn't go through the hassle of warrantying a single socket, but I can't say I disagree with anyone that does. And the flip side to that argument is, why would GW hassle someone over a cheap socket (that likely cost them 50 cents to manufacture)?

And if they will hassle someone over a single cheap socket, I can't imagine what hoops you'd have to jump through to get a 120XP ratchet or something pricier replaced. And this is what has me taking a step back from my ratchet purchase and re-evaluating.

I also agree I wouldn't pay more for warranty on most things, but when you can buy Tekton for the same price (or less) and know you're getting a better warranty, it's a no-brainer for me.

 

[ItsNemo]

In theory I agree I probably wouldn't go through the hassle of warrantying a single socket, but I can't say I disagree with anyone that does. And the flip side to that argument is, why would GW hassle someone over a cheap socket (that likely cost them 50 cents to manufacture)?

And if they will hassle someone over a single cheap socket, I can't imagine what hoops you'd have to jump through to get a 120XP ratchet or something pricier replaced. And this is what has me taking a step back from my ratchet purchase and re-evaluating.

I also agree I wouldn't pay more for warranty on most things, but when you can buy Tekton for the same price (or less) and know you're getting a better warranty, it's a no-brainer for me.

I've warrantied a Gearwrench ratchet before via mail, one of the 84T that would lockup. It wasn't exactly the most pleasant process (mailing the old one back) but they did it without question.

Still, the best warranty bar non I've experienced is Mastercraft (Canadian Tire's brand) and Powerfist/Pro Point (Princess Auto's brands)...walk in to any location without receipt on any day and gets swapped no questions. IMO that even beats Snap-On or other tool truck brands because you can pretty much warranty anything same day anywhere in Canada without the wait of a tool truck or them having it in stock.

 

[6PTsocket]

The last word on warranties was in Consumer Report. They said a warranty was no better than the manufacturer wants it to be. Regardless of what it says, there is little you can do beyond what they are actually willing to do. If you want a good warranty your best bet is to stick with companies that have built a reputation for backing their products like SO and Tekton and back in the old days, Craftsman. It might be interesting if everybody mentioned who they thought was good so we get more of a pattern than the odd post or two of a good or bad experience. Many don't care and self warranty but that is a whole 'nother discussion.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[dnschmidt]

All of this stupidity is why I stopped selling TOPTUL, which, by the way, makes way better **** than Gearwrench ever did. The entire TOPTUL debacle was caused by Ellie Chung calling me a liar when a customer of mine had a lock break on an extendable ratchet. A problem TOPTUL must have realized themselves as they changed the design of the part on their later production. I spent $10K a year with these people and now I spend zero with them. How this attitude and ignorance benefits a corporation is a bit of a mystery to me.

 

[jsmeece]

Hey Dennis do you have any Toptul tools left or did you sell them all? Looking for that GPAA2602 wrench set.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Warranty aside...OP should have been using 1/2" drive with a heavier socket and not broken the thing in the first place.

Warranty wise, technically they don't cover abuse (which this is) but everyone assumes hand tools should never break no matter how they're used and that if they do, warranty should cover them. That said, if customer service never asks how it broke, then it should be swapped out for failure, period.

Must be nice to live in a world where you always have everything “proper” to do the job and a world where there is always clearance to use the “proper” tool

BTW I have 3/8 drive sockets up to 1” and 19mm and they get used pretty regularly. If it’s not a proper size for 3/8 they wouldn’t sell it.

 

[rlitman]

...BTW I have 3/8 drive sockets up to 1” and 19mm and they get used pretty regularly. If it’s not a proper size for 3/8 they wouldn’t sell it.

I have 1/4" drive sockets up to 15mm.

 

[nbpt100]

All of this stupidity is why I stopped selling TOPTUL, which, by the way, makes way better **** than Gearwrench ever did. The entire TOPTUL debacle was caused by Ellie Chung calling me a liar when a customer of mine had a lock break on an extendable ratchet. A problem TOPTUL must have realized themselves as they changed the design of the part on their later production. I spent $10K a year with these people and now I spend zero with them. How this attitude and ignorance benefits a corporation is a bit of a mystery to me.

Simple and sadly, they are short term oriented. How much profit this quarter and was it more than the last? That is all those at the top look at.

Sorry to hear of your problems with Toptul. I still love the Toptul screw driver set I got from you.

 

[nbpt100]

The last word on warranties was in Consumer Report. They said a warranty was no better than the manufacturer wants it to be. Regardless of what it says, there is little you can do beyond what they are actually willing to do. If you want a good warranty your best bet is to stick with companies that have built a reputation for backing their products like SO and Tekton and back in the old days, Craftsman. It might be interesting if everybody mentioned who they thought was good so we get more of a pattern than the odd post or two of a good or bad experience. Many don't care and self warranty but that is a whole 'nother discussion.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Good idea for a new post on Current hand tool warrantee experiences.

 

[ItsNemo]

Must be nice to live in a world where you always have everything “proper” to do the job and a world where there is always clearance to use the “proper” tool

BTW I have 3/8 drive sockets up to 1” and 19mm and they get used pretty regularly. If it’s not a proper size for 3/8 they wouldn’t sell it.

I'd wager that head bolts he had clearance...

But you clearly missed the point, so let me repeat it. If you have to use a sh!t ton of torque to break something free, use the proper drive size. Nothing wrong with using a 21mm on a 3/8" drive ratchet if you only need 50ft-lbs, but if you need 250ft-lbs you're better off with 1/2" drive. Seems like any idiot could understand that.

 

[nbpt100]

The last word on warranties was in Consumer Report. They said a warranty was no better than the manufacturer wants it to be. Regardless of what it says, there is little you can do beyond what they are actually willing to do. If you want a good warranty your best bet is to stick with companies that have built a reputation for backing their products like SO and Tekton and back in the old days, Craftsman. It might be interesting if everybody mentioned who they thought was good so we get more of a pattern than the odd post or two of a good or bad experience. Many don't care and self warranty but that is a whole 'nother discussion.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Good idea 6PTsocket for a new thread on Current hand tool warrantee experiences. Company policies can shift as the people in charge change. On their current Warranty web page they make it clear damage due to normal wear and tear is not covered. They can subjectively call some failure due to normal wear and tear.

My opinion of the value with GW has declined after learning this. Maybe that is a reason why Advanced Auto is not longer working with them.? Perhaps.

 

[protegeV]

I'd wager that head bolts he had clearance...

But you clearly missed the point, so let me repeat it. If you have to use a sh!t ton of torque to break something free, use the proper drive size. Nothing wrong with using a 21mm on a 3/8" drive ratchet if you only need 50ft-lbs, but if you need 250ft-lbs you're better off with 1/2" drive. Seems like any idiot could understand that.

No, any idiot would not automatically understand that.

 

[donovanl12]

What a coincidence, I was moving my sockets to a new set of socket rails this past weekend, and I noticed my 13mm deep Gearwrench is also cracked. I don't remember how it happened, last thing I can think I used is on was a Corolla oil drain bolt with a HF ratchet. Hopefully I can get it warrantied. I'll also start looking for new 3/8 socket sets, maybe from Tekton.