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[Spridgets] Sears warrantee and torque wrench

To: "spridgets@autox.team.net" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: [Spridgets] Sears warrantee and torque wrench
From: "Fisher, Ed" <edwd@ti.com>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 07:18:03 -0500
As I was checking out of a local sears tool center one day a man dumped at
least ten if not twelve retractable tape measures on the counter.  The least
damaged one, scratched and obviously well worn was probably just a case of
allowing the tape to 'snap' back into the holder knocking the rivets off the
tang.  The worst looked as though it had been fished from a wheelbarrow of
cement and then run over with the truck that delivered same cement.  The Sears
employee replaced every one of them, gratis.  When I witnessed that, many
years ago, I knew that the very unrestricted warrantee policy would not be
long for this world.  Who is to blame; the contractor for legally exercising
his warrantee and keeping his crew outfitted, or Sears for not inserting the
dreaded 'fine print' in the first place?  I've never been one to quickly
assess blame, it seems after-the-fact and rather counterproductive and there
are always many sides to an issue.

I too, have a box full of Craftsman tools, bought largely because of their
generous warrantee policy.  I have smacked the occasional wrench with a
two-pound sledge, used cheater bars on the occasional socket, and have
otherwise used my tools to the fullest.  However, I don't use a cheater bar
with a ratchet, only a breaker bar, as a ratchet isnt' made for that, and I
don't complain if the finish on my wrench is marred by the sledge, as a finish
isn't made for that either.  I have only returned two tools in all of these
many years to Sears.  One was a worn #2 phillips screwdriver that just didn't
hold well anymore.  I then replaced the entire set with the professional
series and gave the old ones away.  Working on Defense equipment has made me
very attuned to burred hardware.  The second was a shovel that had loosened at
the head after many years of kicking and rocking and prying in this blackland
soil in my part of Texas.  I had tightened the rivets on that head many times
before, but the wooden handle was not reamed.  I was apologetic to the Sears
representative as I thought my shovel had given me good service, I traded up
to a fiberglass handle in hopes that I would not have a repeat.  I could have
just bought the new shovel and not exercised my warrantee in hopes that my
action would help Sears to retain their warrantee, I can tell you that I was
torn, but lo, you've now read what I chose.  Am I not partly to blame for
their modifications to the warrantee?  I think that I am, so I cannot assign
blame to them without accepting my part in it as well.

I have a clicker torque wrench from Sears.  The 'lock' on the handle is a joke
and quit working almost immediately, however I just pay attention and don't
rotate off the assigned setting for my final twists.  I reset the wrench to
zero every time I return it to the box, and I ensure that it is not dropped
nor banged around when in use.  Here again I guess building fighter jet
quality equipment years ago have trained me.  My wrench has given me good
service, but I will now look for a beam type to check my calibration.  Thanks
for posting the information.

As an aside, I just resurrected a Sears Eager 1 lawn mower that I bought used
over 25 years ago for a couple of kids getting into their first house.  I
smile at the 'we tight' postings.  I conclude though that it is not just cost,
but rather satisfaction at having won the battle and saving one more item from
the landfill.  Goodness knows we throw enough stuff away.  So, here is an old
engine that lights right up, after some fiddling of course, and will mow many
lawns to come.  Good on you, Sears.

Ed

Dallas, Tx
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