Is Craftsman's Tool Warranty As Good As It Used To Be?

For decades, Craftsman's lifetime warranty had a reputation for being one of the strongest guarantees in American retail. The policy was simple: if a hand tool failed for any reason, return it to Sears for a free replacement. No receipt needed, no questions asked. Word of mouth spread stories of broken screwdrivers and rusted wrenches swapped right there on the spot, cementing Craftsman as a trusted brand among those who knew. But after multiple changes in ownership and store closures, that legendary Craftsman warranty has some new wording. As it turns out, that once-unshakable promise is not as strong as it used to be.

Today, Craftsman's official warranty still promises lifetime coverage on many core hand tools (including wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, and pliers). You just have to take it to a retail partner — i.e., Lowe's, which became the place to find Craftsman tools after Stanley took over from Sears. If Lowe's has the product, it'll honor the lifetime warranty. (Even if you bought it before Stanley's takeover.) Beyond that, other Craftsman tools — like power tools, outdoor equipment, and storage cabinets — will have warranties that range from one to 15 years, depending on the product line.

Craftsman introduced its "guaranteed forever" warranty with its first hand tool in 1927. In the decades that followed, the brand became nationally recognized for its simple promise: If a tool broke, you took it to any Sears store, and you walked away with a replacement. As the legend goes, you could find a rusty old Craftsman wrench in the dirt and trade it in.

Then things started changing in the late 2000s when Sears's future started looking uncertain. By 2009, Sears stores had started enforcing restrictions that didn't appear in the warranty (such as rejecting rusted tools or limiting returns to three items per day). In 2014, the company added an official requirement: warranty claims had to be made at the original store of purchase. Then, in 2017, Sears sold Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker. Stanley, which makes Craftsman tools now, still honors past warranties... but only under certain conditions.

With Stanley's introduction of "limited lifetime" warranties on certain product categories, shoppers were in for even more confusion. Unlike a full warranty, which under federal law must provide service at no cost and without conditions, limited warranties allow for more restrictions. For example, tape measures sold after September 2018 carry only a limited lifetime guarantee, while some power tools have just a one- or three-year coverage. It may still be more generous than many competitors, but it no longer matches the legendary simplicity of Sears' all-encompassing guarantee.

Under these altered terms, if an older tool no longer has a direct equivalent in the current Craftsman lineup, a replacement might not be possible. And even though customers can call Craftsman customer support for help with what exactly their warranty covers (and how long), it's much less straightforward than the old way of walking into Sears with a broken tool and walking out with a new one.

What's more, tools purchased at Sears after 2014 technically have to be returned to the original store of purchase in order to get a replacement. And while Sears is still in business and still has stores open, you can count the number of remaining locations on two hands. This makes that pretty difficult to do. Stanley-marketed tools bought at Lowe's or other partner stores will be easier to find and replace, but they might not be free (and might not be an exact match, either).