sk tool

[comedyman809]

ok, i need to send in a 7/8'' combo wrench because the jaw snapped off.

i called and they told me to send wrench and 5 bucks.

i also see that the lead time is about 12 weeks.


WTF???

I JUST BOUGHT A TON OF SK STUFF WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS.

i think i am turned off now.

i dont want to get rid of all my sk stuff, but the girl who answered the phone on customer service sounded stoned and told me what to do.

i know i may not see that wrench for many weeks/months.

to ship a 7/8 wrench it is going to cost me between 6-9 dollars im sure and the wrench is for sale on amazon for 12.99 plus 8.99 shipping.

so the 5 plus whatever to shipis going to be more than half of what it will cost me for a new one, which to me doesnt seem worth for the time that its going to take for a replacment.


my local hardware who sells sk will not warranty the wrench because he has problems with sk too.

he used to warranty my tools with no problems as long as he had the stock which he always did.

i walked in and asked for a new wrench and he said no way, because sk will not pay for or send him a new wrench either.

and he is a legit dealer, his store even came up when the girl told me to go to a dealer.

i noticed on sk's website, that the dealer locator still shows the dealers. but when i visit the sites posted, there is no sk stuff.

sounds like a lot of dealers dont want to deal with sk


is the strike thing what is killing sk.

this *****, i wont get rif of my current stuff, but i will not buy anymore.for the price i pay for tools, i want the warranty to take place at the manufacturers cost.

no tool costs that much to make, the mark up is obsurd, and we pay extra for the service.

can someone send a snap on truck to my plant, id like to see him once a month!!!

sorry sk, i was a loyal customer until you asked me for more money even though you already have thousands of my dollars.

 

[Goinlow]

We have an sk dealer come by the shop. Call and see if there any within driving distance of your shop.

 

[comedyman809]

who has the most hassle free warranty service??

i mean, what brand will not require me to send in a broken tool, well at least if it is not a high value item.

gearwrench sent me replacement tools without me sending anything to them, but they are mostly taiwan stuff, so i i keep their stuff to a minimum.

proto has sent me rebuild kits for ratchets but im unsure about broken tools.

who will give me the least greif when it comes to a broken tool

i know snap on, but im not going to spend there prices all the time plus i never see a snap on truck.

i dont like craftsman that much, but they are hands down the best warrany service for hand tools.

but i want a nicer brand of tools. proto, armstrong, wright???

 

[comedyman809]

maybe craftsman professional series wrenches and sockets are for me.

just some sears dont have stock of them and some do.

sears inventories in my area are very weak, i visited 4 sears hardware stores in the past 2 weeks and the inventory is very week. kind of depressing.

 

[Rnz520]

you could try craftsman pro, a step higher above craftsman for sure.
And even though gearwrench might be Taiwan they take pride in that and put it in all their products except torque wrenches which are US made. They are a quality Taiwan tool, with good warranty and customer service. I would not be afraid to buy more from them if I were you.
Armstrong tools is another great tool company thats US made, Danaher owned. Try fastenal.

 

[FastKat]

The thing that fries me about Proto is that Grainger will not warranty their tools UNLESS you bought it from Grainger within the last 30 days. My Grainger stood firm on that, and I asked two people. I called Proto on it and the lady was like "Oh, yea.... that's how they are. Why don't you take it to..." and then she told me a place that was very inconvenient for me to get to.

Are there any other S-K dealers around you?! Maybe they would warrant it for you.

Also, I know a lot of it is just principle, but you can buy a new 7/8 combo wrench for about $15 online. I bought some stuff off JBToolSales and SJDiscountTool and I was happy with both of them. JBToolSales was really cool - I would suggest talking to them. They had the lowest prices AND the best service of the two... I would call them, tell them your situation, and see what they'll do for you.

I know you SHOULD be able to get it replaced for free.

