Request inspection of new tools

[Maik Tobin]

My shop is in my basement. The access is via a bulkhead, so getting heavy tools (saws, etc) is a bit of a pain. To increase the likelihood of success, I always request that my tool be inspected and fired up at the warehouse prior to shipment to me. I did this with my cabinet saw and my band saw and both have performed flawlessly out of the crate. My new 15 inch planer is enroute to me as I write this and I requested the same on this one.
Grizzly has been very accomodating.
I would suggest that anyone buying a large tool to do the same.

[Neil Brooks]

Out of curiosity ... how do you know that they DID what you asked, or did anything different to/with your machine(s) than they do with every machine ?

I mean ... most of them are probably fine, so ... couldn't yours have been treated exactly like all the other machines, and you simply got good ones ?

[Maik Tobin]

Obviously, I don't know that they do what they say. I do however, request that the inspection be put on the order and I have a tech support manager follow up. If there was an issue upon arrival that should have been noticed with the inspection, I would have no issue at all insisting that Grizzly pay the cost of getting the tool up from my basement. I hire movers to get it there and I have no 220 power anywhere else.
If you question the integrity of the Grizzly staff, I would suggest you buy elsewhere.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Just to be clear Maik, you were probably done a favor.

It would be impractical for us to open every crate or carton, clean the machine up and check it out prior to shipping. Our operation would come to a grinding halt, or we would have to double our technical staff, neither one of which are practical. I wanted to make that clear before every reader of this post ordering from Grizzly starts to request their machines be checked. Shipments are thoroughly checked by our inspectors at the factories before they leave and once they get here, we check a sampling of the shipment so that we can make sure there are no glaring issues.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

It would be impractical for us to open every crate or carton, clean the machine up and check it out prior to shipping.

Never occurred to me that this service was done without charge. I do know that I would pay money to have the equipment verified before a similar installation. The only question is.... would people be willing to pay enough that it would cover the expense incurred by Grizzly to offer the service.

[Jeff Monson]

I would suggest that anyone buying a large tool to do the same.

Thats alot to ask of a company IMO, its nice they do it for you.....but I'm sure that would change if everyone was asking
for that service.

[Keith Outten]

Andrew,

People would have to agree to the additional costs upfront and have the fee included in the cost of the machine. Unless Grizzly Tools becomes a non-profit organization it is reasonable for them not to be paid for an additional service.

Paying for an inspection is like buying insurance....you are betting against yourself. Considering the huge number of machines that they ship every month and how few machines have problems I believe I would prefer to take my chances and deal with any problems that might come up after the machine is received. The odds are in my favor :)
.

[Neil Brooks]

If you question the integrity of the Grizzly staff, I would suggest you buy elsewhere.

Actually, I wasn't singling out Grizzly in any way.

I just think the odds are OVERWHELMINGLY toward you getting a machine that meets their specs.

And I think Grizzly knows this.

So ... as others are implying ... this may not be a practical step for them to take -- particularly without some clear agreement as to what would BE done, and at what cost.

I'm certainly a tad cynical, or skeptical, but ... that's definitely not confined to Grizzly :)

[Russell Smallwood]

Interesting thread.

I think there is already a way to do this.

Buy from your local woodworking store, you may have to pay a bit more, but that is the cost of reducing the risk of your purchase. You will get white glove service (in most cases) and be able to deal with a single person who will go out of their way (again in most cases) to make sure you get exactly what you ordered.

Or, if you're like me, you can decide to roll the dice, save the money and order directly from a manufacturer (like Grizzly) who competes on price, knowing up front that you are ordering from a business that is working on very tight margins and cannot provide white glove service without either reducing quality or raising price.

If you can have your cake and eat it too, more power to you but I personally would not expect someone to do this for me unless I was paying for the service. Just economics 101

[Neil Brooks]

Russell:

Well said.

Time and again, I'm reminded of the old adage:

Price !
Quality !
Service !

Pick two :)

[Andrew Pitonyak]

On average, an extended warranty is a loss to the buyer, it is designed that way. The cost in time and money incurred because of a problem makes the decision. If I hire people to come to my location, move the equipment and then install it... More than five years ago I hired movers and I was paying $100 an hour for three guys working. For shorter period of times, there is usually a "show-up" charge. Someone who handles significant volume or is in other circumstances will likely not pay the extra charge, I agree.

[Rod Sheridan]

Andrew,

People would have to agree to the additional costs upfront and have the fee included in the cost of the machine. Unless Grizzly Tools becomes a non-profit organization it is reasonable for them not to be paid for an additional service.

Paying for an inspection is like buying insurance....you are betting against yourself. Considering the huge number of machines that they ship every month and how few machines have problems I believe I would prefer to take my chances and deal with any problems that might come up after the machine is received. The odds are in my favor :)
.

