Good warranty replacement experience with Gedore Tools

[TJohn]

I purchased a Gedore 30 HMU-10 3/8 drive metric socket set which I received from Amazon on November 15th of this year. Much to my disappointment it contained a defective 3090-5 extension (125 mm). The extension had no spring behind the ball that retains the socket.

I contacted Gedore USA website as well as the German home site. About two days later, the first message back said I would have to take care of the issue through the vendor. However, I received a second message almost simultaneously from another representative for Gedore stating that they would take care of it and send out a replacement part.

After following up with my mailing information, I waited and sent a polite inquiry. In response I received an email four days ago saying that they had gotten some products in and that the extension was on the way.

Yesterday the package with the extension was on my doorstep when I got home from work. So, overall I am quite pleased with Gedore Tools products and services.

 

[TJohn]

I now own both 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive Gedore metric socket sets, along with several Gedore ratchets and I am reasonably impressed with their quality. Much better fit and finish than the pictures from another person's post earlier this year.

The sets should provide me with years of quality service that I can pass down to my son.

 

[uncwstudent]

I honestly didn't even know that Gedore tools have a warranty. Thanks for info OP!

 

[PureLeaf]

The Gedore tools warranty is just a manufacturer defect one. It's not the same level as some of the american manufacturers that warranty the tool for life.

I warrantied a brand new Gedore socket because the chrome was peeling off of it and I was not gonna slice my finger on a brand new socket. I got a quick response from their USA branch and a replacement socket for the bad one. So all good experiences there.

Still I wouldn't put Gedore quality on par with the USA stuff. I only bought it cause often the Gedore stuff is clearanced out quite cheaply. Its definitely not Hazet level. With the expansion of their Gedore Red value chinese line I'd be concerned of the direction of the company.

 

[Jim greengo]

Never heard of them.

 

[TJohn]

The Gedore tools warranty is just a manufacturer defect one. It's not the same level as some of the american manufacturers that warranty the tool for life.

I warrantied a brand new Gedore socket because the chrome was peeling off of it and I was not gonna slice my finger on a brand new socket. I got a quick response from their USA branch and a replacement socket for the bad one. So all good experiences there.

Still I wouldn't put Gedore quality on par with the USA stuff. I only bought it cause often the Gedore stuff is clearanced out quite cheaply. Its definitely not Hazet level. With the expansion of their Gedore Red value chinese line I'd be concerned of the direction of the company.

 

[TJohn]

PureLeaf said:. "With the expansion of their Gedore Red value chinese line I'd be concerned of the direction of the company."


Really with the globalization of today's economy, and globally sourced materials, I would be hard pressed to identify a tool company even a USA one that doesn't have an economic priced imported line, that it has been connected to for decades in many cases.

Not meant to disparage Snap On but even they have their Taiwan made Bluepoint, and many of their formerly European made partner tool companies are sourcing from Taiwan and China these days. For some more examples to make it fair, MAC has Expert, and Matco has Silver Eagle.

This is business model that all tool manufacturers seem to be following for better or worse. Stanley Black and Decker and all it's European partner companies as well.

.

 

[TJohn]

True the Gedore warranty is for manufacturing defects. It doesn't appear to be the break and replace warranty of Craftsman and Snapon. Even Snapon refuses to warranty some items.

 

[TJohn]

Never heard of them.

I had never heard of them until about a year or two ago. They appear to be primarily a German industrial tool company with a hundred year history along the lines of Williams or Wright here in the USA.

They kinda remind me of the Craftsman tools that my dad, brother and I used when I was younger. I personally think that Gedore's quality is more consistent.

 

[TJohn]

Still I wouldn't put Gedore quality on par with the USA stuff.

Sadly, even USA manufacturers have bad days as well. I have seen rachets that catch or have weak springs, sockets with no stamping and stamping running off the socket, items forged off center, etc. It's inevitable when you include the human factor.

 

[ZRX61]

Still I wouldn't put Gedore quality on par with the USA stuff.

I've had some Gedore stuff for 40+ years, never needed a warranty. Can't say the same for SnapOn.

 

[TJohn]

I only bought it cause often the Gedore stuff is clearanced out quite cheaply. Its definitely not Hazet level.

