# Park tools warranty?



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

Curious about Park's warranty I contacted them. In their reply, they quoted the official warranty in which wear and tear are specifically not covered. Isn't that some BS! Other professional tool manf (names [email protected], heck even craftsman) will cover this in their hand tools, whats the deal with park?

Frankly, I'm very disappointed to see this from a company who claims to make 'professional quality' tools; although I must conceed they are still pretty dang nice to begin with. Just WTF is with the warranty!


----------



## 4slomo (Jul 4, 2006)

I'm not sure any tool manufacturer guarantees their tools from normal wear and tear. Most warranties will cover workmanship and defects for a specific time period that varies between manufacturers. As you stated, some offer a lifetime warranty covering workmanship and defects.


----------



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

Ever bring your craftsman wrench in for replacement because it was worn out? Ever break a 3/8" socket to 1/2" driver adapter due to over-torque and have it replaced no-hassle?

I have.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

If you wanted Snap-on or Craftsmen for their warranty you should have bought Snap-on or Craftsmen (and good luck with any bike specific tools from either). Check a warranty before you assume what it is. FWIW I had a Park tool box latch break and they promptly replaced the tool box. I haven't had any issues with their tools, and I have many Park tools, some for a long time. Here's their warranty, which is pretty clear: 

Park Tool Company backs its tools with a limited lifetime warranty. If a Park Tool product fails to perform its intended purpose, under normal usage, due to defects in material or workmanship, the tool will be repaired or replaced at our option. Tools that are worn from normal use, or damaged due to accident, abuse, neglect, or modification are not covered by the warranty. When possible, tools not covered under warranty will be repaired for a reasonable charge. This warranty does not cover consequential damage or cost of injury incurred by the user. The TW-3 and TW-4 Torque Wrenches are warranted for one year from date of purchase. Tools for warranty consideration should be returned to the point of purchase or to Park Tool Company.


----------



## Slow Eddie (Jun 13, 2007)

*Stop Whining.*



Buck268 said:


> Curious about Park's warranty I contacted them. In their reply, they quoted the official warranty in which wear and tear are specifically not covered. Isn't that some BS! Other professional tool manf (names [email protected], heck even craftsman) will cover this in their hand tools, whats the deal with park?
> 
> Frankly, I'm very disappointed to see this from a company who claims to make 'professional quality' tools; although I must conceed they are still pretty dang nice to begin with. Just WTF is with the warranty!


Ever deal with Park's warranty department? I have. They go above and beyond the call of duty and have replaced tools that are clearly worn from use and not abuse.

In my years as a professional mechanic, I have used several Park tools long enough to cause them to be no longer appropriate to use. Pedal wrenches and spoke wrenches come to mind first. Had I chosen to complain to park about the inferior quality of their product, I am confident they would have stepped up and offered to replace the part in order to keep a customer happy. But the tools served out their useful life and are relatively inexpensive items to replace, so into the recycling bin they went.

From my perspective, it sounds like you have never had to deal with Park regarding the issue about which you are complaining. If you are so ham-fisted that you are looking to blame the manufacturer and score a free tool when you screw up a repair, perhaps you should learn how to use to tools properly or leave the repair to someone qualified to perform it.

Frankly, I'm disappointed that you publicly bash a reputable company for having a perfectly reasonable warranty policy that makes it more difficult for self-serving opportunists like yourself to take advantage of them :nono:


----------



## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Tools should not really wear out, especially at the premium price that Park demands in the marketplace. Their pricing is commisurate with premium tools for other applications, and those companies won't cite a warranty when you ask for a replacement.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

_Tools should not really wear out, especially at the premium price that Park demands in the marketplace. Their pricing is commisurate with premium tools for other applications, and those companies won't cite a warranty when you ask for a replacement._

Really? So, as an example, your allen wrenches stay in pristine condition? Even my Snap-on allen bits wear, but they can be ground down rather than whine about a warranty that doesn't cover that. Park tools are not all that expensive for what they are and the economy of scale being dealt with in bicycle world (say, as opposed to the automotive world). The word is commensurate btw. My brother was a Snap-on dealer, they (the individual dealers) do have issues with people who abuse things (it's in the warranty) and simply want a freebie. Sears has their own way of dealing with customer service, that's their business. Why should Park or any other tool manufacturer mimic your perception of some other company's policy for your convenience?


