Kobalt Warranty

[CatfishXpress]

Today I returned a rubber-handled Kobalt screwdriver (made in USA) to Lowes, they claim "Lifetime no-hassle warranty, no questions asked". They asked to see my drivers license, they asked for my phone number, they asked how I paid for the item when I originally purchased it. After jumping through all their hoops, I was informed that they didn't have a screwdriver like the one I was returning, as suppliers have changed, they exchanged it for a made in china model.

 

[ImportTuner]

Today I returned a rubber-handled Kobalt screwdriver (made in USA) to Lowes, they claim "Lifetime no-hassle warranty, no questions asked". They asked to see my drivers license, they asked for my phone number, they asked how I paid for the item when I originally purchased it. After jumping through all their hoops, I was informed that they didn't have a screwdriver like the one I was returning, as suppliers have changed, they exchanged it for a made in china model.

That ***** the big one; just like if you were to return one the Kobalt wrenches made by Williams Tool/Snap On, you would get a made in China model ... and what's with the drivers license and phone number bit ...

 

[CatfishXpress]

I figure they are trying to track people that bring tools back, to try to see who is using them professionally or abusing tools. I imagine that if you take to many back, you will be blacklisted and they will no longer honor their warranty.

 

[iiibdsiil]

That's standard procedure on all returns at Home Depot without a receipt, I gotta imagine Lowes is the same.

 

[hell_fish_65]

Home Depot didn't ask for any info when I returned a broken Husky ratchet.

 

[montee]

Been lurking here for a while... I managed to obtain a pre-2003 (J.H. Williams produced) Kobalt ratchet. It works well, but very coarse... I bought it merely out of curiosity... If I ever have a problem with it.. apparently it looks like I'm hosed...

 

[kartracer55]

Hence why I dont buy sets of Kobalt or Husky tools anymore. Eventually Kobalt tools will be made entirely in china just like HD went with husky

 

[Coach James]

Kobalt wrenches, sockets and ratchets are still USA made(Danaher) but they have farmed everything else out to Chine/Taiwan. I do however, see some of their screwdrivers that are USA made. The ones that look like Craftsman plastic handles still say USA made, at least at our store.

The current Kobalt wrenches look identical to my Allen brand wrenches, which is no suprise. I have a metric set of the JH Williams made Kobalt wrenches and they are A+ good.

I have noticed that Kobalt mechanics tool are crazy expensive though.

Coach

 

[eschoendorff]

Kobalt wrenches, sockets and ratchets are still USA made(Danaher) but they have farmed everything else out to Chine/Taiwan. I do however, see some of their screwdrivers that are USA made. The ones that look like Craftsman plastic handles still say USA made, at least at our store.

The current Kobalt wrenches look identical to my Allen brand wrenches, which is no suprise. I have a metric set of the JH Williams made Kobalt wrenches and they are A+ good.

I have noticed that Kobalt mechanics tool are crazy expensive though.

Coach

Yup. Just go to Menards and buy the Allen brand there. Cheaper and more direct. There is no real advantage with the Kobalt name.

 

[BQuicksilver]

That's standard procedure on all returns at Home Depot without a receipt, I gotta imagine Lowes is the same.

Yep, if you don't have a receipt they want your DL#. No big deal if you're not trying to take advantage of them. I've almost fully renovated an old house via Lowes and return items without receipt 4-5x/week - no issues ever. They're just loooking for folks who buy Dewalt sets etc on EBay and return them for full credit at Lowes. Do that and you'll get blacklisted.

As others noted, if you're afraid of Chinese-made tools then I'd stay away from the big boxes. I'm sure they'll all move thet direction. As a DIY'er I'm not bothered by the country of origin as long as they honor their warranty...which they do very well in my experience.

 

[-lecroix-]

Yup. Just go to Menards and buy the Allen brand there. Cheaper and more direct. There is no real advantage with the Kobalt name.

Menard's isn't a nation-wide chain ... Lowe's is.

 

[MarkH]

Replacements usually work well in the first couple years. As an informed consumer what we bought was

Kobalt = made by Williams
Home Depot Husky = made by New Britian
John Deere = made by Bonney Utica

Now with the exception of Kobalt which = what Danher line? We get a known by reputation replaced by made ?????? with ????? quality. The reputation we purchased was not the Home Depot etc name it was the fact we knew who made it and their reputation.

Frustrating.

Then how many replaced sets just because the replacement looked different?

 

[wrenchr]

Great Neck is producing the Kobalt screw driver's now. Turn the package over and read it.

 

[Deafautotech]

Yup. Just go to Menards and buy the Allen brand there. Cheaper and more direct. There is no real advantage with the Kobalt name.

i am agree with you! my local menards have allen brand tools but i can found some of them are Armstrong brand so i buy some of Armstrong tools which i dont have one.... as i paid price for Allen Brand not Armstrong brand price so i did paid and drive like that >

 

[wrenchr]

i am agree with you! my local menards have allen brand tools but i can found some of them are Armstrong brand so i buy some of Armstrong tools which i dont have one.... as i paid price for Allen Brand not Armstrong brand price so i did paid and drive like that >

Allen and armstrong are both owned by Danaher, I would say they are both the same thing just different name's on the tool.

