Tekton put out a video on social media yesterday, explaining their warranty process, and it sounds pretty good.
No receipt needed? Tools are covered regardless of where you bought it? Sounds hassle-free to me.
Tekton also says that they have an average processing time of about 5 minutes for requests received during business hours.
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Here’s what it says on their website:
No Time Limits
It doesn’t matter when you got the tool or how old it is.
No Receipts
You don’t have to worry about keeping receipts. If you own the tool, our support comes with it. Often, we ask you to send a picture of your product to verify your request and give us more information.
Shipping on Us
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When we send you a replacement item, we always cover the cost of shipping the new product.
That sounds very convincing.
It’s like Tekton cares about their customers and tries to see things through users’ eyes.
Read the policy for yourself, via Tekton
Here’s the social media video clip:
Droid
That has been my experience with them. I sent them a photo of a defective tool and the next day the replacement had shipped.
Kentucky fan
You can generally get tekton replacements faster than the tool truck according to my mechanic friends
Eric
It wouldn’t surprise me. By contacting the manufacturer directly they’re going to have it in stock and be able to ship it to you right away. So it should be a pretty consistent delivery time no matter when you ask for the replacement. With a truck it might be the same day or weeks depending on if they have it in stock, when you see them next, and if they’re willing to make a special trip to get the replacement to you.
Kentucky fan
Yeah two or three days in the mail vs a week with the truck. Harbor freights icon line and tekton have to be hurting the tool trucks. I love both of them I’m a welder though so generally when I break a hand tool I was doing something that would make me feel bad for taking it back so I don’t use the warranty lol.
TomD
This is the niche that craftsman used to fill. I know a lot of local mechanics who will only buy from harbor freight or Home Depot because they otherwise they’re never gonna use the warranty. They want to swap the tool in person right there when they’re there getting something else if they can’t do it, just throw it away and buy a new one. So you wanna warranty that you can use very easily without the hassle of calling anyone or time spent or anything. This one seems about as best as you get when you have to do a contact.
Scottie
This sounds very good.I recently warrantied out a Gearwrench 1/2 inch drive 90 tooth ratchet.I had read all of the “horror stories” of other people trying to do the same.I had no problem at all.I sent a picture of the ratchet in.Explained the problem and within 2 weeks had a brand new ratchet in my hand.No mention was made of returning the old one.If Tekton is as good as this then Snap-On had better wise up and start fixing any and all of their hand tools.And you shouldn’t have to be a regular tool truck customer who blows $400 a week on Snap-On junk in order to get an item warrantied as I have learned or else Snap-On just might just go the way that Big-Lots is going.😭
JR Ramos
There are far too many specialty tools that SnapOn is a main dependable source for…Mac and OTC don’t always have it (or in the latter, the pricing is worse-higher than it used to be). Gearwrench and Tekton and even Lisle can’t fill those gaps (past or current, anyway). It sounds like Icon has introduced some pullers and a couple things that are worthy and close enough in quality that some will shift there for cost savings over SnapOn but I don’t think any of this will put a dent into SnapOn. They just offer too much beyond truck visits and warranty to fall by the wayside even if the service isn’t perfect in someone’s region and the prices are…what they are.
CMF
I think they will, and already have put a dent in SO business. Not a big dent, but more like a slow erosion.
I have heard them say they used to wait for the SO truck to come buy, now they wait for the brown truck.
I don’t know which option the ones who go elsewhere use, but there are many choices today, compared to before the internet, and other brands that have put trucks on the road.
SO will always be SO, and many just buy it despite the price because they want to be part of the club,,, because of bragging rights, and of course they are good….but expensive.
Even if it is a slow erosion, ever time SO feels loss of market share, or more importantly, the truck entrepreneurs feel it.
I know that Cornwell, MAC, and Matco have lost market share and SO being the biggest, is affected less but still, is affected.
* I think I should also mention that SO makes a ton of money on their financing, which the truck owners, from what I know, make zero $ on, just the actual sale profit. But it goes hand in hand. If drivers give up the business because they can no longer make money, then SO has less people to finance.
JR Ramos
I’ve not needed to use it on anything yet but this is how they’ve been handling warranty for a long time – lots of stories just like this and very pleased customers. Good company all around and their efforts over the last several years are exemplary, imo. Not every tool of theirs is a winner but across they board they are solid and decent tools with some very excellent ones as well. A lot of companies should take note of what Tekton is offering in the way of product information and customer service.
Wayne R.
This is part of my reasoning to consider Tekton the modern equivalent to old Sears.
Good tools, easy to get, easy to warranty, no BS.
CMF
Well said, and easier, since you do not need to drive to the store.
Andy
The couple warranty claims I’ve filed with Tekton have been super easy.
They’ve really impressed me with their customer support.
Derek
Ordered almost $200 worth of Tekton last month, partially because I’ve heard the warranty is so easy. I’ll most likely never break the 1/2 impact sockets as an only-as-needed DIYer but if I do, it’s nice to know I can get a matching socket quickly. Ordered direct from Tekton too since they have free shipping and 10% back.
