Snakebyt
Well-known member
co worker cracked a gp socket, took back to dealer and they replaced no questions asked
Greys Pnumatic warranty USELESS
- Thread starter nes999
- Start date
plinker
Well-known member
Pretty much sums up my opinion on GP and others that have a similar policy. It isnt worth the trouble to me.
I can and have replaced sockets/whatever simply because it was faster then dealing with the warranty time frame.
Yes you can. Buy used top of the line tools like on Ebay then warranty as necessary.
ssdave
Banned
A small percentage of the users can do that. Somebody has to buy the new ones.
Lelandwelds
Well-known member
Ever been in a heat treated shop? They have baskets with hundreds or thousands of parts in heat treated at one time. Center of basket gets a slower quench. Parts at start of shift get a faster quench due to colder bath.
A 20°drift in tempering oven changes toughness. Are they modifying the atmosphere?
Did a secondary or tertiary supplier deliver slightly out of spec alloy? Higher or lower than spec causes problems.
Sometimes the variables stack and you get bad parts. Warranty handles the tiny percentage of outliers.
Home Depot sells at least a few Grey Pneumatic sets, (Maybe only online, I have never seen any in any store) does anybody know if they are an authorized vendor? I sent Grey Pneumatic a dealer request and got nothing whatsoever back...
Snap_cap
Well-known member
JeepsAreBuilt
Well-known member
Matco will warranity GP sockets.. I got my matco guy to do it, but I had to educate him. The 2nd matco dealer ended up giving me matco sockets in place of broken GP sockets..
Careful, warranty is typically limited to the original purchaser and does not cover wear from normal use.
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Schurkey
Well-known member
Nope, not replacing the entire set. Pointless to send it ALL back.
T27, T47, and the goofy prehistoric-not-really-Torx GM door striker/seat belt bolt are the sizes that need the highest quality. You're nuts to buy these sizes in anything other than the best available. The usual sizing-by-5 fasteners (T10, T15, T20...T60, etc) aren't the trouble the "7"s often are.
Far as I know, there's only one source for the prehistoric GM door striker/seat belt tool--Snap-On PSTX500E or the previous versions. Snap-On calls it "Socket Driver, Power, TORX® (GM® Style), T50" but it's NOT a T50 Torx. Don't use a T50 on this "special" fastener, or use the "GM Style" T50 on a regular Torx fastener. You WILL damage the tool, or the fastener, or both.
Curious: Was this T27 an impact socket? Using a hand tool with an impact driver produces shock loads the tool may not be designed to accept. If this thing isn't impact-rated, you misused the tool.
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It was an impact socket used with my dewalt 1/4inch impact. It snapped on the first hit of the hammers. This is why I suspect it was just a void or some other material failure. I can't imagine a bit, even from the shady Chinese tent at a swap meet, being that weak.
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anndel
Well-known member
Same here, sent them an email while trying to locate a local dealer but no response from GP and that was 3 years ago.
I moved on and bought Sunex, Tekton, Snap On and some SK sets.
Rustypigeon
Well-known member
Same reason I decided not to go with GP.
I am thinking of getting some Sunex impact sockets. I imagine that it would be rather difficult to warranty GP stuff through Home Depot. (If they would even do it)
bob15
Well-known member
Yup. Work in a company that did its own heat treat in house for decades until they shutter the manufacturing building about 6 years ago. And our products are more sensitive to proper heat treat than any hand tool would be (considering the final product has clearances in the millionths....not like a wrench or socket)
And like I said, most tools that break are abused. Ever work in warranty & returns for anything? You learn real fast how much people will abuse stuff and expect to get a replacement for free.
Finky198
Well-known member
I worked with a guy a few years ago and he went on and on about how he got such a great deal on GP impacts on Amazon about 5 sets. I waited to see how the big debate was panning out at the same time guys on here were saying Sunex like it was the word of god......Then I heard about the GP warranty issue. He had already bought them and boy was he pissssssed when his common sizes started having issues and was denied warranty. We had a few rebuilds at the time that would use 3/8 impacts and 3/8” 5/8” and 3/4” socket about 20 bolts each per day for a week or 2 at a time he would start to round stuff out sometimes I wonder if it was the operator....
In the end I knew which route to go and I couldn’t be happier with the Sunex sockets.
nor have I had a single broken socket out of 4 sets 98 sockets.
I will definitely used them as a source for any impact needs. And we have the spectrum when it comes to impacts ( Sunex, Sk, Snap On, HF, CMan, Proto, Wright) and the Sunex are up there with the best...
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I've had load of torx impact bits break on me, i think its a weakness of the design that they just don't seem to tolerate impact tools well.
For common sizes your best buying the box of 10-ish bits from a decent brand, dewalt, milwaukee, wera etc..
Always have spares (a few) if you use them often.
For common sizes your best buying the box of 10-ish bits from a decent brand, dewalt, milwaukee, wera etc..
Always have spares (a few) if you use them often.
ssdave
Banned
For T27 impact, I use Zephyr 1/4" hex bits, and a proto impact adapter. As several have said, small torx are expendables. I'd rather replace a quality insert bit at $2, than use a cheap bit at $6 or $8, or even have to deal with warrantying a $30 snap on one.
crewchief888
Well-known member
allen and torx bits are both things i wont "cheap out" on.
ive learned my lesson. all the bits i regularly use are SO.
i recently purchased some long torx and MM allens from tekton...
the couple longs bits i use occasionally, non impact, low torque, a slightly more convenient way of removing a couple bolts in tight spots. have to see how they hold up in the long run...
ive learned my lesson. all the bits i regularly use are SO.
i recently purchased some long torx and MM allens from tekton...
the couple longs bits i use occasionally, non impact, low torque, a slightly more convenient way of removing a couple bolts in tight spots. have to see how they hold up in the long run...
