Grizzly new tool exchange

[Tom Fischer]

I see there is a recent post about Grizzly deliveries.
I just bought a Grizz W1668 oscillating Drill Press (http://www.grizzly.com/products/Oscillating-Drill-Press/W1668).
Box was OK when arrived, but the styrofoam was all crushed.
Some paint chipped, but not bad.
When I unpacked it, plugged it in (not even a chuck on it, zero load),
the motor was bad, first sounded like a small engine running out of gas, then didn't run at all.
The Grizz PA store is just over a 100 miles from here, and I'm in kind of a hurry (takes 10 days to exchange by UPS)
So I drove there yesterday. First time I've ever been there.
The showroom kind of reminds me of a Cabellas store, huge, out in the middle of nowhere.
Folks there were nice. Exchange took about 30 minutes. Put a new one in my car,
AFTER I HAD THE GUYS IN THE WAREHOUSE OPEN THE NEW BOX AND RUN THE MOTOR WHILE I WAS STANDING THERE.
Bottom line: Grizz is a good price point, but motors are only spot checked at the factory.
The woman running the sales office said that for any orders you can request the box be opened in the warehouse, and motor run before shipping.
I have four grizz tools, and might buy one of their 19" bandsaws this year.
And if any Grizz people are reading this, you might make your small crates a little heavier, add some wood (even if it costs $10 more),
Bought a PM 2000 a few years ago, that crate had laminated 2X4s.
Hope this doesn't sound like a rant, just trying to be constructive.

[Jim Andrew]

If I lived 100 miles from a Grizzly warehouse, would pick up the machinery there. A tilt bed trailer I haul my lawnmower and atv would handle a machine or 2 easily. For the obvious reasons of being able to check them out at the warehouse, and avoiding shipping damage. Of course you would want to tie things down and drive carefully. Would be awful to be driving along and lose your machine on the highway.

[Matt Meiser]

That sounds exactly how my Delta drill press was packaged so its not just a Grizzly thing. It wasn't even strapped to a pallet.

Actually, not much different than my Sawstop or Grizzly cyclone either but both of the latter two were masterfully engineered jigsaw puzzles on top of custom-sized pallets.

[Randy Reitz]

I had big plans to visit the Grizzly PA store often when my son started at Penn State, just down the road. I even bought a little Nissan pickup truck so I could drop him off and run up there.

What I had forgotten to account for was that with eventually two kids at University Park, I had no money left for new Grizzly tools. Even worse, eight years later I still haven't gotten the pickup back from my son.

[Danny Thompson]

If I lived 100 miles from the Grizzly PA store, I would be broke and alone.

[Eric DeSilva]

Bought a PM 2000 a few years ago, that crate had laminated 2X4s.

In all fairness, PM's pricepoint is considerably higher.

[Andrew Joiner]

AFTER I HAD THE GUYS IN THE WAREHOUSE OPEN THE NEW BOX AND RUN THE MOTOR WHILE I WAS STANDING THERE.


Unless I'm at a store within a few miles of home, I do this with everything. It's just so much easier than returning something.

[David Helm]

I live within ten minutes of Grizzly's main store here in Bellingham. I do have a number of Grizzly tools, the guys in the store know my name, but I haven't (I don't think) gone overboard. I do stop in every couple of weeks just to see if there is anything new I can't live without.

[Ronald Blue]

Every trip to Branson I make gives me a reason to stop by the Springfield store. I'm like a kid in a candy store. Even if you don't like Grizzly green it is still worth browsing the aisles because there are some really nice woodworking pieces on display.

[glenn bradley]

Choice of packaging. It is so odd sometimes. Its interesting, my Sears zipcode saw from Orion came in a steel cage on a steel pallet. Packed so tight it was like a puzzlebox getting it broke down. Those guys were out to make a mark in the market. Then they became Steel City, then that Chinese guy bought 'em and then I lost track. The 22124 hybrid still does everything I ever ask of it which is a little disappointing. I want to upgrade to a 3HP cab saw but, I just can't dream up a reason. Must concentrate, must use my imagination . . . . ;-)

[Glenn Samuels]

I have to agree with some of the posts listed here. I have a Grizzly TS, bandsaw, drill press, 8" jointer, and planer. If I lived closer, I am sure that I would be broke from upgrading to more powerful machines. I would probably then need a forklift to move the machines. Glad I live quite a distance away.

[Steven Triggs]

I feel like living within 100 miles of a Grizzly store would be a very short term proposition. It might start out as living at the house and occasionally visiting the Grizzly store, but it would soon transition to living at the Grizzly store and occasionally visiting the house.

[Bill White]

I've said it before. Grizz has a product that meets a price/value relationship that can't be beat, a tech service second to none that I know, and just an all around pretty darned good product line. Plus (and a big plus in my book), a president who actually follows and responds to the wwing community.
Just my thoughts.
Bill

[Rick Moyer]

I live within ten minutes of Grizzly's main store here in Bellingham. I do have a number of Grizzly tools, the guys in the store know my name, but I haven't (I don't think) gone overboard. I do stop in every couple of weeks just to see if there is anything new I can't live without.
Yeah, 35 miles for me but I try NOT to stop in for that very reason!

[Myk Rian]

Choice of packaging. It is so odd sometimes. Its interesting, my Sears zipcode saw from Orion came in a steel cage on a steel pallet. Packed so tight it was like a puzzlebox getting it broke down. Those guys were out to make a mark in the market. Then they became Steel City, then that Chinese guy bought 'em and then I lost track. The 22124 hybrid still does everything I ever ask of it which is a little disappointing. I want to upgrade to a 3HP cab saw but, I just can't dream up a reason. Must concentrate, must use my imagination . . . . ;-)
That's how my Steel City came. In a steel cage. Great saw too.

[Andy Haney]

For Tom, the original poster...

Among my options related to a repair problem for my drill press (another thread) is replacement with the W1668. How's that new one working for you?

Andy Haney