Teknatool woes - disappointed

[R Clark]

Well, I had that DP in my sights, but no more. They should have been a little more accommodating. Thank you for the story.

Me, too.  I want to replace my old Harbor Freight DP, and I liked the features of the DVR.

The Nova DVR definitely is not the low cost option.

I guess I'm back to the Powermatic.

[Derek Cohen]

Well, I had that DP in my sights, but no more. They should have been a little more accommodating. Thank you for the story.

Ashwini, your experience with the representative of the company could have been a LOT better, but the rest is a bit hysterical. As I mentioned on SMC, I have the Voyager. It is an amazing drill press!

When I wanted to tilt the table, I did not read the instructions as it was obvious that the bolt needed to be loosened. And then struggled with the useless spanner supplied. I asked someone on a forum what to do, and they recommended a socket wrench and a lot of force - these are no doubt assembled with power wrenches. The socket wrench did the trick. The set screw is then removed - it aids in returning the table to square.

The irony is that I do not tilt the table and prefer instead to create a tilted subtable.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[iclark]

I was trying to be civil and not blow it out of proportion... The DP is nice otherwise and has functioned well at making round holes!
I am about 3 months out and not looking to get into a return etc... it was purchased through woodcraft. 

Someone on SMC suggested getting a breaker back to nudge the bolt. Planning to try that after work today. That said what got my goat was the apathy from the customer care at Teknatool.

If you bought it from a local Woodcraft, then I would ask them for help. Our local Woodcraft would generally send out someone to figure out and fix the problem - even after 3 months.

[Admiral]

A breaker bar and a 4 foot pipe for leverage. Every so often I have that problem with the nuts on my JD mowing deck when I want to remove the blades to sharpen them, regular ratchet did chit, increased leverage with the bar and pipe did the trick.

[Willyou]

The suggestion above of using a socket is a good one. I learned this a long time ago while working on cars. You can put a lot more force on it with a socket.
Keep in mind that the following comes from someone totally unfamiliar with this DP. Again, learned from working on cars: Stuck bolts and nuts can frequently be loosened using heat. I know this will ruin the paint. If it is a bolt, try playing a propane torch flame to the casting around the bolt to expand that area. Do this while applying pressure to the socket wrench (you may need some help). If it is a nut, try heating the nut and then apply pressure to it. Obviously, if there is anything in the area that will be damage by the heat like plastic or rubber parts, don't do this.

[nocrapman]

The suggestion above of using a socket is a good one. I learned this a long time ago while working on cars. You can put a lot more force on it with a socket.
Keep in mind that the following comes from someone totally unfamiliar with this DP. Again, learned from working on cars: Stuck bolts and nuts can frequently be loosened using heat. I know this will ruin the paint. If it is a bolt, try playing a propane torch flame to the casting around the bolt to expand that area. Do this while applying pressure to the socket wrench (you may need some help). If it is a nut, try heating the nut and then apply pressure to it. Obviously, if there is anything in the area that will be damage by the heat like plastic or rubber parts, don't do this.

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.

[Derek Cohen]

@ 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.

Ashwini, I would have been very irked as well. Definitely given this person a piece of my mind. Was this person a manager or just a contact? I assume one person. I would not want someone like this working for me. Compare this service attitude with a company like Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen!
I have the Nova Voyager and the Nova Saturn. Build built like a brick outhouse. No issues to date ... I do not consider the extra tight bolt an issue .. a little frustrating, perhaps. The after sales service ... I would want to report that to the company, certainly ... but, assuming it was one person, not on the forums since it affects a company rather than that person.
Regards from Perth
Derek

[Cabinet Monkey]

Ashwini, I would have been very irked as well. Definitely given this person a piece of my mind. Was this person a manager or just a contact? I assume one person. I would not want someone like this working for me. Compare this service attitude with a company like Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen!
I have the Nova Voyager and the Nova Saturn. Build built like a brick outhouse. No issues to date ... I do not consider the extra tight bolt an issue .. a little frustrating, perhaps. The after sales service ... I would want to report that to the company, certainly ... but, assuming it was one person, not on the forums since it affects a company rather than that person.
Regards from Perth
Derek

I disagree here. 

It’s helpful for a future customer to know who he’s marrying.  Warts and all. If there’s a bad egg in the organization , who’s to say I won’t have deal with them ?  Who’s to say the guy above or at the top isn’t to blame?   

Reminds me of Laguna.  Some great gear , but sometimes awful CS.

BuT, now that I have the info, I can decide how to value it. If I also become a sacrificial lamb, I need only look in the mirror.

[iclark]

Ashwini, I would have been very irked as well. Definitely given this person a piece of my mind. Was this person a manager or just a contact? I assume one person. I would not want someone like this working for me. Compare this service attitude with a company like Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen!
I have the Nova Voyager and the Nova Saturn. Build built like a brick outhouse. No issues to date ... I do not consider the extra tight bolt an issue .. a little frustrating, perhaps. The after sales service ... I would want to report that to the company, certainly ... but, assuming it was one person, not on the forums since it affects a company rather than that person.
Regards from Perth
Derek

Derek,
I like your attitude, but think that you may have missed the part of the OP where a supervisor got on the phone and suggested a better wrench (nothing else). So, this experience included both a front-line CS and their supervisor. Once you start hitting supervisors, who do you recommend contacting in a company?
v/r,
Ivan

[Handplanesandmore]

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.

In other words, the dp is not worth the price it asked for. Given such kind of after sales support, only over my dead body would I have anything to do with them. Banned!
Simon