 

[comedyman809]

The thing that fries me about Proto is that Grainger will not warranty their tools UNLESS you bought it from Grainger within the last 30 days. My Grainger stood firm on that, and I asked two people. I called Proto on it and the lady was like "Oh, yea.... that's how they are. Why don't you take it to..." and then she told me a place that was very inconvenient for me to get to.

Are there any other S-K dealers around you?! Maybe they would warrant it for you.

Also, I know a lot of it is just principle, but you can buy a new 7/8 combo wrench for about $15 online. I bought some stuff off JBToolSales and SJDiscountTool and I was happy with both of them. JBToolSales was really cool - I would suggest talking to them. They had the lowest prices AND the best service of the two... I would call them, tell them your situation, and see what they'll do for you.

I know you SHOULD be able to get it replaced for free.

in 06, when facom and sk were still one entity, i found a dealer in calverton ny, which 45 mins away from where i am and he sold me a nice facom set of screwdrivers, and he has a sk truck.

i have not seen him since then, but i went on his website, which is still the same as it was with all the sk stuff mostly gone.

i think i will call him tomorrow and see whats up, worth the drive...nice variety of tools on his truck with many brands..

he sold channellock, sir tools, knipex and much more that i cant remember.

i wonder if he is still an sk dealer!!

ill find out out tomorrow and when i have money, ill go out there because you walk onto a tool truck and leave empty handed

 

[philw]

I hate to say this but SK is probably done. The new $5 charge is going to make customers very upset but worse then that is that some SK dealers are refusing to warranty. The Craftsman Pro stuff compares favorably to SK. All SK ratcheting wrenches are imported as well as their double X pliers.
They had been having quality issues as well. Things slipping through that shouldn't.

I like Wright but they are an industrial based tool dealer, they don't have the selection of the tool truck brands.

For ease of warranty it still has to be Sears and then probably a tool truck brand unless you have an industrial supplier close by.

 

[comedyman809]

i do hope sk becomes what they sed to be again, the tools are very nice and high quality, but with a crappy warranty, the prices should come way down.

or that just makes them a crappy tool.

 

[comedyman809]

i dont mind shipping a tool to the manufacturer at even my cost, because im doing my part in getting the tool replaced.

but the whole 5 dollar processing fee kills the thought.

i sent a pair of long nose pliers back to proto at my shipping cost ...6 dollars or so, and 1 week later i had a brand new pair in my mailbox.

ok i was out 6 bucks, but my 40 dollars pliers were replaced for no more money.

that is good service.

i do like my proto stuff, but they too have all of their ratcheting wrenches made in taiwan along with theior blackhawk line.

i think there is one factory in taiwan making these wrenches for every brand!!!

 

[comedyman809]

snap on craftsman, and armstrong are the only brands i know of that make their nice ratcheting wrenches in the us....i think.

 

[Mickey O]

snap on craftsman, and armstrong are the only brands i know of that make their nice ratcheting wrenches in the us....i think.

Lowes has some Kobalt ratcheting wrenches that are made in the USA.

 

[comedyman809]

The thing that fries me about Proto is that Grainger will not warranty their tools UNLESS you bought it from Grainger within the last 30 days. My Grainger stood firm on that, and I asked two people. I called Proto on it and the lady was like "Oh, yea.... that's how they are. Why don't you take it to..." and then she told me a place that was very inconvenient for me to get to.

Are there any other S-K dealers around you?! Maybe they would warrant it for you.

Also, I know a lot of it is just principle, but you can buy a new 7/8 combo wrench for about $15 online. I bought some stuff off JBToolSales and SJDiscountTool and I was happy with both of them. JBToolSales was really cool - I would suggest talking to them. They had the lowest prices AND the best service of the two... I would call them, tell them your situation, and see what they'll do for you.

