Wright wrench chrome peeling

[Mhyde52]

Just curious to see if anyone else has had issues with chrome finish peeling on Wright wrenches??

I bought two new sets of satin finish combination wrenches over the winter to replace some old Craftsman RP wrenches I've owned for 15+ years. After the first couple uses a number of the open ends had an abnormal amount of chipped and peeled chrome. I was very surprised and had never seen this on any other wrenches I've owned, including other Wright's.

Kinda disappointed when the company didn't respond after a week from an inquiry on their web site. Called customer service today, and the representative told me it sounded like normal wear and tear, and if I wanted to call back with each individual part number, they would see what they can do. Ugh...

 

[jobo1004]

I bought a set about 6 months or so ago and one of the wrenches had some peeling chrome right out of the package. I contacted Wright and they sent me a replacement. Contact them and they'll make it "wright". Pun intended.

 

[firworks]

That doesn't sound like normal wear and tear. I've used my chromes a lot more than satins but after a wipe off they look just as beautiful as day one. I've pulled on the open ends hard enough to flex them and there's no flaking chrome in them. It does seem like Wright's CS needs some help. When I tried to register my wrenches their website didn't even work. I wish they had a rep on here to help out with situations like this.

 

[bob15]

I would like to see them before saying the wear is normal or abnormal. And a picture is worth a 1000 words......

 

[jobo1004]

Here's what the wrench that I had issues with looked like right out of the package.

 

[T45]

No bueno...If you work on open engines (open cylinders etc) that is completely un-cool. Professional or industrial type applications demand a higher level of finish, so they need to make this right IMHO. In part you are paying for quality control and warranty when buying brands that market to serious users...imho.

 

[Mhyde52]

jobo, mine have flakes that size, but Wright along the edge of the open end.

 

[Mhyde52]

I was already home from work, bob15, when I thought to give them a call. Will post pics tomorrow.

Too bad I can't call them back tomorrow though, they are closed.

 

[jobo1004]

Contact them at (800)321-2902 and explain your issues. They may ask for pictures, but I bet they'll take care of the issues.

 

[gdocktor3]

Satin chrome and chrome are the same protective coating, but different look and texture. So how and why do they do the handles satin and the jaws chrome? It can't just be for the feel of the wrench.

 

[Mhyde52]

I did call them. They said I had to call them back with each individual part number and she would "see what they can do" . She sounded like she didn't give a **** that I was having trouble with MULTIPLE new wrenches. I asked if this was an unusual question. She said they " hear all kinds of things, all the time". Wtf...

 

[gdocktor3]

I would email them if I were you. Send pics of the wrenches, copy of receipt and the reason you aren't happy. I'd be willing to bet they say send them in.

 

[Mhyde52]

I did send an email and got no response for a week.

 

[espyking83]

Eesssh. First ive seen with Wright finish. THey make amazing wrenches but their customer service is a bit slow in my experience. Should be covered because there's no evidence of corrosion, and imo thats a manufacturing defect. Keep us posted. Huge fan of Wright and am hoping this is an isolated incident.

 

[bob15]

Did you try going through a distributor to get it warrantied? Right on their website, type in your zip code and names and addresses will pop up.

Remember, manufacturers aren't always set-up for direct customer service. This would be no different than finding a broken or failing part on you car, you aren't going to contact GM or Ford or whomever directly. Nor would you contact the part manufacturer; you go to the dealer. Wright is no different. Try contacting their distributor or dealer.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Yeah...that is a defect in the plating.. They should make it right. I suspect if you have one there are probably hundreds more.. and if everyone is pestering them, I'll bet their customer service is buried.... I agree with Bob15, find a dealer and let them do the *** kicking for you.....and Welcome to the GJ!

 

[Davefr]

Did you try going through a distributor to get it warrantied?

If he's lucky enough to even find a Wright distributor, they'll likely just give him the runaround unless he recently bought from that distributor.

The one and only time I warranteed a Wright tool, they simply told me to mail it to them. (no pre-authorization needed)

Peeling chrome should be a warranty issue on fairly new tools.

