tpolley
Well-known member
does anyone honor old kmart hand tools? just curious, i've heard of some other companies warrantying tools from defunct tool companies.
does anyone honor old kmart hand tools?
- Thread starter tpolley
- Start date
Nealcrenshaw
Well-known member
You bought tools from Kmart???? and want someone to warranty them?
You're wasting your time.
You're wasting your time.
Red Green
Well-known member
I got a Benchtop ratchet warrantied at Kmart but it was a very time consuming operation. If I was working(seasonal) at the time it wouldn't have been worth the time and effort. I ended up getting a store gift card for the value of the ratchet.
rsanter
Well-known member
wait till someone really pisses you off, then take it in and ask for warranty
that way you will already be prepaired for a fight...
bob
that way you will already be prepaired for a fight...
bob
chromemoly
Well-known member
I did not know that K-town had there own line of hand tools, although I do have a old shotgun that says "Montgomery Ward" on it.....wonder if its warrantied?
I would start with the contact info below. Explain the situation to them and ask how to proceed. Just realize that you might need to escalate to a manager to figure this out. If that does not work try the warranty question page on Sears.com.
Some of the Kmart tools were not that bad stuff from Japan. They were not Snap On but they were not junk.
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/nb_10151_10104_NB_CSemail?adCell=W4
Contact Us
Have a question? Have a great suggestion? Want to compliment one of our associates? Or make a comment about our Website? WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
Phone:
To reach the Contact Center for Kmart.com, call 1-866-KMART-4U (1-866-562-7848), from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. (CT) Monday - Sunday.
E-Mail:
E-Mail us with questions or comments.
[email protected]
Some of the Kmart tools were not that bad stuff from Japan. They were not Snap On but they were not junk.
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/nb_10151_10104_NB_CSemail?adCell=W4
Contact Us
Have a question? Have a great suggestion? Want to compliment one of our associates? Or make a comment about our Website? WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
Phone:
To reach the Contact Center for Kmart.com, call 1-866-KMART-4U (1-866-562-7848), from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. (CT) Monday - Sunday.
E-Mail:
E-Mail us with questions or comments.
[email protected]
wantedabiggergarage
Member Emeritus
I am going through several days posts (sorry).
Red Green went through it before. As I have one Benchtop ratchet from when I was still in high school (long, long ago), I asked him for the info. (I saved it)
"The number is 800-434-8438 and the Lady I talked to was Keyara."
The very last Benchtop tools before the Sears merger into Craftsman was some pretty nice stuff. My wife grabbed a mixed bag ratchet and socket baggie that they probably were using for warranty claims, missing about 4 sockets.(for like 8 bucks) I like the Benchtop ratchet better than my Craftsman. Whenever I grab it from the pile, I have found myself stopping and looking at it to see what I grabbed, it's that noticeable.
sberry
Banned
I got to kind of go with this. I have a fair amount of cheap end wrenches. They are affordable to have available, proliferation I believe is what they call that. In reality they are warranted but out of the dozens, probably hundreds I really broke a half a dozen and of the ones I recall most were being used as backup for continuous (hundreds) of cycles in conjunction with impact, small ones at that. 9/16 mostly. (not to mention I recycled them into another tool) But at that point a 1.50 wrench had served its purpose and didn't owe me a thing. Disposable to some extent.
I happened to buy a few hand tools from Grant then Kmart when I was a kid, must have been 10 or so in early 70's, was the only Box store around. I think I still got a few sockets and end wrenches that are in service.
sberry
Banned
I know some of you guys are fussy about hand tools but it is a real issue with me too. My environment is slightly different than a shop auto mechanic or hobby type where the work area is confined to dome extent. We have large auto/truck/tractor/welding shop and a 2 or 3 service trucks, multiple buildings, tractors, golf carts etc.
End wrenches, adjustable, pliers, screwdrivers, 5/16 nut drivers are stables as well as utility knife and tape measure. Cheap pliers have their place but wont hold up in continuous service but it beats walking, 25 $ worth of hand tools on a unit saves thousands of steps, immediate time and hundreds of hours of frustration and labor in general. My forklift has hammer, channeloks, wire cutter, adjustable and screwdriver on it, etc or someone goes into storage and there is crescent and screwdriver there for demolition. Multiple mechanics add to the demand for hand tools.
