The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Kobalt Tool Opinions

Since my local Sears is over 25 miles away and there is a Lowes bought a stone throw from were I work I have been slowly replacing lost or unwarrentied items like my recent purchase a 1/2" drive ratchet at $32.00, my Old one was a Sears brand(not lifetime waranty) my mother bought in a set (1/2" sockets & wratchet)for x-mas when I was 16 I'm now 41!...it finally died when my son was taking off the front bumper on his jeep wrangler and had a 2' pipe on it.
Well anyway I have been buying and using the Kobalt tools & have no problems replacing a broken socket or driver and the fit and quality is to me at least as good and sometimes better than craftsman.
SOOO does anyone else have an opinion ???..
Thanks
Tim

You get what you pay for. In my opinion Kobalt is cheap junk just like most other stuff you get from the big-box stores. I buy most of my tools at the pawn shop (mostly Snap-on and Mac brand). It's alot cheaper than buying directly from the tool truck and you still get a free replacement from the tool truck when you break a pawn shop tool!

Sears does sell other tool names than Craftsman, Companion, and Sears, come to mind. All their tools do not all have lifetime warranties.

I don't have any experience with Kobalt tools, but if Lowes is replacing them they can't be all bad. I don't know that it says much for the tool if you've already had to get a replacement. Unless your still using 2' pipe.

I always consider what I'll have to do to get a replacement, when I buy a tool. It's convenient that Craftsman can be replaced at either Sears or OSH now. Many years ago I was dealing with a Snap-on Dealer. The Dealer said that I could call him anytime day or night, if I needed a tool to finish a job. One of the disadvantages of dealing with a tool dealer is they know when a tool has been abused.

Larry

Denny. When K-rap bought Sears the warranty went to hell along with the quality of Crapsman tools. You can now purchase them at K-Mart as well. The last Craftsman tools I bought only had a 90 day warranty and different things have different warranties so you must be careful now so you know what you are getting.

I have never bought any Kobalt tools, however they look pretty good for the money,probably comparative to the Craftsman tools.As far as Craftsman and the others are concerned,I still have the original set of Craftsmans I bought in 1957. They are still under a lifetime guarantee,after 51 years.No pawn shops in this part of the country,and the Price of new Snap Ons is rediculous.So I will continue using my Craftsman tools,and I do mean using them.Craftsman power tools are another story,they have really slipped in the last few years. I have heard some guys say that Craftsman tools hurt their hands,probably cause they dont use them often enough.

Craftsman brand hand tools have always had, and still have, a lifetime guarantee [note that Tim cites "Sears brand"]
"CRAFTSMAN® mechanics tools and CRAFTSMAN® hand tools have a Lifetime Warranty… they are guaranteed forever …unconditionally, no questions asked. If one should ever fail to give you complete satisfaction, Sears will replace it, free of charge.*

Replacement:
A proof of purchase is not necessary to replace a tool. All that is necessary is that the "Craftsman" name is stamped on the tool. A 5 digit number located on the tool is required.

Important:
We provide repair kits for ratchets. Ratchet handles that are broken or bent are covered by the Craftsman lifetime warranty.


*CRAFTSMAN mechanics tools & CRAFTSMAN hand tools include: Sockets, Wrenches, Wrench sets, Hex wrenches, Ratchet wrench handles, Micro adjustable torque wrenches ( not including calibration), Pipe wrenches, Hammers, Screwdrivers, Pliers, Cutters, Scroll and Metal saws (except saw blades), Hand drills, Hand saws, Squares, Levels, Drift punch and drive punch sets, Shears are covered by the Craftsman lifetime warranty.

Craftsman Tools not covered by the lifetime warranty include: Micro-adjustable torque wrench calibration, Hand tools cutting edges, Portable electric tools, Bench and Stationary tools, Battery operated tools, Precision measuring tools."

the power tools and specialty tools have different warranties, mostly 1 year .... Kobalt is being considered as the new "official tools of NASCAR" to replace Craftsman, providing they're willing to pay more for that "privilege"



Bill

Depends on which Kobalts you get. Some of them are made by K-D/GearWrench. Those are good tools, I have a set that get regulare use/abuse. The regular Kobalt I'm not so sure about. The original Kobalts were made by Williams, which is a division of Snap-On.
Also, what red58 posted is true. I work for Sears, the warrantee has NOT changed.

