Are these welds a hack job? With Travis Response

[daveswoodhauler]

Travis Response:

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 5:11 PM
To: ''
Subject: RE: FW: Lopi Insert


Thanks for responding XXXX.
As far as future repairs go, if needed will I still be inclined to pay a one way freight charge?
The reason I ask is that it would be hardly worth the cost of shipping for $300-$400 for a stove that only cost a base price of $1100. (I am on the east coast, so I am guessing Mass to Washington is not cheap)
I am not sure if the dealer normally eats this cost or if it is shared with the purchases...but to spend $300-$400 after a half year of use is a pretty shoddy warrantee.....1/3rd the cost of the unit..
I think you can agree that the original problem was a mfg flaw....and now I am even more upset with the repair job the shop completed. Shipping charges should be covered both ways for defects in a unit less than 1 year old.
Thanks,
XXXX

-----Original Message-----
From: inc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:37 AM
To: XXXX
Subject: RE: FW: Lopi Insert


XXX,



I apologize for your trouble and can assure you if any future repairs are needed it will be taken care of. I will put this email in the file regarding your unit with some notes from myself stating what we can do for you if any other matters arise in the future. Lopi is a great product and I feel that you’ll find that when you use it during the heating season. Again, I sincerely apologize and will make notes in the file regarding extending the warranty by one year. Thanks for your input regarding the matter and stay warm!



XXXXX

Customer/Technical Service

Travis Industries

www.fireplacex.com

www.lopifire.com

(broken link removed)


From: XXXX]
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 12:15 PM
To: Travis
CC: Dealer
Subject: RE: FW: Lopi Insert



Hi xxxxx - My name is xxxxxxr, and I believe that you and xxxm had some discussions regarding the warrantee repairs on my stove.

Basically, Travis was going to repair the welds, but would only pay for one way shipping. Since the dealer was not going to pay for the $200-$350 or whatever cost is was to ship the stove, I decided all I could do really do was to have the dealer reweld the stove, and xxxx had advised me that that repairs by xxx would not void the Warrantee.



Anyway, I received the insert back today, and I have attached photos of the repair. I am not a welder by any means, but I do know a few folks in the fabrication business and this is probably one of the poorer welding jobs I have seen. It doesn't appear that any of the weld areas were prepped, I am mainly sending this email to document my file, should the welds fail, or should more welds be needed in the future that you/I have it on record with Travis. I know that this is not a piece of furniture, and it is a unit designed to burn wood and hot, but I think you can agree that the welding job is a bit poor to say the least



This stove was new in the summer of 2008, and only burned 3-4 days/week 8 hours a day for 6 months. I think you can see from the prior photos that I sent, this was clearly a manufacturing defect, and I don't see why the dealer would need to incur the cost of shipping the stove back. In my situation, I felt that all I could do was to have the dealer make the repairs, as I wasn't going to spend an additional $300 of my own money on a manufacturing defect purely out of principal.



I think xxx at xxxx has done a good job with the resources they have in place, and feel that the welding job was probably the best they could do with the resources they have.


In the future, if I need to buy another stove in the I can tell you that it will not be a LOPI/Travis product, as I don't feel that your service/warrantee policy supports your reputation in the industry.



Again, please place this in my warrantee file in case should another problem arise.



Sincerely,



xxxx





-----Original Message-----
From: ]
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:38 PM
To: ubject: RE: FW: Lopi Insert

XXXX,



I emailed xxxm the info he needed today. It won’t take long to get the unit repaired here at the factory so I assure you having it in plenty of time for the fall will not be an issue. You should be hearing from xxx soon, thanks.



XXXXX

Customer/Technical Service

Travis Industries

 

[North of 60]

Using 7018 uphand stick with the existing grinded out and preheated is the proper method.

But that's a wire-feed weld. You just turn it on and pull the trigger. Right? :coolsmirk:

I'm thinking that was stick welded just by the looks of it, just very poorly. IMO it will hold for awhile, but will eventually crack out again. I would be pissed if that was my stove. I would like to hear what Travis has to say in response to the pics, they should pay for you to take the stove to a professional welder (shop)

Definitely downhand Elder. Wire too with tri-mix. Zero slag at the edges. On a poopy weld like that there would of been some left behind at the edges where it was fingernailed. If they didnt clean and prep before they started then they wouldnt of done it afterwards. No chipping marks anywhere either. Only garbage floaties on top. They just welded one garbage weld on top of another hoping something would end up in the right place. Second weld looks like the wire feed was slowed down and gas-mix up a little. In my opinion. :coolsmile:

 

[bbc557ci]

I'm not a welder by trade, but I've done quite a bit of welding/repairs to parts and implements for my tractor, boat trailer, and other things around my place. Not bragging, but I did better practice welds with my Lincoln stick welder than what that guy did to the stove. And when I finally treated myself to a mig, heck I thought all of a sudden I was a pro LOL (kidding of course)

Anyways, whoever welded that stove either didn't know what they were doing, didn't care, or takes absolutely no pride in his work product. Either way, whatever the case, he should be ashamed of himself.

 

[Elderthewelder]

Using 7018 uphand stick with the existing grinded out and preheated is the proper method.

But that's a wire-feed weld. You just turn it on and pull the trigger. Right? :coolsmirk:

I'm thinking that was stick welded just by the looks of it, just very poorly. IMO it will hold for awhile, but will eventually crack out again. I would be pissed if that was my stove. I would like to hear what Travis has to say in response to the pics, they should pay for you to take the stove to a professional welder (shop)

Definitely downhand Elder. Wire too with tri-mix. Zero slag at the edges. On a poopy weld like that there would of been some left behind at the edges where it was fingernailed. If they didnt clean and prep before they started then they wouldnt of done it afterwards. No chipping marks anywhere either. Only garbage floaties on top. They just welded one garbage weld on top of another hoping something would end up in the right place. Second weld looks like the wire feed was slowed down and gas-mix up a little. In my opinion. :coolsmile:

Yeah your right, good call on the lack of chipping marks. wow that is terrible for wire. BTW there is nothing wrong with running downhill hardwire on non structure/load bearing items as long as you prep it correctly, just adjust your speed, angle your nozzle upward ad push the puddle up as your welding,works just fine for say 3/16" and below metal thickness, especially on short runs like in that pic

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If the weld holds it's a good weld. If it doesn't, it's not.

I am going to use that line the next time QA gripes my weld at work and see how far it gets me

You've never seen a beautiful weld fail?

I have.

 

[Highbeam]

Highbeam, that picture is priceless. Put it in the scrapbook! I bet she never forgets that day.

That photo won a first prize and big ribbon at our county fair this year. The greatest moment is when my daughter saw her picture on that wall with a big ribbon. This isn't a one day deal though, she has an ongoing "art" project with my little scrap pieces. Whenever I need to weld something she is begging to weld on another addition. We use a lincoln buzz box with 7018 and lots-of-amps to keep her rod from sticking.

It almost sounds like Travis will cover the shipping cost next time your stove breaks.

 

[gpcollen1]

Not the most beautiful weld but it is only secondary air. I just used stove cement on mine and it has held for 2 yrs so far. I would be happy if I could get someone to weld mine up for me - even if it looked like that...