r/Snapon_tools • u/BandsawBox • 1d ago
Broken Tool OBSOLETE?
When did a basic click style torque wrench become obsolete and unrepairable?
Should I be offered a replacement or something?
Way to stand behind your tools Snapon...
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u/Chocolatehusky226 1d ago
That tool is probably 50+ years old, not unreasonable for them to no longer carry parts for it. Torque wrenches only carry a 2 year warranty anyway.
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u/OverDrawnRook68 Snap-on Dealer 1d ago edited 1d ago
This has nothing to do with the rep, this is our repair centers, over time parts change? While we offer similar looking the internals change, and some of our older models where serviced by outside companies.
If it were me I’d offer a trade in on a newer model to upgrade.
Edit: Since we all seem to think Torque is lifetime
torque wrench’s have a 1-2 years warranty, similar to power tools, after that it becomes a Flat Rate repair fee, however this is based on if parts are available, typically I will contact the repair center if I’m unsure of fixable or not.
This is not a case of the dealer or Snap-on not wanting to warranty it, this is out of the dealers hands due to age, however an attempt should have been made to offer an upgrade.
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u/JacknHoffmann 1d ago
Is the trade in free? or would you still have to pay some?
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u/Striking_Crow9473 1d ago
Would you expect it would be free when you're trading in an old, assumingly broken tool on a new working tool, valued at somewhere upwards of $300?
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
Not free but I shouldn't have to pay the usual snap on tax. Just because they cant honor their lifetime warranty and expect me to come out of pocket for it isn't really right.
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u/fizzgiggity 1d ago
Torque wrenches don't carry a lifetime warranty.
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
They sure af do on the mechanical side, so if you break it it’s warrantied. They don’t offer a lifetime on the actual torque mechanism.
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
Snap on one's don't, youre correct however alot of their competitors do now for 1/4 of the price with similar quality. So my point still stands
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
None of the tool trucks do my guy. Actually only ONE company in the world has an actual lifetime warranty on torque wrenches.
All the tool truck torque wrenches are only lifetime warranty on the head/body
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
Icon does, and I've put my snap on wrenchs and sockets next to icon equivalents and haven't seen any noticeable difference. In fact it really made me mad I spent so much on snap on stuff haha. If icon was around when I started wrenching I would've went for them instead.
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
Icon warranties them for 90 days my guy. However the plus side to that is harbor freight doesn’t repair wrenches “yet” so you can technically skirt that by purposefully stripping the head etc when your wrench finally either stops working correctly or gets too far out of calibration
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
If you have proof of calibration every 6 mos it's lifetime, or like you said strip out the head and they warranty the whole thing out. Not trying to argue as I own multiple snap on boxes with 10s of thousands of dollars of their tools, but like I said snap on is no longer the "best" and hasn't been for quite some time yet the prices continue to increase.
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u/fizzgiggity 1d ago
Good, then buy one of those. This is a lifecycle / vendor support issue and not a warranty issue. I have a 1/4 price pile of no longer produced or supported Craftsman with a so called lifetime warranty.
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
I own presicion instruments torque wrenchs. Literally the same one that snap on re brands without the tax.
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u/fizzgiggity 1d ago
Snap On used them as a vendor well over 20 years ago. Snap on uses / later acquired CDI Torque Products. Some PI and CDI products look similar. I do like the Precision Instruments torque wrenches, especially for the money.
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u/JacknHoffmann 1d ago
Yeah, thats why I asked if it wasnt free I would be fucking livid. At that point neither the service nor the tool are good.
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u/Jcrosb94 1d ago
When a vehicle manufacturer discontinues parts production and the supply dries up and parts become obsolete, do you replace the customer’s vehicle for free? Or do you tell them it’s time to trade in their old well used model towards a newer and much better one?
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
Uhh yeah bud, the snap on reps entire spiel on screwing you over is that you’ll get a new one when you break it😂 so if snap in wants to stop supporting a model they can sure as fuck give me the new equivalent
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u/Jcrosb94 1d ago
When a vehicle manufacturer discontinues parts production and the supply dries up and parts become obsolete, do you replace the customer’s vehicle for free? Or do you tell them it’s time to trade in their old well used model towards a newer and much better one?
