Hermance planer head problems

[Tom Yaegle]

Looking to talk to any new Hermance head owners (heads from H3D). I have one with problems and poor support. Thanks

[Mark Gibney]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with a new head. Jonathan Jung told of some trials in dealing with H3D on a new Hermance head. It's on this thread, down in the "more replies below current depth".
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?304047-Byrd-vs-Hermance-vs-New-Machine&p=3262131#post3262131

I have one I got a few years back on a 16" jointer and it's a great head, and I was planning on ordering one more for a 20" planer but went with Byrd instead.

Can you tell us what issues you're having?

[Tom Yaegle]

I have a 24" head spirals in from each side to form a vee look in the middle. On side 12" cuts good and I am happy with it. The other side leaves a 13/16" wash board pattern for the whole 12" width. About .002" down cut then tapers up to the next one and these are 13/16" apart. They claim all is good just sand it. I am telling I want my money returned, they got the head a month ago and say it is in spec. They want to look at it more for another week, and seem unwilling to give a refund.

I would like to talk to Jonathan in person.

[Tom Yaegle]

Jonathan, was nice enough to call me in person. I am still with out the head or my money and they will not email back or call back. If looking at a H3D product contact me or Jonathan for your own protection.

[Ron Selzer]

If bought with a credit card, contact your bank and they will refund your money
Good luck
Ron

[Jonathan Jung]

Any progress with your credit card company?

[Andrew Hughes]

I would be interested to see what this unacceptable surface looks like.
Heres what the surface looks like from a bryd head in my planer.
I have another pic of the surface cut back flat and clean with knives in my jointer.
We already know what that looks like. :)

[Tom Yaegle]

Ron and Johnathan, I used a Discover card and no bank is involved. I filed a complain with Discover, the Better Business Bureau and the district justice. Discover is lodging a complain but they have no teeth that I can tell. The head was picked up by a sales rep 6 weeks ago and taken to Oh. Talked to owner and shop boss (Riley) 2 weeks ago and they asked for another week to get it to Nc and look at it more. After a week it was not there yet. Tried to call and no return calls. Riley then emailed to say it was not there.

Planer sits without a head and wife says no more till i get my money back.

Andrew, I am not sure of yours. With the finish and light but most likely I would not find it acceptable. Not sure the width of your board or the depth of the scallops. You can see the cutters marks on mine but it is like 2 cutters then a step 2 then a step a 13/16" pattern and this goes for 12". Then the next 12" you can see the cutter marks but it has the finish I was expecting. They had the balls to say it was an anomaly on the good half.

[Tom Yaegle]

Discover did give a temporary refund while this goes on. I just need to be done with H3D as they are going to give me an ulcer.

[Jonathan Jung]

That's interesting, I've never had a credit card without a bank holding the account.

Could you find anyone in the vicinity of where Riley works, to go in-person on your behalf? Perhaps contact a woodworkers guild for the area? Looking for ways to get more leverage.

[andrew whicker]

I just wanted to chime in w regards to surface finish. I just removed, cleaned and rotated all the cutters on my pm 180 auction buy. Needed to do this for a while now. I'm not sure which brand the head is. 8 rows of around cutters each. Spiral.

Anyway, I'm now getting a glass finish on soft maple. I would expect a brand new high end cutter head to cut just as well.

[Tom Yaegle]

Jonathan, This has been a learning experience for sure. As my planer sets with no head, I have been busy out side though. Talking to Riley seems a waste, Chris Dyer to owner makes the call best I can tell and if I was a bigger customer he would give a refund. I would think their name would mean something to them. Early on Riley said he wanted me to be happy and would make it right, now in ignore mode. Riley sent an email to me describing your head I will try to get it to you. Computer was down for a week and just getting it up some what.

Andrew, I would and do expect a good finish. The fact that on half it is good and the other is not lets me know they screwed the pooch on this one. It is night and day from one half to the other.

Any one thinking of buying here (H3D) protect your self. Use a card with buyer protection. I had talked to the old Hermance company and them as to the finish to expect before I bought now what I have is normal and the good side is not????? Never thought this would go this way.

[Jonathan Jung]

Cut quality is significantly worse than two Taiwanese heads I've had. Whatever the standard should be, it's disappointing that a custom USA-made head costing the same as an entire new Taiwanese planer does not perform as well.

Anyway, I just discovered another issue on mine, the teeth aren't consistent heights, in reference to the jointer bed. So while some contact the wood, others do not. This is after breaking in the head and teeth.

[Tom Yaegle]

So yesterday morning I get a knock on the door, Wes a salesman for H3D is there with my head to drop off. Not sure if I was not there if I would have found it in my yard? I have him call Riley in NC, did you look at the head? No did you repair, fix, alter it? No so why should I accept it? I had waited an extra week for them to send to NC. It has been 3 months since I brought this to their attention and they have had the head for half of it. They must do good on their other products because the way they are treating me they should be belly up.

I am asking for a full refund, if I end up with the head I will make samples to send out. So not sure why they want me to have it, oh I guess there is 4 thousand reasons. This was the most expensive head I looked at. But I thought it was the best, my bad.

[Tom Yaegle]

Just an update, ................ nothing. Discover is still going on, H3D responded but Discover does not say what was said. Now they say November, I am ready to be done with Discover too. District Justice got pushed back to later this month. H3D did not respond to Discover until the case got pushed back. I figure they are thinking if they win in court Discover will stand by them. They may win not thinking this is going well. I think they will say it is a custom head, just what you ordered here it is. I counted out their lies on the BBB complaint and listed 7 or 8. They do not belong to the BBB so no leverage there, I did respond so it is recorded. The first lie was over 400 cutters on this beautiful head (186). Leaves a beautiful finish. They did not mention I had to re-tap more than half the holes.

Jonathan, Riley is of no help. The man who said I want to make you happy. Then got into a stall and ignore mode.

H3D BAD, This is my position but I would think most of their customers with their other products are happy or they would be belly up. Custom heads from them STAY AWAY.