Woodpecker Quality and price???

[onevw]

I looks like to me Woodpecker Company has been impacted by the MBA's of the world today.
I have noticed the money grab mentality of this one time good company.
The new Woodpecker has chosen cheaper quality for more profit.

1. Lower quality materials in favor of profit

2. Now painted marks instead of ingraved

3. VeryVery low quality Anodizing

4. Marketing trickery to enhance sales with the one time tools thing

Exteam high pricing and lower quality with sales tricks

The tool design is just ok.

I do own some of their tools and they work OK but I will be buying less from them.

A few thinks I have noticed

NO Customer support

I have never had a email answered
I have never had the phone answered or a return call
Parts are not avalable Never

OK what do all of you think?

 

[PeterJJames13]

I looks like to me Woodpecker Company has been impacted by the MBA's of the world today.
I have noticed the money grab mentality of this one time good company.
The new Woodpecker has chosen cheaper quality for more profit.

1. Lower quality materials in favor of profit

2. Now painted marks instead of ingraved

3. VeryVery low quality Anodizing

4. Marketing trickery to enhance sales with the one time tools thing

Exteam high pricing and lower quality with sales tricks

The tool design is just ok.

I do own some of their tools and they work OK but I will be buying less from them.

A few thinks I have noticed

NO Customer support

I have never had a email answered
I have never had the phone answered or a return call
Parts are not avalable Never

OK what do all of you think?

I'll have to offer my disagreement on some of these points.

First, I've never emailed them, but they've always picked up the phone when I called them and have helped me out to satisfaction.

I think many their designs are intelligent (albeit with some overlap into other tools).

I would like to see them change their "One Time Tools" name to maybe a "Limited Run" Or "Sprint Run" given they often will offer the One Time Tools again. I'm actually very excited they brought back the Odd Job which I missed years back.

I can't speak to the quality or manufacturing (I'm not in that business), but everything they make seems to be of "good enough for me" quality.

Ultimately, their products will be far more accurate than I can ever be.

None of what I say is fact - just offering up my experiences, views, and opinions (and you know what people say about opinions).....

 

[Birdhunter]

My experience with Woodpecker as a company and with their products and their customer support has been superior in every respect. I have a bunch of their tools and I find them to be excellent and a good value.

I’m sorry the OP has not had the same level of satisfaction.

 

[Pompeio]

I will also disagree regarding their customer service. 

I missed out on their "one time" variable router jig.  I called them and they asked that I call again after all the orders had been filled.  I called about 6 weeks later and they said they had one of the jigs left over.  They shipped it the same day that I called.  That was excellent service. 

 

[RKA]

I have to disagree on several points.  First, I agree on the prices, but nobody is twisting your arm.  Some of the OTT tools I bought 6 years ago have increased 50%, yet other regularly stocked items have not increased nearly that much.  Would I buy them today?  No.  But clearly someone is.

The painted markers were always a bad idea, but the current generation of tools using laser engraved stainless is nice if that is an option.

The anodizing has always been second rate imho.  And don’t leave it out in the sun, it will look worse.  I wish it was better and I do grit my teeth when I get a new tool and see that it doesn’t look as nice as every other anodized tool I receive from elsewhere.  But at the end of the day, if the tool works, I can get over it.  I have bought a few tools elsewhere though, where the quality was better at the same price.

The marketing, yeah, not a fan.  But I’ve passed on many things because it’s not stocked inventory and I don’t want to buy until I need it.  Lee Valley often has some version of the same OTT in stock anyway, so that is the first place I look. 

Some of the functionality in the OTT is a little silly too, but there are 99 ways to skin a cat.  Some I find value in (others wouldn’t) and others I just don’t see a need.  I’m sure their sales numbers let them know what should come back around for another run.

As for parts, I’ve only had one occasion, the rails for their variable router jig.  I was assured when I bought this OTT that the rails would be available.  Sure enough som shortsightedness resulted in needing new rails and I had them in a week.  But this particular tool is probably the exception.  I agree that they should make parts available for these spendy tools, but I’m thankful I haven’t needed them.  Most every other option doesn’t make parts available, so ....

No issues with email or phone support here.  Always a response in one business day if not less.  Don’t know what to say, except try again?

