lifetime warranties... what's the best you have ever gotten?

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    lifetime warranties... what's the best you have ever gotten?

    I'll open this to any stuff, but particularly about tools.

    The classic is the Sears Craftsman lifetime guarantee which still exists from current owner Stanley Black and Decker, but is greatly diluted in its present form,

    One of my favorites is the Victorinox warranty on Swiss Army Knives. I broke off the tip of the blade of the large knife prying on something. I had to mail it to them with $5 I think and paid $7 for shipping and they removed and replaced the sides with all new plastic, and replaced any of the elements that were broken or worn and shipped it to me and when I got it back it was in near perfect condition. A new one is about $40. I thought that was a pretty good deal.
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    I can't wait until I break another.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    #2
    I'm surprised it was worth their time to disassemble the knife than to just send you a new one. I do like that you got the original back, though. I'd be sentimental about that. Could you tell if they sharpened any of the blades they returned to you?

    I'm trying to think hard of any warranty claim I've done. I did get my Bosch router housing swapped for free a few years after purchase. I don't think that was a lifetime warranty, though, and I just sneaked under.

    I recently cracked an 18 year old aluminum bike frame with a lifetime warranty. Problem is I don't know where the receipt is, and both the bike company and the retail shop where I bought it have both gone through bankruptcy. I'm going to try to file that claim when all my stuff is delivered home.

    I just bought a Ridgid cordless combo set. I hope I never have to use the warranty, but I'm glad it's there.

    Comment


    • LCHIEN
      LCHIEN commented
      Editing a comment
      Well, the bad part is if you had custom engraved handles you lose them and just get the standard sides. They snap in so they have to be broken to take them off.
      The large blade was new, I don't recall if they sharpened the small bade but I usually keep that one super sharp anyway so it was probably sharp when they got it.
      Last edited by LCHIEN; 07-18-2022, 01:15 PM.

    • LCHIEN
      LCHIEN commented
      Editing a comment
      Actually they send you the old side plates back.
  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    #3
    Oddly enough, the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh hand tools warranty is kind of hard to beat. I left my set of metric flex head ratcheting wrenches in the trunk and they honestly rusted pretty quickly. Harbor Freight swapped them out no questions asked.
    Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

    Comment

    • LCHIEN
      Internet Fact Checker
      • Dec 2002
      • 20914
      • Katy, TX, USA.
      • BT3000 vintage 1999

      #4
      A lifetime warranty is like a parachute. You don't really get to find out how good it is until you are on fire at 20,000 feet and going down fast.
      Last edited by LCHIEN; 07-18-2022, 11:53 AM.
      Loring in Katy, TX USA
      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

      Comment

      • cwsmith
        Veteran Member
        • Dec 2005
        • 2737
        • NY Southern Tier, USA.
        • BT3100-1

        #5
        I would agree on the Craftsman warranty, though honestly I've never had to make a claim. I've lost a few, but never had a failure of any Craftsman hand tool that I've owned. IT doesn't cover power tools however, but I haven't had a failure there either. What was special about the Craftsman hand tools was that you simply brought it to the store and they'd exchange it immediately. Unfortunately it's not that simple anymore and we no longer even have a local store!

        I had a few purchases like screwdrivers and pliers from lesser known companies that provide 'lifetime' warranties, unfortunately ten or so years after the purchase those companies have disappeared.

        It's not a warranty, but I do like Ridgid's Lifetime Service Agreement. Doesn't cost anything beyond the time it takes to register your purchase, but I've had a couple of power tools serviced and replaced a few batteries. The LSA has saved me some money and that would probably rank it as my favorite!

        I do have growing affection for Harbor Freight. Their quality has improved over the years and their lifetime warranty on "defects in material and workmanship" is pretty clear. I haven't had any defects there either and so no claim. I am happily surprised that they covered dbhost's rust claim. (Now if only car manufacturers would do that! )

        CWS
        Think it Through Before You Do!

        Comment

        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20914
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #6
          I've wararantied a few hand tools.
          C'man spade I broke the wood handle trying to pry some bush from the ground.
          Warrantied a C'man 4" 3/8" extension someone used as a chisel
          Warrantied a SK 1" 3/8" extension the ball detent never worked right after about 40 years of owning it they replaced it with the same part number.
          Ace replaced a C'man 1/4" ratchet that failed to ratchet anymore. But the new one feels like crap.

          Way back When Sears had hardware stores I tried to replace a Craftsman Hand stapler that locked up... I swore it was a hand tool it even said hand stapler and not a power tool but they did not agree and refused to replace it. That soured me a bit on Craftsman, and I bought a HF pneumatic stapler to replace it. So there.
          Last edited by LCHIEN; 07-18-2022, 01:23 PM.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

          Comment


          • dbhost

            dbhost
            commented
            Editing a comment
            I would rather not even think about Sears Hardware stores, but to sum it up, that was most likely a franchisee owned store. Most of them were. They came in with a big splash, killed a lot of Ace and True Value hardware stores in the process and then went toes up a few years later... I will not miss them. I do miss regular Sears stores though...
        • capncarl
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 3564
          • Leesburg Georgia USA
          • SawStop CTS

          #7
          I’m going to fudge a little here, not a tool but something that I use more than tools. We purchased a Tempur Pedic king size which is 2 twin mattresses on an adjustable base. We didn’t want the softest mattress, just kinda firm, knowing that it would break in much softer. Years later it’s still as hard as a rock, but it’s guaranteed not to sag in the middle. I read the warranty and it says if it has a specific amount, about 1/4} I think, of sag measured by laying a straight edge across the mattress and measuring in the center. Sure enough it failed, I figured they would deny the claim saying it was for a full size mattress, but no, they agreed to replace it. We payed the upcharfe on an upgrade to a softer mattress. So yes, some lifetime warranties actually work! I’m not sure we have the same lifetime warranty on the replacement mattresses but I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

          Comment

          • leehljp
            Just me
            • Dec 2002
            • 8429
            • Tunica, MS
            • BT3000/3100

            #8
            Way way back in the early 1970's, I bought a Sears 9 in hand held grinder. After about 1 year, it just died. Took it to Sears and they repaired it. 3 months later it died again. Took it back and I was given a reconditioned one. Again it died within about 4 to 5 months. Took that one back and received another reconditioned one. That last one has lasted 50+ years.

            I rarely see that size hand held grinder advertised or used today, but I do on occasion. I do use my 5" and 6" grinders more often, but when I want to surface grind a large area of metal or large area of chainsawed wood, that 9 inch grinder is the go-to grinder.
            Last edited by leehljp; 07-20-2022, 08:11 AM.
            Hank Lee

            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

            Comment

            • nicer20
              Established Member
              • Sep 2007
              • 365
              • Dublin, CA
              • BT3100

              #9
              I had a good experience with the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh brand that says Lifetime Warranty. I had the older style ratcheting bar clamps (Orange colored pads). My neighbor once borrowed them and when he returned them I noticed one of them had stopped working. The older ones were notorious to begin with anyways - compared to my IRWIN clamps. So I took them in the store. The checkout clerk didn't even recognize them as their clamps. But manager was great - he said yes these were older style that they used to sell earlier and asked me to just go and grab new ones. Very satisfied.

              The new ones (Grey colored pads) are much better except a bit different release lever that I am still getting used to.

              Comment

              • Dedpedal
                Established Member
                • Feb 2020
                • 255
                • Palm Coast Florida
                • One BT3000 in use and one for parts. Plus a BT3100

                #10
                My dad had a battery in his truck with a lifetime warranty. I think it was from JC Penneys back in the early 80s

                Comment

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