PowerTIG 225LX delivered today...

[Zoomie]

Well,
I received my PowerTIG 225LX today! The good news it came one day early. Cool! Bad news is, there was some shipping damage . The exterior box was in reasonably good shape so I accepted it from UPS. When I popped the shipping box open. The accessory box contained within was burst and the cable foot pedal, torch spares were everywhere. The welder itself had a cracked rear plastic cover/fan shroud and one of the case screws had popped out and was missing. I placed a call and sent an email to Everlast but haven't heard back from them, probably due to the holiday. I guess now is as good a time as any to see how good their customer sevice is while I still have return priviledges . I'll keep everyone advised...

Zoom

[Ray]

Zoomie, Please call +18777559353 Ext 203. \

We'll help you determine the extent of the damage and get things rolling.

877-755-9353

[Zoomie]

PM'd ya Ray...

[Ray]

PM'd ya back,
if you don't get a chance to call back today, call me tomarow, I'm not doing anything special untill later.

Ray

[Titan winch]

Please do not take this as any Bashing on my part but i am getting fed up with US Courier Services .
I ship winches in 1/2" thick cardboard with the winches wrapped in bubble wrap and i still get damage whenever it goes South of the Border . Sent a replacement Motor for a winch just today.
I very seldomnly have any damage on the Canadian side and yet no matter what i try to do to protect the packaging i know sooner or later there will be a problem. And to make matters worse i had put Synthetic line on the Winch so the weight was down to 63 lbs
Sorry for the Hijack i just get a little peed off when i hear this especially when it has just happened to one of my customers the very same day
Cheers

[Ray]

I agree,
I would like to talk about using the “Shock Watch” cards on the packages.
They turn red when a preset G-force is exceeded.
I hate to say it but I’ll bet the winches (as well) have made in … on the outside of the box??

[everlastsupport]

Well, I can say this year compared to last year was not near as bad. There was a bad bezel a day at least.

This years only a couple, though I would prefer no shipping damage at all.

UPS will be UPS. They do not handle larger packages well at all.

A number of customers I talk to tell me they love Fed Ex and hate UPS, so it is not just Everlast.

[Den]

I assume your products are shipped to the customer in the same carton that they arrived in from China. Are they opened and inspected prior to being shipped out from your US distribution center?

-Dennis

[everlastsupport]

With the volume that ship from California (main US warehouse) they are lot sampled. A lot of times we have to add things to the box as well. They are in the same Everlast box from the factory. If we have a problem area, we have wrapped units is bubble plastic.

All Everlast distributors (smaller volumes), far as I know, open each unit and inspect them. Everlast Canada (Duncan) and Everlast Alaska (Ray) actually they fire units up as well.

[Rivets]

With the volume that ship from California (main US warehouse) they are lot sampled. A lot of times we have to add things to the box as well. They are in the same Everlast box from the factory. If we have a problem area, we have wrapped units is bubble plastic.

All Everlast distributors (smaller volumes), far as I know, open each unit and inspect them. Everlast Canada (Duncan) and Everlast Alaska (Ray) actually they fire units up as well.

Mike,

This last post and the one above from you, speak volumes.

1-Why could Everlast not use a carrier that has a better track record than the current one ?

2-Why could Everlast not inspect and fire up every unit they ship ? Surely customer satisfaction should trump the wage costs of extra staff ?

3-Looks like US customers are playing a bit of roulette in that they may or may not be lucky to receive a unit, the construction of which was supervised in China by Duncan.

Maybe folks will want to order units from Canada !!!

Am I the only one to see all this ?

Cheers,
Rivets

[everlastsupport]

Mike,

This last post and the one above from you, speak volumes.

1-Why could Everlast not use a carrier that has a better track record than the current one ?

We have been talking about a FedEx option. For extra money of course, and Oleg is looking into FedEx now as well. But if the unit is dropped hard by FedEX, same problem. Maybe less of it, we do not know. But many people I speak to really talk up FedEX. Also, I have no decision in who we use.

2-Why could Everlast not inspect and fire up every unit they ship ? Surely customer satisfaction should trump the wage costs of extra staff ?

