Testo 550 Reliability?

[kiwireeferman]

We will replace the glass No charge. Need to send it to our service dept.

Thanks for the offer Doug, but as the 550 was purchased on Ebay through Johnstons, sending the thing back from New Zealand is not practical.
I note when I had a problem with my Digicool, Brenda Lockhart just posted the required part to me, (out of warranty) no questions asked.
It's not rocket science to replace to replace the front half of the case.

If the failure rate is as low as you say, from what I read on these forums your company is taking a pretty hard nosed line on failures they consider are not warranty issues.

Pretty obvious to see why Digi-cool and Doug Lockhart have the following they do.

[itsiceman]

And I believe you would review your techs call backs on a percent basis, would you not? Same principle goes in the test instrument business.
My only issue was a personal one. Jim's credibility is above reproach. If you knew the numbers behind this product, I'd wager you would come away with a different view. He wouldn't say it if he didn't believe it.

This may be a problem that hasn't been considered.
For every guy on here complaining how many are just tossing the thing in the shop or back of the garage?
The cheaper these things get the more I believe this is going to happen. You guys hear about the call backs you get and can keep track easily but I know plenty in this line of work that wouldn't even bother picking up the phone and say lesson learned.
This is no good for both ends.
It would be hard to differentiate between a No call back situation or No call back situation.

Just hope it doesn't end up being an American issue as was eluded in another post.
That would probably be harder to smooth over than being insignificant

[hvaclover]

This may be a problem that hasn't been considered.
For every guy on here complaining how many are just tossing the thing in the shop or back of the garage?
:

Take heed Doug, he means the fifty percent who quietly give up that the manufacturer does no hear from ever again, those who have lost faith.

Like it or not you are just getting the tip of the ice berg taken care of.

[hvaclover]

Thanks for the offer Doug, but as the 550 was purchased on Ebay through Johnstons, sending the thing back from New Zealand is not practical.
I note when I had a problem with my Digicool, Brenda Lockhart just posted the required part to me, (out of warranty) no questions asked.
It's not rocket science to replace to replace the front half of the case.

If the failure rate is as low as you say, from what I read on these forums your company is taking a pretty hard nosed line on failures they consider are not warranty issues.

Pretty obvious to see why Digi-cool and Doug Lockhart have the following they do.

Cause you got em of Ebay how is that Doug's fault? I didn't know Johnstone was in New Zealand. Why can't you return them thru Johnstones?

And how would Johnston be involved?

[kiwireeferman]

Cause you got em of Ebay how is that Doug's fault? I didn't know Johnstone was in New Zealand. Why can't you return them thru Johnstones?

And how would Johnston be involved?

I thought this thread was about Testo reliability and quality, I must have missed something along the way.

If you read my post properly it should be obvious the instrument was purchased from Johnstone in the US and to return it from NZ is out of the question. Having to return the failed instrument to Testo for non electronic failures is just plain stupid, they should just supply what is needed when proof of purchase with serial number is provided.

[hvaclover]

I thought this thread was about Testo reliability and quality, I must have missed something along the way.

If you read my post properly it should be obvious the instrument was purchased from Johnstone in the US and to return it from NZ is out of the question. Having to return the failed instrument to Testo for non electronic failures is just plain stupid, they should just supply what is needed when proof of purchase with serial number is provided.

No, you said Johnston not Johnstone. Johnston's went out of business in the states and was taken over by Pameco who was then taken over by United Refrigeration.


Read for yourself:

Originally Posted by kiwireeferman View Post
Thanks for the offer Doug, but as the 550 was purchased on Ebay through Johnstons, sending the thing back from New Zealand is not practical.
I note when I had a problem with my Digicool, Brenda Lockhart just posted the required part to me, (out of warranty) no questions asked.
It's not rocket science to replace to replace the front half of the case.


Too much of that good NZ beer?

[Advanced Response]

I got a 550 paper weight that has been sitting in my garage for a little while now..
Let see the hook broke then one of the two pipe clamps quit reading temp, then the meter quit reading the temp probes,, I gave a friend of mine the last good reading pipe clamp but that failed on him a week later, also the glass screen has a corner cracked from the hook breaking and unit falling in the back of the van...

So I have a testo 550 that will not read even good pipe clamps and also two dead pipe clamps.. Also with a screen that is cracked in the corner from a poorly designed hook..

Why would I send it to testo, I have to pay postage to only be told that the failure was possibly water damage and not covered as others have been told..I am sure there may be moisture inside of the unit since the hook broke caused the screen to get a crack in the corner and I could not hook the meter on the condenser anylonger due to no hook..