 

[warmpancakes]

peeling chrome is a safety concern, and any good tool company should warranty it

 

[bcradio]

Eesssh. First ive seen with Wright finish. THey make amazing wrenches but their customer service is a bit slow in my experience. Should be covered because there's no evidence of corrosion, and imo thats a manufacturing defect. Keep us posted. Huge fan of Wright and am hoping this is an isolated incident.

Yeah...that is a defect in the plating.. They should make it right. I suspect if you have one there are probably hundreds more.. and if everyone is pestering them, I'll bet their customer service is buried.... I agree with Bob15, find a dealer and let them do the *** kicking for you.....and Welcome to the GJ!

OP still hasn't posted any pictures so we still don't know what the situation is. Hope to see some soon though. Definitely should be able to warranty if it is peeling chrome.

 

[CobraChevelle]

I notice this problem on my 9/16 wrench but on the box end. The chrome is peeling on the edge. I will take pictures when i get home.. Brand new set never used yet. all the other sizes look fine. If they don't fix this I might EBAY the SAE and Metric set and go Williams.

Like others I run into. I bet there thinking is, Its a "tool!" the only way you see this if you really analyze the **** out of it. After the first couple of uses it will be scratched up anyway so why bother.

 

[bob15]

If he's lucky enough to even find a Wright distributor, they'll likely just give him the runaround unless he recently bought from that distributor.

I typed in my zip and had 2 within 20 miles. Not sure where he lives though......

 

[Mhyde52]

Here is one quick example:

 

[Mhyde52]

Here is an example of more defects I found today: Note the discoloration in the chrome on one, and the other has an inclusion, or maybe a bubble.

 

[Mhyde52]

Another, albeit hard to see in this picture, it's bad when you see it in person, or touch it.

I work on turf equipment. There's enough blades and knives around if I wanted to cut myself on something. Don't need it from my tools.

Altogether I think there are about six bad ones out of about $300 worth of wrenches.

 

[Mhyde52]

I typed in my zip and had 2 within 20 miles. Not sure where he lives though......

There is one close by, but I didn't buy them from him, and he said he would rather have me try to get them replaced because they give him the runaround on warranty replacements. I do spend some money on hardware and lubricants there so maybe he will do me a solid if need be.

 

[PureLeaf]

So call them. They have fantastic customer service. I bought a socket set, one of the sockets had a small defect in the chrome. A very simple phone call and I had a new one in the mail to me.

I'm sure they'd want to know about your wrenches so that they're able to correct any manufacturing issues they're having.

 

[Mhyde52]

So call them. They have fantastic customer service. I bought a socket set, one of the sockets had a small defect in the chrome. A very simple phone call and I had a new one in the mail to me.

I'm sure they'd want to know about your wrenches so that they're able to correct any manufacturing issues they're having.

Umm, did you read the thread?

 

[PureLeaf]

Just caught up with your posts. You've had a very different experience than I did. They were very polite and prompt.

Try calling again? See if you get a different person. And if you get the same rude one, I'd politely try and get her name so you can write directly to management about your experience.

 

[Mhyde52]

Just caught up with your posts. You've had a very different experience than I did. They were very polite and prompt.

Try calling again? See if you get a different person. And if you get the same rude one, I'd politely try and get her name so you can write directly to management about your experience.

Your probably right about just trying for another person. I was just so surprised when the rep I spoke with didn't even pause before making an excuse. All I was looking for was someone to say " send them in and we will see what we can do".

And I still have not received a response from my email.

 

[Davefr]

You're making this way too complicated. Just send them the defective wrenches. (email and phone calls aren't needed). Unlike SO, Wright isn't too susceptable to warranty abuse and they're not really set up for direct consumer support.

Their address in on their website.

 

[PureLeaf]

Your probably right about just trying for another person. I was just so surprised when the rep I spoke with didn't even pause before making an excuse. All I was looking for was someone to say " send them in and we will see what we can do".

And I still have not received a response from my email.