Keith, statiscally I agree with you.

However when you go from being a statistic to one of the exceptions sometimes it doesn't feel as good.

The last two machines I purchased, the manufacturer checked before delivering them to my house. Note that I purchased directly from the manufacturer, they did the inspection, and the delivery. It wasn't contracted out to a trucking company.

The results, (and the cost) was as expected, and as I wished.

Sometimes it's worth it to bet against yourself, depending upon how much sweat equity you want to put into a purchase...........Regards, Rod.

[John Fabre]

Most of my tools come uncorded or with no plugs, I don't know if I want some kid working on a shipping dock hooking my machines up. This sounds like good idea, but, if I don't trust the company's machines or warranties i'm buying from, then I don't buy from them.

[David Prince]

Unpacked, unbolted, cleaned, wired, and tested. Then, unwired, bolted, and repacked. Then shipped to you?

I think I would prefer that nobody messes with it and if I have a problem, I will sort it out with customer service.

I would think only a fraction of any tool could have a potential problem, but most customer complaints seem to come from shipping problems and not the tool itself. Repacking a table saw doesn't sound like that much fun to me and may actually cause more problems with the shipping company if it is messed with.

But, there are times that it would pay to have someone clean the cosmoline off my tool for me! :D

[Anthony Whitesell]

Obviously, I don't know that they do what they say. I do however, request that the inspection be put on the order and I have a tech support manager follow up. If there was an issue upon arrival that should have been noticed with the inspection, I would have no issue at all insisting that Grizzly pay the cost of getting the tool up from my basement. I hire movers to get it there and I have no 220 power anywhere else.
If you question the integrity of the Grizzly staff, I would suggest you buy elsewhere.

I would expect if the machine had been assembled and tested before it was shipped, there would be signs. Jointers and planers typically have cosmoline on the cutterheads. After testing it should be gone, or noticeable that it was removed and reapplied. The 220V machines would need to have a plug attached and removed so the wires should show "use". I highly doubt that they would actually run any wood through them so there would not be any chips or sawdust evident (which would also lead to the tables not having their cosmoline removed). In the case of the jointer I ordered, most of the bolts were through holes on painted surfaces, so I would also expect to notice disruptions in the paint around the holes while I was assembling it, either chipped or repainted.

[Van Huskey]

Interesting thread.

I think there is already a way to do this.

Buy from your local woodworking store, you may have to pay a bit more, but that is the cost of reducing the risk of your purchase.

There are even plenty of mail order options BUT in each case you PAY for it. A classic example of checks being done well is Agazanni bandsaws from Eagle tools. Each one is setup, checked out and passed by QC before it is re-crated and shipped from Eagle.

[Russell Smallwood]

There are even plenty of mail order options BUT in each case you PAY for it. A classic example of checks being done well is Agazanni bandsaws from Eagle tools. Each one is setup, checked out and passed by QC before it is re-crated and shipped from Eagle.

Fair enough (didn't Wilke to this with the Bridgewood stuff? ). But that is the exception to the rule. I think the point is still valid.

[Van Huskey]

Fair enough (didn't Wilke to this with the Bridgewood stuff? ). But that is the exception to the rule. I think the point is still valid.

Yes they did, maybe they didn't charge enough or people didn't appreciate this...

I agree the point is still valid I just wanted to point out there are companies that will provide the service but it costs, even if it is a customary service the costs are built in. Unfortunately, buying machines locally isn't even an option for many people.

[Jeff Duncan]

I have to say I would doubt that a company would go through the effort and expense required to open up a crate and run a machine just because someone asked when they ordered the machine. Generally speaking they're just not set up to do this type of thing. Now strange things happen and you may get lucky....I just wouldn't count on it.

As for them offering the service for an additional fee....really:confused: So guys who are buying what's essentially one of the least expensive brands on the market, are now going to be willing to pay more to have someone test drive it before shipping? As has been previously stated, you need to un-crate the machine, clean the shipping goo off, wire it up, test it, un-wire it, re-apply shipping goo, re-crate it, and all this by an American worker who's making significantly more than $1 an hour? Your probably talking conservatively $100+ for a small simple machine. I'm not going to say it couldn't happen....I just wouldn't hold my breath;)

good luck,
JeffD

[David Helm]

Interesting thread.

I think there is already a way to do this.

Buy from your local woodworking store, you may have to pay a bit more, but that is the cost of reducing the risk of your purchase. You will get white glove service (in most cases) and be able to deal with a single person who will go out of their way (again in most cases) to make sure you get exactly what you ordered.