That again, this is not a question I can answer, I just explained how we do it. If we new everyone would be in favor if a price hike, I would think that it would have been done. Maybe Everlast US needs to stop the free US shipping, then the users can fit the shipping bill? Again, up to the boss.
But, if we fire each unit, it still has to ship from us to the customer. Even Duncan said that US carriers are bad, they damage winches, in a very thick box. He has no major problem in Canada.

3-Looks like US customers are playing a bit of roulette in that they may or may not be lucky to receive a unit, the construction of which was supervised in China by Duncan.

Again, when you see the number of units with no problems against the few that do. I think it is a Sales and Marketing thing and Oleg would be the best to answer. I answered the questions on how we do it, I do not dictate it. Also, they are tested at the factory and nothing really gets damaged on the boat. So the shiping channel is the only place I would focus on, and tested or not, it might still not work.

Maybe folks will want to order units from Canada !!!

Some people do. I send people to our Canadian group myself different reason, "but" you pay shipping and duties when you do. If you think you have a better chance on the shipper and some extra cash, that is an option for sure. But if it is dropped by mistake, odds are some will still get dropped, testing it does no good in some cases.

Also, I think you can ask for the unit to be shipped from Everlast US to you via FedEX for an extra fee. I know we talked about it.

[Rivets]

We have been talking about a FedEx option. For extra money of course, and Oleg is looking into FedEx now as well. But if the unit is dropped hard by FedEX, same problem. Maybe less of it, we do not know. But many people I speak to really talk up FedEX. Also, I have no decision in who we use.


That again, this is not a question I can answer, I just explained how we do it. If we new everyone would be in favor if a price hike, I would think that it would have been done. Maybe Everlast US needs to stop the free US shipping, then the users can fit the shipping bill? Again, up to the boss.
But, if we fire each unit, it still has to ship from us to the customer. Even Duncan said that US carriers are bad, they damage winches, in a very thick box. He has no major problem in Canada.



Again, when you see the number of units with no problems against the few that do. I think it is a Sales and Marketing thing and Oleg would be the best to answer. I answered the questions on how we do it, I do not dictate it. Also, they are tested at the factory and nothing really gets damaged on the boat. So the shiping channel is the only place I would focus on, and tested or not, it might still not work.



Some people do. I send people to our Canadian group myself different reason, "but" you pay shipping and duties when you do. If you think you have a better chance on the shipper and some extra cash, that is an option for sure. But if it is dropped by mistake, odds are some will still get dropped, testing it does no good in some cases.

Also, I think you can ask for the unit to be shipped from Everlast US to you via FedEX for an extra fee. I know we talked about it.

Hey Mike all good answers, thank you.

Maybe my logic is too simplistic when I believe that on the other side of the coin, Everlast could save money when most of the shipping and DOA issues are avoided in the first place and don't need to be dealt with.

But, then again that's only me and what I glean from this forum.

Time for me to keep quiet now and cross my fingers for a pristine unit.

Cheers,
Rivets

[Titan winch]

My US shipping is all done through FedEx so i am not really sure it is any better. In Canada i use DHL they are a little more expensive but on the whole i have a good track record with them in both minimal damage and faster shipping .
Happy New Year

[everlastsupport]

Duncan,

Funny, when we had DHL here in the US, I couldn't wait for them to be gone. Then they were and UPS came along. I would score them a little better actually, but not what I hoped for. Not sure why US shipping is so bad.

Rivets,

We ship a lot of units and a few get damaged. It is not a large amount, but the person that receives that damaged unit gets upset, sometimes drops a bomb on the forum. "Normally" they will call on the phone, we get them fixed and there is sometimes a delay for them for a part. Do you really think all the people that had no shipping damage rush to our forum and post? I wish they did, many do not know we have a forum. In the past, we did offer free consumables for posting and some would, but we stopped that program.

It's a simple fact you have to deal with when you ship volume, heavy items these days.

And, take my word on this, no one does a better job on units going out the door than Duncan (Titan_Winch) and even he just posted his comments about the US carriers and even FedEx. We do the best we can.

What still amazes me. If I bought a product and it was broke, shipping or otherwise, I would be on the "phone" and get it resolved. If it was not resolved, a public media/forum I guess after I called my credit card company. So many jump the gun, costing everyone in the process. But again, I hear a "blue" forum has a ton of hate post these days. Must be a new generation with bashing people, good or bad.

