Northern Tool + Equipment
reviews and complaints

I bought a welding machine about a week a go that at the 1st three minutes of use it just stop working. I took back to the store to get a exchange and was told to leave for the mechanic to check, mechanic won't be back till Monday so that forces me to stop working for three days. Would I have known this was going to happen I would have not gotten this machine at Northern Tools & Equipment, I didn't come for a repair but an exchange but now all I want is a return & my money back. Then manager tells me we have to deal with Hobart... Why would I deal with Hobart when I just bought this machine at Northern Tools with in a week? I should have gotten direct from Hobart but I need it ASAP! By the way am I not under policy to return for 45 days? Now I just want to return because is not the answer you want to get with a thousand dollar machine and service. So I called customer service line while at the store and gentlemen was helpful put him on speaker to speak to store manager and he even explained that I am in my right to return since the I-file says I have 45 days to return. Store manager didn't care, he wanted an OK response from he's district manager but district manager wasn't "answering hes call or mines" FIGURES! Once again I am in my rights to return and in store don't want to help, I have no interest in ever making a purchase from Northern Tools they have lost a loyal customer. Never had an issue until now and I always make large machine purchases from them but I'm taking my business elsewhere. Waste of my time and money!

Ordered 4 items on clearance, received 1 item with shipping charges for 4. Called to complain and got rebated portion of shipping, but was told the item is now out of stock. However, I could order the same product ( but now a different item number but virtually the same poduct) for almost twice as much. I was never informed that I'd be receiving only 1 item as it does not represent a good buy with the shipping included. I would have cancelled the order. I've ordered from Northern Tool before and never had a problem but will not be ordering again. You've lost a good customer (just bought a fixer-upper) for the difference of a few dollars and not making good on the order. Going to Lowes and Home Depot from now on.

3 months ago I ordered this item: Milwaukee M12 FUEL Cordless Impact Wrench — Tool Only, 3/8in. Square Drive, 12 Volt, Model# 2454-20 for 150 dollars, thank god the shipping was free.
But the problem is that I never received it.
Customer care is aware of that, I called them numerous times and they probably already know who's calling when they hear about my problem. However, it's not resolved and I will keep pissing you off until I finally get my order. You seem free shipping doesn't mean forever. I want to finally get it!

I was on hold more than one hour. They transferred me from one person to another. One of them was away, another one said my issue is not the one he can resolve, the third one said she would prefer to call me back because at that moment she was very very busy. Busy with what? Hello, guys. I am your customer. Not your friend. You should be busy with your customers' problems. What's your priority then?
I don't think my problem was tough for you to resolve. I never got my order and all I wanted to know is when I will get it and if there's any sense in waiting for it, maybe then I would just cancel it.
A very strange way. My issue is still not resolved. My time was spent on nothing...

I ordered a pair of LaCrosse boots for my husband and they arrived expeditiously but the problem was that they did not fit. So I contacted Northern Tool and the representative told me that the boots were ordered from LaCrosse and that they would contact LaCrosse regarding my order. A week went by and I did not receive any communication. So I called Northern again and this time I asked for the LaCrosse contact information.

I was able to speak with a rep from LaCrosse who explained that I could send the boots directly to them and they would handle the exchange but I would have to pay for shipping. I called Northern again and explained the shipping situation with them.

To say I ended up shipping the product at my cost to LaCrosse in Oregon.

I will never do business with Northern again

I bought a NorTrac 2 spool hydraulic valve for a spare about a year and a half ago. Two days ago I needed to use it so I took it out of the box and installed it, but right away I knew there was something wrong with the valve. It only will move hydraulic fluid in one direction. It was bought as a 3-Position, 4-Way, Open Center, but it isn't. Contacted northern tool yesterday and got the runaround. The person I was talking to had no expertise or even knowledge about there products. Especially when they told me to get a hydraulic company to look at my machine, even when I was tired of telling them that the problem is with there valve. So than they said that it was my problem now because it is over a year old. But the valve is new and it is not what I had ordered, or they advertise the product wrong. Then they were very bold and not very good customer service when they asked me if I had any other questions on another item and I said you never solved this problem, when they actually hung up on me. So I guess I have a hydraulic valve for a heavy paper weight. Never will shop there again.

I ordered 2 items from the company www.northerntool.com. I didn’t get any confirmation info, ‘coz the seller only promised to deliver the tracking number or info, which confirmed that the order was shipped and I would soon get it. I sent tons of emails, but each time I heard only some fake promises and blah-blah. I wonder if there are people, who have the same problems and what have you done in such situation, please post comments.

I submitted an order on 11-30-10 for one item. On 11-2-10 I emailed them, not having heard from them, and ask that if the item hadnt been shipped to cancel the order. By the end of 11-2-10 still not having heard from them I again requested that they not send the order. Again still not hearing anything from them by early 11-3-10 I again emailed customer support and said to cancel the order. Mid afternoon on 11-3-10 I received email from customer support saying they had just shipped it! I purchased the item locally so now Im going to have to fight with them over the return. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and NO RESPONSE

I am disgusted by Northern Tool's complete lack of customer service. I place a large order for over £500 through their website and when two items did not arrive with the delivery several days later, I tried to call their customer service department. I was on hold for 10 minuutes or so, before an automated message said that the department was too busy to take my call and that I should leave a message. I left a message, together with my contact details and waited. The following day I did the same, as I did the day after that. Feeling rather frustrated, I decided to email my query instead.

