Something new I learned today.

Well it's obvious with all the mergers and acquisitions that have taken place in the small engine/yard care industry in the past 20 years that there are a few manufacturers that produce the bulk of machinery that we purchase and use around our homes and businesses. While these manufacturers may produce similar machinery or tools for many different brands, their warranties are not all equal!
Take for instance my Craftsman chainsaw. I bought a new Craftsman chainsaw last summer to replace the Poulan I had used for the past 15 years. Now, I looked around at different brands and did some research and settled on the Craftsman. It wasn't until today when I called our local Sears Parts and Service Center to find a part for my saw did I realize my saw was still under warranty. In fact this was the last day of the one year warranty! (Talk about LUCK.) The guy told me if I could get it down to their center today I could get my recoil fixed for free under the warranty.
While talking with the guy from the service center i found out that Craftsman chainsaws are actually made by Poulan. The big difference is the Poulan saw is only warrantied for 90 days, while Craftsman warranties theirs for one full year. I'm so used to manufacturer's not standing behind their products anymore that i thought the warranty was only 90 days or 6 months at the most. I was pleasantly surprised to see it was a year.
Moral of the story: When deciding on what product to buy whether it be a string trimmer, lawn mower, or chainsaw, etc., always check to see the manufacturer's warranty and take that into consideration when making your purchase. Some only guarantee their products for 90 days or so, while others go up to a year, and two similar products may have been made by the same manufacturer, but their warranties may be totally different.