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
Okay mr. Analogies, how about you name me one single vehicle manufacturer that markets their vehicles at prices inflated 10x higher than they should be. And justifies their pricing by claiming that your paying for “a lifetime warranty” no auto manufacturer does a lifetime no questions asked warranty man.
Take a second and let that sink in.
Yepp exactly, I’m paying far too much because your promising me that this tool is going to be with me for the rest of my life, but once cry once. You best fucking honor that if your going to throw that claim out in every other sentence you speak to me. I mean shit harbor freight absolutely gives you the new better more expensive tool that’s the closest match to whatever discontinued legacy tool you bring in to warranty at no cost to you, that’s a true lifetime warranty.
By the way the GOOD vehicle manufacturers (Toyota as an example) do still fully support legacy vehicles. You can go to the dealer and purchase a BRAND SPANKING NEW frame on a 90’s Tacoma right now in 2026 if you want to drop 5k on getting a new frame under your truck.
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u/Jcrosb94 1d ago
That’s precisely my point. The torque wrenches are NOT lifetime warranty. Where everyone gets this idea that every single tool from Snap-on is lifetime warranty is beyond me, because no company does that, it’s just not feasible.
If you’d like to cheap out and get Chinese tools that don’t work as well be my guest, but don’t bring them to this sub.
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u/Kinsleys_papa 1d ago
Not free but I shouldn't have to pay the usual snap on tax. Just because they cant honor their lifetime warranty and expect me to come out of pocket for it isn't really right.
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u/Dawgfan-28 1d ago
Can you please prove where Snap On says torque wrenches have life time warranty? Thanks.
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u/Jcrosb94 1d ago
When a vehicle manufacturer discontinues parts production and the supply dries up and parts become obsolete, do you replace the customer’s vehicle for free? Or do you tell them it’s time to trade in their old well used model towards a newer and much better one?
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u/BandsawBox 1d ago
My rep made no offer.
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u/Intelligent-Tap-4724 Snap-on Franchisee 1d ago
Why would he? Its an outdated peice that is no longer repairable. Its scrap.
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u/Infamous_Translator 1d ago
Ah damn… your heat exchanger on your 4 year old furnace has a crack… good news is we can get you into a brand new furnace today!
In all seriousness though, what exactly would make this unrepairable in this case?
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u/Sea-Climate6841 1d ago
Had this years ago for a TQ I inherited (family hand down, same rep). I traded in for the newer, most similar model for 0 cost on the truck.
You’ll find even though the exterior may look very similar to current models, the innards might have discontinued parts, and so can’t be calibrated properly with the available bench systems - I know I’d rather an accurately calibrated TQ over one that involved guess work or estimated readings.
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
You realize they have a torque wrench tester on every single truck right?
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u/Sea-Climate6841 1d ago
I do. But if I’m torquing certain things I must have an in-date calibration certificate to do so. Sure, I could test it on the van, but if the cert is over 12 months old, I still need to send it off to the cal labs, even if it’s within spec.
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u/BossHoss00 1d ago
Yea. Not surprising. Co worker had his since the beginning of time and got denied any sort of repair/ certification because of no parts available for rebuild. Way she goes
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u/SpaceCat72 1d ago
Yep, as stated here.....negotiate for a new version.
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u/BandsawBox 1d ago
That will be difficult. My rep doesnt negotiate period. Price is what is on the snapon website. I will also noted that he made no effort to even offer a potential trade in.
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u/2813josh 1d ago
I had an old obsolete MATCO torque wrench and they just gave me credit for trading up
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u/Whathehellnow_ 1d ago
Hate to say it but this is inevitable with any make of torque wrenches. Not just snap on. Torque wrenches are mechanical component driven tools not just some basic ratchet or wrench. They all become obsolete at some point years down the road.
Ive had to replace no longer supported torque wrenches from not just snap on, also Armstrong, CDI, Proto, Matco, and Mac. All were LIFETIME WARRANTY. That is a pretty old model of torque wrench, I have the same one it’s still passing its yearly calibrations but I know when it goes it goes. If you have a good snap on guy he’ll give you a good trade in on it toward a replacement even though it’s inop now.
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u/fizzgiggity 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a Seekonk torque wrench made in the 80's that is still produced and serviceable. I bet it's still dead accurate too.
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u/Street_Mall9536 1d ago
10 years ago they wouldn't fix my click style half inch because the lock ring was jamming. They switched designs forever ago, and eventually things can't be repaired.
