Sears Normal Tool Warranty

You go into your Sears store and they won’t give you a new one. What’s up with that? In this article I will go through the normal Sears warranties on Craftsman branded tools as I understand it.

The warranty for the Craftsman product you purchase is listed on the packaging when you purchase the item. If it has a lifetime warranty it will say that somewhere on the package. If there is no warranty listed on the package it does not carry any warranty at all so be sure read the package and inspect your product BEFORE you leave the store. (The power tool warranty is in the owners manual)

Craftsman branded HAND tools purchased from Sears carry a lifetime replacement warranty. If the tool is in your possession and it breaks you can bring it into your Sears store and they will replace it with a comparable product. The replacement warranty DOES NOT cover rust or cosmetic defects. (If you left your tools out in the rain you will have to get out the steel wool and WD-40 and clean them yourself.) Sockets, wrenches, and ratchets all come with a lifetime warranty even if the packaging doesn’t state it.

Other Craftsman branded tools such as electrically powered tools, cordless drills, and torque wrenches carry a ONE Year replacement warranty. You can usually buy the Sears Purchase Protect at an additional cost to extend the time Sears will replace or repair the product. YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE YOUR ORIGINAL RECEIPT TO GET THE ITEM REPLACED!

Other Craftsman branded items like saw blades, drill bits, and driver bits DO NOT carry any warranty at all. Those items are considered “consumables” and if you dull them or break them it is part of “normal use”.

Craftsman Tool Boxes do not carry any warranty. As soon as you get it home, carefully inspect it and if it is dented or damaged be prepared to return it right away and get another one.

Remember, be sure to read the packaging and/or owners manual that comes with your product to know exactly what warranty is applied to the product your purchase.

NOTE: Sears no longer carries as many items under the Craftsman brand that it did in previous years and they may offer to replace your broken hand tool with a non-craftsman brand. For example, Sears no longer has Craftsman branded cement trowels or framing hammers. They will replace the broken tool with another brand item that they have on the store shelf or out of the tool catalog but the item you receive will no longer carry the lifetime Craftsman warranty.

Commercial and Business Users: Sears has a policy statement somewhere in their corporate pile of paperwork that states that Sears only warranties their products for commercial use for 90 days. (2008 Professional Lawn Equipment has a better warranty) So if you purchase your tool with a business check or corporate credit card be prepared for a hassle if the item breaks and you want a free replacement. BUT, there are two ways to get around this stipulation.

First, purchase the item with cash or a personal check or credit card.

Second, purchase the Protection Agreement (PA, MPA, RPA) if the item is eligible. If you purchase one of the extended agreements, Sears “ignores” their commercial warranty and will support your item for the length of time you purchased the agreement for.

In summary, Sears does not have a lifetime replacement warranty on ALL their products. The warranties on Craftsman tools is really not that complicated if you remember to read the packaging and owners manual when you get the item.