Does Lowe's Honor The Craftsman Lifetime Warranty?

Professionals and amateurs alike have loved Craftsman tools for decades, and now Lowe’s carries the famous brand. Here’s a question, though: does Lowe’s honor a Craftsman lifetime warranty? Say you bought your Craftsman product at Sears. Will the local Lowe’s honor the warranty?

According to Lowe’s corporate office, their stores do honor the Craftsman warranty. The parts need to be available, however. The part numbers at Lowe’s differ from those sold at Sears, so they aren’t interchangeable. Lowe’s recommends calling Craftsman Customer Care if they don’t have the part in stock.

Customers likely never imagined that there would ever be an issue with any Craftsman product, and yet, that is exactly what some customers are discovering when they expect Lowe’s to honor their Craftsman warranty.

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The Craftsman website currently indicates that Craftsman tools “are backed by some of the strongest warranties in the market today.” The site provides warranty information for various products, including hand tools, mechanics tools, storage and garage products, and power tools. They even have a section on outdoor tools and equipment.

Clicking on specific links within the sections on the Craftsman site typically reveals that there is a full lifetime warranty on tools. For example, under “hand tools,” Craftsman maintains they will replace the product if it fails to perform for any reason. No proof of purchase is required.

If the product is damaged, then the customer should return it to a “stocking Retail Partner or contact Customer Care for details.”

Some types of Craftsman products don’t feature a lifetime warranty. The tool chest category is an ideal example. The Craftsman 2000 Series 52-in W × 37.5-in H 10-Drawer Steel Rolling Tool Cabinet features a 10-year limited warranty. The Craftsman 1000 Series 26.5-in W × 32.5-in H 4-Drawer Steel Rolling Tool Cabinet only has a three-year limited warranty.

These warranty variations are examples of why customers need to make sure that Lowe’s honors the warranty. Customers should always pay attention to the length of the warranty. This is true whether they purchase Craftsman products from Lowe’s, Sears, or Craftsman themselves.

Examples of other product warranties include:

Examples of Lowe’s not honoring the Craftsman warranty are starting to appear in the media. This is confusing and upsetting to Craftsman customers. Consider the experience of a man in Kentucky, reported by a WCPO TV contributor.

The man didn’t worry when his Craftsman socket wrench broke, even with the closing of the local Sears stores. He knew his local Lowe’s now sold Craftsman tools and products. However, an employee informed the customer that they could not replace this Craftsman product because it wasn’t sold at Lowe’s.

Lowe’s maintains that if they don’t have the same Craftsman product, then customers should contact the Craftsman customer service department. In other words, the Lowe’s Craftsman lifetime warranty holds true if Lowe’s carries the same product.

The ability to exchange broken Craftsman tools at Lowe’s depends on a couple of factors. The first of these factors is the length of the warranty. Is the warranty still in effect? If it is, then you should be able to exchange your broken Craftsman tool at Lowe’s.

Remember that although many Craftsman tools have a lifetime warranty, some products have a limited warranty. The other factor that determines whether a customer can exchange broken Craftsman tools at Lowe’s depends on if the Lowe’s store has that particular item in stock.

Do not give up if the particular Lowe’s store that you visit does not have the exact tool that you need to have replaced. Try calling another Lowe’s store in your area first, before driving to multiple stores.

Lowes does indeed honor a Craftsman warranty, which leads to questions about why the man that wanted a socket wrench replaced was turned away from a Kentucky Lowe’s store.

If you bought your Craftsman tool at Sears, then it’s likely that the Lowe’s Craftsman lifetime warranty won’t apply. This is because Sears Craftsman products are not the same as Lowe’s Craftsman products. Their part numbers differ and aren’t interchangeable.

So, if you try to exchange your broken Craftsman from Sears to Lowe’s, Lowe’s probably won’t take it. The products may not be the same in the eyes of the store.

The warranty typically indicates that the item will be replaced by Craftsman. If Lowe’s doesn’t sell the exact same product, they are likely not going to be able to replace the item. This policy may leave customers feeling like the warranty is not being honored by Lowe’s or Craftsman.

Customers may want to forego the issues related to Lowe’s and the Craftsman warranty by simply purchasing new tools or other Craftsman items from Lowe’s. There are a wide variety of small hand tools available at Lowe’s that range from pruning shears to lawnmowers to large steel storage cabinets.

If purchasing new Craftsman tools isn’t in your budget, then you can call Craftsman Customer Care. They will direct you to the closest stocking Retail Partner where you’ll be able to make an exchange.

Customers that love Craftsman tools have more than one option when shopping for Craftsman products. Taking your broken or damaged Craftsman tools to those stores helps you get the warranty honored with a replacement.

Ace Hardware sells Craftsman tools. The company sells more than just hand tools. If you want to replace power tools, lawn and garden equipment, storage, or tools boxes, then Ace Hardware honors the Craftsman warranty.

Walmart is another store that sells a variety of Craftsman products. Take your broken or damaged tool or another Craftsman item to the Walmart store nearest you. If you explain that the tool is under warranty and that you need a replacement, then Walmart will honor it.

Employees of stores that sell Craftsman tools are supposed to honor the warranty. If you have any difficulties with getting the warranty honored, ask to speak to the store manager.

Related Questions

What can I do if I have a broken or defective Craftsman product that I purchased at Sears?

Customers may want to call Lowe’s first to find out if they have that particular product before going straight to the store. This will possibly save you a trip if they do not have the same item to offer as a replacement.

Is Lowe’s really refusing to honor Craftsman warranties if they do not have the product in stock?

The WCPO article writer obtained a statement directly from the Lowe’s corporate communication offices. The notice indicates that Lowe’s will indeed honor all Craftsman lifetime warranties, no matter where the customer purchased the Craftsman hand tools. A statement was not offered regarding limited warranties that last only for a designated time period. Customers want to check on those types of warranties if it applies to their particular Craftsman tools or other products.

How do I contact Craftsman Customer Service?

You can call Craftsman Customer Service at 888-331-4569 or email them at craftsman@sbdinc.com  There is also a contact form on the Craftsman site, or you could ask Lowe’s to provide you with an additional number.

Customers have loved Craftsman tools for decades. In addition to the quality, customers enjoy the wide range of products available through Craftsman. They also love the lifetime warranty.

Any store that carries Craftsman, like Lowe’s, should honor the Craftsman warranty. The issue customers run into is when the product was purchased at a different store. Not all Craftsman products are the same at every store. If you bought a Craftsman at Sears, Lowe’s may not honor the warranty because the part numbers are different.

When in doubt, call Craftsman’s customer service to get the help you need.