Snap On Warranty

[ARAMP1]

I've been critical of Snap On before for various reasons, but I need to give credit where credit is due.

I haven't worked professionally as a mechanic in well over 2 decades. (I do wrench on things every week, but it's not the same). Anyway, finding a local dealer to warranty tools has always been a hassle. So I decided to check the website about a couple hammers that had cracked plastic. Within hours, here's the email response I received.

Thank you for contacting Snap-on Tools. Your warranty request was processed on case ID number [XXXXXX]. Please advise HBBD32CEHV is discontinued with no replacement. If you see something similar on our website, we can swap the hammers.

We are sending a replacement tool and do not require the broken tool back. Please do not dispose of the broken tool until the replacement is received. This process will take 7-10 business days.

If you do not receive the replacement within this time, please email or call us using the case ID number referenced above.

Thank you,

Courtney C
Customer Care Center
Snap-on Tools

Talk about service. I didn't send them pictures and I have no proof of purchase. They didn't even ask how bad the plastic was cracked. They just took care of me. I haven't had to warranty many Snap On tools, but this was by far the most painless. The new hammers showed up to my door via UPS in a week.

 

[cgrutt]

Cool good to hear. I had two replaced for same reason. One on a truck that I saw parked at a body shop and just walked on and one over the phone with corporate. Both times they just gave me a replacement no hassle. Driver kept the old tool IIRC assuming he may have needed it to be reimbursed. I don't recall if I had to send the other one back or not.

 

[AEAdam]

I love Snap Ons hammers. I think they are my favorites hands down, although I do really like the Trusty Cook S3. Good to hear you got a hassle free warranty. This is the reason I didn’t think twice about buying hammers when they were on special 10 yrs ago.

 

[mikey03]

I remember reading threads here that no body warranties plastic hammers so it seems honestly like one company does

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I think it’s nice they don’t make you send the old tools back anymore, they used too. I’m lucky I have a dealer these days so I just give him my old one and he replaces it. The dealers have to send all their warranty tools back to Snap-on but I guess for someone who calls or emails they don’t because that would make the process even longer and they are following other brands that now only require a picture too.

 

[Junkman]

I have a Snap-On coil spring compressor, and one of the hardened steel washers cracked in two. I contacted Snap On to buy a replacement, and was told that replacement parts weren't sold, but they sent me a return label, and off it went. I got another back by UPS that appeared to be new, but both the box and the tool inside were manufactured decades ago. It had the old logo lettering. Many of my Snap-On tools are ancient today, because when I started wrenching in 1960, I would buy the boxes from the guys who were getting out of the business due to old age. Now, I am decades older than those who came before me. I don't have the strength in my hands as I used to, and Arthur Ritus has taken some of the enjoyment out of turning the wrenches, but I won't stop. It is one of those things that keep me young in mind and spirit.

 

[kmacht]

Just curious, how much does the equivalent hammer cost from snap on if buying it today?

 

[KnurledNut]

Just curious, how much does the equivalent hammer cost from snap on if buying it today?

Roughly $100 for the plastic tip and roughly $150 for the deadblow.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I remember reading threads here that no body warranties plastic hammers so it seems honestly like one company does

Not to hijack the thread. Cornwell also warranties their plastic hammers and I like their new line quite a bit (blue/black).

Hammers

webcat.cornwelltools.com

 

[PoorUB]

Just curious, how much does the equivalent hammer cost from snap on if buying it today?

Roughly $100 for the plastic tip and roughly $150 for the deadblow.

I like Snap-On tools, but I can buy a few Harbor Freight hammers for that amount and toss them if they fail! I have a couple HF dead blow hammers that are twenty years old and still in good shape.

 

[98ssuck]

My father’s on his 5th Snapon auto body hammer handle under warranty. He’s gotten more $$$ in replacement handles than the tool cost new.

 

[pfbz]

I remember reading threads here that no body warranties plastic hammers so it seems honestly like one company does

Not to take away from Snap On's (usually) excellent warranty service, but Harbor Freight has no-receipt-needed, no-hassle, lifetime-warranty on all it's hammers... Dead blow, ball peen, framing, sledge, whatever. From the cheapest $4 Pittsburgh to its $65 Icon ball peen.

