My Experience at Northern Tool - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Air&Road · #1 01-19-2016, 02:26 PM

I have been buying stuff from Northern since they were a mail order Hydraulics outfit. When their stores started popping up in the nineties, i made it by there when I was around one. Although they seem to pedal some Chines junk along with some decent products, they always seemed to conduct business properly.

I needed a small gasoline powered pump for work on our veterans memorial and for some occasional purposes around our place. I couldn't find anything in our small town. On New Years day I was in the DFW area seeing my Mom and stopped by a Northern store.

They had a Honda model that suited my needs. The price was expen$ive, and I was 120 miles from home, but I figured that since it was a Honda and since it was Northern I would probably be okay if anything went wrong.

The middle of the week after buying it we had some rain that required its use. It was in a pristine sealed box. I got it out, set it up, added fuel and oil but when i grabbed the pull cord it was as if it were tied to the frame. Since it was under warranty I didn't want to wrench on it for fear of voiding the warranty. I called the store and told them of my dilemma. They said they could do nothing until service looked at it. I called service and they told me that they are closed Saturday, but suggested I take it to a local Honda Dealer.

I left it at the local John Deere house on Saturday and went back by Tuesday. They showed me a crack in the block and a bent fitting.

I went back to Northern on the following Saturday and the first thing they told me was that service is closed Saturday and I told them what service had suggested. I was afraid that they would blame the damage on me, bit the young manager asked a few questions and handed me a new pump.

I don't know what others experiences are with this outfit, but they were fair and professional with me. This was really a freak deal to have something like that come out of a sealed box with Honda written on the side of it. Things happen I suppose.

barry12345 · #2 01-19-2016, 02:40 PM

We have the same kind of outlets up in Canada. The chain is called Princess Auto. Years ago they started out with hydraulic parts and pieces as well.

We have found them really decent to deal with in all ways. It is both good policy on their part and their profit margins are quite high on a lot of things they sell.

I think their slogan is basically when you are happy we are. The nice thing is that it is more than just a slogan. They practice it.

I have a centrifical blower sitting in the trunk waiting for the next time I am near them. When we got home I found it did not have enough CFM. We did not use it but there will be no problem when we return it.

In contrast we have firms that try to avoid even obvious warranty issues locally.

TX76513 · #3 01-19-2016, 03:20 PM

Like yourself I have been buying from them for decades (mail order) but now they have a store in town. I bought a pump for a spray rig and have returned it twice over a two year period ( 1 year warranty) and they have handed me a new one each time with little more than filling a form out. Odd this thread came up as I was in the store today looking for a 3 PT piece I ordered ship to store. Email said was at store - store said it wasn't in yet. That sort of puts me in the middle but as long as it gets here by March I am good with it.

Mike D · #4 01-20-2016, 06:29 AM

"bit the young manager asked a few questions"

Novel approach to a negotiation process.

Air&Road · #5 01-20-2016, 07:30 AM

Well, if I were in his postion I would certainly have asked some questions. Seems quite natural to me.

BAVBMW · #6 01-20-2016, 11:21 AM

I think it was the part about biting him that seemed unusual...

Quote:

"bit the young manager..."

At least, I found it out of character for you.

MV

Air&Road · #7 01-20-2016, 12:54 PM

Oh! Darn IPhone.

Skid Row Joe · #8 01-20-2016, 06:56 PM

I rarely need anything from Northern in the way of tools/supplies, so I don't think of them - but perhaps I should rather than Harbor Freight.

I bought a re - furbished two - cycle weed trimmer from them that was fine for what I paid for it. It was warranted, and or I paid like $10.00 extra for a warranty IIRC.

I'm shopping for a multi - bit screwdriver right now. I shopped Lowe's last night seeing what they had, I'll also shop Home Depot, Sears, then Northern. Screwdriver must have the light magnetic pull to keep the bit in place on the shaft. A multi screw drive screw driver I thought I wanted at Lowe's on ad special, was not magnetically charged.

pj67coll · #9 01-22-2016, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Air&Road

This was really a freak deal to have something like that come out of a sealed box with Honda written on the side of it. Things happen I suppose.

It may have had Honda written on the side of it but what does the smallest writing on the thing say? The part you need a magnifying glass to read?

- Peter.

Air&Road · #10 01-22-2016, 08:34 AM

I haven't noticed any such writing, but I will look for it. I suppose you are saying that it is not a Honda product except for the name?

pj67coll · #11 01-22-2016, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Air&Road

I haven't noticed any such writing, but I will look for it. I suppose you are saying that it is not a Honda product except for the name?

I've made it a point to find where everything I purchase is made these days. Never looked at generators. But as far as power tools are concerned I've not found a single one, no matter the name on it that is not made in China. Or in some cases, Mexico or Vietnam or Taiwan, but he vast majority are china. This applies as well to most hand tools (non powered). Now I know that some of them seem to be of decent quality, and theoretically the chinese can make decent stuff, but that has not been my experience with much of what comes from there. I think the last non chinese made power tool I saw was a Bosch jackhammer that had either France of Switzerland on it. That was a year ago and by the looks of it it had been in the store a long time.

I will say that I've seen a few tools by a couple of brands that announce "Made in the USA" in fairly large print on the packaging. I will be trying to buy such tools in future rather than whatever is sourced from china.

Not sure your Honda was chinese made of course, and you can have a dud from anywhere but I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

- Peter.

Air&Road · #12 01-22-2016, 09:57 AM

You're probably right pj. I will try to remember to look at it. We got a good bit of rain yesterday. So I will probably be using it this afternoon and tomorrow.

Dudesky · #13 01-22-2016, 02:29 PM

DId a stint at a Sears repair station. You wouldn't believe the amount of power equipment that customers bring back seized because they didn't put oil in them even though it had a gazillion RED tags on all kind of spots on the item. And Sears would gladly replace it without a word.

Sears going out of business pretty much now.