Yes I agree the Craftsman hand tools they replace no ?'s asked my mom got me a set of SEARS 1/2" drive sockets and wratchet they ARE NOT lifetime warranteed they are clearly stamped SEARS.
Tim

OK if you say so but I bought some wrenches that clearly said 90 days on the receipt.

Probably a mistake I suppose.

Dave - did they clearly say "Craftsman" on the wrenches? or maybe some other brand name? note the warranty says if they're marked Craftsman, no receipt is required

Bill

Read what I said Red.

Let me jump in 53moneypit. You said you bought some wrenches. You did not say that you bought some "Craftsman" wrenches.
If the wrenches you bought had a 90 day warranty, then they are not "Craftsman" wrenches. If they are "Craftsman" wrenches, then the 90 day document is null and void.

Sez me.

This discussion has been about Craftsman so that is what I am referring to.

That's the way I read it. He bought Craftsman and only had a 90 day.

What kind of wrenches were they? As far as I know, all hand tools that are Craftsman branded have a lifetime warrantee.

My brother in law has a set of Kobalt tools. Theys seem well made and within a reasonable amount of abuse, seem to be a good tool.

As for whats said above, I have never had one instance of breaking a tool marked 'craftsman' where they would not exchange it. Ive destroyed many, MANY tools and the worst Ive gotten was a chuckle at handing them the decrepit piece of iron that used to be a tool. Thats the main reason I buy tools there and continue to.

They have even replaced some very old tools with the Sears name on them. I make sure not to buy the cheap stuff they sell, as with any tool, cheap does not equal quality.

Id like to know what tools were bought that werent covered by their warranty?

Jeff

Well heres the poop on this 1/2" drive socket set ...My Mom bought it for me for x-mas in 1982 when i was 16,all the sockets,extensions,and wratchet are clearly stamped "SEARS", well prob back in the early 90's I cracked a socket and took it back and was told that "SEARS" brand tools DID NOT carry the lifetime gaurantee like a Craftsaman so I purchased a Craftsman replacement to fill the void in the case.
Now this is 26 yrs later my son broke the "SEARS" wrathchet using a 2' cheater pipe on it, so after wishing it well and commending it for 26 yrs. of service I retired it to the scrap bin and purchased a Kobalt 1/2" wratchet to replace it and I like the feel of it, and it actually fits in the plastic case ive kept for 26 yrs in my 1/2" drive drawer of my rollaway, It is beat up lid was gone many moons ago but that OLD SOCKET SET MOM bought me NEVER had a tool lost in it, I broke some and had to replace them with different brands but the set itself is still 80% intact and original and have seen many yrs. of hard use.
Basically I have ALL the tools that were bought for me as a teenager by my parents and treat them with love and respect as they didnt have $$ fallin outta there buts and at the time a 1/2" socket set ...even a "SEARS" brand was an extravagent puchase set aside for x-mas only,
At this point in my life I can buy pretty much any tool on teh market and have bought some snap on's and Macs but I always seem to grab that "SEARS" 1/2' drive set when I need to tackle a big bolt, I guess they are just family.
so theres the whole story.
Tim

A number of years ago I worked and lived in Rangely, Colorado. It is basically an oil town maintained by Chevron. They started drilling for oil back in the late 40s or early 50s. One day out in the middle of nowhere I was rabbit hunting, and kicked up an old Craftsman rachet. Back then Rangely was so small that it had two liquor stores, and four places to eat. I hesitate to call them restaurants, but they sold cooked food. Oh, one of the restaurants opened only when the owner wanted to!! They didn't have a Sears store, but a place you could take tools to be repaired or buy tools by catalog. Anyway I soaked the rachet in kerosene for a few days and tried to clean it up. No luck there. I took it to the aforementioned place, and without a blink to girl behind the counter said I would have a replacement rachet in a week. It came in the next week, and I am still using it 22 years later. And while I don't have an aversion to buying Craftsman, The quality just isn't there anymore.

I have a little bit of many brands. I guess the biggest question is, with a lifetime guarantee will there be a local place to get a replacement if one fails in 5 or 10 years? At least with Craftsman, Mac, Snap On, and others that isn't a problem.

What I mean is, I am unfamiliar with the Kobalt brand. I see them for sale at Lowes. Are there any other distributors, or is this a house brand?

John

I think the 90 days on your receipt,is printed on every receipt and is intended to be their general store policy for all merchandise purchased from them. I have NEVER been denied a replacement of a damaged Craftsman hand tool,even some that were clearly abused.
my .02, Dave