Cheap sockets are useless except for some impacts from our auto parts jobber, they are great, warranty, delivered and a 9/16x1/2 is under 3$, a 3/4 maybe 4. I have warrantied a couple but they saw 10 yrs of HARD service. I got maybe a couple dozen in the sizes we really use.
In the right time and place China tools can be a huge asset to American business. You can get the cost so low its foolish to starve the place of hand tools.
If I had to start again today though there are better options than Sears and way better economies than a tool truck for most things. I like the stuff at Menard's. For say 800 easy or less you could absolutely stuff a roll around. Made in USA. Its economy that should be rewarded with purchases. 4$ Allen wrench or 40$ tool truck wrench? Where you figure the money goes in this picture? Good marketing should be rewarded but how much of the juice in this scenario you figure trickle down to Joe factory?
A 30$ set of good end wrenches has a huge rate of return, I shop with vendors for tools with this in mind, I don't want to have to do the additional work required to return on 300$ wrench set. The quality difference is minimal anyway especially at that cost.
End wrenches, adjustable, pliers, screwdrivers, 5/16 nut drivers are stables as well as utility knife and tape measure. Cheap pliers have their place but wont hold up in continuous service but it beats walking, 25 $ worth of hand tools on a unit saves thousands of steps, immediate time and hundreds of hours of frustration and labor in general. My forklift has hammer, channeloks, wire cutter, adjustable and screwdriver on it, etc or someone goes into storage and there is crescent and screwdriver there for demolition. Multiple mechanics add to the demand for hand tools.
Cheap sockets are useless except for some impacts from our auto parts jobber, they are great, warranty, delivered and a 9/16x1/2 is under 3$, a 3/4 maybe 4. I have warrantied a couple but they saw 10 yrs of HARD service. I got maybe a couple dozen in the sizes we really use.
In the right time and place China tools can be a huge asset to American business. You can get the cost so low its foolish to starve the place of hand tools.
If I had to start again today though there are better options than Sears and way better economies than a tool truck for most things. I like the stuff at Menard's. For say 800 easy or less you could absolutely stuff a roll around. Made in USA. Its economy that should be rewarded with purchases. 4$ Allen wrench or 40$ tool truck wrench? Where you figure the money goes in this picture? Good marketing should be rewarded but how much of the juice in this scenario you figure trickle down to Joe factory?
A 30$ set of good end wrenches has a huge rate of return, I shop with vendors for tools with this in mind, I don't want to have to do the additional work required to return on 300$ wrench set. The quality difference is minimal anyway especially at that cost.
sberry
Banned
When I change a starter for 75$ I wanna pocket some vs making the first of 6 payments on something.
mistertwister
New member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1
If Kmart still carried Benchtop, I would buy them over Craftsman in a heartbeat. The ratchets are much better built, and the sockets just as well. I spend 10+ hours a day using Snap-On and other high-priced tools. The Benchtop tools are just as good. I've had my own Benchtop tools for over 12 years now and have never broken a socket or ratchet. I had to exchange ONE screwdriver. I am disappointed that Benchtop is no more.
Mickey O
Well-known member
Oh yeah those Benchtop's are fantastic, right up there with Snap-On and Pittsburgh but I haven't seen them lately I wonder if they are selling them strictly from tool trucks now.
Mr.Nutcase
Well-known member
I wish I could go back in time, those benchtop weere good...
fordbroncodave
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2009
- Messages
- 4,555
you might be able to get away with it. they still sell benchtop branded tools. they might give you that instead less the USA quality and the warranty is over...