I know you SHOULD be able to get it replaced for free.

are you sure? grainger warranties anything you buy from them for up to 1 year, and that includes a cheap pair of cutters...

i say this because i returned a bunch of stuff to them all within a year and they replaced everything....brands were: ideal, channellock, greenlee, and knipex...but grainger will warranty knipex for life as long as you bought it from them.

proto should be no different, it should be up to one year from date of sale, then you will have to deal with proto.

when you call proto, try getting the actual warranty dept, and not the cust service girls who will refer you back to grainger and not want to deal with you.

ask for a rep in your area and call him and then ask what to do about your broken tool, he will steer you in the right direction.

but i am pretty sure grainger warrants all tools including proto for one year from date purchase.

call grainger and tell them your situation and then ask, that is what i did.

they wont even take or ask to see your broken tools, they will just replace them.

 

[Islands62]

That's unfortunate. I have a lot of SK sockets and ratchets that I just bought a year or two ago. Oh well, its not like I break a lot of tools... one more reason to convert to Wera like I have been wanting too....not that those seem like it would be easy to warranty either.

 

[comedyman809]

does anyone know if williams has a good warranty policy??

the tool that broke...7/8 sk combo wrench(C-28-i think) was for the operatorson a flexographic machine to setup jobs and obviously had a stubborn nut and bold and resulted in the jaw snapping off.

ok, so i gave them my personal wrench of the same---sk 7/8 combo.

but i want it back so i ordered them a new proto 7/8 combo
since i was at the machine i looked at all there tools:

williams 1/2 breaker bar

armstrong 1/2 drive with 1/2 size hex bit

and a cheap master mechanic brand 3/4'' combo

so i placed an order through my purchasing dept to order from grainger these same exact tools in the proto brand.

when i give them new tools, i want to get the old ones replaced via warranty- i cannot send away while i wait for replacements, they need them every day...

will williams and armstrong warranty them no problems....the breaker bar's flex head is very loos, and the hex bit it worn to hell.

will they replace with no issues???

 

[Hiball]

I would have to go back and do some research but i believe i read that you can still warranty your tools at dealers without the $5 charge. I have a feeling you are gonna see Tool truck companies eventually limit the amount of warranted tools they accept from the public. Its becoming quite the fad to buy a tool used or broken and send it in for a Brand new one. This practice is outside there Warranty terms, although they are very gracious about abliging. Im gonna stick with SK because because I want them to succeed, And i still believe they have shown the initiative to be competitive with other companies. They will have to regain the trust of there customers and more importantly there retailers as its well documented that in the past they left alot of dealers "High and Dry" I recomend that you contact the company or supplier where you bought your "1000's" of dollars of tools and explain that you have a wrench that needs replaced. Do you mind me asking how the wrench broke? Was it being used as intended or did you use a little persuation? Pictures?

 

[Davefr]

Ironically the best warranty support comes from Sears and HF.

The higher the tool price the worse the service except for SO -barely. (SO trucks can be hit and miss with warranty but corp. usually pulls through.)

SK is in a death spiral. There are no B&M dealers left and they don't have enough confidence in their tools to provide a reasonable warranty. (I've been loyal to SK for decades so this is very troubling).

Fortunately I've rarely needed warranty service. I usually try and buy the highest quality tool at the best value and then assume that the warranty is on me.

 

[arkangel06]

Armstrong tools are the tools for you my friend.

 

[Hiball]

Ironically the best warranty support comes from Sears and HF.

The higher the tool price the worse the service except for SO -barely. (SO trucks can be hit and miss with warranty but corp. usually pulls through.)

SK is in a death spiral. There are no B&M dealers left and they don't have enough confidence in their tools to provide a reasonable warranty. (I've been loyal to SK for decades so this is very troubling).

Fortunately I've rarely needed warranty service. I usually try and buy the highest quality tool at the best value and then assume that the warranty is on me.