JR Ramos
They’re good sockets. If there’s ever a size that you know will get used a ton on high torque (crankshafts or certain axles) you could consider replacing just that one with a Grey Pneumatic (also Taiwan but they are better quality than Tekton unless that has changed recently) or Wright or SnapOn. For most stuff they’ll probably last you forever even with frequent use. Their extensions and adapters are a little soft but pretty decent, same with the u-joints.
Derek
That’s my plan. If I’m break or wear out something more than once I can upgrade it. I’m sure they’ll be just fine for brake changes every few years.
I just looked at I saved over $800 getting the Tekton 1/2″ metric 8-24 shallow and deep sets compared to Snap-On. No way to justify that as an occasionally user.
MM
I bought the full line of Tekton’s crowfoots, both 3/8 and 1/2 drive over the past two years. There’s absolutely no way I could have justified Snap-On prices but Tekton was doable. I’ve found them to be excellent quality. One of mine had an error in the engraving of the size, and two of them have some sharp edges that could have used a little better deburring but honestly they are hard to complain about. I like them better than my old USA-made Craftsmans, both in terms of hardness and in terms of precision fit. Both the square drive hole and the jaws are nice and precise. It seems like the Tektons could have used just a tad more time in the tumble polisher while the Craftsmans were in there much too long, but I’ll take the former over the latter any day.
Gordon
I have a Tekton 1/2in, 24in, breaker bar that I have put a 4ft cheater pipe on and jumped on. To this day it’s never failed, unlike the lug nuts I was taking off.
LE
They really are a perfect example of how an online warranty should be in the modern day. I’ve used their warranty 3 times that I can remember and all received responses within 10-15 minutes and replacment items in the mail that same day. One was a pair of 7″ vice grips that had a very loose feeling latch, also a pair of 8″ slip joint pliers that I’d worn teeth worn down on 1 side, and the other was when I ordered a multi set of their picks and they accidentally sent 2 of the same kind. Never was asked to send the old or wrong tool back. Tekton is one of my favorite companies to support because they actually care about after sale support on top of putting out a quality product at reasonable prices to begin with.
fred
I believe that Tekton is still a family-owned business – and good for them (the Amash Family). I recall that before they hit upon the idea of developing Tekton into its current form and status – they used to market tools under several brand names. Some of those – probably found their way to bargain or clearance table at some auto parts stores. I’m thinking of brands like G.R.I.P. (Aka Grand Rapids Industrial Products) , MIT (aka Michigan Industrial Tools), Mechanics2000 and Pit Bull Tools. The business focus on making Tekton into a respected manufacturer and/or source for quality mechanics tools seems to have worked. Their moving production of many items back to USA sources has also likely help them move up-market. The warranty process and experience that Stuart is sharing here – seem to indicate that they want to make their customers happy – which is always a good thing.
Adam
It is still owned by them. I just met someone that had his 5th or 6th interview with one of the Amash brothers. Unfortunately for my buddy, it might have been too family oriented for him to get his foot in the door.
Ironic that most of their sourcing for the GRIP & MIT brands was foreign, and then has transitioned to USA made for Tekton.
I drive by their HQ all the time, and keep wanting to check out the tool boxes. Maybe when I need to warranty something.
Coach James
Perhaps I am missing more of the story, but how is the transition ironic?
I do hope they continue to move more production to the U.S.
KMR
A significant amount of the Tekton line is Asian sourced, specifically Taiwan. B Line Int’l in Taiwan seems to be Tekton’s primary Asian manufacturer / supplier. Just this past July Tekton received shipments of over 180,000lbs from B Line, which is a typical monthly volume for Tekton from that supplier.
JR Ramos
Was Pit Bull for sure part of their workings? We used to buy a lot of Pit Bull screwdriver/bit sets – they really had a lot of offerings and they were great quality in handy but crackable cases. Quite popular in our stores back then. I think that’s about all they had, though, pretty narrow lineup. Or is this a different Pit Bull branding…
fred
The Pit Bull name might have been used by others too. But if the UPC started with 097257 – then I believe the source was Charles Amash Imports Inc.
Joe H
If Tekton or Gearwrench expand their line to include more mechanic specialty tools than currently, or they team up with OEM manufacturers of specialty tools, they will be a much bigger force in the industry.
fred
I recall that KD tools sort of morphed into Gearwrench – sometime in the APEX – Danaher timeframe. KD, once the competition for Lisle, was always on display at some Autoparts stores. But I always thought that their market was DIY mechanics – much like Lisle today. Anyway – Gearwrench (Taiwan) quality seems like a step up from what I recall KD specialty tools were like – even though they were USA-made.