Teken
Well-known member
mcdtommy23
Well-known member
poprockcrusher
Banned
nostalgia for cheap junk ......
what is an end wrench ?
what is an end wrench ?
donsims30
Well-known member
I went to k-mart yesterday with 2 benchtop ratchets and the k-mart/sears customer service phone number in hand. When I got to the register I was told there was nothing they could do for me because the product no longer exists. I didn't argue or anything, just told them I was going to call customer service and see what they advised. After calling the number and being transfered about 4 times and even having 2 of the customer service representatives talking to the kmart manager I was getting no-where. Finally after about an hour someone from k-mart production called into the store to talk to the manager about the issue, and he told them not to worry about it he already had it handled. He then told me to go get the 2 closest ratchets he had to what I needed exchanged and he would sell them to me for a penny. So I got 2 of the evolv craftsman ratchets ( as they were actually the only style ratchet he had in the store). I think the only reason he did this was because he got frustrated with all the phone calls and with me hanging around the front desk for an hour. So I guess if you have the time and patience you can out wait them into honoring the warranty
woody 73
Well-known member
Do they still have K-mart stores I thought Edward Lambert killed them off...
Peoria Man
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2012
- Messages
- 2,493
I probably have the same ratchet. Got it as a gift one year, back in the 80s. I couldn't help but wonder, what was I supposed to do with a 1/4" set? I'm not building toys. But sure enough, I've gotten my share of use out of it. The ratchet, that is. The sockets were kind of annoying because they were so deeply chamfered inside that they tended to slip off of shallow bolts.
Also, Kmart was where I bought my first socket set of my very own. It was a Stanley 3/8-drive set, made in USA and each piece was beautifully engraved like fine jewelry. I still have most of it except for a couple sockets that got lost over the years. The ratchet that came with it remains my favorite.
donsims30
Well-known member
I think when it comes to a discontinued truck tool they give you a percentage of the old tool towards the purchase of a similar new tool. At least I know that's how it went for my old snap-on torque wrench. Sears actually gives you a new comparable item when it comes to old craftsman tools. I know that from having taken in tools they know longer make such as I believe it was the robo-wrench and they let me pick out a new pair of vise grips to take their place. The complaint is that k-mart is still in business and k-mart is the one who backed the warranty. I would understand if they went out of business, no warranty, but to simply switch brands and decide not to have some sort of policy in place for your own brand of previously sold lifetime warranty tools is just kinda bad business.
TwoInch
Well-known member
odd i see this thread today. stopped at a couple pawn shops, digging through bins on sockets and wrenches, and found k-mart wrenches. no sub brand, nothing, k-mart right on the wrenches.found it interesting as i never noticed them before anywhere.
concealer404
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Messages
- 1,147
I think i sold a bunch of those Benchtop sockets in one of my huge socket lots...
I may still have a few. They looked pretty decent.
I may still have a few. They looked pretty decent.
I know this is an old thread but I would just add this:
I bought a couple Benchtop ratchet sets from Kmart in the late 90's. I thought they were nice quality and a great deal.
A couple years ago I broke a ratchet. Brought it to the local Sears store and they gave me a Craftsman ratchet as a replacement with no issue.
I bought a couple Benchtop ratchet sets from Kmart in the late 90's. I thought they were nice quality and a great deal.
A couple years ago I broke a ratchet. Brought it to the local Sears store and they gave me a Craftsman ratchet as a replacement with no issue.
Codejack
Banned
I found some Kmart brand wrenches in my Grandad's shop; they were the only wrenches he had, and he never owned a socket set in his life.
sberry
Banned
I have some imports before Kmart, WT Grant and they were/are very rugged.
Empty Pockets
Well-known member
I know the last 2 in Rochester NY are having the Going Out Of Business sale
kbuhagiar
Well-known member
This.
Never assume that you are SOL if something breaks.
It never hurts to follow up with customer service. Even if they won't replace a defective item, many times they will send you some other form of compensation. Worst thing they can do is say no.
sberry
Banned
There is a value judgement here, people drive all over spend 20 in gas and 2 hours to try to get a 3$ socket replaced. Some can be had for 50 cents at a pawn.
Yup, use it until you use it up. Bad economy in chasing down a decades old warranty to get a shiny cheap replacement with no real advantage over the last one.
My work kit is all cheaper wrenches that are long past the one year warranty. Still going strong and so cheap it will take minutes to find another should the need arise. Matching them up wouldn't even be hard right now.
My work kit is all cheaper wrenches that are long past the one year warranty. Still going strong and so cheap it will take minutes to find another should the need arise. Matching them up wouldn't even be hard right now.
zoomieport
Well-known member
Agreed ,I've said the same things in similar threads,my time is worth more than to chase down a warranty on something that has served its purpose a thousand times over.