I haven't had to warranty anything at Sears in a few years but from what I've been reading is the majority of CM tools are all China made now. My question is what if I need to warranty some of my USA made tools, for example I have a ratchet that needs replaced do they give me a Chinese made ratchet? I have zero interest in owning Chinese tools so I'm wondering what the options are at this point, is it possible to get a cash refund instead? I tried searching the site for any examples and couldn't find anything. Thanks in advance for any guidance!
Craftsman warranty question
- Thread starter Rtw5150
- Start date
XxToolAholicxX
Well-known member
Ask if they can repair it or ask for the kit. If they just want to replace it most likely they will replace it with Taiwan or Chinese made. If that particular store cant repair it try another one. Good luck
I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit
I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Some behind the counter are already rebuild USA versions. Ask for that instead of a brand new one off the shelf.
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
Some locations will re-build your ratchet on the spot, but you may have to call a few before you find one that does that. My local sears does not, but the one in the mall does.
-Sam
-Sam
panknuckshovel
Well-known member
I tried to warranty a 3/8 RP a few months ago and wanted USA as well. After three stores I gave up and went with Williams B-52EHA. $25, USA made, 36 tooth and smooth like buddah.
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byoungblood
Well-known member
Go and buy a better US made ratchet elsewhere. While the old RP ones get the job done most of the time, they're just an old, outdated design that has been hit or miss on reliability for some time.
kiatech
Well-known member
I can count on one hand how many times I have used a RP ratchet.
Loscaldazar
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Messages
- 2,385
A properly maintained Craftsman raised panel ratchet will outlast any of us, so I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. Hardly what I would call outdated on an unreliable design. My experience has been quite the opposite.
There are numerous cases of the RP ratchets breaking on this forum. I've had a couple (in my friend's garage, I've only owned 2 RP ratchets and never actually used them) that busted on me. He has 3-4 of each drive size so that when one breaks, he can just grab another to finish the job, and then warranty the broken one later. Could have had a snap on or sk or numerous other brands for the price of 3-4 RP ratchets....
It's also come to pretty much a consensous that the RP ratchets are one of the worst ratchets you can buy outside of a dollar store. Even the harbor freight ratchets are better (actually, the HF pro ratchets are fantastic!).
They will offer a sears gift card if they do not have the replacement in stock, most will give you a rebuilt one in exchange and they all ways have them those ratchets in stock so I don't think they would refund you.
panknuckshovel
Well-known member
Yes, less than ZERO chance of a refund. Also, if they warranty for a new chinese one off the shelf they will tell you it is the same part number when you ask for USA.
purplezr2
Well-known member
I had no problem getting a gift card when I told them I didn't want the Chinese junk./
Also well raise panels may work, they have to be one of the worst ratchets I have ever used. Easy to break, reverse all the time, and very rough action. Every time I use one it makes me miss my tools at home.
Dust Devil
Well-known member
Your warranty was sold to china. Sorry.
Your choices are either hope they have a rebuild kit or rebuilt ratchet for swapping, or you just take the Chinese ratchet and ebay it and move on to something else.
Quite frankly, Craftsman RP ratchets are dime a dozen out there on the secondary market and at some point you have to value your time and either accept Craftsman has gone offshore or pay out of pocket if on the secondary market for another USA made Craftsman ratchet.
Quite frankly, Craftsman RP ratchets are dime a dozen out there on the secondary market and at some point you have to value your time and either accept Craftsman has gone offshore or pay out of pocket if on the secondary market for another USA made Craftsman ratchet.
I disagree 100%.
Old CM raised panel ratchets have served the test of time for decades. The instances of non wear related failures are very rare.
If your post said New RP ratchets then there could be grounds for agreement.
These are some of the most reliable ratchets ever made IMHO:
uncletater
Well-known member
I bought some USA made rebuild kits from Ebay for my ratchets, They were around $7.00 a piece. I didn't need them but I wanted to have them on hand just in case. My CM ratchets were the first ones I ever bought and still use them today even though I have several other brands they still work, most of them are around 30 years old. Here is a page with a part number cross reference.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44430
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44430
panknuckshovel
Well-known member
Its different with every sales person, I was just there picking up the rest of my order from the facebook points deal. This time I remembered to grab the few broken tools I had in my home box. Didn't have two sockets I brought and gave me the option of picking from the rack at the same price point or doing store to home. These are all stuff I have double or triple off so I picked what I could remember I was missing in the same price point... 10mm 6pt and 12pt since they seem to grow feet.
Last time I went the sales person just wanted to give me a gift card for a broken extension they didn't have on the rack.
Loose sockets and some wrench stock along with store to home has all been USA when I used it. But all sets in the store are overseas now along with the ratchets. I have too many of them as it is that I don't use.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
I disagree 100%.
Old CM raised panel ratchets have served the test of time for decades. The instances of non wear related failures are very rare.
If your post said New RP ratchets then there could be grounds for agreement.
These are some of the most reliable ratchets ever made IMHO:
Second that.. The older ratchets have given me long, dependable service........
Some of the raised panels that were sold in the later years?? I counted nine in my junk pail the other day.. Some have not been used... Would I depend on them?? Heck no, that is why they are in my junk pail... I would be ashamed to sell them to anyone.. Welded into lawn art would be a proper use at this time.
Someone did come up with a modification to improve these ratchets.. For those interested: Google should find the info needed on that.... Mine will stay in the junk pail until I either modify them or build the lawn art. As far as bringing them back to Sears; Naa.. All my Craftsman ratchets are made in the USA....bottom of the barrel USA junk. well except for the old ones
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byoungblood
Well-known member
A properly maintained Craftsman raised panel ratchet will outlast any of us, so I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. Hardly what I would call outdated on an unreliable design. My experience has been quite the opposite.
