The Complete Guide to Understanding Outdoor Power Equipment Warranties
Power equipment warranties can be a source of frustration. When your salesperson tells you that the new piece of power equipment you just bought has a “three-year warranty,” that’s mostly true. However, that warranty is absolutely NOT a guarantee that all repairs for your equipment will be paid in full for three years.
Breaking Down the Fine Print that Causes the Most Confusion
First and most important, for the repair of a piece of equipment to be considered warrantable, the breakdown—typically called a ‘failure’ by a dealership—must be due to a defect in materials and/or workmanship. These are magic words to the original equipment manufacturer. This means either it was assembled incorrectly by the factory, or some material or part used during factory equipment assembly was faulty.
In the dealership’s service department, a factory-certified technician evaluates the power equipment, determines the cause of failure, and then utilizes their training, skills and experience to judge whether the failure was due to a defect in workmanship or materials, OR if it was caused by external factors. External factors that cause a failure, for the purpose of this discussion about warranty authorization, are essentially ANYTHING that is not a defect in workmanship and/or materials. Manufacturer warranties are written such that unless a failure can be proven to be a defect in workmanship and/or materials, the warranty does not apply, and the cost of the repair is paid by the customer.
Examples of Power Equipment Warranty Approvals and Denials
Let’s discuss two examples. We'll assume that two chainsaws still under warranty have failed on the same day, and that the problem is the same: the saws die mid-use, are hard to restart, and will not continue to run once started.
For the first chainsaw’s evaluation, the technician finds that diagnostic tests point to a problem in the fuel system. The technician drains the gasoline from the unit and finds it fresh & clean. The technician performs a series of pressure tests on the fuel lines, vent and carburetor, all of which pass. He or she opens up the carburetor and finds the culprit: a piece of the sealant used to seal a press plug into the carburetor has flaked off and clogged the main fuel jet. Given the pristine gasoline in the unit, no external factor caused the failure. The failure is due to the faulty nature of either the sealant used OR the manner in which it was applied (magic words!). The technician replaces the carburetor. On reassembly, the saw runs perfectly. This is a warrantable repair, and the manufacturer picks up the bill.
For the second chainsaw, the process is the same. However, the technician finds that the fuel is contaminated with fine particles of dirt which have plugged the main jet and created the same condition. This failure is caused by an external factor, and with no defects present in workmanship or materials (magic words!), despite being within the chainsaw’s warranty period, the customer bears the cost of this repair. Same failure, same correction, different cause, different billing outcome.
Power Equipment Warranties are Further Complicated by Wear Parts
Wear parts are items on a machine that the manufacturer calls out in their published warranties as having a high potential to wear out quickly: saw chains, bearings, sprockets, belts, blades, batteries and brakes are common examples of wear parts. Many equipment warranties will call out these items as having shorter warranty coverage periods as the rest of the machine. Common time frames for wear parts to be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty range from 90 days to six months.
The manufacturer may advertise a three-year warranty on a piece of equipment, but any wear parts are covered for a fraction of that time.
Dealership-Manufacturer Relationship & Power Equipment Warranty Claims
Finally, in many cases, the exact cause of a failure can be difficult to determine. In these cases, it’s really all about the dealership’s relationship with the manufacturer of that power equipment. Your dealership will repair the machine and generate a bill for the work, and it’s just a matter of who pays the bill at the end: the manufacturer, or you. It’s important to pick a dealership that you trust to be an advocate for you, as it will save you money in the long run!
Our team at Canby Rental & Equipment has spent more than 40 years training, refining processes and building trust with our manufacturers. As a result, manufacturers know that our service department is highly skilled & reputable. When we advocate for our customers, our manufacturers know that we truly believe they should cover a repair, and they generally do.
Getting warranty repairs approved can be complex and frustrating. Choosing a dealership for your outdoor power equipment is as much about post-purchase support as it is about the initial investment in the equipment. Choose a dealership that you trust!
Are you looking for your next piece of high quality power equipment? Check out our catalog link HERE or stop by the next time you’re in downtown Canby!