Machine shipping damage getting more frequent?

[Van Huskey]

I am curious about the rate of shipping damage we are currently seeing for wood working machines. Is it me or is the number of shipping issues increased over the last few years? If so do you think it is due to the carriers, reduced crating quality or a combination?

Of the machines you have received through common carrier shipping in the last year or so did you have no damage, cosmetic only, minor structural or major structural damage?

This cameto my mind after seeing thread after thread here and on other forums recounting shipping issues, that and I am waiting on a 700 pound baby myself.

[Cliff Holmes]

In the last year or so, I received a cabinet saw, 8" jointer, large lathe and a 3hp cyclone DC. I've also gotten a 65" DLP television and probably 200 smaller packages delivered. I can't think of anything that had been damaged from shipping other than a support brace that was scratched up because the zip-tie holding it place had broken. Some of the boxes were kind of beat up (crushed corners, small holes) but the packaging protected the contents fine.

Great, what do you want bet my new Sawstop will come in destroyed? :(

[Van Huskey]

In the last year or so, I received a cabinet saw, 8" jointer, large lathe and a 3hp cyclone DC. I've also gotten a 65" DLP television and probably 200 smaller packages delivered. I can't think of anything that had been damaged from shipping other than a support brace that was scratched up because the zip-tie holding it place had broken. Some of the boxes were kind of beat up (crushed corners, small holes) but the packaging protected the contents fine.

Great, what do you want bet my new Sawstop will come in destroyed? :(


Interesting you mention other items, I have gotten 4 TVs 2 Plasma, 1 DLP and one LCD ranging from 42 to 65" and not a single scratch, and my business has shipped around 5000 smaller packages in the last year and I can only remember one return for damage but it likely came from the manufacturer that way. So for items with less mass I don't have any issues either. I haven't received any machines in several years but I can't help but wonder about the heavy machines based on the threads I keep reading.

[Rod Sheridan]

I received a Hammer A3-31 and it was perfect when it arrived.

Of course it was shipped on a pallet that made some engineer proud, and it was extremely well packaged to boot.

Regards, Rod.

[Charles Krieger]

I had two DeWalt 12" SCMS's that were damaged in two separate shipments. Both were shipped UPS gtounf. DeWalt wanted to ship the third to my address but I asked them ship it to their repair station instead. After a couple of weeks delay I was notified that my saw was in so I picked it up. No damage to that one. Are heavy items shipped to a home address are treated especially rough? Do companies fair better than homeowners? Where does the damage happen? Is it at the shipping pickup point, a transfer point, enroute, or local delivery?

[Glen Blanchard]

I think this thread just shows us that we often hear about products damaged in shipping, but seldom hear about their undamaged counterparts. I bet the ratio is much better than it might appear to be at first glance.

[Van Huskey]

I think this thread just shows us that we often hear about products damaged in shipping, but seldom hear about their undamaged counterparts. I bet the ratio is much better than it might appear to be at first glance.


That was my initial feeling, always the general rule on forums, who comes on to say I ordered X and it shipped without incident. I just seem to see more threads complaining of shippng damage AND what is alarming to me is the level of "well it isn't THAT bad, I can beat it out with a hammer so I think I will keep it". For a residential customer it is just too much of a pain to rebox reship and get redelivered.