Great Service

[malabar]

Buying a machine that will stitch saddles and holsters is a significant investment, and folks often question the kind of customer service they can expect for spending $3,000 and up for a machine.  About five years ago, I bought a Cobra Class IV , mostly based on comments I read on this forum. It gets a couple of hours of use every day in my Florida workshop. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of living in Florida is that the power grid is kinda flaky. In the last couple of months, we've had a momentary power outage almost every day.  About six weeks ago, we had one that was more than momentary. And when the power came back on, there was a real surge -- and the servo motor on my Cobra blew out (probably the little controller board).  

It's my only machine, and I had customers waiting. So I called up Leather Machine Co. and they connected me to their service department.  That day they sent me out a new motor -- free of charge!

Frankly, I was stunned.  What great customer service!

thank you Steve and co.

tk

 

[immiketoo]

Steve and crew do an outstanding job in a world where other vendors just don't seem to care.  Its refreshing to say the least.

[Wizcrafts]

One of my buddies had a touchy motor on his Cobra and Steve sent him a new motor at no cost. I had a motor go bad on my Cowboy and Bob sent me a new motor. I have no doubt that Techsew does the same for their customers. All of our supporting dealers try to go the extra mile (km in Canada) for their customers. The supporting dealers all run ad banners on top of all of our pages, with a new batch of 6 shown each time you load or refresh a page.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Service is important.

[Ed in Tx]

4 hours ago, malabar said:

Buying a machine that will stitch saddles and holsters is a significant investment, and folks often question the kind of customer service they can expect for spending $3,000 and up for a machine.  About five years ago, I bought a Cobra Class IV , mostly based on comments I read on this forum. It gets a couple of hours of use every day in my Florida workshop. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of living in Florida is that the power grid is kinda flaky. In the last couple of months, we've had a momentary power outage almost every day.  About six weeks ago, we had one that was more than momentary. And when the power came back on, there was a real surge -- and the servo motor on my Cobra blew out (probably the little controller board).  

It's my only machine, and I had customers waiting. So I called up Leather Machine Co. and they connected me to their service department.  That day they sent me out a new motor -- free of charge!

Frankly, I was stunned.  What great customer service!

thank you Steve and co.

tk

 

Just a thought.. If you are having continual issues with your AC power you should invest in some good quality surge protection. I'm not talking about a power strip with a breaker I mean a UPS with battery backup. It doesn't have to be anything gigantic, like an APC® Back-UPS® ES 650VA Battery Backup. That specific one runs around $100 but you could get by with a smaller one. 

You might not care about the battery backup part but they provide excellent protection against surges, brown outs etc. 

I use them to protect my entertainment systems and computers but they would work for just about anything.

Definitely saves you from aggravation down the road. 

[Wizcrafts]

7 hours ago, Ed in Tx said:

Just a thought.. If you are having continual issues with your AC power you should invest in some good quality surge protection. I'm not talking about a power strip with a breaker I mean a UPS with battery backup. It doesn't have to be anything gigantic, like an APC® Back-UPS® ES 650VA Battery Backup. That specific one runs around $100 but you could get by with a smaller one. 

You might not care about the battery backup part but they provide excellent protection against surges, brown outs etc. 

I use them to protect my entertainment systems and computers but they would work for just about anything.

Definitely saves you from aggravation down the road. 

My computers, cable modem and router are plugged into APC battery Back-ups boxes. My TV is also plugged into an APC. I don't even consider it an option. It is a basic necessity in my World. I prefer the 650 to 750 Watt/Hour models. The batteries are good for about 3 years. Then you buy a new battery.

[Uwe]

It's nice that you got a new motor quickly and for free from The Leather Machine Co.   Kudos to them for doing something they didn't really have to in order to get you out of a bind that wasn't really their fault. Every one of their customers helps pay for that new motor indirectly. That new motor may die during your next power surge.

It would be misleading to give the impression that a vendor of electronic devices is responsible for your local power grid failings or that the vendor should have to bear the replacement cost.

In reality, that burned out motor control board was your responsibility, not that of the Leather Machine Co.

If you complain to your local power company about power surge damages, they will just say you need to take steps to protect your electronic equipment from inevitable power surges. Depending on your home insurance policy, it may cover personal property losses due to power surges or lightning strikes. But it may not be worth bothering to file a claim - I did it once, which is how I know it's not worth bothering.

Everything electronic that I care about in my house is protected by a surge suppressor and/or battery backup device. I must have close to thirty of these devices around the house, either separate devices or integrated into the power outlet on the wall. I also have a whole-house generator that automatically kicks in and separates my house from the grid during an outage. The generator does not switch back to grid power until it's up and stable again. Those generators are not a viable option for many and they don't prevent lightning strikes in your backyard.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Uwe

[Wizcrafts]

I neglected to mention that APC Back-UPS' are also surge and noise protectors. One bank of sockets have battery backup. The other bank has just surge and noise protection. If one is planning on using such a device to protect a motor, the unit would have to be at least a 750 watt protector, or it would pop the breaker.

Alternately, look into the Tripp-Lite Isobar surge protector multi-outlet power boxes. I connect my music amplifier and mini-power packs to one that goes to all of my gigs. They have great protection and fast breakers. There is noise suppression to (via an LC filter).

[Ed in Tx]

14 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

My computers, cable modem and router are plugged into APC battery Back-ups boxes. My TV is also plugged into an APC. I don't even consider it an option. It is a basic necessity in my World. I prefer the 650 to 750 Watt/Hour models. The batteries are good for about 3 years. Then you buy a new battery.

I see by some of the responses I am not the only one that sees the importance of UPS devices. I would rather invest the $100 for a UPS than risk having hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of electrical devices ruined by a surge. The devices might be covered by your homeowners insurance if you meet your deductible and don't mind the hassle of dealing with the insurance company but I prefer the peace of mind.

In my prior life before retirement I dealt with highly sensitive electronics such as fiber optics and networks. The UPS devices we used came in all sizes but one thing for sure the cost of the UPS was minimal when considering the alternative of network outages.

[DrmCa]

Dunno about the US, but up here in Canada COSTCO has a fantastic deal on APC 1500 VA back UPS. Worth every penny.

Recently had the AC motor blown, possibly by a surge. Will be installing whole house surge protector soon and another separate protector for the AC.

Edited August 20, 2018 by DrmCa