Teknatool woes - very disappointed in DP and CC

[Ashwini Kaul]

So I was happy with my old 1950s delta DP but it lacked the capacity of a big floorstander.
After much consternation I purchased a Teknatool DVR which had been positively reviewed everywhere, about 2 months back.
To my utter disbelief I was unable to go through the cumbersome steps to tilt the table... the big 27mm nut was jammed. The spindly sick look wrench was bent in the process.
I purchase a high quality wrench online so I could whack it into submission. I failed. Even with blows from a 10lb hammer on the wrench, it would not budge.

So I called Teknatool:
Day 1 - left a VM for CC. No answer, no response.
Day 2 - called and spoke with receptionist who took down my details and created ticket. No dice.
Day 3 - got a phone call back from a tech who wasnt even sure whether the nut turns clockwise or anticlockwise for loosening. Reported that they have run into this issue a lot on their floor. Clearly no QC on a known issue before shipping out. He suggested that I find a friend who has some kind of automotive level power wrench to help me. Told him I dont have a friend like that. Then he suggested that I should find 2-3 well built guys to help me (no kidding). I told him during this pandemic I was not going to bring 3 such folks in close contact in my basement shop. Informed him that I am in pretty good shape and I could not budge the thing at all.
He went to his supervisor and came back to tell me that the aforementioned were his only suggestions.
I asked him how about sending me a new table assemble mechanism with a working nut as much as I hated to disassemble the whole thing... I had no other option.
He sad sorry, no go. His supervisor came online and told me that I should find a better wrench and thats that!

I thanked him for his immense help and hung up!
I have had occasion to call Grizzly, Rikon and Laguna in the past and have encountered amazing CC. This was total disbelief and utter non-sense.
Am I expecting too much from this American firm of repute?
I cant recommend this unit or anything else from this firm to anyone based on their inability to fix a simple basic issue.

Sorry about the rant. Cross posted on another forum for maximum visibility.

[Matt Day]

That is some pretty terrible customer support.

Maybe someone here who has the same DP can tell you if the nut is left hand or right hand threaded. or try to PM them.

Lastly, post your location and maybe someone local could help you out. I would be happy to but I’m going to guess you are not local to me.

[John K Jordan]

...
Maybe someone here who has the same DP can tell you if the nut is left hand or right hand threaded. or try to PM them.
...


If any of the threads are showing a careful look can tell if it's left or right hand threaded.

JKJ

[glenn bradley]

Which DP model did you buy? Floor or Benchtop? Most folks at this point will probably have the floor model and can help with that.

They certainly make it 'sound' simple in the manual:

Tilting the Table
To tilt the table:
1. Loosen the bolt underneath the table using included 27mm closed end wrench.
2. Loosen set screw underneath the previous bolt using 5mm Allen key.
3. Tilt table to desired angle.
4. Retighten bolt and set screw, and ensure table is securely locked in place before drilling.

If you never got the bolt loose I guess asking about the set screw isn't relevant. There's certainly no mention of it being left hand threaded(?).

[Ashwini Kaul]

The only thing useful I got out of the call was the supervisor confirming its a normal threaded bolt!
The set screw was no issue and have removed it out of the way.

[Derek Cohen]

I have the Voyager. The key is the set screw. This must be removed, otherwise nothing moves. The advantage of the set screw is that it makes it easy to return the table to square.

The flimsy spanner is useless. I used a socket wrench.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Tymchak]

I have the Voyager and I had the same experience trying to loosen that bolt. They must set that bolt at factory with an impact gun. The included wrench is rediculously under engineered to break that bolt loose. I'm sure no one there ever tried to use it as a use test. The other complicating feature is the design of the table around that bolt. The bolt is located in a rather constrictive pocket of cast webbing. The bolt is right-handed (righty-tighty). I used a 1/2" ratchet with a 1 1/16" socket. Surprised, and quite pleased, that the imperial socket fit as I don't have large metric sockets. There is no room to use any extensions. I can't remember if I used a breaker bar on the ratchet the first time or not. However, once I got past the first loosening, it works fine with just the ratchet. Throw their wrench in the scrap metal bucket.

Sorry to hear about the poor CS from Teknatool. I've not yet contacted them for anything but your experience bothers me.

Edit: even removing the set screw below the bolt, it was still a bear to break that bolt loose the first time.

[Doug Garson]

Any chance there are two set screws? I've heard of tools with two set screws in the same hole.

[glenn bradley]

I hope the maker is paying attention since this could be easily remedied at assembly.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Any chance there are two set screws? I've heard of tools with two set screws in the same hole.

I'm with Doug on this one! Some manufacturers put two set screws, one on top of the other to prevent vibration from loosening a single set screw and allowing it to back out.

[Richard Coers]

I think you need a farmer or farm boy to stop by and break that nut loose for you. I grew up on a farm, and we always had various lengths of pipe and big breaker bars in the shop. I have the same tools in my garage. Harbor Freight has a 2' breaker bar for $20. Problem solved.

[Ashwini Kaul]

I think you need a farmer or farm boy to stop by and break that nut loose for you. I grew up on a farm, and we always had various lengths of pipe and big breaker bars in the shop. I have the same tools in my garage. Harbor Freight has a 2' breaker bar for $20. Problem solved.

I am a farmer at heart!
But will get that HF breaker bar in hopes of resolving this.

BTW just one set screw - removed it completely. The set screw is not the problem. An overtorqued bolt is.

[Matt Day]

Sounds like you know the problem and the solution.

[George Bokros]

If you have compressor and an impact or know some one with an impact wrench or perhaps a cordless impact it may be your answer.

[Matt Day]

If you have compressor and an impact or know some one with an impact wrench or perhaps a cordless impact it may be your answer.
He can’t access the bolt with anything but a 1/2” ratchet and the socket. So I doubt the impact would fit.

[Stewart Lang]

Can you spray it with some PB Blaster or something similar? Get some lubrication in there?

As another poster stated, sounds like you know what the problem and solution is. There isn't hardly anything customer service can do for you, as the solution is simply to muscle it off. Not like they can magically fix that over the phone for you.

[Thomas McCurnin]

A cheater bar would work, or just 3 feet of cast iron pipe to lengthen that ratchet.

[mike stenson]

A cheater bar would work, or just 3 feet of cast iron pipe to lengthen that ratchet.

This. A high-lift jack handle is my normal cheater (on top of a breaker bar)..

[Jim Becker]

Are you positive there isn't a second set screw in there? Sometimes they get doubled up, either on purpose or inadvertently. The second one locks the first one in place like a double nut does on a bolt.

[Doug Garson]

Can you apply a little heat to it?

[Ashwini Kaul]

UPDATE: Thank you all! After a long day at work, picked up a breaker bar and went at it again. Didnt budge. Added the heat gun to the mix, no dice... finally a couple of whacks with a 12lb hammer on the bar after applying heat worked and Eureka! I have tilt!
Still cant believe this was a to do.

Thanks again everyone... you guys rock!

[Doug Garson]

Like they always say, if it doesn't fit you need a bigger hammer. :D Glad you got it fixed.