Who's got the best rod warranty?

[denewcomb]

Hey guys I'm not looking to abuse a company but to be blunt, I'm hard on my rods. I'm going to replace and upgrade my rods this fall and am looking for a great rod.   Just as important, I want the best warranty I can get my hands on.

I've heard of places with no ? asked replacement. Anyone come across this. Looks to me like the best I could find was St. Croix has a gold program that cost $50 dolllars per replacement. I don't mind spending good $ on a high quality rod but just can't bring myself to do it if I'm just going to break it, or one of my three kids is going to sword fight with it etc.

As explanation I got a new ranger boat this year and it has recessed tiedowns in the front. If I forget to put them back down the rods slip underneath it very nicely. Then I pick up the rod. Then the swearing begins. Then  I ask myself how many times I'm going to do this before I learn. Clearly the only answer is to get a rod with a better warranty!

Anyone else have suggestions on companies with the best warranty?

Dave

[DennisB.]

I like B&R outlaw rods I am sure there are better out there but I have a family and a budget to maintain, that being said they have a $50.00 replacement warranty. Even if you snap it for fun, that will get it replaced.

[Cheetam]

I feel a debate coming on...

Shimano.  Over the counter replacement, no questions asked, no depreciated value, no replacement warranty, no shipping.  I don't use them, but the crucials are very nice rods for the money.

[Bender]

I agree with Shimano. I had one break after I yanked a weight from a tree and hit the rod dead on. Went to the store and had a new one in 5 minutes. No shipping, no wait, no hassle.

[djkimmel]

Please check out our GreatLakesBass.com official rod maker - Grandt Rods (click this link to go to their recently reprogrammed web site). Quality rods made in the US in several price ranges. I use one of the All American Series so far - nice casting rod for a number of applications. Tough and sensitive and light.

They have an unconditional lifetime warranty on their main lines of bass rods with only a $25.00 replacement fee on their All American and XHL70 series.

"If an All American or XLH70 fishing rod is broken in any way, fishing or otherwise, ship that rod to Grandt Industries along with a letter of explanation. Include your name, address, and phone number along with a check for $25.00 per rod, for warranty processing."

If you have any questions, they have a board under the General Discussion board with active pro staff to help out.

You got to get the sword-fighting stopped somehow... I'm speaking from experience

[1javelin]

I agree with Shimano.  Loomis has a pretty good warranty as well.  I think you pay a little more for the warranty, but it's the peace of mind you get from it.

1Jav

[motocross269]

I have a couple of B and R outlaw rods...They were costing me to much to ship back and pay for the replacement costs..(Around 70 dollars total)..
I bought a couple of shimanos this year..I like them both and luckily I haven't had to try out the warranty yet..
I have heard great things about the Loomis warranty, but Luckily I haven't had to try that one out either...
I probably just jinxed myself going into this crazy month of tourneys...

[GotstaFish]

I agree with Shimano also. Over the counter, no questions asked. Never had a problem with them even on rods I bought used. The rep. told me to break my 7'11" rod in 3 pieces to save on shipping even  That was on a rod I bought on Ebay and it arrived with a broken tip!

[Ryan]

I have been using Airrus Rods quite a bit the past two seasons and finally put their warranty to the test.  I broke the tip off of a spinning rod and then called them to see what I needed to do.  All that was required was to cut off and send in a 6 inch segement of the rod that showed the model number and also a check for $40.00 and a new rod came in the mail.  No questions asked.  It worked pretty well for me.

-Ryan

[bshaner]

I'll stand up beside Ryan on this one.  I've never had to test Airrus Rod warranty mainly because they are great rods, but you cant beat just sending a 6 inch butt section for cheap shipping and 40.00 is below the average warranty exchange cost.

B

[McCarter]

Anothe vote for Shimano.

I have been using the Clarus rods ( IM7 blanks and Fuji hardware ) this year because they are nice rods and priced right for the budget fisherman that i have become.  They are $60-$70 in the stores and i have found them for $45 brand new online through [REMOVED - see No Links Policy List].  They have the same over the counter lifetime warranty as the more expensice Compre, Crucial, and Cumara rods.

Over the counter is great, but on some rods that arent available in many stores, it doesnt help that much.  Especially if the one or two stores that carry that particular rod doesnt carry many of them.  If you break a 7 ft Medium Heavy with a Fast tip, you want to trade it for a 7 ft Medium Heavy with a Fast tip.  SOmetimes you cant find the same rod when you do go to turn it in.  Whats nice about Shimano is, they sell them everywhere.  Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, Gander Mt, Dicks.  You have a very, very good chance of getting the exact rod you want right in your own neighborhood.

I remember when i first starting using St Croix rods you could trade them over the counter.  I bought my first when i was 14 years old.  A 6' 6" medium Legend spinning.  I broke it trying to drag a snapping turtle onto shore after he found my live nightcrawler hanging under a bobber in a small private pond.  I took it right up to Kellys (known now as KD Outdoors ) and traded it for a brand new one.  I swore i would never buy another brand of rod again.  St Croix, a long with just about every quality rod maker out there, has since changed there warranty policy.  i am not knocking them, you gotta change with the times and it was my understanding after a lengthy conversation with a St Croix rep that had they kept the over the counter warranty in place, they would have lost 80% of the retail stores.  

