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I bought an Erbauer SDS drill from Screwfix just before Christmas and have used it 3 or 4 times since outside…. Dried after use etc but the chuck appears to have siezed and now won’t hold the bit.
Does anyone have either a fix or any experience of returning stuff to Screwfix as faulty for replacement? I could do with not being without it while they send it off for repair etc.
Cheers
I haven't had a problem with returning either unwanted or faulty goods (many more of the former than the latter 🙂 )
I had a strimmer that died right at the end of its warranty, took it in and walked back out with a new one.
Can’t think of anything else I’ve had issues with.
If it is less than 30 days old now you should be able to get it swapped out for a new one. Just don't say anything about using it outside in the rain.
If it's outside the 30 day window it might be sent to repair , depending on the value of the tool.
However , if you ask nicely, explain it's essential for your project etc the duty manager has authority to replace , either there and then or on a tcnd next day service
Rob , duty Man SF.
My understanding is that if they have it in stock Screwfix will just swap it out there and then.
have used it 3 or 4 times since outside…. Dried after use etc
Not sure that getting tools wet is something that they warranty for. I mean, they probably will. Screwfix are good like that, but it sounds like it's maybe down to your tool care 😉
This isn't a warranty issue, it's a consumer rights issue. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a fault manifesting this early is legally deemed to be inherent from new unless they can prove otherwise. Inside of 30 days you can go "well I'll just have my money back then" on faulty goods.
Whilst I wouldn't expect asshattery from Screwfix, do not mention the W word. That has the capacity to get messy fast. You are returning faulty goods for (presumably) replacement under CRA, you are not making a warranty claim.
you might struggle if the the salesperson is switched on
Within six months it's down to them to prove any suspected user error.
Not sure that getting tools wet is something that they warranty for.
Who buys an SDS drill which dies after four weeks because it was used outdoors less than a handful of times and thinks that's reasonable? Short of the OP throwing it in the duck pond this is, ahem, water-tight. Not of satisfactory quality.
Nope no grease etc supplied. I did consider a smear of silicone grease on the end of the bit, but suspect all that is likely to do is entrain grit and rock particles and increase the wear on the moving parts inside the chuck mechanism?
I’ll just pop in and be nice and say for some reason it seems to have stopped working how it should and please could you swap it for a replacement one 🙂
Ive generally been pretty happy with the Erbauer stuff tbh so it’s not a massive drama and I’m sure they put it right. Let’s hope so anyway.
I've returned about 4 items to Screwfix for replacement over the years and it's almost as if they can't wait to swap it.
The last was a pair of Doc Martens work boots that I'd had for about 9 months and were making my feet ache. I'd hardly plonked them on the counter when the guy said "replacement or refund?".
It used to be with the big own brand Titan rotary hammer drills, that came in a case with loads of SDS drills and chisels almost all of them were brought back with a complaint just within the 2 year warranty period. So you'd walk out with a whole new set of bits. As a consequence you'd flog the things to death, not letting them cool down etc., whereas if it was a Makita, for example, you'd take a bit of care over it
Aka The screw fix hire centre.
Buy something , use it for 8 months bring it back and say it's hardly been used and it's died. Despite the fact anyone with eyes can clearly see it's been ragged to death. And you get a full refund. Hence the scree fix free hire centre.
Except this is being scrutinized, repeat offenders flagged on the system and replacement tools not money back is the company line.
Yeah, I took an Erbauer combi drill in that had about 3 weeks of the warranty period left, can't remember if it was 2 years or 3. I'd absolutely used it to death and unfortunately for me it looked like it. I was hoping for a brand new replacement (which I didn't deserve) but they sent it away to get the motor/gears fixed. It came back about 5 days later, still looking absolutely shagged, but did at least work.
Nope no grease etc supplied. I did consider a smear of silicone grease on the end of the bit, but suspect all that is likely to do is entrain grit and rock particles and increase the wear on the moving parts inside the chuck mechanism?
I did a quick google on a generic Erbauer SDS to look at the instructions, and it says to lightly oil the insertion end of the drill bit.
If they don't supply it with the drill ,then they can't expect the home user to know what type of oil etc.
Just make sure the shank is clean, then grease it, and stick it in. The dust seal on the end of the drill will keep the crap out. Sounds like the rest of the drill is fine, but the chuck is probably rusty now hence your problem. Just hand it over for replacement with a Manuel "I know nothing" look on your face. 🙂
walk in show them and walk out with a new one.
It doesn't look its had tradie level of abuse
Nope no grease etc supplied. I did consider a smear of silicone grease on the end of the bit, but suspect all that is likely to do is entrain grit and rock particles and increase the wear on the moving parts inside the chuck mechanism?
Copperslip works for me.
“replacement or refund?”.
The trick is to ask for a refund, then buy the new one. That way the warranty starts again.
Their 5l sprayers seem to last about 6 months.
Dropped it in today, there was a bit of scrutiny and it “looks like you’ve used the drill but the charger looks like new, is it the same drill?”
I’m not entirely sure what a charger that’s been used twice was meant to look like but they’re replacing the whole set arriving tomorrow so I’m happy with that.
And they may also be replacing a much older battery for a new one….
Dropped it in today, there was a bit of scrutiny and it “looks like you’ve used the drill but the charger looks like new, is it the same drill?”
And they may also be replacing a much older battery for a new one….
sounds like their skepticism is well founded!
Who buys an SDS drill which dies after four weeks because it was used outdoors less than a handful of times and thinks that’s reasonable?
Outdoors
Also outdoors
have used it 3 or 4 times since outside…. Dried after use etc
The OP's outdoors sounds a tad more like the second one on limited info? I've got a Titan SDS I've had maybe 5 years. Never used it in the rain I don't think.
Glad they sorted it for you. Screwfix are great like that. Try not to use it in the duck pond in future. 😉
I saw a man walk into screwfix the other day with a sds drill bit he'd used to drill a hole through a wall. Turns out he had eyeballed the dimensions he needed incorrectly and asked to swap the drill bit (that he had used) for a bigger one - they did it on the spot without a second word.
I wonder if he was a regular customer ? If it was only a few quid bit, then a nice bit of customer relations to keep them out the Toolstation 😉
He had a cravat, didn't look like a builder and seemed to have only a passing familiarity with a drill!
Ha, probably wasn't worth spending half the day arguing then. Did he have red trousers and a Jaaaag ?