The more attractive prices are one reason I went with Gedore as well. I also considered availability and reviews. I read more negative reviews of Hazet than either Gedore or Stahlwille. Sometimes people's opinions and biases taint the reviews and it is hard to tell until you get your own hands on the item.

 

[PureLeaf]

I own their UD thin metric wrench set 8 mm to 19 mm, their 1B wrench set thats like 8 mm to 32 mm, their 10 mm to 32 mm 1/2 drive socket set, a few of their pullers, 1/2 ratchet, their chisel driver screwdriver set, their 150mm parallel vise (its a rebranded italian FZA vise). So I feel like I have somewhat of a grasp of their offerings and none of that has been persuasive to me to continue buying their tools unless on very deep discount. They're fine but none of it knocks your socks off.

My concern about Gedore's red line is their past experience with outsourcing when they did the infamous made in india line which might as well be radioactive for how they are avoided due to the quality.

 

[mikedodge]

I have a Gedore wrench set that came from my grandfather. I've seen the name online but that's about it.

 

[GEDORE US]

I’m chiming in late on this, but wanted to add my comments…
As the sales manager for GEDORE I want to state that our warranty is in line with all other manufacturers producing in the 1st world…I’m not referring to Asia product.

Yes, we warranty against defects from manufacturing, but that goes a long way. We have never not warranties a tool to my knowledge. I can imagine not warranting one if it was clearly abused or misused, I don’t think that’s out of line.

Our warranty length varies based on the type of tool, we produce specialty tools that are often warranties for 12 months, I’m referring to torque wrenches made for production in factories, as well as torque testing products.

We produce over 16,000 items.

The mention about us using China is incorrect, for the European market we launched a line of more economical products made at partner factories in Taiwan, some of that line has been offered in N. America, is will be a red tool, the overwhelming majority of our offering is made in either Germany, the UK, or Austria. We have factories in Brazil and S. Africa, they produce for their local markets.

 

[Etchase]

I’m chiming in late on this, but wanted to add my comments…
As the sales manager for GEDORE I want to state that our warranty is in line with all other manufacturers producing in the 1st world…I’m not referring to Asia product.

Yes, we warranty against defects from manufacturing, but that goes a long way. We have never not warranties a tool to my knowledge. I can imagine not warranting one if it was clearly abused or misused, I don’t think that’s out of line.

Our warranty length varies based on the type of tool, we produce specialty tools that are often warranties for 12 months, I’m referring to torque wrenches made for production in factories, as well as torque testing products.

We produce over 16,000 items.

The mention about us using China is incorrect, for the European market we launched a line of more economical products made at partner factories in Taiwan, some of that line has been offered in N. America, is will be a red tool, the overwhelming majority of our offering is made in either Germany, the UK, or Austria. We have factories in Brazil and S. Africa, they produce for their local markets.

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Gedore bigger than Hazet and Stahlwille? Isn’t Gedore a major player in international markets outside of Europe and North America since the 1960’s? Especially compared to Stahlwille and Hazet? Gedore has no trouble supplying the worlds largest aircraft company with the highest quality products. Gedore has had a very successful lines of value oriented tools, since the 60’s most recently branded Red. This is in addition to their very high end tools. I personally have some Carolus wrenches that get the job done. After 20 successful years Gedore India closed down in the 80’s when India stopped allowing foreign entities to operate inside their borders, because Union Carbide blew up the city of Bhopal. Gedore India didn’t close because of some failed business strategy, or quality problem. Those Gedore India wrenches were popular everywhere, even without a highly polished finish. I have a 40 year old set that’s rust free, which I can’t say about many tools from that era. Gedore’s international business model has faired much better than Bonney, Armstrong, New Britain and many others.

There is also a difference between distributing product from other manufacturers, and building products in factories that you own that aren’t within walking distance of your headquarters, even if they are all the way in Texas, or India. Gedore owned the plant in India, although some local ownership was required at the time.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Gedore is quality as far strength goes. But, the tools are more, lets say, agricultural, compared to hazet and Stahlwille. More blemishes, off center broatching etc.Also ,the ratchets are 30 years behind everyone else. As far as the warranty, in theory it covers only manufacturing defects, in practice though, they won't let you hanging. Things I would buy; ratcheting wrenches, circlip pliers, chisels and punches, gedore 1B wrenches, angled pliers, torque wrenches. Things I wouldn't; sockets, ratchets

Gedore red i wouldn't touch even with a pole