I am now sitting here totally annoyed at this company's distinct lack of customer care. They've taken my money and are refusing to tell me when the missing part of my order will arrive, or whether they will be refunding me? I don't care how busy a company is, after four weeks, surely someone can look into my order and find out what is going on and have the decency to return my calls or emails?

Don't bother wasting your money ordering from this company. I have spent several thousand pounds with them over recent years, but I will never order from them again in the future. They deserve to go bust!

The Northern Tool + Equipment Customer Service as well as their Internet customer service are very poor. An order was placed for lawn mover parts. The parts were sent via UPS. The UPS web site states it was delivered. Upon calling UPS that the part was not delivered as the family were at home, the customer rep of UPS stated that they need to trace which can be done thru Northern Tool.

Guess Northern Tool's answer to request a simple trace. They cannot!. Their answer to rectify this issue is a laborious process of getting a police report then send a copy so a trace can be done. What stupidity!, for a $ 15 item.

A simple polite way to address a customer's response and dealing with the issue would suffice in a resolution.

Give Northern Tool + Equipment an " F " for the way they treat customer.

My wife and I live recently visited the store at 840 Concord Parkway N in Concord, NC on Sunday May 3, 2009. We were looking for a portable source of power to use in our small business. We were looking for something like the Duracell Powerpack 600, weren't really sure what we needed for what we wanted to do, so we were hoping someone could give us information and a little direction.

We walked around the store several minutes looking for the item and saw no one. Finally we came to an isle where two employees were stocking the shelves and ask them where the Duracell Powerpack 300 or 600's were. They pointed to the front of the store in the corner and gave us the isle number and then went on with there 'not work related conversation.' They never hardly look up or offer to show us. When we finally found the isle with the items we were looking for, we felt like we needed to ask a few questions about the products to buy. So we went back to the isle where the first employees were and they were gone. We then went to the front resister and asked the person on the register if he could send someone over to help us with our questions about the Duracell powerpacks. He very abruptly asked what we wanted to know. We then said said the we had several questions about the Duracell Powerpack 300 or 600 and he then interrupted us and said that the Duracell Powerpack 100 was the one on sale. Before we could tell him that we weren't interested in the the sale item, but the Powerpack 300 or 600 he turned away. We went back to the isle and looked some more on our own, hoping that he would send someone over. He never did, so we went back to the resister and and waited a while, while he talked on the phone, in what sounded like a personal phone call. By the way..there were no customers at the register this whole time. Finally we got frustrated and left the store empty handed.

We then went to Lowes a few miles down the highway and bought a Black & Decker Powerpack type unit for about $115.00. Just wanted you to know of our experience at Northern Tool in Concord.

Thanks,
Tim
Salisbury, NC ( 20 miles from Concord, NC Northern Tool)

I purchased my Husquvarna Riding Mower early October 2008. Within he 30 days I had to call Northern Tools regarding an hour meter and an oil leak. After two times hour meter came in right, as far as the oil leak a female manager told me to take it to a warrenty dealer in Mebane, NC. They had it for a week, ad replaced slump gasket. I parked it in te garage over winter. Took it out late May of 2009 and rode it around my yard. I noticed another oil leak. I took it back tot he waarety dealer. They said it was a warped crank shaft. Because of this the vibration casued the oil to leak at the gasket. They informed me to take back to Northern Tools, which I did that very same evening. The assitant manager questioned why I took it to Mebane, NC. instead of bringing back to them to colfax. I told them the female manager told me to take it to Mebane, NC. and not t Northern Tools, in which she was in the office and did not want to speak to me. They did not want to refund my money or give me a new Mower. They wanted to ship my Mower off to Colfax. The reason they did not want to refund my money was they said it was not in the thirty day sale period. In which I did exactly what I was told by Northern tools in order to try and get my mower fix. Also, once oil and gas had been added to it that it was subject to no refund. However, their the one that added te oil and gas to the mower when I purchased it, at no time did I added oil or gas myself. They called me back the next day they were going to give me a new mower in which they did. As soon as I got it I took it to my mechanic, which he told me everything was ok except it was a late 2006 model which was stored in a warehouse for two years. The service when I did pick up this mower at Northern Tools in Burlington, NC. was very poor to say the least, they did not help load this alone on my trailer, their attitudes was very negative towards a customer and unacceptable. It is a shame that I was going to continue business there however I am not giving them my money as a customer along with people I know in the present and near future. I would hope you take heart to this matter for the ones representing your store in Burlington, NC is giving you a bad rep.

I bought a wood stove for my home from Northern Tool. It weighed over 500 lbs and the company knew I was a private consumer. They charged me $85 to lower the lift gate to move the stove to the ground. Then they informed me, at the time of the delivery, that the truck would leave my stove out on the street. They donot bring it to your home. It was unsafe to do so since I live on a narrow country road and no way to move this stove down my driveway and into my home. Selling to consumers directly should include a delivery that is to the person's property. They charge an outrageous shipping and delivery charge and extra to off load this product. I am not happy at being victumized by this company and I will never do business with them again.