Draper Expert Tools Warranty (1 Viewer)

dave newell

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Oct 31, 2008
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A year or two ago I bought a Draper Expert 70-230NM torque wrench. Seemed a good quality piece of kit. Last year the ratshit failed and I smashed my knuckles into the steel deck of the lift while trying to push 200NM into Transit wheel nuts (trust me it f'in hurts!). Anyway I bought a Sealey torque adapter which gives a digital readout of torque applied but that now seems determined to eat batteries faster than I can buy them, otherwise its a great tool.

So I went to my local tool supplier/hardware store (small business who will still sell you one wood screw for a few pence) to buy a repair kit having checked on Ebay and finding I could get the repair kit for about 60 notes. "No problem says Adam, its from the Expert range so its got lifetime warranty, we'll send it off and get it repaired FOC for you, happy days thinks I :).

Well not so happy days, after nearly two months of waiting for it I called in today for summat else and enquired about it, Adam's Dad shows me a letter from Draper which is actually an invoice (pro forma) for £131 and change to repair it with an additional paragraph stating that if the "above quotation for repair work is not required then a fee of £18 will be payable to return the tool in disassembled condition". Not a happy bunny at all am I! Apparently the lifetime warranty doesn't apply to torque wrenches.

A new torque wrench is about £180 and I do need to have it but I am loathe to give Draper this money now, the tool store acted in what they believed were my best interests and although they are technically (at least apparently) at fault for offering a free repair I don't want to fall out with them as they are usefully close, really nice, helpful people and will let you buy a single screw or nut if that's all you require.

I'm just peed off that after two months I still have no torque wrench, it will cost £131 to get this one repaired or £18 to get a broken unit back which I then have to spend £60 odd to repair so that it can fail again and break my knuckles (or worse one of he employees knuckles and lead me to an injury claim!).

Frustrated of Telford!
 
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dave newell

dave newell

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Cheaper on ebay
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Yes Andy but still a lot more than I'm willing to pay for anything with a Draper label on it now. If its rated for 230NM the ratshit shouldn't fail at 200NM and cause physical injury. I think I like Bill's reply but I'll be buggered if I'm going to spend money on lubricant to help them get hurt by their crap tools. A letter outlining my injuries and lack of respect for their tools will be forwarded I think. Probably best to sleep on this for a night or two. Just very frustrated!

D.
 
Nov 18, 2011
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I would go for higher rated tool if it's regularly taken to those not a lot of leeway stresses 200nm only levees 30nm maybe 350/400nm or a torque multiplier may be better IMHO
BILL
 

Abacist

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I have a Britool from when I was 18 and still going strong 45 years on though not regular use like Dave's.
 
Nov 18, 2011
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Britool make the best torque wrenches bar none.

Standard issue for HM forces and just about every heavy eqpt workshop I can think of!
I have one but didn't want to let on as I though they were cheep and nasty dumb old me :doh:
bill

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Lenny HB

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A well worded letter pointing out your injury & how serious it could have been, written once you have calmed down may even get it back repaired FOC.
Good luck.

Years ago Draper used to be good quality what I've seen of it lately looks like they are trying to compete with the cheap rubbish you get on market stools.
 
Dec 27, 2014
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Dave,
I have found over the past 30+ years that there is no better torque wrench than a britool...... the older model that.
Absolutely superb bit of kit.
I have 3 of them ...3/8, 1/2 and a 3/4..... Can't be beaten.
image.jpg

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Minxy

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Sounds very painful Dave! Reminds me of the pain I felt from the time when I was at a microcar rally nattering to a few buddies in the evening, they'd use a large plastic tub with water in to create a large ice block to keep the salad etc cool (we'd provided a massive BBQ earlier) and were having a mess about with the now surplus ice block and kicking it around so I followed suit ... bl**dy hell it hurt (I actually broke a toe but wasn't admitting to it!) ... it turned out they had steel toe-cap trainers on!!! :cautious:
 
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As a retired motor mechanic I have used T Wrenches all of my working life and I can say that none compare to the Britool. As s20hymer says, don't forget to wind off the spring after use.

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Aug 6, 2013
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I have a breaker bar marked in inches for anything over 150 lbf-ft. Just stand on it in the right place.
 
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dave newell

dave newell

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Britool and Norbar are among the best in my opinion too. Mainly frustrated at the ridiculous cost of repair when I was told it would be free, that's a mistake on the part of the toll store but they acted in good faith.

D.
 
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As a EX heavy plant fitter
Britool for me I have 4 starting at 50 pound inch to 500 pound foot
Now about 30 years old and recalibrated every 5 years still perfect
Like posted above back of spring every time when not in use

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Jaws

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Several years ago I read in a trade mag that Draper that Draper had been bought out by the same parent company as owned Woolworths

Ever since that time their tools are little better than the monkey metal ones you get on a pound stall !!

For me it has to be Teng or Rip off ,,, sorry Snap On* ( or indeed Bluepoint of course )
Mind you.. a chap I use on occasion swear by Halfrauds pro stuff

*
Guy I used to work with when I was doing fork trucks had a 3/4 drive Snap On ratchet he had inherited from his father ( who must have purloined it as it had the old WD arrows on it ! )
It failed and when Snap On man appeared Martin showed it to him..
No problem.. Went to a draw, pulled out a repair kit and handed it over !! The thing must have been 50 years old if it was a day !

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dave newell

dave newell

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Well I went back to the tool store this morning for some parabolts and was greeted with my torque wrench sitting on the counter, Draper had sent it back unrepaired, tool man said he's looking forward to the fight with Draper over payment. Anyway we had a chat about torque wrenches and I've ordered a New Norbar Pro unit from him, 80-400NM working range at a reasonable price. Even Toolman said Britool aren't what they used to be quality wise but Norbar tools are totally British made in Banbury, in fact Beta tools torque wrenches are re-badged Norbar units. So I'll get a repair kit for the Draper one made of toffee and keep it as a backup tool.

D.
 

ambulancekidd

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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
I have a Draper battery heavy discharge tester which proudly claims on the box to have a "lifetime warranty" & it has failed. Draper advised me to contact the original seller but they've gone out of business. Now Draper don't want to know! Some warranty eh? I should have known better & should have stuck with Britool. My Britool ratchet has put up with 40yrs of abuse without complaint.

Robert.

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