JR Ramos
I would love for them to expand like that. It may be an issue of sourcing what’s available but I know there are some Taiwan tools that are not up to snuff for shop use like SnapOn, OTC, etc but are still very good quality. Some basic pullers, bearing splitters, a few things…something better than the typical China levels, but with good vetting by Tekton and their nice support. Might be hard to compete with Lisle though. I’ll bet they could offer them at fairer prices. It’d also be nice to see more specialty plumbing items from them but they seem to have discontinued many of the plumbing items they did have. Some other doodads like c-clamps, Japanese cat’s paw nail pullers would be nice…maybe some items to fill in a few of the specialty things that Enderes used to make (perhaps as an outlet they could persuade Wilde or someone to make those items again).
JoeM
I do have some Tekton tools that nobody else seems to sell, or at least I’ve never been able to find elsewhere. Though rather low-end, they’re not low-quality. I like that.
In fact, this warranty situation reminds me of an old Nerd Saying:
“Preliminary Tests Were Inconclusive. (The Damn Thing Blew Up.)”
Tekton appears to be one of those companies that genuinely understands this, and for the price of their tools, acknowledges and accepts that things go wrong at the worst times. This is a great ideal for any business, and I thoroughly enjoy the variety and safety this provides me when purchasing one of theirs. Nice to know they do this, but I wonder if they have cross-border services, without caveats.
I know there was once a cabinet Tekton released that was built by Rousseau up here in Quebec. I would imagine there would be no issues with service on those, but I don’t know about stubby wrenches and the like. I have an extendible inspection mirror with lights, and I’m not sure if that would ever qualify under warranty.
Stuart
Tekton refreshed their catalog over the years, as they actively worked to shed lower quality SKUs. If you don’t see something in their current catalog, it was likely one of those older tools.
Adrian
My experience with a Tekton breaker bar that broke just like the one in the top picture was that it was super easy and fast to get it fixed. That, plus the rewards points you can get shopping on their website has made me a loyal customer.
ken
I wonder how warranty works for discontinued items? I recently had a few Tekton polyurethane bungee straps that broke. I didn’t think to contact them for warranty service.
Dave - Tekton
Typically with discontinued items, we would try to match up the tool with what replaced it. If we’re unable to do that, we’d offer tekton.com rewards to cover the price of the tool.
Nathan
So far everything I’ve gotten from tekton has been great. Defect free arrived quick functions as good or better than expected. Take their new flarenut crowfoot. Pricer than some but us made. And fits very well.
Reauxtide
I own quite a bit of Tekton tools. I’ve had to use their warranty once. A 3/8” torque wrench was working, until one day it wasn’t. Their warranty process was incredibly easy, efficient. After a few questions and a picture, a new one was one its way. Because of that process (and the fact I’ve only had to warranty one) I always check Tekton when looking for a new tool
s
stuart, i know this blog isn’t a big, “i saw this on youtube” kind of blog, but i found this torque test video interesting, and am looking forward to his further videos now with him building a repeatable testing rig. i’m specifically interested in the repeatable testing he’s performing, even under less-than-ideal circumstances.
you had highlighted the craftsman wrenches that did so well earlier in august, but i was impressed that his testing re-affirmed it as a better deal than even icon wrenches appear to be over snap-on equivlents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAo2p3FjUxQ
Stuart
Definitely interesting, thanks for sharing that!
Amatts
Well good then maybe all the craftsman crackheads cam get over it and buy what seem to be better tools
CMF
This sounds great. Tekton in recent years has really made a jump in going after customers. I read most of the comments, and so no one having anything bad to say about Tekton.
DC
Love my Tektons.
JoshG
I have done this repeatedly at work and can verify that it is just that easy. Upload a pic of the broken tool to the website in the morning, have a tracking # by lunchtime for the replacement. Even getting a replacement for the replacement.
We have a specific use case for a specific type of plier and they end up breaking after about a year. Tried other brands and had the same breakage issue, but only Tekton is this easy to get replaced. They’ll have the new one to me before I can even get over to HD to get a new Husky.
Dave
Probably just as good as the craftsman warranty.
JayS
I received a mini pry bar that I wasn’t happy with the milling on and it had chips on the edge. I sent them a warranty email with two photos showing the issue. I had a replacement in 3 days. First time I’ve had to deal with their warranty department and I would happily continue to buy tekton because of this experience alone even if I had to warranty something in the future. Ease of business is worth the tekton price.
Andy
When I retired, I outfitted my entire home shop (2400’) with all Tekton and it has been the best decision I have made! From building rock crawlers for Rubicon, prepping my buddies 4400 for KoH, engine replacements, to working on my JCB tractor etc. They have shined through and through. The only time I have broken a tool has been using my 3/4” breaker bar. I literally took a pic (at 2:30 in the morining) of the tool and by 7:00 AM PST, I had a notification of the tracking number. Are Tekton tools the best out there, no, but what they are is a GREAT American company, that puts right on their website where the tool is manufactured and most importantly, they stand behind their tools. Great prices, great customer service, and I LOVE the 10% of each purchase that goes towards future purchases.