sigma vs tamron warrantys

so im having trouble deciding between the tamron 17-50 vc and sigma 17-50 os. due to the love i had for my old tamron 28-75 and the rep of the regular tamron 17-50 i really want the tamron but it has a rep of having alot of problems straight out of the box. part of me wants to get the sigma just to skip the problems that i may or MAY NOT have to deal with the tamron but i've only ever had one sigma lens and didnt like it much (105 macro) tamron also offers a 6 year warranty vs sigmas 4 and the sigma is a little bit more. which has the better warranty when it comes to turnaround time and problems covered? either known for finding fantom problems that they want you to pay extra for?

the problems with the tamron vc that people are reporting are they something that i could send the lens in and have fixed under warranty?

im also considering saying screw it and just buying a used tamron 17-50 NON vc and using the left over to buy a 85 1.8 or a used uwa.

The Outlaw wrote in post #12419640
im also considering saying screw it and just buying a used tamron 17-50 NON vc and using the left over to buy a 85 1.8 or a used uwa.

I like this idea, gives you the best of both worlds. I have never owned the 17-50 VC, but my non-VC was plenty nice for me. The 85 is a great lens to have when you need it. I don't use it as often as others, but when I need it I have it.

The Outlaw wrote in post #12419640
im also considering saying screw it and just buying a used tamron 17-50 NON vc and using the left over to buy a 85 1.8 or a used uwa.

I like this idea.

It depends on what you're shooting. If you don't really need the VC, the non-VC is a little sharper: Side by side comparison

This way you can grab your 85 or an UWA. To answer your question, Sigma's warranty is great. Sent one of my lenses in for minor calibration and got it back within 10 or so business days. I like Sigma and Tamron lenses. From the ones I've owned, they're similar when it comes to IQ and build quality.

I had to send in my 17-50mm non-VC to Tamron about 2 years back. It had gotten a large piece of dust on the inside front element. I was not the original owner, and told the Tamron rep this up front. The lens was only a few months old, though, so he said they would honor the warranty anyway. I got the lens back, cleaned, resealed and inspected, in 7 business days. Great people to do business with.

pricing on these make choosing hard... very hard
used non vc when you can find $350
new non vc brand new with warranty $459
used VC without warranty $475
new VC without warranty (ebay/ny) $514
new VC with warranty b4 rebate $649 after rebate $599

You or someone you know may qualify for Tamron's Educational rebate program (students or employees of eligible schools):

http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/student​s.asp

The 17-50 non-VC would be $460 (Amazon and B&H to name a couple of sites) - $25 regular rebate - $85 educational rebate = $350 for a brand new lens with warranty.