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Rusty Craftsman tools

d4mo

d4mo

Senior member
I have one of those big craftsman ratchet/wrench sets that come in the plastic box.

For some reason everything got covered in rust on the inside(I got them from my dad). If I take them back to sears will they replace them?

If not, what is the best way to clean them? I've seen something about soaking them in ATF and Paint thinner, but I would prefer a new se
 
Being an older set I'd take a guess they're USA made, in which case I'd try to clean them up.

If you do decide to get them replaced, enjoy your new China set 🙂
 
Most of the hand tools are still US made as long as you don't get some of the wacky new designs.

Its really up to the store whether or not they'll replace them, if you get a sales guy who doesn't care, he'll just replace it without question, but per the rulebook they aren't replaced for any cosmetic defects, that includes rust

(worked for sears for about 4 years)
 
If it is just surface rust, I wouldn't worry about it.

Though, I would get some steel wool and lightweight oil (3 in 1 oil will do), and remove the rust.

After you remove the rust, wiping the tools with an oiled rag will help keep the rust from returning.

Best of luck,
Uno
 
Returning tools due to rust is lame. Abusing the system will fuck it up for everyone. If the rust is light, I'd just leave it. It won't hurt anything. Oil the movable parts, and let it go.
 
Rumpltzer said:
Either will work.

Soak in oil, scrub with brush or scouring pad or whatever, wipe off excess oil... light oil after wiping off excess will help protect surface from new rust.
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think he's asking what 3 in 1 is. I have no idea either.
 
3-in-1-oil-flei-can-200ml.jpg
 
3 in 1 WebSite

Sorry about any confusion. Three in One is just a light weight oil. And for protecting tools any oil will do. (Its just a little easier with light weight oil.)

Uno
 
d4mo said:
I have one of those big craftsman ratchet/wrench sets that come in the plastic box.

For some reason everything got covered in rust on the inside(I got them from my dad). If I take them back to sears will they replace them?

If not, what is the best way to clean them? I've seen something about soaking them in ATF and Paint thinner, but I would prefer a new se
Click to expand...

I don't think you should be bringing them back to get a new set for rust, it's not their fault that they were stored some place where they got rusty. It's not a defect of the tools.

Anyways, you can pretty easily clean these things up like other people have said. The old craftsman tools are pretty nice, honestly for most stuff I'd prefer to put in a little work to keep the old stuff rather than trading it in for a new set.
 
lxskllr said:
Returning tools due to rust is lame. Abusing the system will fuck it up for everyone. If the rust is light, I'd just leave it. It won't hurt anything. Oil the movable parts, and let it go.
Click to expand...


That's silly ... there have been plenty of potential fuck ups since 1927 when the warranty program was initiated. Who wants a bunch of rusty tools?
 
PsiStar said:
That's silly ... there have been plenty of potential fuck ups since 1927 when the warranty program was initiated. Who wants a bunch of rusty tools?
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Sears isn't a healthy company, and current protocol is shareholders>*. That's an easy cut to make to have a better next quarter.

Who cares if the tools are rusty? Mine are in a toolbox, not displayed on a shelf in my dining room. Rusty tools work just as well as shiny ones. Looks don't matter.
 
lxskllr said:
Sears isn't a healthy company, and current protocol is shareholders>*. That's an easy cut to make to have a better next quarter.

Who cares if the tools are rusty? Mine are in a toolbox, not displayed on a shelf in my dining room. Rusty tools work just as well as shiny ones. Looks don't matter.
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I couldn't give a shit less about the health of Sears, especially since they were bought by K-mart. Product quality has declined quite a bit since that happened. If they went under, other than the loss of Kenmore, it wouldn't matter too much. Craftsman tools quality is a mere shadow of what it used to be.
However, as many of us have already said, their warranty is to replace broken tools...not rusty ones. Rusty tools are the responsibility of the user, not the manufacturer.
 
BoomerD said:
I couldn't give a shit less about the health of Sears, especially since they were bought by K-mart. Product quality has declined quite a bit since that happened. If they went under, other than the loss of Kenmore, it wouldn't matter too much. Craftsman tools quality is a mere shadow of what it used to be.
However, as many of us have already said, their warranty is to replace broken tools...not rusty ones. Rusty tools are the responsibility of the user, not the manufacturer.
Click to expand...

I don't care much about Sears anymore either, but I do care about their warranty. People abusing the warranty makes it easy to remove it with the stroke of a pen. That's an easy way to make more money without putting in an ounce of effort. They may or may not replace rusty tools. I'm sure it depends on which clerk you get when you walk in.
 
Craftsman used to be guaranteed for life, no questions asked. Not sure if Sears still follows that policy. Craftsman tools aren't what they used to be.
 
Markbnj said:
Craftsman used to be guaranteed for life, no questions asked. Not sure if Sears still follows that policy. Craftsman tools aren't what they used to be.
Click to expand...

The hand tools still carry the lifetime warranty...but the build quality just isn't what it used to be.

Since 1927 America has bought over 1 billion Craftsman hand tools, with a lifetime warranty on every one of them.
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I have a friend that has purchased whole sets of old rusted craftsman tools for practically pennies from tag sales, and the sears here has never turned him down when he asked to exchange them for brand new.
 
I still think it's a "douche-move" asking them to replace rusty tools...but I've bought many broken Craftsman tools at yard sales and exchanged them for new...
 
BoomerD said:
I still think it's a "douche-move" asking them to replace rusty tools...but I've bought many broken Craftsman tools at yard sales and exchanged them for new...
Click to expand...

Some of the construction guys I worked around would take their broken power tapes back to get a free replacement. I thought that was pretty lame. Power tapes are delicate under the best conditions, and expecting one to last forever when you're dragging it around concrete forms, and through the mud is unreasonable. The warranty is to insure your tool doesn't fail due to manufacturing defects, not to give lifetime replacements on what amounts to a disposable tool.
 
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