MAC tool warranty, how good is it?

[SARuger]

I was digging through my dad's tools,I had them stored in my barn. I haven't looked at them since 2003 when he died. He had a lot of old MAC, Proto and Bonney tools, really good stuff. My uncle was the first MAC dealer in our town and I suspect he got them from him.

I took all of the ratchets apart and lubed them but I found two 1/2" drive ratchets that the heads are stripped so they are not rebuildable. One is a 15" V9R( I really like this ratchet, sucks its no good or I would use it daily) and the other is the same ratchet with a flex head. I suspect these ratchets are from the late 60's.

My question is, do you think MAC will warranty these old ratchets?

The good news is I found a dozen nice ratchets from 1/4"-1/2", most were MAC, one Bonney and I found a Proto 18" breaker bar, bunch of wrenches and sockets but only a couple of complete sets.

 

[John C.]

I think you will have to just try. I know my big torque wrench has some issues on the head and the local truck says no more guts for free on that wrench. They have all refused to do anything for my 3/4" ratchet. It has a slight bend in the bar just behind the ratchet head. They also said that style of tool is no longer made so if it busts the dogs again they said it is scrap metal.

I'm not high on Mac tools anymore.

 

[crane operator]

I had a 3/8" drive mac ratchet (old XR 11 PA) that I lost the selector switch from forward to reverse on. I sent them a email (customer service from their website) with pictures of the ratchet and my problem. A week or two later I had a kit for the ratchet in my mailbox, no charge. I had sent them the email, asking for a part # so I could order a repair kit, I certainly didn't expect free for a part I lost when losing the screw.

I would take pictures and email, if you just mail them in, and they can't fix them, they're gone. If you just email pictures, and they have no kits for them, you could search ebay or some other tool sites and maybe come up with NOS parts someone has squirreled away.

I guess I'm missing how a repair kit wouldn't fix the ratchet? The teeth are on the drive, and the selector has the teeth, the handle just holds it together. Unless its a toothed head like the old round head 3/4" drive?

 

[repowerguy]

The warranty is really only as good as the dealer you have, I give mine to a guy in a sister garage for his dealer to warrant and it is no questions asked. A good dealer should replace it with a new tool if it is no longer repairable, but I say should. They have numerous caveats in the warranty to let them off the hook though.
The vintage you describe is the Sabina made years, there are collectors on other boards looking for Sabina wrenches and ratchets. It seems as though when MAC moved from Sabina, it became corporate and the customer service went south quickly, my opinion only.

 

[SARuger]

I had a 3/8" drive mac ratchet (old XR 11 PA) that I lost the selector switch from forward to reverse on. I sent them a email (customer service from their website) with pictures of the ratchet and my problem. A week or two later I had a kit for the ratchet in my mailbox, no charge. I had sent them the email, asking for a part # so I could order a repair kit, I certainly didn't expect free for a part I lost when losing the screw.

I would take pictures and email, if you just mail them in, and they can't fix them, they're gone. If you just email pictures, and they have no kits for them, you could search ebay or some other tool sites and maybe come up with NOS parts someone has squirreled away.

I guess I'm missing how a repair kit wouldn't fix the ratchet? The teeth are on the drive, and the selector has the teeth, the handle just holds it together. Unless its a toothed head like the old round head 3/4" drive?

These are the old round head handles with the teeth cut into the head. They will skip at certain points. The ratchet mechanisms look new in them. I suspect my uncle "gave" my dad repaired ratchets and these were too far gone to fix.

 

[SARuger]

The warranty is really only as good as the dealer you have, I give mine to a guy in a sister garage for his dealer to warrant and it is no questions asked. A good dealer should replace it with a new tool if it is no longer repairable, but I say should. They have numerous caveats in the warranty to let them off the hook though.
The vintage you describe is the Sabina made years, there are collectors on other boards looking for Sabina wrenches and ratchets. It seems as though when MAC moved from Sabina, it became corporate and the customer service went south quickly, my opinion only.

All of the MAC ratchets i have are the same design, round head, and have a "V" at the begining of the part number, example: V9R, V8R, etc.

I have 4 of the 1/2" drive standard length handle, and three 3/8" drive standard length, one 3/8 flex head and three 1/4 drive standard handle, then the two 1/2" drive that are stripped.

All the otger handles work great, i used them on my job yesterday. I really like the round head design and the selector being on top vs the flip lever design that most moden "pear" shapped ratchet heads have. Im constantly hitting those levers, agravating.

