Sears or Lowes Warranty?

Geo-TH,In · Jul 28, 2012

Been thinking of buying a 3500 watt generator from either Sears or Lowes, because they are local and the price is about the same. Also, Sears has a briggs motor on their generator. Sears says they do their own warranty work and only cover what I can prove to be a manufacturer's defect. Lowes says I'll have to take to a reputable lawn and garden service two blocks away. However, I purchased a Whirlpool washing machine from Lowes less than a year age. A local service repair center to come out and repaired the machine. They told me that if a sock choked the water pump, it were my fault and I would have to pay for the repair. Asked them how can it be my fault if a sock makes it's way to the water pump? Sounds to be that would be a defective machine allowing a sock to choke up the pump.

My question is, who has the best Warranty plan, Sears or Lowes? Or they both about the same?
George

rrlund · Jul 28, 2012

No experience with Lowes,but around here Sears sucks. I needed a dryer fixed one time,they sent some long haired grubby service man in an old unmarked van,from 40 miles away. The guy showed up two hours before he was supposed to,I was right across the road when he got here. He walked up to the door at a good pace,waited about 10 seconds then sprinted back to the truck and was gone before I could get his attention. I waited all afternoon for him to come back since he'd been here so early,but he didn't come back. I finally called them about 4:30,they said he'd been here and nobody was home,I'd have to pay for the service call.
I told them where they could shove it and that he'd BETTER be back to fix it. He finally did,no bill,but that wasn't my first run in with their crap,but it was the last.

As far as another shop doing the work like you say Lowes does,there's a shop here in town that does the work for the local TSC. I'd rather have stuff go there where they know what they're doing than have some high school kid tinkering with things with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers in the back stock room.

wisbaker · Jul 28, 2012

I'd look for a Honda dealer and get a Honds generator that is probably made in the USA. The Honda shop will have better service and you probably won't need to have anything done to it anyway. If that's not an option I would look for a Onan might have to go to a Cummings power dealer or an RV shop for that.

DownSouth · Jul 28, 2012

Sears will have an employee there look at it, and as you can imagine odds are good that the employee sitll has pimples so beware. The warranty at Lowes will be the same as at Home Depot and TSC, either they will take it or you can take it to your local lawnmower shop who has a contract with them. Better if you took it to them yourself as it can and will sit in the backroom of the store you bought it from for quite some time before it get's delivered or picked up by the repair shop.
As someone else stated, if you can find one and afford one I would go with a Honda. My pressure washer with a Honda will start with gas that's well over a year old, try that with a Briggs.

Deere Scotty · Jul 28, 2012

You discovered the real world of warranties! It would be nice if the Federal Goverment would step in, & say a warranty is a warranty. If You have one its fully covered; but it probably wont happen.

Sears: I really like Sears because they sell a lot of US made Tools; but the warranties on power equipment are worriesom at best. But the Briggs & Stratton generators on their website are typically rated 5 star by customers which says something about the quality. They show many other brands on their website including DeWalt which are very high dollar ($1000/4500watt) but I'd bet my life its built like a tank.

Lowes I have little knowledge of but if You buy a generator that is for example double what You need; then it is going to last longer because it wont work as hard. BY THE WAY... Sears will pricematch if You prove a better price on the internet with something they can get!!! I bought a $560 Bench vise for $375 Made in USA by Sears price matching about 2 years ago! Wish You luck in what ever You decide!

WJD · Jul 28, 2012

You might ytu a locally owned lawn and garden or chainsaw dealer. They often carry generators. Parts and service are likely to be better.
I can't speak for Lowes but the quality of items Sears sells has gone down in recent years. More and more of their tools are imported. Wonder why sales are off?
Around here Sears service trucks no longer have their name on them, it is A & E or something like that.
Until a few years ago Sears had an in-store parts department. Now you have to go online. The part I always seem to need is "no longer avail." and it directs me to a new item. No Thanks.

Mark6005 · Jul 28, 2012

Bought a champion 3500 generator 2 yrs ago at tsc. It was on sale good price but I didn"t do my usual homework before I buy. Anyway I found it has great reviews and I don"t use it much but start it every month or so always on the first pull, I"ve never pulled it twice. Just my opinion on a $269 I"m sure china made generator

Pitch · Jul 28, 2012

Only one thing to do. Go to a local guy that services what he sells and pay the extra 80 or 100 bucks and avoid my headache.
I don"t know about generator warranties,but I do know about Lowes in general.
We bought a fancy front load machine from Lowes,about 2 months it crapped out so I called Lowes. They said that is was within manufacturers warranty so I needed to call Samsung so I did. SS told me they had no authorized service centers in my area and kicked me back to Lowes. Lowes said tough samsungs problem. Samsung 3 weeks later hooked me up with A&E,guy came,ordered a circuit board to be shipped to my house and left. Part came I called A&E to let them know that I had the part,they set up an appointment for the guy to come,in 3 weeks, he showed installed circuit board no joy and he left after a lengthy call, Sometime later I called A&E,They told me they were waiting on Samsung to authorize the additional work.
Mind you I am close to a year into this by now.
Constantly on the phone with Lowes samsung,A&E. Finally for the first time in 56 years I sued some one. I filed small claims papers on Lowes. Within a week probably the day after Lowes was served papers they called me. "Sir please come down and pick up a replacement machine" I did I signed off on it as full settlement. Not really blaming lowes,but they were the ones that took my money.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 28, 2012

Mark,
You could buy 2 generators at TSC for the price of one at Home Depot, sears, or lowes. You could probably buy 10 TSC generators for the price of a Honda inverter generator. Where are the Home Depot, sears and lowes generators made? GUESSING CHINA.

