Buying a CL lathe - question about warranty on new machine

[David Peterson]

I may be picking up a Jet 1220VS from a Craig's List Ad. It's a brand new machine this guy has never used - it may have been a gift.

Now, do I need the original store receipt for the Jet warranty to still be good? The seller may not have it. I've read about a few issues with this machine and may very well need that coverage. Or would a serial number be enough to have it honored by Jet? It occurred to me that not having the warranty would be enough to scotch the deal.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Unless specifically stated otherwise, warranties are to the ORIGINAL PURCHASER, and are not transferable! Enough said?

[David Peterson]

That says a lot. With a 5 year warranty on this lathe it would be a shame to lose that coverage. Perhaps no deal then. I've read about bum switches and such on this model requiring replacements that were covered. I don't want to have to start paying for any issues on something that is still new.
Now I wonder, if the receipt was included with the machine, who is to determine who the original purchaser is? If I bought this as a gift for someone, would the recipient then not have the warranty because he wasn't the purchaser?
(This is getting into legalese. I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this discussion...)

[Matt Day]

If the lathe is truly unused and you're getting a good deal, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. A lathe isn't that complicated. I'm not an expert but I'd do a couple checks of the bed to make sure it's not twisted or bent and see if the tailstock lines up with the headstock.

Personally, when I buy used (which is what I buy 90% of the time) I don't think about warranty at all. My Jet 1442 was bought used and has beeen awesome.

[Darren Ford]

Looks like you might be out of luck on this one. Here is a link to the warranty page.

http://www.jettools.com/us/manufactu.../warranty.html

And the specific section of interest is:

WHO IS COVERED.

This warranty covers only the initial purchaser of the product.


It also goes on to say the 5yr warranty does not apply to WW products used for commercial, industrial, or educational use. Not sure if that applies to you or not.

[Jerome Hanby]

[QUOTE=Darren Ford;1925742t also goes on to say the 5yr warranty does not apply to WW products used for commercial, industrial, or educational use. Not sure if that applies to you or not.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure "every company does this, but whenever I see that kind of statement in a warranty, I translate it to "warranty does not apply if you actually use the product". I don't think the warranty would apply to any parts that were worn out, and if normal wear is off the table, what difference does it make how the defect was exposed?

[David Peterson]

That's all helpful. Thanks for the info, guys. The price makes it attractive enough to go for it, regardless of a warranty. I've gone back and forth about the purchase and am probably over-thinking, as I do sometimes. I buy vintage stuff without a thought of any guarantee. I haven't any experience with Jet tools so this made me pause. I'll check it through when I get there.

[Joe Scarfo]

if the original purchaser was a guy... if you need warranty service... tell customer service the lathe was a gift from your cousin. They will use the date of manufacturer (plus float time in inventory) to start the warranty period. If the original purchaser was a woman, tell them it was a gift from your ex wife... same start date for warranty procedure will apply... You will have to coordinate warranty service via the factory though, you can't simply drop it off at the warranty repair center. The mfgr will have to coordinate that for you

DO NOT ask me how I know these things.. :-)

[Myk Rian]

If the only possible problems you've read about is the switch, they cost $10 or so.
Not even worth the trouble to try to get warranty service.