 

[AEAdam]

Not to take away from Snap On's (usually) excellent warranty service, but Harbor Freight has no-receipt-needed, no-hassle, lifetime-warranty on all it's hammers... Dead blow, ball peen, framing, sledge, whatever. From the cheapest $4 Pittsburgh to its $65 Icon ball peen.

I like Snap-On tools, but I can buy a few Harbor Freight hammers for that amount and toss them if they fail! I have a couple HF dead blow hammers that are twenty years old and still in good shape.

Oh FFS shut up about HF. We can’t have a single thread where someone doesn’t mention a cheaper product and literally no one is asking. Guys it’s infuriating.

 

[GTO]

Oh FFS shut up about HF. We can’t have a single thread where someone doesn’t mention a cheaper product and literally no one is asking. Guys it’s infuriating.

That didn't take long....
This one's going to go down fast.
SO vs. HF, who will come out on top.

 

[AEAdam]

That didn't take long....
This one's going to go down fast.
SO vs. HF, who will come out on top.

It’s like going to a basketball game with a group of guys where one guy can’t stop talking about politics or whatever. Can’t we just watch the game for once and not have to hear about your obsession with cheap tools? Just one thread?

 

[NHtoolguy]

Not to hijack the thread. Cornwell also warranties their plastic hammers and I like their new line quite a bit (blue/black).

Hammers

webcat.cornwelltools.com

I had a similar warranty experience with Cornwell regarding a deteriorating urethane deadblow hammer I bought in the 1980's. They replaced it with their newer version, no hassle.

 

[KnurledNut]

I have some of these Snap-on hammers, and while they work well, I feel like the way the handles are designed to flex so much also accelerates their failure.

A couple years ago, I had a Stanley Comp-o-cast blow apart on me. Its kind of the nature of the beast with all these hot cast poly hammers as they age.
A quick email with a picture to Stanley and they had a new one on its way. I was glad to see they are still made in USA.
Interestingly, they dip-sealed the metal faces like you’ll see on high end cutting tools, I assume to prevent rust in storage.

 

[GTO]

It’s like going to a basketball game with a group of guys where one guy can’t stop talking about politics or whatever. Can’t we just watch the game for once and not have to hear about your obsession with cheap tools? Just one thread?

I know, it's like a broken record in here sometimes.
I think by now, everyone knows about HF's Warranty program...

 

[PoorUB]

Oh FFS shut up about HF. We can’t have a single thread where someone doesn’t mention a cheaper product and literally no one is asking. Guys it’s infuriating.

A bit sensitive aren't we!

Other posts previous opened the door to other brands. Why not chew out them?

That didn't take long....
This one's going to go down fast.
SO vs. HF, who will come out on top.

No argument that Snap-On is better quality for most items, but it is a freaking hammer. It is about like comparing which rock is better.

 

[Rinspeed]

The few times I needed Snap On warranty service they were awesome to deal with.

 

[3baygarage]

I have some of these Snap-on hammers, and while they work well, I feel like the way the handles are designed to flex so much also accelerates their failure.

A couple years ago, I had a Stanley Comp-o-cast blow apart on me. Its kind of the nature of the beast with all these hot cast poly hammers as they age.
A quick email with a picture to Stanley and they had a new one on its way. I was glad to see they are still made in USA.
Interestingly, they dip-sealed the metal faces like you’ll see on high end cutting tools, I assume to prevent rust in storage.

Was that through Stanley itself? They don't have any dead blows available. I opted for some other replacements.

 

[Rinspeed]

A couple years ago, I had a Stanley Comp-o-cast blow apart on me. Its kind of the nature of the beast with all these hot cast poly hammers as they age.
A quick email with a picture to Stanley and they had a new one on its way. I was glad to see they are still made in USA.
Interestingly, they dip-sealed the metal faces like you’ll see on high end cutting tools, I assume to prevent rust in storage.

At the shop the welders use the big Stanley dead blow hammers daily for beating on SS weldments. I don't remember a single one coming apart which is pretty amazing considering how hard they are abused.

