Snap On Screwdrivers Problem

[jimvannoy]

I have a set of Snap On screwdrivers I bought about 20 years ago. They are the black plastic handle type. If I leave them in a tool box drawer for any length of time the handles start to get oily looking then they start dripping oily water off and rust any other metal tools they touch. The handles also are getting small cracks in them. Is the plastic breaking down? Any one else ever had this happen? I wonder if they will cover it under warranty? I still have receipts for the thousands of dollars worth of tools I bought from them back when I worked as a mechanic.

 

[eschoendorff]

I have heard that this is not an isolated problem, but that Snap On will warranty the screwdriver blades, but not necessarily the handles. Go figure. You can alsways chase down a truck or send them in for warranty repair and see what happens.

http://buy1.snapon.com/snapon-store/customer.asp?Ref=

If it was SK, I could tell you that you could simply send it back to them in Chicago and they would send you a shiny new one.

 

[SuperKid]

I've got a set that was my grandfather's that are about as old as yours (maybe a little older), and I don't have this problem. Could it have something to do with the atmospheric conditions in your garage? Do you have temperature fluctuations? Is it very cold, or very hot?

 

[BillK]

Jim,
I have a bunch of old tools I have accumulated over the last 35 years or so. It seems like some of the plastic does start to deteriorate after a long time. Some are good quality, some are cheap ones. Does not seem to make a difference. Probably has to do somewhat with storage conditions too. The steering wheel in my 71 Chevelle is starting to fall apart the same way

Snap On will replace tools if they fall apart. I had an older dead blow hammer and the soft plastic handle started to crack and fall apart too ... our Snap On dealer replaced it with no questions and I am sure he would do the same with your screwdrivers. Thats one of the reasons you pay so much for them to begin with.

 

[TNToy]

Jim, how far from Memphis are you?

Reason I ask is that I'll run this by my Snappy driver next week and see what he says. Our guy has been driving a Snap-On truck for 20-30 years, and is probably one of the highest-volume ones in the southeast. I know most anything Fed-Ex orders for their airline techs goes through him... and I get along with him pretty well.

It's the style like this, right?
Black handles.
Orange handles.

Maybe this is a common issue that they frequently cover. Maybe it's the kind of thing they usually don't cover, but he might do as a favor because they could be presented to be, er... a close relatives... or something.

I'll give him a call on Monday when I know he's working, just asking about old, greasy, cracked handles... and let you know what he says.

 

[milly]

My boss at work had the same problem with his old Snap-On screwdrivers. Our local Snap-On dealer replaced the handles under the life-time warrenty. There is a known problem and any good dealer should make it right.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Our snap on sales rep, a SO corp employee in a SO corp owned truck, replaced mine with no questions asked when I showed them to him. This is a long time problem and they will replace them with no argument.

These are the three sided handles that caused problems. The four sided handles are not affected.

Charles

 

[volvo]

All our Snap-on men have always put any questioned warranty tool in the vise and broken it in two pieces, then warranted said items. No problem....H