----------



## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> _Tools should not really wear out, especially at the premium price that Park demands in the marketplace. Their pricing is commisurate with premium tools for other applications, and those companies won't cite a warranty when you ask for a replacement._
> 
> Really? So, as an example, your allen wrenches stay in pristine condition? Even my Snap-on allen bits wear, but they can be ground down rather than whine about a warranty that doesn't cover that. Park tools are not all that expensive for what they are and the economy of scale being dealt with in bicycle world (say, as opposed to the automotive world). The word is commensurate btw. My brother was a Snap-on dealer, they (the individual dealers) do have issues with people who abuse things (it's in the warranty) and simply want a freebie. Sears has their own way of dealing with customer service, that's their business. Why should Park or any other tool manufacturer mimic your perception of some other company's policy for your convenience?


1. Sorry for the mis-spelling. I bet you have a hayday on a forum where people cannot even spell "the." Usually I would have caught it, but it was early and I was out late last night. Good luck with that.
2. I fail to be convinced that economies of scale mean that Park cannot stand behind the product at that price (that is what you are inferring, correct?).


Bikinfoolferlife said:


> Why should Park or any other tool manufacturer mimic your perception of some other company's policy for your convenience?


3. Capitalism. Create brand loyalty or loose the customer. That is the name of the game.

That being said, I am a fair consumer. I don't expect freebies. I don't abuse my tools or possessions because I don't want to have to replace them.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Just thought you might want to know what word you were trying to come up with, but no big deal. BTW it's heyday, and lose, sorry you had a rough night 

While exchanging tools outside of warranty conditions might be a good sales/marketing tool, it's not necessarily good capitalism. Perhaps Park could, and at their option might, do something like Snap-on or Sears or someone else might. Sears likely is more liberal on warranty interpretation because the counterperson probably isn't much of a judge of anything but the numbers on the cash register and they'd rather err on the side of customer service so as to keep that customer buying other Sears products. With Snap-On, corporate is only too glad to let the individual dealers suffer for their gain (a huge problem for Snap-On dealers in addition to the downsizing of their routes by corporate in order to sell more franchises). If you read Snap-on's warranty http://corporate.snapon.com/display/termsofsale.nws, it has exceptions as well. I couldn't easily find a copy of Sears/Craftsmen's warranty but wouldn't be surprised it's also similar in limitations and might well be overridden by Sears policy.

Keep in mind the OP really didn''t apparently know what was in Park's warranty in the first place, let alone the other warranties. We don't even know what his issue is particularly. He's choosing to bash someone publicly for something that isn't apparently a warranty issue, but rather a public perception problem.


----------



## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> Just thought you might want to know what word you were trying to come up with, but no big deal. BTW it's heyday, and lose, sorry you had a rough night


Yeah, having lived in Europe I appreciate their perspective on correcting others (ie, help someone to not look stupid in the future, as opposed to the American perception of holier-than-thou, "you think you are better than me and that is why you correct me" perspective). For that, thanks. And catching Thievery Corp is the kinda rough night that I like to have - rough crowd, rough air quality, rough dub style beats. Rough indeed.



Bikinfoolferlife said:


> He's choosing to bash someone publicly for something that isn't apparently a warranty issue, but rather a public perception problem.


Very true. Many people just come here to vent, some with reason and some completely lacking in reasoning capacity.


----------



## biotruth (Sep 29, 2005)

I just want to post here, so that people know what a great company Park Tools is.

I've dealt with them for 3 different problems (over ten years of home mechanic-ing), two completely mine where I lost parts of tools (set screws), and each time they sent me the bits, for free, no shipping. those were completely *my* fault. the third was the poorly designed park hammer #1, where the metal end screwed into the handle. the screw rapidly stripped out. But they figured it out, and replaced it with model #2 within a year. I emailed them a few months before #2 was released, and they kept my name on a list, and before it was available commercially, sent me the new model.