I was referring specifically to the RP ratchet that has been sold for the past 20 years or so.
I've run across some that work just fine, others don't really ratchet, stick when reversing direction, skip teeth, etc. I used them almost exclusively for 10-15 years, but after I started using other brands of ratchets, I don't even have them in my box anymore. Ones from the mid-90s seem to be OK, but anything after that the QC seemed to be rather haphazard and from the ones I've taken apart there's no discernible reason why some of them have these issues and others don't.
Any google keywords to get us there?
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
this will do it:
Craftsman raised panel ratchet modification
OR at the top of your screen ,, there is a black bar
type 178652 in the search box
post 27 in the first thread
OK I went back and bumped the old thread related to modifications to these ratchets..
Thank Jeremy V for posting it
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sberry
Banned
The one sold in the last 20 aint anything to write home about especially if it needs repair, the China version is just as good or bad depending on how you look at it, couldn't be any worse. As someone else said that's statistically got to be one of the worlds worst tools having any that been used for 5 minutes or more been replaced at least once.
Some of the older ones were great.......the round head fine tooth were very nice. The junk ones are the raised panel pear head quick release. I had some that I bought almost 20 years ago........I used them for a couple years when I didnt know anything differant........I had to have 3 of each drive size to get me by untill I could get to sears. (it was another town 120 miles away) Tools were not sold at amny places in my small town back then.
sberry
Banned
I had some old round heads that were good when I was young and at that point in life didn't know any better and wore out a couple of them. Didn't give it much thought and traded them in and got the next generation of **** and never got one that worked right since.
I paid thru the nose for a NAPA, same thing, replaced 2x and still a pc of junk. The best one I have had is some generic I paid 10 too much for over the counter when I needed it but its the best ratchet I have ever used regardless of cost. I am guilty of not fixing the rubber when it was in about 15 yrs but it never miss a lick, never greased or serviced, it was used in a tool pool and would outlast me if I didn't use any other.
This has been a bungle with Sears, its probably the single biggest blunder they have made is to cheap the ratchet. They might have lost a couple customers on a couple bucks price in single tool sales but there isn't anyone in hindsight wouldn't have gave up a couple for a decent tool.
Harbor Freight did a real good job with this and so does Walmart and I was in a Meijer and they got a whole box of China ratchets, 1/4 for 15 a pop, must have been meant to pick off shop lifters or really score when someone bought one but in their defense its that good ratchet.
Harbor freight has been around a long time now, they change vendors and will improve. Walmart will pay 50 cents more in China for a socket set they aint got to warranty.
Not all of the tools are much different and in some cases come from the same line as a lot of brand names. with modernization of steel its not hard to make good steel even strong steel and while it may not be the best is adequate or may be the best.
Take 10 adjustable wrenches. Make them all on one line due to the fact that to make them cheaper would actually cost more. Now automate the finish so you don't have to go back another step. Put one in a white box for 10$ and one in the best box for 100 and warranty it while screaming. Take 5 more and stamp a brand on them and price for 30 put them in an Ace store and sell 3 more for 20 under a house brand,,, Napa and ATD where I have bought it on sale for 10 retail btw but,,,,,,,,,,,,, how much you think we gonna save on production making a cheap tool????????? for the 2 units sold.
This is what I was pointing out to Adam C here,,, I believe him to be smarter etc and know more about steel than I ever will but there is the white box die set, it is not the absolute cheapest one but in some sense similar to the HF impact socket, a set of 40 pretty to really good taps and dies for Joe Q or for a guy to get his feet off the ground is hard to beat.
I paid thru the nose for a NAPA, same thing, replaced 2x and still a pc of junk. The best one I have had is some generic I paid 10 too much for over the counter when I needed it but its the best ratchet I have ever used regardless of cost. I am guilty of not fixing the rubber when it was in about 15 yrs but it never miss a lick, never greased or serviced, it was used in a tool pool and would outlast me if I didn't use any other.
This has been a bungle with Sears, its probably the single biggest blunder they have made is to cheap the ratchet. They might have lost a couple customers on a couple bucks price in single tool sales but there isn't anyone in hindsight wouldn't have gave up a couple for a decent tool.
Harbor Freight did a real good job with this and so does Walmart and I was in a Meijer and they got a whole box of China ratchets, 1/4 for 15 a pop, must have been meant to pick off shop lifters or really score when someone bought one but in their defense its that good ratchet.
Harbor freight has been around a long time now, they change vendors and will improve. Walmart will pay 50 cents more in China for a socket set they aint got to warranty.
Not all of the tools are much different and in some cases come from the same line as a lot of brand names. with modernization of steel its not hard to make good steel even strong steel and while it may not be the best is adequate or may be the best.
Take 10 adjustable wrenches. Make them all on one line due to the fact that to make them cheaper would actually cost more. Now automate the finish so you don't have to go back another step. Put one in a white box for 10$ and one in the best box for 100 and warranty it while screaming. Take 5 more and stamp a brand on them and price for 30 put them in an Ace store and sell 3 more for 20 under a house brand,,, Napa and ATD where I have bought it on sale for 10 retail btw but,,,,,,,,,,,,, how much you think we gonna save on production making a cheap tool????????? for the 2 units sold.
This is what I was pointing out to Adam C here,,, I believe him to be smarter etc and know more about steel than I ever will but there is the white box die set, it is not the absolute cheapest one but in some sense similar to the HF impact socket, a set of 40 pretty to really good taps and dies for Joe Q or for a guy to get his feet off the ground is hard to beat.