On a side note. A few negative comments stopped me from buying a Craftsman Twin Cutter yesterday. There was maybe 5 negative reviews out of 18 total. I am sure Sears sold more than 18. But I didn't go get one. Figured I have a plasma cutter, cut-off wheels, chop saws, band saws. It would have helped the economy or Sears, but I opted not to get one.

[Rivets]

Duncan,

Funny, when we had DHL here in the US, I couldn't wait for them to be gone. Then they were and UPS came along. I would score them a little better actually, but not what I hoped for. Not sure why US shipping is so bad.

Rivets,

We ship a lot of units and a few get damaged. It is not a large amount, but the person that receives that damaged unit gets upset, sometimes drops a bomb on the forum. "Normally" they will call on the phone, we get them fixed and there is sometimes a delay for them for a part. Do you really think all the people that had no shipping damage rush to our forum and post? I wish they did, many do not know we have a forum. In the past, we did offer free consumables for posting and some would, but we stopped that program.

It's a simple fact you have to deal with when you ship volume, heavy items these days.

And, take my word on this, no one does a better job on units going out the door than Duncan (Titan_Winch) and even he just posted his comments about the US carriers and even FedEx. We do the best we can.

What still amazes me. If I bought a product and it was broke, shipping or otherwise, I would be on the "phone" and get it resolved. If it was not resolved, a public media/forum I guess after I called my credit card company. So many jump the gun, costing everyone in the process. But again, I hear a "blue" forum has a ton of hate post these days. Must be a new generation with bashing people, good or bad.

On a side note. A few negative comments stopped me from buying a Craftsman Twin Cutter yesterday. There was maybe 5 negative reviews out of 18 total. I am sure Sears sold more than 18. But I didn't go get one. Figured I have a plasma cutter, cut-off wheels, chop saws, band saws. It would have helped the economy or Sears, but I opted not to get one.

Mike,

Again, thanks for the update.

I spent the whole Thanksgiving weekend researching both Everlast and Longevity units. (I had already concluded that I could'nt afford a Red or a Blue). I read tons of posts, both negative and positive.

After talking to Oleg, I prepaid a PP256. So yeah, I did put my faith in you guys because I felt that the positives outweighed the negatives.

Trust me, I am upbeat about this purchase and if there are hiccups I will take the high road and call you for a resolution.

Cheers,
Rivets

[everlastsupport]

Mike,

Again, thanks for the update.

I spent the whole Thanksgiving weekend researching both Everlast and Longevity units. (I had already concluded that I could'nt afford a Red or a Blue). I read tons of posts, both negative and positive.

After talking to Oleg, I prepaid a PP256. So yeah, I did put my faith in you guys because I felt that the positives outweighed the negatives.

Trust me, I am upbeat about this purchase and if there are hiccups I will take the high road and call you for a resolution.

Cheers,
Rivets

Glad you made the right choice and we will be here. I cover the weekends most of the time as well, long as my hands are not dirty or not in the middle of something. FYI, that box will be about 70+ lbs

[Zoomie]

Howdy all! It seems my thread has drifted a little since I originally posted. Just to clarify, I'm a fraz disappointed, but not with the company I chose to do business with. I would say it’s more about the time I have than anything (or lack thereof). I contacted customer service via telcon and email during the holidays. I'm sure there is going to be a delay. Shoot, I EXPECT there to be a delay this time of year! Ray and Mark contacted me after my initial post and have done their best to address my concerns and I have been assured my issues will be taken care of. I'm satisfied with how things have gone so far with Everlast! Heck, it's when stuff goes wrong that you know if you're dealing with right minded folks or not. Hey, my box of stuff got banged up by a shipping company in the middle of their biggest shipping season push of the year. Did I mention it arrived a day early! It isn't the end of the world. I got a welder that appears to need some cosmetic TLC(a plastic cover and a missing screw). If all goes the way I think it will the parts will be shipped, I'll swap'em out and things will be fine. If not, I'll return the welder for a replacement, (notice I said replacement not refund) and Everlast and I will still be on good terms. No biggie! My reason for posting this is to provide an update to my previous posts for those contemplating a welder etc. For me, the bucks are a much bigger deal than they were a year ago. I really want my money to go further, which is why I chose to do business with this company. I need more value for my money! I think Everlast has a bright future with a sound product line which is one of the reasons they got my business. If all goes as planned, a W300 water cooler is next. Just gotta save a little more!