You can whine all you want about Park not warranty-ing a rounded off wrench or whatever the OP wore out, but you cannot find better customer service than Park.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

They also provide a website that is awesome for those working on their own bikes, and Calvin himself pops up on these forums now and then with advice too. I think Park does a great job, too.


----------



## spcarter (Nov 17, 2007)

I just don't get why high end bike tools don't come with the same type of lifetime warenty that mechanic tools have (i.e. if it breaks for any reason its replaced with no questions asked, and yes I've dealt with this myself)


----------



## spcarter (Nov 17, 2007)

I just don't get why high end bike tools don't come with the same type of lifetime warranty that mechanic tools have (i.e. if it breaks for any reason its replaced with no questions asked, and yes I've dealt with this myself)


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

spcarter said:


> I just don't get why high end bike tools don't come with the same type of lifetime warranty that mechanic tools have (i.e. if it breaks for any reason its replaced with no questions asked, and yes I've dealt with this myself)


Snap-On does not warranty tool breakage if it's from abuse:

"In addition to any limitations outlined in warranty statements provided with the Product, Snap-on does NOT provide any warranty for (1) products labeled other than Snap-on or Blue-Point or (2) products subjected to "abnormal use". Products that are not labeled Snap-on or Blue-Point are subject to the warranty provided by the manufacturers of those products and Snap-on will pass along any such warranties. "Abnormal use" includes misuse, accident, modification, unreasonable use, abuse, neglect, lack of maintenance, use in product-related service, or use after the product is significantly worn. Abnormal use of tool storage units also includes, without limitation, situations when a unit is pulled using a mechanical vehicle, rolled over large drops, used in a highly corrosive environment, used as a step stool, modified with non-Snap-on parts, overloaded or modified in any way."

Sears does things from a customer satisfaction guaranteed sort of basis. Not quite the same thing as warranty coverage.

p.s. Park does have a record of being accommodating, just because one guy here claims to have a sour taste in his mouth doesn't mean Park won't bend over backwards...


----------



## RSW42 (Aug 22, 2006)

Buck268 said:


> Ever bring your craftsman wrench in for replacement because it was worn out? Ever break a 3/8" socket to 1/2" driver adapter due to over-torque and have it replaced no-hassle?
> 
> I have.


Wurd.

Snap-On too.

.


----------



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

Well at least some people see where I'm coming from. If ya'all like park, great. They definately make good tools. I just don't see why they think their so special.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

What was the specific issue? How was it handled?


----------



## sbstumpy (Jul 2, 2006)

*Park has done right by me...*

Just a positive word on the way Park backs its products.

I have the cheapest (read as least expensive) of the Park repair stands-- the PCS-9 -- and it had an issue with one of the bolts in the clamping mechanism about a year after I bought it, and after some pretty heavy use. One email and the replacement part was on the way.

Now the stand is almost 4 years old and I went to set it up, but let it fall over backwards. It landed directly on the plastic handle that allows rotation, which snapped, and then the clamp hit the concrete and snapped the main clamp bolt.

This would not fall into any normal use warranty, and I sent an email explaining what had happened and asking if I could _buy_ replacement parts.

Nope. The email that came back said that the parts were in the mail.

Thanks Park! Next time I'll buy your upscale stand (if you ever let this one wear out).


----------



## augistiner (Mar 8, 2006)

More kudos to Park; I wrote them once my repair stand (PRS-7) stopped rotating freely. I asked about lubricating or oiling it and they sent me a replacement universal top tube assmbly and tapered sleeve and paid shipping. I've never received customer support that responsive.


----------



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

Had a number of the plastic grip L-angle hex wrenches from Pedro's with the bal end broken off. Calld them up, asked if they are covered. You know what they said, SEND THEM IN. Yup, possibly the easiest tool to break and they cover it. Still not happy with Park. I know what I'll be buying from now on.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Yes, that's nice, but that's Pedro's for ya (breaking wrenches that is). What was your specific issue with Park? Where's the cheese now that we've got the whine?


----------



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

I have a number of wrenches and cassette/freewheel and bottom bracket sockets which are stripped or worn out. When I contacted Park they stated they will NOT warranty. I have a problem with that because most other premier tool companies such as Pedro's, Snap-On and even craftsman warranty that type of 'failure.'