 

[lbgradwell]

Home Depot Husky = made by New Britian

Although New Britain did once make Husky Tools, it was well before the Husky name became associated with Home Depot. Stanley acquired New Britain with their purchase of National Hand Tools in 1986. In 1992, the Husky name was licensed to HD with Stanley producing the actual tools. In February 2007, I believe Stanley transferred the rights to the Husky brand to HD, while still continuing to produce the tools in Taiwan.

John Deere = made by Bonney Utica

We can be sure that John Deere tools were also made by Stanley prior to 1999 as they were specifically mentioned in the Federal Trade Commission's complaint against The Stanley Works falsely claiming the tools were "Made in USA".

 

[Cobra6]

I bought some of the Kobalt wrenches 3 or 4 years ago when I noticed one day they were marking them down. The man that worked the tool dept. told me they were changing the Kobalt line of tools.
I got some pretty good deals, but I wouldn't want to turn in the nice chrome Kobalt wrenches I have for the new stuff.

I did get a deal at the same time on a upper and lower tool cabinet - I paid about $350 total for both - they were getting ready to change from the blue tool cabinets to the new black ones, and everything was about 1/2 price.

Lowe's has been good for me to get clearance items like this over the years.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Kobalt were originally made by JH Williams company, a division of Snap~on. They were sold online, until Lowes got the exclusive rights, and started selling them in stores. I was told they dropped JH, because they couldn't produce them fast enough for Lowes (or probably cheap enough). I picked up their flare nut wrenchs, which pretty much match the Snap~on's we have at the shop (enough so the others were po'd that I got the last sets). Now they no longer carry them, if one spreads, I am sol.

 

[NOMAD]

Unfortunately, the reality is that you are buying "Kobalt" and "Husky", not Danaher or anyone else you think is behind the scenes. The "Kobalt" brand can decide to have anyone make their product they want so as long as they replace name with name they are good.

It makes it hard for us to get quality replacements, diminishes our options for good tools but until people demand high quality and pay for it, there will be no changes.

I'm slowly getting rid of the cheap stuff I thought was a deal now that I'm working with them more. I can't afford snap-on but I can afford craftsman and some others.

The older I get the more I can't afford to buy cheap tools (and replace them) anymore. I'd rather spend money on something that will last.

 

[goodfellow]

Unless Sears drastically improves its profits and customer service, they may not be around much longer. I can see a day when the Craftsman brand will be sold to another company and their famous "lifetime warranty" will be on par with the home centers and the box stores.

 

[cambell]

Unless Sears drastically improves its profits and customer service, they may not be around much longer. I can see a day when the Craftsman brand will be sold to another company and their famous "lifetime warranty" will be on par with the home centers and the box stores.

I can see it too, but I hope not. I'm too poor for truck brand tools so craftsman is my expensive tools and I have alot of them.

 

[eschoendorff]

I can see it too, but I hope not. I'm too poor for truck brand tools so craftsman is my expensive tools and I have alot of them.

And there's nothing wrong with that!

 

[wrenchr]

I can see it too, but I hope not. I'm too poor for truck brand tools so craftsman is my expensive tools and I have alot of them.

That is why I buy most of mine second hand.

 

[RenegadeEngr]

Just buy JH Williams, better than Craftsman and close to the same price on the net if you look far enough. I have mostly Husky stuff right now and I'm slowly switching over to Williams. The Husky stuff I have is about 5-6 years old and it is quite different from what I see on the shelf today. It also seems like the selection has gone down at HD too..

 

[Joe B.]

Both Lowe's & HD backed a little out of the mechanic's tool business a few years back because they were not making much money on it. It seems like Lowes is pushing back in a little harder over the last year.

Lowes & HD are not really places that cater to people who work on cars so mechanics tools are kind of a poor fit for them. (I'm not sure if they fit well with Refrigerators & Sweaters at Sears either.) The whole mechanic’s tools business has been declining for many years simply due to cars not needed as much maintenance and thus people doing less work on their own cars.

We are trending to a disposable world. There won’t be much need for tools unless you work in the factory in China. One thing I like about Sears products (Craftsman & Kenmore) is that many still come with manuals that have a full line drawings of how all the parts go together.

 

[RenegadeEngr]

Well said Joe, you are exactly correct....

 

[ajchien]

I figure they are trying to track people that bring tools back, to try to see who is using them professionally or abusing tools. I imagine that if you take to many back, you will be blacklisted and they will no longer honor their warranty.

I suspect they are tracking people to send more marketing junk mail.

 

[fr0mastaj]

Did you really bump a 3 year old thread just to say that?

 

[ajchien]

My bad! (I was searching Kobalt warranty since my locking pliers fell apart) Sorry!!!