I agree with the SK burning a lot of bridges thru there retailers, If i was the OP i would calmly explain to the SK customer service that i have invested my money with them and due to things out of my control i cant get Warranty service thru any local retailers due to past problems between the company and these retailers. I would listen closely to there response... If no satisfaction was given i would ask to speak to a customer service Supervisor and if i was given the runaround again i would thank them for there past business and take mine elsewhere. No company in there right mind is gonna lose a customer over $20 bucks, If they do they are doomed to fail. The truth is there are many tool companies that provide a great tool at a reasonable price. Snap on is great about warranting tools but with that service comes the Price, As i said earlier i believe in the near future you will see stricter warranty practices from a corporate standpoint. I expect if you are doing business with a local truck, you will continue to get good warranty because you are his livelyhood. Good Luck to OP, Im glad i dont break many tools, The ones i do break are normally because they are used hard or improperly and i expect some breakage with the reward of getting the job done.

Armstrong tools are the tools for you my friend.

How is Armstrong on warranty claims? Do you have to ship the tools to them? Im quite positive i dont have a Armstong dealer near me.

 

[plinker]

How is Armstrong on warranty claims? Do you have to ship the tools to them? Im quite positive i dont have a Armstong dealer near me.

Any Fastenal will/should warranty armstrong. I had a 9/16 reverseable ratcheting wrench that would jam and got it replaced, no problems.

They also have a Phone number to call, I think its in the thread I have linked below, and it's also on thier website

 

[Hiball]

Any Fastenal will/should warranty armstrong. I had a 9/16 reverseable ratcheting wrench that would jam and got it replaced, no problems.

They also have a Phone number to call, I think its in the thread I have linked below, and it's also on thier website

I have a Fastenal here locally but they only carry "Overpriced" craftsman tools. Im not saying they wouldnt warranty Armstrong but they dont carry any in stock.

 

[plinker]

Yeah, my local store has the same Craftsman stuff, not much Armstrong stock. But apparently they are dropping C-man and going with Gearwrench, and you can get Armstrong ordered in from the store or online. But if I'm going to order online I'll likely skip Fastenal.

 

[comedyman809]

i found a place about 30 mins away and he said he has the wrench and will repalce for me. now i need to get the time to go.

 

[Skin]

who has the most hassle free warranty service??

Harbor Freight! Sears if you have a receipt.

If you're mailing tools in, MAC, Proto, Wright, Matco, Snap-On etc..are all good.

 

[FastKat]

Their prices are already pretty low on many items. They're "master" type socket sets can be had at a great value compared to other brands. I 3/8 socket and ratchet assortment that would cost you $500-$600 from Snap-On will run you about $125 from SK.

At the same time, questions about quality control can be concerning, and the price difference might not justify SK on some items. For instance, I would rather spend an extra few bucks and buy a used Snap-On wrench set than buy a used or new SK wrench set because the price difference isn't all that much.

i do hope sk becomes what they sed to be again, the tools are very nice and high quality, but with a crappy warranty, the prices should come way down.

or that just makes them a crappy tool.

 

[crewchief888]

i started out 30 years ago with SK tools that were handed down from my dad. over the years i saw SK quality suffer and warranty become next to impossible. i have 50 year old SK's that need replacement, but i'd rather have the old broken tool than the **** they have been selling now.

ive seen quite a few SK tools at swap meets and flea markets, i'll only pay junk price for them., for a couple dollars more i can find a tool that i can get warrantied without all the hassle

 

[smustang]

I know this is an old thread but I just tried to find a dealer to replace a broken socket from SK. Same sad story no dealers except Grainger and the one year deal and no help from SK. Shipping to SK would cost me more time and money then its worth. Like crewchief888 said I have SK tools that were handed down to me and have bought a lot myself but not worth it without customer service. Good tools bad service no longer a SK customer. : (

 

[Hiball]

I know this is an old thread but I just tried to find a dealer to replace a broken socket from SK. Same sad story no dealers except Grainger and the one year deal and no help from SK. Shipping to SK would cost me more time and money then its worth. Like crewchief888 said I have SK tools that were handed down to me and have bought a lot myself but not worth it without customer service. Good tools bad service no longer a SK customer. : (

Where are you located? What size socket?