I'm having a similar issue with FEIN at the moment. People say fantastic things about their customer service, but I've been ignored after using the 'contact us' form. I even posted on their Facebook, after a few days they acknowledged me and said they'd contact me, but its been 10+ days since that and they've still not actually contacted me or further replied. Maybe its a similar deal, just a few bad apples in the customer service barrel.

 

[enrare]

Maybe Wright's customer service issue Mhyde52 is experiencing is not an isolated incident. About 3 months ago I purchased a set of new SAE Wright Grips 3/8" - 1-1/4" (s1306) off eBay after reading all the gleming reviews on WrightGrips here on GJ. No chrome issues, but the 1" wrench has a bow in the beam. Enough that I can set it on counter and give it a spin and it will sit there and spin round-n-round. I contacted Wright though thier generic "contact us" form on the website and did not get a response. Waited 3 weeks and sent another, that was a few months ago and still yet to get a reply. I just figured my emails where probably a few of hundreds they recieve that they simple can't get to, so I would give them a call when I had more time. After reading this thread makes me wonder if calling will also be a waste of time.
For me customer service (both before and AFTER the sale) along with warranty service plays a fairly big factor in my purchases. From my initial attempts for my own situation and then reading this thread I'm a little dissapointed. I was going to complete my wrench set with purchasing the 18 pc metric set off Amazon, but now I'm reconsidering the Williams SuperCombo's.

 

[outlawz2004]

When I was an aircraft mechanic back in the 90s, we used Wright wrenches. There was a problem back then with the chrome peeling and we stopped using them, we switched to Craftsman. Figured they would have solved that issue by now.

 

[bob15]

For me customer service (both before and AFTER the sale) along with warranty service plays a fairly big factor in my purchases. From my initial attempts for my own situation and then reading this thread I'm a little dissapointed. I was going to complete my wrench set with purchasing the 18 pc metric set off Amazon, but now I'm reconsidering the Williams SuperCombo's.

Supercombos aren't that great, the smaller sizes spread too easy. The Wright's are better

Did you try contacting a Wright Tool distributor? Wright Tool isn't really set-up for individual person dealing. They have distributors for that.

Like I said before, if you have a fuel pump issue with a GM car, do you contact the dealership or the pump manufacturer (Stanadyne)? You go to the dealer. You have a bad spark plug, do you go to NAPA or try and contact Champion or NGK? You go to NAPA. Wright is no different. Contact the distributor closest to you (they even have it on their website).

 

[davethorik]

When I was an aircraft mechanic back in the 90s, we used Wright wrenches. There was a problem back then with the chrome peeling and we stopped using them, we switched to Craftsman. Figured they would have solved that issue by now.

I agree, I've seen a lot of used Wright sockets with chipped chrome. I actually had one (shallow 1/2 drive 7/8 12 point) that cut my hand pretty good. I just sanded it down with a 220 grit roloc disc on a die grinder.

In the last year I bought 2 used Wright ratchets, one 1/4 and a 3/8 flex head. They both have seen very minimal use but chrome was chipped on the drive itself. Probably why most manufacturers leave the drive black oxided...but Wright still chromes them to This day.

I also have a 7/8 Wright grip wrench with chrome chips on the open end. I use it on case hardened studs and nuts, which I figured caused the chip. But 20+ year old rp Craftsman USA wrench in same environment with no chips.

 

[enrare]

Supercombos aren't that great, the smaller sizes spread too easy. The Wright's are better

Did you try contacting a Wright Tool distributor? Wright Tool isn't really set-up for individual person dealing. They have distributors for that.

Like I said before, if you have a fuel pump issue with a GM car, do you contact the dealership or the pump manufacturer (Stanadyne)? You go to the dealer. You have a bad spark plug, do you go to NAPA or try and contact Champion or NGK? You go to NAPA. Wright is no different. Contact the distributor closest to you (they even have it on their website).

Thanks for the good advice. Thats what I like about this site, I never would have thought to contact a distributor for warranty type issues. Guess I was thinking Wright was more like Snap-On, where DIY guys like me just contact them directly to resolve issues since I don't really have access to a tool truck.

PS: Thanks for the insightful advice on the Supercombo's and reconfirming in my mind I made the right choice going with WrightGrip!