Honestly this experience has taught me why I always went with proto for the bulk of my stuff. I can drive a 5 minutes down the road and get a replacement or call them and they'd have a truck here sometime today. Buy cheap, buy twice. The price and advertised warranty made the risk worth it. Im interested in how my 3/8 master set (1281) holds up. I think I paid around 300, so I'm the grand scheme of things I bought an entire set for what almost 2 rails of proto would have cost me.
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Ji m
Well-known member
I never 'plan' to break anything,
but I also don't plan to reward a company that uses a warranty to sell something,
but doesn't plan to actually honor it.
As far as broken tools,
if you don't count tape measures, screw drivers, and torks bits,
I've probably broken a dozen or so good quality 6 point sockets, and stripped out maybe half as many good 12 points over the years.
Also wore out or broke the guts of a bunch of ratchets, and have returned a Craftsman breaker bar to have the new one fall apart when I got it home.
Most never get returned, since I don't have access to the Snap On or Matco guy anymore,
and who knows what I'll find if I walk into a Sears right now.
But I do need to add to my swivel sockets,
and I'll avoid th company that goes out of it's way to deny legitimate failures.
Ji m
Well-known member
just what's within arms reach here:
broken Matco wrench
stripped Matco 12pt
2 broken Craftsman 6pts and a stripped 12pt
all USA made,
all gaurenteed, though I haven't gotten around to returning any of them.
^hand tool use only,
only "abuse" is that I'm 6'1"/245lbs, and live in New England where even an 8mm bolt can get stuck enough to snap a wrench
broken Matco wrench
stripped Matco 12pt
2 broken Craftsman 6pts and a stripped 12pt
all USA made,
all gaurenteed, though I haven't gotten around to returning any of them.
^hand tool use only,
only "abuse" is that I'm 6'1"/245lbs, and live in New England where even an 8mm bolt can get stuck enough to snap a wrench
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Sine Swept
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2014
- Messages
- 440
^ Nice wrench!
My only GP socketry is a 1/4 drive metric set of magnetic impacts. I bought them for the magnetic function, not whether they were the cat's ***.
Everything has been great with them, until I go and misplace a socket on a black extension inside the truck I had been working on. After it was all said and done it was cheaper and more convenient to order one from Mac as a replacement. I just can't stand a master set, who's master can't seem to master mastering.
For torx I've gone with Wiha, screwdrivers and bit sockets. So far, no complaints and the bit sockets have a set screw for easy replacement if there are failures. Not so much a matter of if, just when.
My only GP socketry is a 1/4 drive metric set of magnetic impacts. I bought them for the magnetic function, not whether they were the cat's ***.
Everything has been great with them, until I go and misplace a socket on a black extension inside the truck I had been working on. After it was all said and done it was cheaper and more convenient to order one from Mac as a replacement. I just can't stand a master set, who's master can't seem to master mastering.
For torx I've gone with Wiha, screwdrivers and bit sockets. So far, no complaints and the bit sockets have a set screw for easy replacement if there are failures. Not so much a matter of if, just when.
knobby
Well-known member
Torx are just the worse case scenario for warranty issues snappy golds are the best Ive ever used but even they are no match for jeeps used in the rust belt.
heat or welding a nut onto the awesome torx fastener is the usual solution.
heat or welding a nut onto the awesome torx fastener is the usual solution.
Ign
Well-known member
Honestly I'm going to pause on GP now, too.
What's that T27 cost them vs what they're losing in sales here? Yes there are abusers but a little goodwill can win you a customer for life. OR just don't offer a warranty, that's ok too and everyone knows where they stand from the start.
I've seen Tekton and Sunex praised here but let's not forget AP (Astro Pneumatic). A single PM on this board will usually get the ball rolling....
What's that T27 cost them vs what they're losing in sales here? Yes there are abusers but a little goodwill can win you a customer for life. OR just don't offer a warranty, that's ok too and everyone knows where they stand from the start.
I've seen Tekton and Sunex praised here but let's not forget AP (Astro Pneumatic). A single PM on this board will usually get the ball rolling....
redwrench60
Well-known member
I don’t blame you. I got tired of begging for warranty on their stuff and I’m in a professional repair shop with many other options for tool dealers.
Although I’m not sure how a person can “abuse” an impact rated Torx bit socket. If they advertise it for impact use and it breaks on an impact then it seems fair to me. I have learned through experience not to buy budget priced hex and Torx bit sockets. Even the strongest can have trouble but you have the best chance of success.
mudflap
Well-known member
This is what immediately came to mind...We break ten T-50 Torx every time we change the blades on one of the County's big chippers...ALL BRANDS...even the Holy Grail SO... Im surprised any tool company will warranty them...They are a consumable ..Same with Phillips screwdrivers..? But...since they do warranty them... You just have a crappy dealer..That happens sometimes with all brands too..WE have run off more than one Snappy dealer over the years for loving our money...but not our returns..