Or, if you're like me, you can decide to roll the dice, save the money and order directly from a manufacturer (like Grizzly) who competes on price, knowing up front that you are ordering from a business that is working on very tight margins and cannot provide white glove service without either reducing quality or raising price.

If you can have your cake and eat it too, more power to you but I personally would not expect someone to do this for me unless I was paying for the service. Just economics 101

Grizzly is my local woodworking store. I wouldn't ask for inspection prior to shipment, but these guys treat me very well.

[Glenn Vaughn]

While price is generally an indicator of good quality and/or service, it does not guarantee either one. When it comes to complex machines, I seriously doubt that there is any manufacturer that always ships perfect equipment. Ideally a manufacturer would do a complete setup of each machine after assembly; in truth this would be cost prohibitive.

The generally accepted practice is to extensively test random samples. Assembly and setup can take significant amounts of time - sometimes longer than it takes to produce the machine. If it takes as long to assemble, setup and test a machine as it takes to produce it, you either cut production in half or you double the work force to maintain the same production rate. Either option would significantly impact production cost of the machine.

Even if the machine is fully setup and tested there is no guarantee that the machine will not have a component failure once you start using it; warranties exist for this very reason. Consumers always have to accept the possibility that a defect can appear. Vendors have to accept the same risk - a warranty replacement will involve some cost to the vendor. Manufacturers face the largest cost when it comes to warranty replacement; they lose the cost of producing the machine.

Dealing with a company that has a good customer service reputation , like Grizzly does, can give the consumer a higher level of comfort than they would have dealing with a company that has a poor reputation.

We do not like to get something that fails but it happens. The company you deal with can make the experience less stressful. I just experienced this with a computer hardware failure. I purchased 2 un-managed 16 port switches for by LAN. 3 hours after I received them my LAN access failed. I suspected the DSL modem and contacted my ISP (this after replacing my old switch with one of the new switches). They referred me to the switch manufacturer (NetGear) and stated I would have to deal with them first. CS at NetGear walked me through some tests and we discovered one of the old switches had failed and that the new switch I tested with was defective. All the lights worked and it looked like it was fine. A replacement is on the way.

[Don Bullock]

Just to be clear Maik, you were probably done a favor.

It would be impractical for us to open every crate or carton, clean the machine up and check it out prior to shipping. Our operation would come to a grinding halt, or we would have to double our technical staff, neither one of which are practical. I wanted to make that clear before every reader of this post ordering from Grizzly starts to request their machines be checked. Shipments are thoroughly checked by our inspectors at the factories before they leave and once they get here, we check a sampling of the shipment so that we can make sure there are no glaring issues.

That's one reason that I prefer, if possible, to purchase large tools from a tool dealer like rather than Grizzly. When I bought my SawStop it was fully checked out by Eagle Tools in LA at no extra cost and I saw the inspection sheet before it was delivered.

Fortunately the 0490 jointer that I bought from Grizzly did come in great shape and I'm enjoying it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Don,

You paid a premium price for the SawStop...you should get that type of service.

I paid a premium price for my MM-16. It showed up in great shape.

[Curt Harms]

Pay more and pick it up locally/have it checked over prior to shipping
or
pay less and provide your own inspection/shipping damage repair. Ain't it great to have a choice?

There is one problem with the "pick it up locally" option. How do I pick a Minimax or Agazanni or Grizzly machine up locally? No retailer near sells 'em me.

[Don Bullock]

Don,

You paid a premium price for the SawStop...you should get that type of service.

I paid a premium price for my MM-16. It showed up in great shape.

Ken,

You get what you pay for, but sometimes you have to ask for the service. Some don't get that kind of service even when they buy expensive equipment from "good" dealers. At the time I bought my SawStop I had a choice of buying it from Eagle Tools or Woodcraft. Jesse at Eagle Tools went out of his way to have the saw uncrated, fully checked out, attached my pigtail to the motor and placed it on the mobile base that I bought from him. He had it delivered by the same guy he has used for many years and didn't charge me the full price of the delivery right into my garage. The guy at Woodcraft said they might be able to help me put the crate on my own truck or I'd need to arrange for my own delivery. It helps to check things out before buying a machine.

[Don Bullock]

Pay more and pick it up locally/have it checked over prior to shipping
or
pay less and provide your own inspection/shipping damage repair. Ain't it great to have a choice?

There is one problem with the "pick it up locally" option. How do I pick a Minimax or Agazanni or Grizzly machine up locally? No retailer near sells 'em me.


Curt,

Yes, it's great to have the choice and I've don both.

As for buying an Agazanni, Jesse at eagle Tools in Los Angeles sells them and he makes sure that they are fully checked out and shipped "properly" anywhere in the country. I've read several post from people who have had great service from them.