 

[charger 73]

I have had excellent experience dealing with snap on customer service by phone,
A few years ago my ball pean from 1989 had the plastic cracking and breaking off
a phone call and a new on sent, told to just dispose of the old one.
My dead blow from the same year is now getting that white chalky look,
guess its day is coming to.

 

[dante2]

The few times I've dealt with Snap-on have been great. Sent out some struts for a Blue Point cart, a broken Blue Point T40 Torx bit, and a 3/8 ratchet repair kit. Same experience with Proto for a lock to a top chest. Craftsman has warrantied the same screwdriver twice and pair of needlenose pliers no problem.

 

[Pinne]

Not to hijack the thread. Cornwell also warranties their plastic hammers and I like their new line quite a bit (blue/black).

Hammers

webcat.cornwelltools.com

Those Cornwell hammers look really nice. How does the grip compare with Snap-on’s in terms of comfort and actual grip?

I buy the Snap-on hammers because they’re so comfortable to use and easy to grip compared to…just about everything else. Even those that have copied the grip’s aesthetic seem to miss the functional part!

 

[KnurledNut]

Was that through Stanley itself? They don't have any dead blows available. I opted for some other replacements.

At the shop the welders use the big Stanley dead blow hammers daily for beating on SS weldments. I don't remember a single one coming apart which is pretty amazing considering how hard they are abused.

It was all handled directly by Stanley customer service.
I don’t have it in front of me but I believe this is the one they sent:
https://usatoolsinc.com/stanley-com...cyhtqKBTjGfI9USOdEX4DgtLKadJRfigEhp2rh0GOGdrx

The broken model was a double flat hammer, which was discontinued. A damn shame as it was a great design and a personal favorite. Loved the shorter length. They substituted the closest available model.

I was pounding on something one day and a chunk of the handle just crumbled off in my hand. I got to inspecting it and noticed the head had cracked too, which may had happened previously and I didn’t notice it.

 

[KnurledNut]

Not to hijack the thread. Cornwell also warranties their plastic hammers and I like their new line quite a bit (blue/black).

Hammers

webcat.cornwelltools.com

I don’t know who is making those but Proto offers a similar version with brass faces.

https://www.protoindustrial.com/pro...-blow-compo-cast-hammer-brass-face?tid=579666

 

[tomsatx]

Im not a professional mechanic, just a home owner / hobbyist and have never ordered from snap on. I picked up a snap on chest in trade that had bad gas struts. I knew that I would probably need to pay for these and called snap on. They gave me a pair of struts and was shocked they did this for me.
The service agent did say that this particular box cannot be warrantied by me again after creating an account for me and asked if any other items needed to be serviced such as the drawer glides. I said no, they work fine. Im not about to take advantage of a company that already gave me a break already. Cant say enough praises for Snap on though, but sadly the only way I can afford them is through their other brands or by purchasing 2nd hand.

 

[mreisner]

I have some of these Snap-on hammers, and while they work well, I feel like the way the handles are designed to flex so much also accelerates their failure.

A couple years ago, I had a Stanley Comp-o-cast blow apart on me. Its kind of the nature of the beast with all these hot cast poly hammers as they age.
A quick email with a picture to Stanley and they had a new one on its way. I was glad to see they are still made in USA.
Interestingly, they dip-sealed the metal faces like you’ll see on high end cutting tools, I assume to prevent rust in storage.

Keeps them from getting nicked up when they're in a bjn of other hammers

 

[AEAdam]

A bit sensitive aren't we!

Other posts previous opened the door to other brands. Why not chew out them?

No argument that Snap-On is better quality for most items, but it is a freaking hammer. It is about like comparing which rock is better.

Right. But (using your post for an example just to make the point) you didn’t compare hammers. All you compared was their purchase price. And literally everyone knows what the price of tools is or they can easily look it up. News Flash: HF is no longer the secret Chinese tool store it once was.

Something else. Probably 100% of GJ members have used $8 HF dead blow hammers. I’d wager less than 5% have used both those and snap on. I’m in the 5%.

There’s a reason some of us pay $100 for a hammer. And it’s not because we didn’t know there were cheaper models available. It’s likely you can only understand after you've used one for some amount of time.

