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View Full Version : Quick Question - should I buy this machine?



Kel
09-02-2007, 05:49 PM
I'm on vacation from Canada (14hr drive home) and stopped by a Sears just in case. There's only one machine and it's in clearance for $1100 because "the guy that returned it said one of the motors was burned out". They didn't have much more info than that except that the machine had shown some error on the screen that said a motor was burned out (or something to that effect... the sales guy wasn't really sure although he was the one who did the return 2 months ago). He told me it was the X motor that was trashed.

After a little cajoling I got them to actually plug the machine in for me and once they had found the card and reader I ran the program that was on the card. Went through all the menus right up to loading the board (which we couldn't do since they said they weren't allowed to actually power up any of the tools) and the cutter moved in X and Z axis.

My question - does any of this sound like it would stop you from buying the machine? There would only be manufacturers warranty on it since it is listed as damaged and if it was anything major it would be big shipping from Canada if the whole machine had to go. I'm reasonably handy with a wrench and multi-meter and not afraid to replace parts myself.

This thing was packed with MDF dust (every time we moved it, more would drop out) and I'm wondering if there was a sensor error or z-axis stall or something along those lines (all I know about the machine is from what I've read here).

Only constraint is that I have until tomorrow PM to buy or not since that's when I have to leave.

Thanks for any comments or opinions!

Kel

Traveler
09-02-2007, 06:15 PM
From what I have read on this site, the manufacturer has been very good at fixing their machines. If you were to buy it, the worst case scenario would be that you would have to ship it back to Texas for a few weeks or a few months and maybe more than once. But, you would save more than enough to pay for shipping and probably enough to pay for the aggravation. However, there is a pretty good chance that they would send you parts to fix it yourself. It sounds like a reasonable risk. Good luck.

T

Digitalwoodshop
09-02-2007, 06:43 PM
Kel,

First Question is will they support it in Canada? Don't know???

If it was packed with dust than there was a good chance it was just something jammed with sawdust. Caution if you use a shop vac to clean it, the sawdust moving through the hose makes thousands of volts of Static Electricity and will KILL the unit.

The fact that it powered up is good. A lower price would be better.... $700.00.... It's BROKEN..... For $700.00 I would take it..... Not for $1100.00

Units under warranty with problems LHR usually pays to ship it back for repair. I bought a return unit and found it had the Z encoder problem. I registered it and then I sent them the bad part and they sent it back fixed. I have 400 hours on it now and it is cutting as I type.

The big question is Canada??? Anyone here have one in Canada?

Bet it needs a good cleaning or the X Gear is stripped.... A $5.00 fix.

Power it up and select options and find the cut hours meter.... Under 50 Good.... 200....bad.... At 280 hours my brushes in the cut motor were wore out and too short.... A $5.00 fix....

Could have been the Check Cut motor error too.... Cut motor magnet.

Kel
09-02-2007, 07:04 PM
Thanks.. hadn't thought about the Canada support question. I seem to recall that one person had one in Canada and they had some kind of support from CW, but that may just be my wishful thinking.

Not sure how much more I'll be able to talk them down... they were seemed less than impressed that the machine powered up when I tried it. But I for me to drive down to a Sears in Maine and back would cost me a couple hundred plus another $300 or so in tax taking it back across, so call it another $500 savings....

Kel

menewfy
09-02-2007, 08:34 PM
they will support in canada however you pay all shipping costs too and from as well as duty and brokerage.

i had one near kingston and after much heartache and many headaches decided to bring it back to watertown for a refund.

good luck making your decision.

Kel
09-02-2007, 09:04 PM
Menewfy,

Did you have to negotiate with them over the support or were they okay with it from the get go? And why exactly were you paying duty on replacement parts? It should be a zero cost exchange as far as Revenue Canada is concerned... oh, wait... Revenue Canada... I get it.