Warranty on Craftsman Vises

[exmaxima1]

I have an old Craftsman 4-inch vise (made in Japan) that is kinda beat up and I always thought that Sears would simply replace it if it ever stopped being a vise. I checked the warranty policy today and found it is only 90 days for Craftsman vises!

Is this something new? I find it hard to believe that Craftsman vises had such a crappy warranty.

 

[drivesitfar]

probably too many pipe on the handle users. also their vises after they quit having Reed and Starrett make them weren't as stout or nearly as heavy.

i only broke one craftsman ratchet in maybe 50 years of using them and since i didn't own a breaker bar most of those years my 3/8 and 1/2 inch ratchets turned a lot of tight and rusty bolts when asked to.

so many companies are going out of business with all the abuse by second, third and twentieth owners returning their broken tools for a new one.

my thinking is use your Japanese vise as a vise and it will last a long time and i'm sure you probably have a big old US one either on your bench or on your radar for the tougher jobs.

 

[G_P]

They wont warranty the rounded off bolt extractor sockets either. Broke one and was told there is no warranty on them at all if they break.

I wouldn't really expect a lifetime warranty on a vise though. A vise does not really wear out (other than the jaws). They tend to end up broken because they were used as an improvised press or were beat on hard.

 

[exmaxima1]

I wouldn't really expect a lifetime warranty on a vise though. A vise does not really wear out (other than the jaws). They tend to end up broken because they were used as an improvised press or were beat on hard.

EVERYTHING non-powered that said "craftsman" on it used to be warranted fro life. I remember getting a new garden hose after someone smashed it in the driveway with their car. The main difference between Craftsman and all their lesser versions (like Companion, Dunlap, and Sears) was the lifetime warranty.

I think this is a new trend...

 

[Outlawmws]

No, its not a new trend. Only their very best vises even back in the day had any more that a 10 year warrenty IIR. most were much shorter. the life time warranty was for hand tools only, never for power tools things like vises, and certain other easily mucked up tools.

I'm always surprised how good they were about things like punches, chisels, and screwdrivers...

Go look at any of the old catalogs.

 

[exmaxima1]

No, its not a new trend. Only their very best vises even back in the day had any more that a 10 year warrenty IIR. most were much shorter. the life time warranty was for hand tools only, never for power tools things like vises, and certain other easily mucked up tools.

I'm always surprised how good they were about things like punches, chisels, and screwdrivers...

Go look at any of the old catalogs.

Thanks.