rrTV-PHOTO   New HD TV
HOME   rrTV-PHOTO   GALLERIES   MY GALLERY   HELP-FAQ
myHOME PM pmRR MEMBERS 714 ONLINE 24 EVENTS SEARCH REGISTER  START HERE
 
1 page474 viewsPOST REPLY
XHELI.COM . Autography FlightPower . Advantage Hobby

.
.
Main Discussion > Jr vs Futaba Repair Support
 
 
Ron Cosby
Senior Heliman
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana

I am curious what other people folks' opinions/perceptions are of the repair shops for these radio brands. I am currently struggling with Horizon to get my equipment back, in something over a week now they have not even returned my calls. Also, I know of 2 other, non-related incidents where they lost the customers' radios. I am about ready to switch to Futaba, except I have so much $$ tied up in JR stuff.

How do you Futaba pilots rate their support?
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Brian Weekley
Senior Heliman
Location: Victoria, BC Canada

Repair Service

I use Radio South for all of my non-warranty service and am very satisfied.

Great Planes does the Futaba warranty service and I have experienced some problems with service. I recently sent a very low time 9253 into Great Planes for service and they replied by email that there was "nothing wrong with it". I told them to check again and they came back for a second time with a "nothing wrong with it" report. They sent the servo back and when I hooked it up it was still defective. I guess that the problem was that it took about 30 seconds to pack it in and they didn't spend that much time trying to diagnose the problem. The question comes to mind that if I had purchased the servo from Cyberheli and returned it to Stephen whether or not he would have just replaced the servo based on my diagnosis.

In my view it's probably a toss-up between Horizon (JR) and Great Planes (Futaba).
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
rickc
Elite Veteran
Location: Creve Coeur IL. (Peoria Area)

It probably took 3 to 4 days for shipping to reach Champaign IL, unless you shipped it overnight or second day. I only live 90 miles from Horizon. When I had one of my old transmitter upgraded from a 10S to a 10 SX I shipped it off to Horizon on a Monday and received it back on Wednesday the same week. I just recently sent off a damgaed servo, it took 1 week turn around time to have it replaced. This is their busy season I would say with pilots having their radios looked at. JR's customer support has alway been A-1 in my opinion. Hobby Services (Futaba) is located in the same town. I can not say anything about their customer support since I have never owned Futaba since Great Planes became the importer. Call Horizons Product Support and ask. I'm sure they will be happy to let you know your TX has arrived and if it's on the bench yet.

Rick
02-07-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Steve Campbell
Elite Veteran
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Agreed on generally excellent service from Horizon. Sure, they make a mistake every now and then; but they WILL make it right for you.

There were numerous horror stories of lost radios, zilch service, etc., floating about after Futaba USA closed it's doors in Kalifornia and moved to The Evil Empire. But supposedly all of that has been sorted out now and they are good to go. Both of these outfits deal in tremendous amounts of volume; there is bound to be a glitch every now and then. I had one such last fall that took two months to straighten out at Horizon. But they DID straighten it out.

Don't waste your time with e-mail. I sometimes wonder if the advent of e-mail has paralyzed some people's dialing fingers. Personally, I would much prefer to speak with a live body in real time, and am willing to pay for that.

Call (217) 403-3675. That will get you one Dave Poole, who is the "straw boss" of the radio repair section up there. A nice guy who is knowledgeable and helpful.

Steve
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
SkyKing
Senior Heliman
Location: Belvidere, Ill

I have recently dealt with both and they were about dead nuts even.
Gyro (501)sent to Futaba was not fixable they offered a new one (502)at a reduced price. turn around time total 1 week from door to door
Horizon bad receiver sent in not fixable offered (better) receiver for reduced price, turn around time (again) 1 week door to door.
I was missing a part on my Vigor called horizon had the part in 5 days no questions asked.
Terry
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
ToXcell
Heliman
Location: Central California

JR Service Futaba Service

Recently I sent (on the same day) to Futaba and to JR for service. Both items were reparied and serviced as I requested and returned within 7 working days. I was Impressed.
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
fritzthecat
Key Veteran
Location: New Orleans

futaba service

I send in my new (used) 9ZAP for service a few weeks ago.
Tx was received in IL on Friday. Called Monday and it was being serviced, approved the estimate Tuesday and it was back in the mail by Thursday. Arrived on Monday via UPS.
I was pretty satisfied with the speed and price.