For my money tho, i want convenience.  There is nothing more convenient that walking into a store with a broken rod and walking out with a brand new rod without spending a dime.  I really like the shimano rods, the clarus rods (5) and the crucial rod (1) that i currently own, and the cumara that i always sneek when fishing with my buddy who has one.  And there warranty is sweet, even on a budget rod like the Clarus.  How can you beat it?

McCarter himself

[denewcomb]

Guys thanks for the great suggestions. I called Shimano directly and they said the over the counter exchange was at the discretion of the individual store. They said if the store balked then I would have to deal with Shimano directly. They were also very specific to me that any damage had to be a defect and not "I shut it in my car door".

Seems though that everyone is getting good results from local vendors on returns. I do like the thought of not having to deal with mailing. But if I'm laying out 1500 on new rods I sure feel a lot better knowing that my warranty isn't at someones "discretion."

Looks like a few companies as suggested have the no ? asked policy that I wouldn't be aware of. Boy those Gandt rods are something else. Some of them definately qualify as works of art.

For what its worth I'm leaning towards the St. Croix Bass legend rods. I have 5 of their Triumphs (2 broken). I called them today and they said they might be able to let me trade in all 5 on purchase of 7 rods. (Need a new Steelhead rod too). That may give me some pretty good savings. But now you've got me looking at these Airus rods....hmmm why did I start this thread. At some point I ought to quit thinking about it and just go fishing.

Thanks again for al the input, I really appreciate it.

[TritonTR20]

I work part time at Dicks Sporting Goods. Dicks has a warrenty seperate from the manufacturer. For rods costing between $40 and $100 it costs $9.99 for a year. Additional years are available. The warrenty covers everything (lod locker lids, car doors, kids swordfighting, etc). You call an 800 number and they send a gift card you the origanal cost no questions asked. Reels are covered also. You can break a bail spring and they replace the reel.

[denewcomb]

Thought I would let you know what St. Croix is doing for me. To me I think it speaks pretty highly of them. As I said I have 5 rods 2 broken. They have offered to give me full refund (what I paid) on all 5 rods. The only fee is shipping and handing for 20 bucks. That's $70 per rod they are refunding. Tech., according to their policy they would have only had to give me $20 per rod.

Again thanks for the input. Hope others find this thread useful as well. As I said before it really made me look at some brands I wouldn't have otherwise. Unfortunately I don't think Gandt, Airrus or Shimano is going to give me $70 each for all my old broken rods so St. Croix it is!

Dave

[5alive]

Quantum PT -

Just had my first one ever break and this is the response I got from their customer service:

"Please send the remaining pieces of the rod back to our Service Dept. at the address below for replacement.  If you need to cut the rod down additionally to save on the shipping cost you may do so however we will need the model number to be in 1 piece. 
Have a great day!"

[MadWags]

The best warranty "IN WRITING" is Grandt Rod's "UNCONDITIONAL LIFETIME WARRANTY".
Please read all warranties carefully. You may get different results at different times depending on who you are dealing with. All customers should be treated equally and the warranty should be in writing. READ IT!

[Northern Bass Bum]

Guys thanks for the great suggestions. I called Shimano directly and they said the over the counter exchange was at the discretion of the individual store. They said if the store balked then I would have to deal with Shimano directly. They were also very specific to me that any damage had to be a defect and not "I shut it in my car door".

Seems though that everyone is getting good results from local vendors on returns. I do like the thought of not having to deal with mailing. But if I'm laying out 1500 on new rods I sure feel a lot better knowing that my warranty isn't at someones "discretion."

Looks like a few companies as suggested have the no ? asked policy that I wouldn't be aware of. Boy those Gandt rods are something else. Some of them definately qualify as works of art.

For what its worth I'm leaning towards the St. Croix Bass legend rods. I have 5 of their Triumphs (2 broken). I called them today and they said they might be able to let me trade in all 5 on purchase of 7 rods. (Need a new Steelhead rod too). That may give me some pretty good savings. But now you've got me looking at these Airus rods....hmmm why did I start this thread. At some point I ought to quit thinking about it and just go fishing.

Thanks again for al the input, I really appreciate it.

Denewcomb,

I saw you needed a steelhead rod. Check under the sales forum, I have a St.Croix Wild River Steelhead rod for sale.

-NBB

[cr]

Hey Guys , I thought I'd relay this , I had bought another rod from Kistler and received a standard follow-up E-mail a couple weeks later wanting to know if I was happy camper . In between the purchase and E-mail I had two guides pop out and a tip come loose, plus the cork on the butt section had split last year and I had super glued it back together .  I relayed this info in a return E-mail expressing my doubts about the quality of the rods ,Magnesiums at $189 a pop . I received a E-mail two days later from Billy Kistler asking me to call him , which I did , and when I told him about the problems he said they no longer use that type of guides and if I would send the rods back to Kistler , all 6 of them , he would replace the guides with Fuji's and replace the cork section , free of charge , no shipping fees , ASAP. It cost me $49 to send them back today , I'll post a follow-up when I get them back , but I'm very happy to get this type of response . Maybe not the best warranty , but still nice to see a company stand behind there product . .CR

[cr]

I got my rods back today , the huricane shut them down for a week , so they replaced all of them with new ones . No charge !!!!!!!Got to love that .