The sad part is I know of others that also bought the 550 only to throw it in the trash after it broke and told to send it to testo..

Who wants a paper weight..

I have several digicools and not a failure yet..bulletproof..

Don't get me wrong I do have some testo products that I love.. I have a testo 510 manometer that rides in my tool bag daily and is great, also my 605h2 has been great except the battery door is taped closed.. But these products have been good..

The 550 is a failure..
I bought the 550 from trutech tools, great guys but wish I would have bought it from a local supplier with a over the counter warranty exchange.. But I will say that even with a over the counter warranty one of my friends went thru 2 550's last summer, he decided to just junk the last failed in the dumpster,, not worth his time.. He is now waiting on his 1250 digicool, I hope he gets it soon so he can give me back the 1200 loaner I lent him 3 months ago..

I believe iceman is right for everyone person that is complaining you will have 3-4 times that will just junk your product and buy a more reliable product.. Been there done that..

Maybe we should start a thread that asks how many 550's have failed from the Trutech group buy and how many are still operating?

Goodluck
J

[hvaclover]

I got a 550 paper weight that has been sitting in my garage for a little while now..
Let see the hook broke then one of the two pipe clamps quit reading temp, then the meter quit reading the temp probes,, I gave a friend of mine the last good reading pipe clamp but that failed on him a week later, also the glass screen has a corner cracked from the hook breaking and unit falling in the back of the van...

So I have a testo 550 that will not read even good pipe clamps and also two dead pipe clamps.. Also with a screen that is cracked in the corner from a poorly designed hook..

Why would I send it to testo, I have to pay postage to only be told that the failure was possibly water damage and not covered as others have been told..I am sure there may be moisture inside of the unit since the hook broke caused the screen to get a crack in the corner and I could not hook the meter on the condenser anylonger due to no hook..

The sad part is I know of others that also bought the 550 only to throw it in the trash after it broke and told to send it to testo..

Who wants a paper weight..

I have several digicools and not a failure yet..bulletproof..

Don't get me wrong I do have some testo products that I love.. I have a testo 510 manometer that rides in my tool bag daily and is great, also my 605h2 has been great except the battery door is taped closed.. But these products have been good..

The 550 is a failure..
I bought the 550 from trutech tools, great guys but wish I would have bought it from a local supplier with a over the counter warranty exchange.. But I will say that even with a over the counter warranty one of my friends went thru 2 550's last summer, he decided to just junk the last failed in the dumpster,, not worth his time.. He is now waiting on his 1250 digicool, I hope he gets it soon so he can give me back the 1200 loaner I lent him 3 months ago..

I believe iceman is right for everyone person that is complaining you will have 3-4 times that will just junk your product and buy a more reliable product.. Been there done that..

Maybe we should start a thread that asks how many 550's have failed from the Trutech group buy and how many are still operating?

Goodluck
J

wow

Sorry to hear that. You sound like one of the Silent 50% who quietly give up on a product with out mfgr even knowing.

Did you post this after reading what I had written to Doug about the Silent 50%?

I don't own any digital meters so I have no axe to grind. I gave up on trying to use digital pressure gauges back in 1989 or there abouts when TIF sold the first set of digis with press and temp readings.

They never worked right and I ain't trusted them since.

[itsiceman]

1989
You could be holding on to the biggest axe here clover

[bwalley]

.

[bwalley]

wow

Sorry to hear that. You sound like one of the Silent 50% who quietly give up on a product with out mfgr even knowing.

Did you post this after reading what I had written to Doug about the Silent 50%?

I don't own any digital meters so I have no axe to grind. I gave up on trying to use digital pressure gauges back in 1989 or there abouts when TIF sold the first set of digis with press and temp readings.

They never worked right and I ain't trusted them since.

A lot has changed since 1989, back then hardly anyone even knew what a micron gauge was and even fewer people used them.

[jpsmith1cm]

A lot has changed since 1989, back then hardly anyone even knew what a micron gauge was and even fewer people used them.

Some people refuse to acknowledge change, too.

My dad taught me this trade, but he taught me a lot of wrong things like listening to the pump to measure vacuum, beer can cold, etc.

These were never right, but were accepted practice by a large majority of people and have been institutionalized by generations of techs to the point that we are still dealing with them today.

[hvaclover]

A lot has changed since 1989, back then hardly anyone even knew what a micron gauge was and even fewer people used them.

Guys knew what they were....it was just that the expense prohibitive.

I had a Robinaire analog costs over three weeks pay back in the seventies.