Would be interesting to find out where the genny is made on a Honda?

Also looking for an electric chain saw. Some people think a $500 sthil is the only way to go...that's 5 $100 worx saws. Will one sthil out last 5 worx saws with a 2 year warantee, 5x2=10 years?

Really makes you think, how much are all the reviews on line worth when comparing Chinese to Chinese?

Beginng to think reviews are like getting advice from a fortune cookie.

George

jose bagge · Jul 28, 2012

Here's the deal with sears warranties- take it up to the store general manager, and let him know you're willing to take it all the way to Hoffman estates if necessary. These guys have an element of compensation tied to csi and complaints and they will absolutely settle in favor of the customer if you get to them Sears pretty much prices manufacturers warranties out of the buying program so defects and warranties go in the dumpster rather than back to the manufacturer

PeteTheRookie · Jul 28, 2012

Sears, RUN, as far away as you can.
The current bozos running Sears from the very top right on down to the local mgr's are morons.

Sears is no longer a great American Company of our youth.

I bought a Craftsman branded chainsaw. PAID for the extended warranty.
Still had problems getting warrant honored. TOTAL BS, aint worth the paper
it was printed on.

Occasionally see "stuff dumped" in their parking lot.

You know what that stuff is?

Its products people lugged back to Sears only to be told Sears was not honoring the warranty for this BS reason or that. People get ------ off and dump the product right there in the lot and leave it. Vowing never to buy Sears again.

Pete

Mark6005 · Jul 28, 2012

Thanks George I'm even more comfortable with my one pull Chinese generator for $269 since now I know all the more expensive ones made in china too.

UncleTom · Jul 28, 2012

honda, no other, enough said

36 Coupe · Jul 28, 2012

George.I did appliance service for many years.Childrens socks, rubber goods and plastic baby pants and ladies nnalert do get into washer pumps.They just get over the tub during spin cycle.There is a shield over the pump intake.

LenND · Jul 28, 2012

I have a 4000 watt from Menards with a Tecumseh
eight horse motor. I have had it for about ten years and haven't touched it. Pull the rope with choke on and it is running. Mind you this rig cost me a fourth of what a Honda costs and made in USA. Anything with Honda the money goes to Japan. Way too exspensive for my blood.

DaveK(IN) · Jul 28, 2012

We bought a new stove from our locally owned appliance store. We has trouble with the burners lighting properly so called foe warranty service. Out comes A & E. They have been out three times, billed GE for more than we paid for the stove, and it still is not working properly.

oldtanker · Jul 28, 2012

Local shop is the service center for a certain brand of chainsaws and lawn/garden equipement sold by Mills Fleet Farm and HD. If you buy something there they take a least a week to even look at it while I take what I got from the dealer in and most often get it back the next day. Sure I paid more but I'm very happy to have the service after the sale. Plus they let me know about things like the cost of a carb reapir kit VS the complete new carb. Complete carb was 6 bucks more than the kit.

My son and DIL went through the A&E thing a few years ago with a fridge. They were pretty upset that it took 3 weeks to get it repaired. My daughter and SIL had problems with Sears over a washer. They were 25 miles from Sears and Sears wanted them to pay mileage for warrenty service.

Rick

Walt Davies · Jul 28, 2012

I have had a sears CAP on all my stuff. They come out once a year and service everything for free. Just had a new belt put in my 40 year old dryer no cost. Sears has their own service men and shops for small stuff they do very good work or they come out an fix it again. A while back they were short handed and sent a clown out from another company. The first thing out of his mouth was its your fault. He is now persona non gratis around here. He told me it would cost me $400 to fix I did it for $50 bucks on 1 hour. Really made me mad and I let sears know it. My regular mechanic said that they had a lot of trouble with this guy.
Like I said after 20 years I'm pretty satisfied with sears work.
Walt

Anonymous-0 · Jul 28, 2012

Actually Champion are very reasonably priced. You aren't comparing apples to apples. An inverter is an entirely different animal than a conventional generator. There are lower priced inverters too. Some times a more expensive name brand will outlast several cheap copies. I'll take a Honda clone engine over the low end B&S's any day.

Royse · Jul 29, 2012

Years ago I worked at a Sears service center.
I left in 1991, so grain of salt, but any customer who complained loud enough got whatever they wanted.
As far as a the generator goes, I bought a Coleman about 10 years ago with a Subaru Robin engine on it. (I think I got it at Lowes)
It has never failed to start on the first pull even after setting for 2 years.
I don't think I'll find one with a 10 year warranty anywhere.
Even if the government stepped in and helped.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 29, 2012

So is there a warning that you shouldn't Childrens socks, rubber goods and plastic baby pants and ladies nnalert, because if you do, it's your fault they somehow choke up the pump? Sounds like a defective design, not owner's fault.

oldtanker · Jul 29, 2012

George, The thing is there they can argue it that the machine was over loaded hence the items going over the basket. My wife used to plug the pump about once a month till I told her the next time she had to fix it. She started putting in fewer items and doing more loads. haven't have a plug up in years.

Rick

36 Coupe · Jul 29, 2012

Those rubbers are hard to get out of a pump.

Sears or Lowes Warranty?

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