 

[joebachor]

check Williams out. really high quality and no warranty problems.

 

[Hiball]

check Williams out. really high quality and no warranty problems.

I'd say williams or any industrial brand will all suffer from warranty issues dependent on your location.

Come to think of it.. There isn't a brand alive that someone here at GJ hasn't had beef with, Thus I take all reviews with a grain of salt.

 

[comedyman809]

funny thing, about a month ago, i broke a brand new sk retaining ring plier, outside i noticed a sk truck dealing with a body shop next door, i walked over to him and gave him my broken tool, 3 weeks later he knocked on my door with a brand new pair of pliers, i was ok with it being that late as i did not need is in a hurry, he still did right by me, i also found out he is there every wednsday, so if i need some gearwrench or sk, he deals for both.

 

[Hiball]

funny thing, about a month ago, i broke a brand new sk retaining ring plier, outside i noticed a sk truck dealing with a body shop next door, i walked over to him and gave him my broken tool, 3 weeks later he knocked on my door with a brand new pair of pliers, i was ok with it being that late as i did not need is in a hurry, he still did right by me, i also found out he is there every wednsday, so if i need some gearwrench or sk, he deals for both.

Pictures of the Sk truck or your making it up.. JK Wish I had a Sk truck available to me.

 

[Conductor562]

i do like my proto stuff, but they too have all of their ratcheting wrenches made in taiwan along with theior blackhawk line.

Wrong. The new ratcheting wrenches Proto released last year are made in Dallas, TX. Awesome wrenches. The Taiwan models are being phased out.

 

[Hiball]

Wrong. The new ratcheting wrenches Proto released last year are made in Dallas, TX. Awesome wrenches. The Taiwan models are being phased out.

Well technically in 2010 when he posted that, they were Taiwan.

 

[AV tinker er]

I'd say williams or any industrial brand will all suffer from warranty issues dependent on your location.

Come to think of it.. There isn't a brand alive that someone here at GJ hasn't had beef with, Thus I take all reviews with a grain of salt.

 

[Conductor562]

Well technically in 2010 when he posted that, they were Taiwan.

Damnit. These old threads get me every time

 

[Brownsfan]

I guess I will never understand the obsession with the tools warranty on this forum. I have never seen so many people so concerned about tool warranties. Good tools do not break that often. But it seems on this forum they break at an alarming rate. I use my tools everyday and the only tools I have ever broken was a t-8 torx and a couple sockets. When my original craftsman screwdrivers wore out I replaced them and upgraded. I think the lifetime warranty gets abused far too much. I am not saying ANYONE in this thread has abused the warranty. I see it every time I go to sears. People with old rusty tools that have obviously been neglected and abused being swapped for brand new. I know how the craftsman warranty is worded and that's their fault people abuse it.

 

[thesilverone]

^ they're called tool polishers

 

[Conductor562]

I guess I will never understand the obsession with the tools warranty on this forum. I have never seen so many people so concerned about tool warranties. Good tools do not break that often. But it seems on this forum they break at an alarming rate. I use my tools everyday and the only tools I have ever broken was a t-8 torx and a couple sockets. When my original craftsman screwdrivers wore out I replaced them and upgraded. I think the lifetime warranty gets abused far too much. I am not saying ANYONE in this thread has abused the warranty. I see it every time I go to sears. People with old rusty tools that have obviously been neglected and abused being swapped for brand new. I know how the craftsman warranty is worded and that's their fault people abuse it.

Agreed. Warranty is hardly a concern for me. I buy Proto 9 out of 10 times and I expect them to stand behind their products. If I wear it out or break it doing something stupid then it's on me.

 

[AV tinker er]

break it doing something stupid then it's on me.

That's your problem, you're to honest!