A Look at DeWalt’s Warranty Policies

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

The good news is that the majority of DeWalt tools come with some sort of protection. Even if they don’t have a warranty, you’re still likely to walk away with a money-back guarantee or a no-break guarantee. But in reality, you’re likely not too concerned with how the company protects small items. It’s the significant expenses like hand tools and power tools that have most of your attention. So let's take a look at what warranties you can expect to walk away with and what they mean for you.  

Since 2004, the majority of DeWalt tools have come with this warranty. Everything from cordless drills to corded miter saws is typically equipped with this option. As you might expect, the warranty offers repairs to tools at no charge to you if they’re damaged on account of faulty materials or craftsmanship.

This option comes with an additional year of free service. That means if parts wear out due to regular use, you can send the tool to DeWalt and it’ll get the device back up and running for you. You also have the option to get your money back within the first 90 days if, for some reason, you’re not pleased with the performance of the tool—no questions asked.

The number one thing to keep in mind is that if you attempt to fix the tool or have someone else do it, DeWalt will not cover any resulting damage. It’s also worth noting that there are some tools with a three-year warranty that include two years of free service instead of just one.

The seven-year warranty is mostly the same as the three-year plan, only longer. It also happens to be a far less common option. In fact, you’re only likely to find this warranty on select pneumatic nailers and staplers. So it’s mostly an exclusive deal to carpenters or other folks who regularly use these tools. If the nailer or stapler you’re interested in doesn’t have this warranty option, it will at least come with the three-year version instead.

Again, for the most part, this plan is the same as the three-year warranty, except it includes the words “limited liability.” This means that only specific components will receive coverage for the entirety of the warranty.

While that might seem like a bad thing, bear in mind that seven years is a long time, and normal wear and tear are bound to lead to repairs. If you’re wondering which parts don’t receive coverage and which do, call DeWalt directly.

The full-lifetime warranty is exclusive to mechanic tools, and it rivals that of other deals in this segment. If you have a problem with your tool, you can call DeWalt and swap it out for a new one.

What’s great about this deal is that no proof of purchase is required. You just send DeWalt the old tool and receive a new one. You also don’t have to worry about being hassled to determine if the cause of failure warrants a free replacement—unless you’re using a tape measure. In that case, some limitations apply to what’s covered.

An essential detail to be aware of is that there’s no in-store replacement of tools. You can’t bring the tool back to the retailer, anywhere, and swap it out for a new one. You’ll need to deal directly with DeWalt’s customer service line to get things taken care of.

Hand tools from DeWalt that aren’t listed as mechanic’s tools come with a limited lifetime warranty. In case you’re wondering, items such as hand saws, bar clamps, and hammers come with this plan.

As far as the warranty process goes, it’s important to understand this isn’t the same as the full-lifetime warranty given to mechanic’s tools. It’s a little more stringent, as DeWalt covers issues only if they’re due to poor craftsmanship or materials. Furthermore, you need to work directly with specific centers in either the U.S. or Canada, as regular customer service doesn’t deal with regular hand tools.

That said, it’s still a good warranty that protects most hand tools in the same ways. Keep in mind that some are subject to different rules and standards. While they might not be “tools,” ear and eye protection often come with a limited warranty, but the warranty covers only the frames.

DeWalt’s heavy-duty industrial tools come standard with a limited warranty. Heated gear and pressure washers also come with this option.

If you’re wondering what the limited warranty is, it’s basically just a one-year version of the others. As with the three-year and seven-year plans, issues due to faulty materials or poor workmanship are taken care of by DeWalt. It doesn’t include any problems due to normal wear and tear, nor does it cover damages caused by you or someone else who attempts to repair the item.

Don’t worry: This warranty may still come with a year of free service and a money-back guarantee period. In some instances, you get a year of free service and even have 90 days to get your money back if you’re not satisfied with the product. This warranty doesn’t cover frame defects, so you should inspect tools rigorously upon purchasing to ensure you can still get your money back or replace the item if needed.

The obvious thing to like about DeWalt’s warranties is that most of its tools come with one. Even if a product you buy doesn’t, you can still probably expect to have a 30-day or no-break guarantee to give you peace of mind.

We also like that DeWalt goes as far as to offer a seven-year warranty for select tools. Sure, it’s not very inclusive, but it’s a much longer period than what much of the competition is willing to offer. The regular warranties and guarantees pretty much rival that of other companies.

There’s also a lot of positive feedback regarding DeWalt’s customer service and warranty departments. You’re always going to have customers who have bad experiences, but there’s definitely not as much negativity out there as there is with other brands. For the most part, the brand does a great job honoring its warranties and taking care of the customer as promised. 

All companies have shortcomings. There isn’t much we don’t like, but there are some gripes—the first being that you can’t take the mechanic’s hand tools to the store you bought them from for an exchange.

We understand that people using DeWalt mechanic’s tools likely aren’t depending on them to make a living. But having to ship them back and wait for a replacement is a major inconvenience—especially considering that some direct competitors offer this option. That alone is enough to prompt someone to use a different tool supplier.

Some of the warranties can also be a bit difficult to understand. More specifically, the fact that you have to call to find out what’s covered under warranty for specific tools is off-putting. The same thing goes for the lack of coverage for frame defects on certain tools. While these aren’t issues across the board, they can be frustrating to deal with if they apply to the items you purchase or are considering purchasing. 

So what does a tool repair cost without the warranty? That depends on the circumstances. Because DeWalt has so many offerings, it’s difficult to nail this down. Let’s face it: Servicing a drill can be very different from fixing up a miter saw or impact driver.

However, after probing around on the internet, we can say that replacement components don’t seem to be terribly expensive—even some motors list at very cost-efficient prices. But that’s highly dependent on the tool. For example, a brushed motor might run somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 to $40 to replace, while a brushless unit can be well over the $100 mark.

Also, keep in mind that not all tools are serviceable and that we’re basing our research exclusively on common power tools.

Before we bring this discussion to an end, let’s run through some of the common questions regarding DeWalt’s warranties. These are straightforward, but at the very least, they’ll serve as a quick refresher of everything we visited throughout this discussion.

No, you can’t cancel. But it doesn’t cost you anything, so there isn’t any reason to.

Yes, DeWalt’s warranties are good. They offer protection that’s often in line with the competition. In some instances, they may even be better.

That depends on the tool. Some cover only defects, while others offer to replace the tool entirely, regardless of why it failed. 

DeWalt offers excellent customer service. There are a few who complain, but most hold the reps and system in high regard.

DeWalt’s warranties vary by the tool, but all are worth taking advantage of. After all, servicing certain tools can cost nearly the same as it would to replace them. Yes, you should have backups, but that doesn’t mean you should pass on a warranty when it’s offered. Most folks have a good experience with the company’s customer service and warranty department and state that they’re pleasant and fair. And though some of the processes can take a few days to sort out, it’s a far better option than paying to replace the tool if the problem is indeed covered by the warranty.

Here are a few more resources you can use:

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.