But appearently I'm alone (more or less) in my opinion. Too bad.


----------



## davep (Mar 11, 2005)

Some of you guys (seems an epedemic in the good 'ol US of A, and especially bad in the bike industry) have lost the definition of warranty. It does NOT mean, use this for a pry bar, or run it into a wall, or put a super monster on a Scott Scale and demand a free replacement when YOU mis-used a product.
Waranty refers to a MANUFACTURERS DEFECT......stripping out a 4 mm allen because someone over-torqued a Thomson (and you did not know the propper way to loosen it) does NOT indicate a defectively manufactured tool, plain and simple.

More power to snap-on if they still do this (I know for a fact that craftsman has stopped on _many _tools, and are much more of a hastle to deal with even with legitimate warranty issues), however they do not make bike tools, they mfg and sell 100s of times more tools that lets say park (scales of economy) and their tools are much more expensive than part (extra profit pays for rediculous replacement policy)...

I suppose that park could double their prices and then offer lifetime replacements....I would rather pay a resonable price rather than fund others mis-use of tools.


----------



## Buck268 (Aug 22, 2007)

If you're saying I don't know how to properly use various handtools, then you sir are speaking beyond your knowing.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Buck268 said:


> I have a number of wrenches and cassette/freewheel and bottom bracket sockets which are stripped or worn out. When I contacted Park they stated they will NOT warranty. I have a problem with that because most other premier tool companies such as Pedro's, Snap-On and even craftsman warranty that type of 'failure.'
> 
> But appearently I'm alone (more or less) in my opinion. Too bad.


I wonder if it was that you had a bunch of tools you were asking for freebies on all at once, perhaps one at a time might have worked out better. I still don't believe a worn tool is a warranty issue. Nice if the company throws you a freebie but to expect it because you "heard" that others "always" do something isn't a good reason to slam Park here IMHO. Pedro's is not a premier tool company by any means.


----------



## ash240 (Jun 2, 2007)

I expect a tool to have a "reasonable" life span and be fit for the purpose it was sold.
Excessive wear IS a fault and a defect. IF you are a home user I wouldn't think most would be able to wear a decent tool out within quite a few years.
If the tool is not offering a life span increase to reflect the additional quality you have been charged for then a replacment under warrenty is not uncalled for AND changing brands is a good option. There is a difference between "normal" wear over XX uses and a tool that has worn out far too fast. In this case, we don't know but it's foolish to think any wear should not call for a warrenty replacment. If the MFR won't listen AND you really do have a valid case then you need to buy from another MFR from that point and not be afraid to mention your issues to others.


----------



## fyrfytrhoges (Jul 22, 2008)

Buck268 said:


> Had a number of the plastic grip L-angle hex wrenches from Pedro's with the bal end broken off. Calld them up, asked if they are covered. You know what they said, SEND THEM IN. Yup, possibly the easiest tool to break and they cover it. Still not happy with Park. I know what I'll be buying from now on.


good luck on the pedro's tools....

i have NEVER met a bike mechanic that thinks pedro's tools are better than park tools. quite the opposite in fact. not to mention pedro's tools are ridiculously priced.

sounds like alot of whining on your part.

imho, ymmv, blah blah blah.....


----------



## fyrfytrhoges (Jul 22, 2008)

davep said:


> Some of you guys (seems an epedemic in the good 'ol US of A, and especially bad in the bike industry) have lost the definition of warranty. It does NOT mean, use this for a pry bar, or run it into a wall, or put a super monster on a Scott Scale and demand a free replacement when YOU mis-used a product.
> Waranty refers to a MANUFACTURERS DEFECT......stripping out a 4 mm allen because someone over-torqued a Thomson (and you did not know the propper way to loosen it) does NOT indicate a defectively manufactured tool, plain and simple.
> 
> More power to snap-on if they still do this (I know for a fact that craftsman has stopped on _many _tools, and are much more of a hastle to deal with even with legitimate warranty issues), however they do not make bike tools, they mfg and sell 100s of times more tools that lets say park (scales of economy) and their tools are much more expensive than part (extra profit pays for rediculous replacement policy)...
> ...


yeah, its us Americans that are the problem.

get over yourself......


----------

