Teknatool woes - disappointed
#31
I know nothing about this machine. From the pictures, it looks like it is well made. There is no excuse for the treatment the OP got from the service staff and that is certainly a consideration for anyone buying the machine. However, in judging the overall quality of the machine I think the only problem with it seems to be that someone (or something) on the factory floor over tightened this particular bolt. As bad as that is, It is a fixable issue and, once fixed, it will likely work well for a long time. If I were considering the purchase of one, I'm not sure that the over tight bolt would effect my decision one way or the other. The poor service would have more of an effect.
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#32
(10-10-2020, 09:31 AM)Willyou Wrote: I'm not sure that the over tight bolt would effect my decision one way or the other. The poor service would have more of an effect.

Anything can go wrong on the assembly floor. What matters isn't what went wrong but when it does go wrong, how the customer is taken care of. This time it was the bolt, but next time if I were the customer, and the problem was electronic, was I supposed to know an electronic engineer friend who could help? At issue is trust. I have zero trust in this company since its poor customer service seems to have been part of its culture. I ban vendors not for mistakes they make, but for how they treat me or other customers. I don't care whether that dp is the best under the sky.

Simon
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#33
The poor customer service presented above is the second factor going against the Nova DVR in my consideration for a new DP.

The other issue I came across in my research is technical, but in a sense, it's customer-service related as well.

The DVR is software-dependent.  The Teknatool page has firmware downloads that may be needed, but they are Windows-based executables only.  Guys like me who only have Mac operating systems in the house have to find somebody with a Windows-based laptop to load that firmware.  I found this out as I was researching via Amazon feedback pages and noticed a number of people complaining about the firmware downloads only being available for Windows-based systems.  To be sure, it may only be a small minority of owners who may need that firmware and have to install it, but the situation does point to a lack of customer-focused design and engineering that seems consistent with the OP's over-tightened bolt situation.
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#34
I agree with sharing the customer service experience. It looks like others have had a CS problem with Teknatools.

I've been cutting some slack with Covid, though. I bought a hand tool from one of the companies that has a stellar CS reputation. A screw was missing that holds the fence on. I emailed the company. After two days of no response, I called. Just missed their hours of service so I left a message. Never heard back. I chalked it up to the pandemic and went to the hardware store.

This post is timely because I placed an order for the Nova DP yesterday with Acme Tools. It hasn't shipped yet. I'll spend the weekend deciding if I should cancel the order. CS is important to me. And I will use the tilting table feature.

The best outcome is that the company sees what bad customer service does and takes action.
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#35
Thanks for relating the story. Another example of customer "no-service." Reminds me of that old axiom I learned long ago: "People buy from people they like." It never changes.

Doug
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#36
(10-10-2020, 11:59 AM)WxMan Wrote: The DVR is software-dependent.  The Teknatool page has firmware downloads that may be needed, but they are Windows-based executables only. 

Thank you for that, another thing I was not aware of. I'm also a Mac based household....so it's not even an option for me.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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#37
"I know nothing about this machine. From the pictures, it looks like it is well made. There is no excuse for the treatment the OP got from the service staff and that is certainly a consideration for anyone buying the machine. However, in judging the overall quality of the machine I think the only problem with it seems to be that someone (or something) on the factory floor over tightened this particular bolt. As bad as that is, It is a fixable issue and, once fixed, it will likely work well for a long time. If I were considering the purchase of one, I'm not sure that the over tight bolt would effect my decision one way or the other. The poor service would have more of an effect."

My concern, given the microcontroller based design, is that if troubleshooting or parts are needed, you will be beholden to an outfit demonstrating poor customer service skills.
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#38
My reply is a little late but could be helpful for future occasions.
I suspect you could rent one of these pretty cheap.
You'd probably need an 1/2" extension and 1/2" / 3/4" adapter.
My brother is an equipment/production mechanic and he has a 1" drive and he says nothing ever defeats it.
   
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#39
(10-09-2020, 09:10 PM)nocrapman Wrote: 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.

@ Derek - my response was not to the actual problem... I realise machines can have issues/problems etc; I was in fact perturbed by the lack of options they gave me, the ineptitude if the tech who didnt know what way to turn the bolt and the alacrity of suggesting I get 3 big guys to help. 

For the record, I didnt think to contact woodcraft. I figured a quick call to TT would sort the issue. 
When my 8 yr old Rikon BS had an issue, rikon CS was super helpful and eager to trouble shoot. This was quite the opposite experience.

So might be something to consider depending on how you deal with things.  If it were me I would take it back while you still have a chance to have little resistance.  The reason being if you have a problem going forward there is a good chance there will be little Woodcraft can do for you and you will be back on the phone with the same people that disappointed you this time around.  I imagine Woodcraft would be calling them soon after you dropped it off at there location.  It may result in a bit of change or not.  If it craps out on you in a year you may have one very large paperweight
Phydeaux said "Loving your enemy and doing good for those that hurt you does not preclude killing them if they make that necessary."


Phil Thien

women have trouble understanding Trump's MAGA theme because they had so little involvement in making America great the first time around.

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#40
I had a similar experience several years ago. They shipped me a DVR where the packing was poor, and something that crushed the box severed the power cable and damaged a toggle switch. They sent me a new one. Prior to that, I had a Teknatool lathe where the Morris Taper was drilled off-center. I had enough runout that I had issues making pens, where a precise fit is necessary. The US-based Customer Service guy tried to convince me that I could replace the bearing on the lathe myself - something normally done at their factory. I'm an engineer, and probably could have done it myself, but seriously? Something done only at their factory isn't something that they should be recommending to a customer.

When I received my second DVR, it worked fine, but there was a lot of flashing from the casting of the bed that was not removed. Sharp edges are not kind to your hands. After taking pics, I found the email of the President of Teknatool. I was contacted by the US top exec (some VP), who explained that they were not pleased with QC in China. The CS rep in the US was really a sales guy and not a technical person. At that time, they promised to hire a dedicated technical guy as CS, and the President took my photos with him on a trip to China. For my troubles, they sent me a new chuck when they sent the replacement DVR.

Apparently, they are back to their old way of doing business. Most of Teknatool's quality issues began when they moved production to China. It's not necessarily a China thing. It's the lack of Teknatool in-plant oversight. Other companies with operations in China seem to manage fine. Apple is one.

I hope you get your issue resolved. For me, the only way I got it resolved was to elevate my concerns up the chain.

Here is the New Zealand Customer Service Number. The engineers for Teknatool are in NZ, not the US:
011-64-9-477-5600 (011 is the exit code when dialing from the US to another country, 64 is the NZ country code, and 9 is the Auckland area code)
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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