Fritz
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
estevens
Senior Heliman
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

I sent in a gyro (550T), that I bought used, and a servo (8700G) for repair and testing to Horizon. I received both back with the gyro being upgraded under warrenty and the servo cleaned and lubed for no charge. I have had other items sent in the past that also had no charge. Horizon service has been good to me, although I know of at least on person who had an on going problem with a transmitter that took three returns before the problem was found (cyclic stick had to in the exact right spot). I work in electronics and understand how an intermittent problem can be. All information I know about Great Planes service is almost a year old and I am sure they have improved. At that time they had a habit of sending back items unrepaired, or weren't even the items sent in. Regardless, this time of the year is the highest volume for either shop as most of the country is in non flying weather conditions and thus a "good time" to send in the equipment for checkup.

Eric
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
MitchD
Senior Heliman
Location: Antioch TN USA

Horizon Svc is one of the reasons i stuck w JR,
If youre waiting on stuff to be repaired always use the reference number,when you call they usually give you a reference number or a rma if its a warranty issue,or speak with the tech you first called directly for a update......
Turnaround time has never been more than a week for me and someone always calls and gives me the "scoop" to see what I want to do.......without me even asking.....
Thats part of good service.......
02-07-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
RICKm
Heliman
Location: Penfield NY

Have sent to Horizon several times and had good luck. They turned
around my 8103 in a day after they got it. They had to turn on the ccpm
and no charge even for shipping. I believe alot depends on what time
of the season you send it in.
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Ron Cosby
Senior Heliman
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana

Thanks for the input and information, I learned a couple of things thru this exercise:
1.If you send something in, ASK for the repair order number, Horizon did not assign me one this time or ever in the past that I can remember.
2.Horizon has to install a gyro in a heli and fly it in order to test and repair it. They told me there is no bench test available for their gyros. As long as the weather is too bad to fly, they can't work on gyros.
3.Dave Poole is the man responsible for the repairshop at Horizon. He is courteous, knowledgeable and seems genuinely interested in being helpful. I believe he got things moving today for me.
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Steve Campbell
Elite Veteran
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

<<..no bench test available for their gyros.>>

Hmmm... THAT'S an interesting piece of information.....

I figured Dave would do the trick. He's the one who sorted out my fiasco last fall.

Steve
02-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
MobileRaptor
Veteran
Location: Orange, Texas

Sounds like a excuse to fly to me
02-08-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Maxx
Key Veteran
Location: Shreveport Louisana

Horizon needs to get an electric heli for their test rig or move to the South where the weather...well...doesn't suck! I have the feeling that a JR electric heli would have gotten your 5000 checked out a tad quicker than a nitro burner outside at 10 degrees F. you didn't have to mention the 502...did ya'? Chris
02-08-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Buzzin Brian
Elite Veteran
Location: College Station, Texas

I have had EXCELLENT results with Horizon. In the begining, four score and seven years ago. No really. When I built my Vigor I made the stupid mistake of installing the tail hub with the locktite suggested by the manual. WRONG!!!!!!! I learned how big of a mistake that was when I started my tube tail upgrade. When I called and complained they replaced ALL effected parts no questions asked. Their service was tip top. Everytime I have contacted them they have bent over backwards to help me. So I fly JR. (not to dog Futaba at all) And I feel confident that if I need help I will recieve it. No one is perfect. And there will always be horror stories about service, no matter what company you are dealing with. And also keep in mind that some people can not be pleased. No matter what. After over 8 years in retail management, I can tell you guys that, that is a leason I have had to learn the HARD way.
02-08-2002 Over year old.
 
 
1 page474 viewsPOST REPLY
Revolution Models . CarbonXtreme . Midland Helicopters

.
.
Main Discussion > Jr vs Futaba Repair Support
  UPDATE SCREEN   PRINT TOPIC Advertisers 

Subscribe to This Topic

Tuesday, October 14 - 12:38 am - Copyright © 2000 - 2008 runryder.com | email | link to rr | runryder needs cookie