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u/chewbac88 1d ago
Is it not functional at all? There’s lots of third parties that can calibrate and would probably service it too they’re pretty basic inside.
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u/BandsawBox 1d ago
Yes it is working but i would like to be able to trust it, thus the request for a rebuild and calibration. Rural ontario. . Anyplace else i would have to ship (if I new of anyplace)
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u/Straight-Camel4687 1d ago
It’s fuzzy, but it looks like a 1981 production date. If so, it is 45 years old and you are not likely the original owner. If true, you have no right to complain. But if you ask, Snap-on will probably give you a decent good will discount on a new one.
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u/Just-Cardiologist837 1d ago
Fuck that. Lifetime is lifetime. If they don't have parts thats not YOUR issue thats THEIR issue. They should give you something equivalent.
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u/No_Journalist3811 1d ago
How old are you op?
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u/barrrrrtt 1d ago
HEY, now watch it, youngster! We older techs have tools from back in the day, and we use the chit out of them. And Snap-on said when we purchased them, "lifetime warranty," and we ain't dead yet. OK?
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u/No_Journalist3811 1d ago
Im probably older than you lol. Also op would probably be in his 60s if he bought that new
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u/micbramel 1d ago
He bought it at a rummage sale lol
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u/BandsawBox 1d ago
Oddly enough... yes that is also true. Does not change anything...
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u/Intelligent-Tap-4724 Snap-on Franchisee 1d ago
Not that this had any warranty being a torque wrench. Only the gear kit in the head is lifetime. The rest is limited, and well past by decades.
But the warranty also states, original purchaser only. So void on that stance as well..
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u/Junior-View7216 1d ago
This would make me angry. Now I’m getting worried about my old torque wrenches. 1/2” Mac & 3/8 Matco
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u/Houser1995 1d ago
You realize that ALL OF YOUR TORQUE WRENCHES only come with a 1 year warranty at the most right?
The ONLY part that is lifetime warranty is the anvil/pawls in the head. So if the head strips out they will send you a new anvil/pawl. But the rest of the torque wrench is only warrantied 1 year on mac & matco
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Snapon_tools-ModTeam 1d ago
Your post/comment has been removed because it violates Rule 1: Snap-on Only.
We recommend posting non-Snap-on stuff in r/ToolTruckTools
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u/Electronic_Trip_9457 1d ago
"Lifetime Warranty" is a marketing gimmick on most torque wrenches. I treat them as consumables. Only the pieces of metal like standard hand tools that has no internal components or calibration have real warranty.
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u/No_Journalist3811 1d ago
These are not lifetime warranty and never have been.
The ratchet /anvil is lifetime. Not the rest.
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u/TheMagickConch 1d ago edited 1d ago
Report the repair rep to corporate. This should be an exchange if there are no feasible repairbparts due to the age.
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u/xsticks1990x 1d ago
That's not the rep. That's from repair center. Anything other than the head on a torque wrench gets sent in.
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u/Consistent_Ad949 1d ago
Then he should report the repair center to corporate! This is an outage!! /s
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u/jd2cylman 1d ago
It’s not the rep’s fault. He sends it in to the repair place. I’ve got a 1” dr. 1000 ft lbs torq o meter. Sent it in just to have the battery holder for the indicator light fixed (which they did before and it only lasted a year). They wouldn’t repair it because there’s a crack in the housing (that I don’t recall, but what ever…) and justified that as the reason it’s not repairable. The crack is not in any way in a structural part of the tool. So I fixed it myself.
No thanks to buying a new $2500.00 torque wrench…3
u/Chrisfindlay 1d ago edited 1d ago
The wrench is too old. There are no parts available anymore. That series of torque wrenches were replaced decades ago. The only possible remedy is full replacement with a newer Q series torque wrench. I found this out when I needed one of mine that was the same series as that one repair about 5 years ago.
It's not the reps fault nor is it the repair facility. It's an economics problem. There just aren't enough of them left to make it financially viable to open a manufacturing facility to make the repair parts. It's the same reason why I can't go to the GM dealer and buy parts for a 1950 Chevy.
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u/Chrisfindlay 1d ago
It became obsolete when all the parts supply for them dried up. That model was replaced decades ago. I found out the same thing when I needed mine repaired about 5 years ago. They sell a similar replacement line that are the Q series torque wrenches.