 

[92U 3406]

I had a discontinued long handle 1/2" Mac ratchet that piled up on me. Dealer just gave me the new model that replaced it. A lot depends on the individual dealer though I think.

 

[funwithfuel]

^^^^^^^
What he said. My dealer always swaps with what replaced it. Of course, the new stuff ain't nearly as good or strong, but it still carries lifetime warranty.
I'm running out of my grandpa's tools BTW. Had to swap out nearly all of it.

 

[PJ The Kid]

In my experience with tool trucks, it all depends on the individual dealer. I had a Mac guy that take a slipping ratchet that he knew I bought at a garage sale and finish breaking it so he could send it in for replacement. but I have had one that would only warranty if you bought it from him. Usually I just had to threaten to break every screwdriver in my box and they would warranty anything. Had a cornwell dealer that would warranty tool bought from other trucks as long as they werent stamped with truck branding.

 

[SARuger]

Well, as luck would have it, i ran into a MAC dealer today. I had stopped by the shop to pick parts up for my first call tomorrow and when leaving, a MAC dealer rolled by. I followed him to the ThermoKing dealer down the street, caught him getting out of the truck, and asked. He said he would be glad to swap them under warranty, and he wants to get a foot in the door at our shop. Right now most of techs use either Snap On or whatever the can get cheap, its split to be honest. I have a mix of everything, whatever i can afford. I like good quality ratchets and breaker bars (Snap On, Proto, MAC), but get by with Kobalt, Klutch, and Craftsman sockets and wrenches. I might do some upgrading to MAC, this dealer wants the business!

Im going to meet him tomorrow. I havent bought a tool off a truck since 1988. Mostly used off individuals, this will be a new experience.

 

[Knepptune]

The warranty is as good as the dealer your dealing with.

If your not consistly buying tools from the dealer, the warranty quality will go down.

I will say, I'm pretty new to the whole tool truck side of buying tools. Before I always bought what I needed from napa. I don't really like the idea of having a warranty dependent on tracking down a dealer or sending your tools off to be warrantied. I'd much rather walk into a store with my broken tool and out with A new one.

I would buy mac tools just cause they're a little cheaper then snap on. But the mac dealer is not very good. I see the trouble my co worker has with getting stuff warrantied. It's no questions asked, replaced right there if the dealer shows up. You just never know if he's gonna show up. And if he has to order it, don't plan on it having it anytime soon.

 

[funwithfuel]

Mac has deals . Monthly specials . Some are real good. By that I mean, what freebie you get brings the other stuff to a fair price.

 

[92U 3406]

Our local Mac dealer just got bought out. They don't really come by often anymore but they have an actual store in town so I usually just stop in there if I need something ASAP.

 

[SARuger]

Yesterday was a crazy, busy day. Started off with getting a hydraulic bath. Then wrenched my back rebuilding a carriage on a toyota lift truck. Then finished up the day at the shop redoing, for the third time, a brake job on a toyota lift truck, that was done by two other techs. Boss put me on it, lucky me.

I didnt get to meet the MAC dealer but im off Monday and Tuesday, i will hunt him down then and update everyone.

I have a good many Bonney tools, im assuming they are out of buisness. Luckily none of the Bonney tools need repair. I plan on disassembling the 1/2" ratchet and clean and lube it. Its a nice tool!

 

[crane operator]

Bonney was bought out by cooper tools, and closed the hand tool line. Last production in the mid 90's.

 

[funwithfuel]

If you look at matco combination wrenches from the early 90s they are Bonney patterned wrenches. The steel was nowhere near comparable. I had the misfortune of buying a set. I've never bought matco again. Open ends spread every time I used them. Old timer in my shop had a set of bonneys and laughed his a** off every time I handed a spread wrench back to the dealer. His never failed.

 

[crane operator]

I always thought the bonney's were nice, kind of like my old mac wrenches, because they're not so sharp, have that thicker beam. I've got some snap on wrenches, and sometimes the real thin is nice in a tight spot, but they really dig into you when pulling hard on them.

 

[mikebramel]

Wright wrenches take a hammer beating.... literally. Haven't had one pop off or crack.... using the open end, by the way. Torture

 

[funwithfuel]

Wright, Williams, Blackhawk and Proto all super solid, but in the old pattern, when you can find em.

 

[92U 3406]

All my wrenches above 32mm and 1-1/4" are Unex GH. I think they're just cheap Chinese wrenches. Each set (33mm to 50mm and 1-3/8" to 2") was about $150 Canadian. Have put about 9 years on them and not broken or spread one yet. Even took a 5lb hammer to a few more than once lol.