Shop Fox Customer Service

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cpowell

Chuck
Senior User
I bought a Shop Fox drillpress as part of a NCWWer group buy a few months ago. I posted my findings upon assembly and also measured runout, table flatness, quill to table angle, etc. My impression was and still IS, that this is not a precision machine...it's a value for money machine. I like it and have enjoyed using it. I especially like the large table, the power, and the long stroke. I use it a lot.

When I received the machine there were a few parts that were "not right". The machine has 3 rods with knobs used to rsise/lower the quill. One of the rods had buggered threads on one end and was missing the "flats" used to snug the rod onto the machine. One of the knobs supplied was spherical, different in shape than the others and NOT designed to go on this machine. Pics of all are below.

I called Shop Fox and talked with a guy in tech support. I told him what I measured for runout and hes said that was normal for this machine and well within their tolerance. ok, no problem...I'm woodworking, not milling. I then explained how one of the rods was buggered up and the wrong knob had been supplied. He took all of my information, registered me for warranty support and gave me an order number for the parts - rod and knob.

That was two months ago! I phoned them several weeks ago just to follow up and he told me the parts were on back order but should arrive in a few weeks. I called again tonight and spoke with someone in tech support and they told me the parts were on back order. She looked for an estimated delivery and told me that they showed a ship date from the factory the first week of January...but cautioned me it could be longer. I was very nice to her, after all, she is there to help me. :)

I asked if it would be possible to speed things up ("c'mon, these aren't space shuttle protective tiles here...we're talking about a chromed rod and a plastic knob", I told myself). She said that she would forward my request to a manager and see if they could take the parts off a drillpress at their distribution center/warehouse and that someone would follow up.

The reason I am writing this is that it occurs to me that the part that was bad could have been the motor. I'd like to assume that they would handle things differently in that case but certainly have no reason to know it for a fact.

I really consider this more of an inconvenience than anything else. I wonder if they sell enough of these DPs to make it viable to stock spare parts.

Really, I liken this situation to buying a table, and upon assembly I note that only three legs were supplied. So I take a milk crate and a few magazines to shim the missing leg. The table is perfectly usable. It's just not whole. After two months would LOMl still be happy to look at the beautiful table?

I wrote this here because it is NOT intended to be a rant. I like the machine. But, my experience with this purchase ensures that the next time I will be more careful. "Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me".

Caveat emptor.

Chuck
 
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Monty

New User
Monty
Hmmm - weird situation with those rods/knobs. Sounds like you got a couple of parts that belong with another machine.... somewhere out there someone with a HF drillpress is saying "what's with these funky flat spots on this one rod?!?!?" :lol:

When I got mine (same as yours) all parts were appropriate to the machine. One of the plastic knobs was slightly cross-threaded, but I unscrewed it and screwed it back on straight and it's just fine now.

I remember you had issues with runout, too. Mine measured max 0.003" all the way down with a magnetic base dial micrometer, without any tweaking necessary -- good enough for me! I'm perfectly happy with mine, and I'm sure you'll enjoy your tool once you get those parts right.
 

cpowell

Chuck
Senior User
Hmmm - weird situation with those rods/knobs. Sounds like you got a couple of parts that belong with another machine.... somewhere out there someone with a HF drillpress is saying "what's with these funky flat spots on this one rod?!?!?" :lol:

When I got mine (same as yours) all parts were appropriate to the machine. One of the plastic knobs was slightly cross-threaded, but I unscrewed it and screwed it back on straight and it's just fine now.

I remember you had issues with runout, too. Mine measured max 0.003" all the way down with a magnetic base dial micrometer, without any tweaking necessary -- good enough for me! I'm perfectly happy with mine, and I'm sure you'll enjoy your tool once you get those parts right.

Monty, I am already enjoying the tool. :eusa_danc

I eventually got the chuck runout down to .004 as measured with my Shop Fox mag base dial micrometer!

Thanks for rubbing in the fact that your machine worked perfectly right out of the box. :lol: Maybe mine was made on a Monday?
 

mshel

New User
Michael Shelley
Chuck,

Surprised that they are taking so long. I contacted Shop Fox about a part for the lift on my jointer and had the new part in a couple of weeks.

Think of it in these terms; Whether it is Shop Fox or Mini Max, customer service is not what it used to be. Just ask Travis Porter about his new Mini Max bandsaw. Heck, you could fill volumes with stories like yours and others but it's like it's falling on deaf ears. Seems no matter how much you pay for something and from whomever you decided to give your business to, quality customer service is a rare commodity. I wonder if they ever have internal meetings to discuss customer issues. You think Lie Nielsen is concerned about what his customers think; I think he is and that is why he has such a following even at the prices his goods sell for. I think you and I are a lot alike in this respect and I get very p$$$$$ off if something I pay hard earned money for is either broken or damaged or is not as advertised. So what is a guy supposed to do; stop buying or hope the tool companies eventually get the message. I guess we all have to make this decision and unfortunately there are few if any alternatives.

This reply was not meant to try and put salve on the wound, just to vent my .02.

Mike
 

jerrye

New User
Jerry
(on soapbox)
I am a salesman. Customer service isn't important: it's my life. It's frightening to see how many corporate "mantras" are customer service focused and yet the reality of it is that EXCELLENT customer service is often inconvenient and it is quickly kicked aside. My own company just had all employees sign a two page statement regarding this. Enforcement? Non-existent. It seems to me the answer to substandard customer service is to place all employees on a compensation plan that rewards going beyond the norm. If people have no incentive to go out of their way to help they won't. Sad but true.
(off soapbox now)
 

Travis Porter

Travis
Corporate Member
That is concerning. After the fact parts and service do count.

I had no issues with any parts of mine. I haven't checked it for true like you did, which you need to explain to me how you did, but all in all it has been ok.

Compared to the Delta I had, I like the light, it has a pretty nice chuck IMO, and does ok. I do see what you mean about the stops on it now. It is a bit "light duty". I think the table crank handle is a bit bulky compared to the Delta, but that is probably since I have a cabinet underneath it. The thing is heavy as the devil. I stood the flippin thing up by myself and what a BEAST.
 

cpowell

Chuck
Senior User
The Shop Fox DP parts came in this afternoon. :-D

The DP looks very nice with all three knobs and is also a little bit easier to use!

Chuck
 
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