Because they are so magnificent, and we all paid what we did because we felt these were “lifetime” tools, it’s good to hear someone warranted theirs and had a good experience. Mine are over 10yrs old and while dirty, look pretty good, aren’t dry or cracking. I do wonder when mine finally give up the ghost, if I’ll be able to warrantee them. I specifically bought mine off the truck in hopes I’d never have trouble warrantying them.

 

[ChefRex]

At the shop the welders use the big Stanley dead blow hammers daily for beating on SS weldments. I don't remember a single one coming apart which is pretty amazing considering how hard they are abused.

In a welding shop they are not subjected to oil, brake clean and other nasty chemicals.
I have warrantied a couple of SO hammers and have a Mac that needs to be, too bad it's been years since I have had a driver,

 

[oscarsnapkin]

Snap-On’s customer service is great to deal with. I’ve probably had 20 tools replaced over the last few years through the mail. I’ve only sent in the old tools twice. Once, it was the exact orange handle dead-blow hammers shown above. I bought them in the mid-90’s and never used them. A few years ago I dug them out of my parent’s garage, gave ‘em a swing and the handles turn to a pile of trash. They replaced all three. I’ve had them replace sockets with nothing more than a photo showing the damage. Seems odd that they don’t want the broken tools back as someone could easily walk onto a truck with them and have them warrantied again. I get that they’re trying to save on shipping, but for a $100 socket I figured they’d want the old one. Nope.

 

[Junkman]

A bit sensitive aren't we!

Other posts previous opened the door to other brands. Why not chew out them?

No argument that Snap-On is better quality for most items, but it is a freaking hammer. It is about like comparing which rock is better.

Diamonds are much better than granite. Snap on are Diamonds and the other......... well, I'll let you figure it out.

 

[zendriver]

Snap On decides to warranty a $150 plastic hammer and we're cheering their benevolence.

 

[Sumboodie]

That's the ONLY way I've been able to get replacement tools.

Finding a Snap On dealer... yeah right.
I think I'd have better luck finding a drugs dealer.

 

[DSEng]

Talk about service. I didn't send them pictures and I have no proof of purchase. They didn't even ask how bad the plastic was cracked. They just took care of me. I haven't had to warranty many Snap On tools, but this was by far the most painless. The new hammers showed up to my door via UPS in a week.

I wonder if their database was good enough to associate your email with purchase history from years ago. I know these days their computer system keeps track of everything you have bought off the truck.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

Those Cornwell hammers look really nice. How does the grip compare with Snap-on’s in terms of comfort and actual grip?

I buy the Snap-on hammers because they’re so comfortable to use and easy to grip compared to…just about everything else. Even those that have copied the grip’s aesthetic seem to miss the functional part!

Pretty similar feel for the most part. I would say the Cornwell's have a slightly more aggressive grip and I think they cost a little less.

The SO dealer that comes to my shop is pretty awesome. Never issues turning in tools with him. Was on his truck just this morning.

 

[DSEng]

Right. But (using your post for an example just to make the point) you didn’t compare hammers. All you compared was their purchase price. And literally everyone knows what the price of tools is or they can easily look it up. News Flash: HF is no longer the secret Chinese tool store it once was.

Something else. Probably 100% of GJ members have used $8 HF dead blow hammers. I’d wager less than 5% have used both those and snap on. I’m in the 5%.

There’s a reason some of us pay $100 for a hammer. And it’s not because we didn’t know there were cheaper models available. It’s likely you can only understand after you've used one for some amount of time.

Because they are so magnificent, and we all paid what we did because we felt these were “lifetime” tools, it’s good to hear someone warranted theirs and had a good experience. Mine are over 10yrs old and while dirty, look pretty good, aren’t dry or cracking. I do wonder when mine finally give up the ghost, if I’ll be able to warrantee them. I specifically bought mine off the truck in hopes I’d never have trouble warrantying them.

I've used both and hate cheap deadblows. The lead shot is never packed full in cheap hammers so they sound like a baby's rattle.

A good middle ground is Trusty Cook hammers. USA made and rebadged by a few other companies like Tekton. As far as I know they only make single material hammers, so the dual density rubber grip like SO and Cornwell isn't available.