[Zoomie]

Well, nothing much new really to report. I have been away for the last 2 weeks with work. I hope to get home Thursday evening and get everything fired up and running to verify my machine is healthy (still gotta get shielding gas etc) . Oleg picked up the phone while I was talking to Katya about replacement parts, he wanted to check to see if there was anything he could help with. Very COOL! Hopefully the parts will show up the end of this week so I can get them swapped out and get started learning! Maybe a cooler and a Plasma cutter...

[Zoomie]

Okay, So I got home with shielding gas, got a cheapy welding bench from Northern Tool and all the the extraneous items etc I thought I'd need. I assembled the bench and got started organizing my stuff. Some are probably asking what my my rationale was for not building a bench. Well, the NT version is pretty light and easily moved by one person so I can get cars back in the garage. Just having rollers isn't enough. I got my rod, tungsten ground and everything hooked up, set up etc. and got down to burning some metal. I got a cheap piece of 16 gauge mild steel from Lowes, 70 S2 1/16" rod and started playing! 50 amps, pulse off, and the AC Freq and AC balance pointing at 12 oclock. All I can say is wow! It seems this is not going to be as difficult as I imagined! Don't get me wrong you professional types! I know you have been doing this all your life and that you don't have the luxury of knowing the type metal your working on nor the thickness and must hit the amperage right the first time with the correct filler rod. You have ALL MY RESPECT! Not to mention the skill and technique to make stuff happen on exotic metals and wierd locations, all from a "2nd degree burn" type of experience. I just really anticipated it to be MUCH more difficult just to get an arc started and get the coordination with the filler rod up and running. I used Jody Colliers rhythm method which helps immensely with the coordination (a thousand and one, a thousand and two, etc. dabbing the rod into the puddle at the end of each number then moving about 1/8 inch forward). Also understanding the melting/fusing process (tungsten melts base metal, puddle melts the rod). Another reason I think this seems much easier is the puddle seems SO MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL! I can see it more clearly therefore I can control it more easily, and again this has more to do with a capable machine than operator manipulation. When using my Miller MIG I always felt like I was chasing the machine. that is, trying to keep up with the wire feed. With this you can kinda bumble along at your own pace and still can make something happen other than a pile of bird poo. I think I'm gonna like this machine and definitely like the process. Now, if I could just figure out a way to quit dipping my freakin electrode in the puddle or touching the damn rod to it I'd be happy!!!

A few notes:

Basic TIG welding during my first infantile steps is much easier than I anticipated it to be.

You are going to need more money than you thought to get set up (even if you do have a MIG welder, protective gear etc.)

I haven't yet gotten my welder replacement parts due to a snow storm. Katya forwarded the tracking no., but UPS keeps rescheduling delivery to the house).

The welder is awesome (and yes, I am a rank amateur). It is VERY adjustable and if you watch Mr. Jody Colliers TIG videos it'll put you miles down the road towards understanding your Powertigs settings and how they effect performance.

The TIG torch is stiff. This stiffness makes it slightly more difficult to manipulate the arc accurately due to the reduced flexibility of the cables/hoses. I have NEVER picked up a different TIG torch, so it may just be me.

Everlast's customer service, Mike Mark Ray Katya and above all Oleg, have been outstanding, second to none, period!

If you have questions for me that can be answered by a rank amateur feel free to do so via open forum or PM. I'll tell you everything I know! It should take about 5 seconds! :wink:

Lastly, I do not have any affiliation with Everlast or any of the above named folks. I would say if anything they (Everlast) think I'm an azz due to the way I have spoken to them and the number of times I called. In my defense, I'm an Air Traffic Controller, emotion does not figure into communications with aircraft, pilots or other controllers, data is king, all the emotional crap gets filtered out. Some folks see it as quite cold, but after 30+ years it seems normal and therefore appropriate to me. Others needless to say, do not.

[Rugar]

I got a cheap piece of 16 gauge mild steel from Lowes, 70 S2 1/16" rod and started playing! 50 amps, pulse off, and the AC Freq and AC balance pointing at 12 oclock.

Just a FYI, it doesnt matter where the AC settings are when TIGing mild steel on DC.