 

[Dick Mahany]

I only own one Woodpecker tool.......the PRLV2 Router lift.  It has been great, well built and reliable.  I wanted to change the gearbox a few years back to use their (now discontinued) side winder style box.  I contacted customer service via phone, explained what I wanted to do,  and they sent me one free of charge a few days later.  I was blown away that Woodpeckers would do that and was totally impressed.

I will admit that I have been put off by the one time tool offerings and now typically look to Lee Valley/Veritas for high quality tools, but I have had only good experiences with Woodpecker.

 

[Cheese]

Well I’d have to disagree with every point you brought up except for the One Time Tool thing...that’s pretty hokey.

I’ve had great customer service, they answer my emails and return my phone calls. They do maintain an inventory of spares. They’ve replaced a couple of items for free that were over 4 years old.

A lot of their products are machined from Mic 6, cast aluminum tooling plate that is 10x the cost of 6061.

I’m happy with their products but I certainly don’t purchase every item they offer.

Remember the old axiom, buyer beware.

 

[onevw]

Great feedback many thanks.

I will say I came over from metal working side too wood working when retiring.

I know I have a problem dropping the high persision machining and hi quality tooling I worked in.

I guess i just expect more quaity and better support for the price they are charging

BUT made in the USA Is Very Very Nice

I went and looked and I own 8 woodpecker tools and use them every day but have moved over too Lee Valley for now.

 

[jacko9]

I've purchased several tools from Woodpecker over the years and haven't any complaints in quality, cost or customer service.

 

[Cheese]

I also came from the metal working side, as in machining parts for motorcycles, autos and firearms. It’s a completely different world being able to hold dimensions to the nearest .001” rather than the nearest 1/32”.  It was frustrating at first but 50 years later I’m still learning how to cope.  [big grin]

Actually I’ve noticed an overall quality improvement from Woodpeckers over the last 15 years. More of their tools are now offered in stainless. Their laser marking has really improved. Just this last year they offered a new anodization that doesn’t fade as quickly as the current version. They seem to be learning as they go and then applying that knowledge to their products/processes.

Talking with a couple of their engineers, every manufacturing step is done in-house except for the anodizing. I get that...that process is nasty.  [big grin]

 

[Birdhunter]

My Woodpecker tools always are used indoors so I’ve never seen any fading of the red coloring. Giver the choice, I’d prefer stainless steel over aluminum even with the price premium.

 

[Cheese]

My Woodpecker tools always are used indoors so I’ve never seen any fading of the red coloring. Giver the choice, I’d prefer stainless steel over aluminum even with the price premium.

FWIW...the red anodizing is generally the most prone to fading.  [sad]  Even inside a building, the red adonization will fade even if it’s exposed to indirect light. I found out the hard way.

I pitched a complaint to Woodpeckers, they acknowledged the issue and they delivered a new 48” rule, 4 years after I purchased it. What’s not to like about that program?

 

[Papalima]

My son dropped one of my Squares and dented a corner.  I emailed them and had it fixed/replaced within a few days.  I couldn't have asked for better customer service.
Like a few of the others, I end up not getting the OTT because of the long wait times.

 

[Claimdude]

Like Cheese and others here I have found Woodpecker to be responsive (I have had the occasion to email and phone them, most recently this past summer) and their tools to be top notch. I have not experienced any fading on any of my Woodpecker tools but they are stored in a drawer and when left out they are never near a window. I have a significant number of the OTTs.

Jack

 

[Cheese]

I have not experienced any fading on any of my Woodpecker tools but they are stored in a drawer and when left out they are never near a window.
Jack

That's a good move... [smile]

The 48" rule I referred to earlier, was actually underneath a Festool holey rail in the garage to prevent fading. Well, some sunlight got in and produced small gray dots equally spaced at 32 mm across the entire Woodpeckers rule.  [eek]

 

[PeterJJames13]

That's a good move... [smile]

The 48" rule I referred to earlier, was actually underneath a Festool holey rail in the garage to prevent fading. Well, some sunlight got in and produced small gray dots equally spaced at 32 mm across the entire Woodpeckers rule.  [eek]
[/quote]

I don't mean to laugh because they're expensive, but that's pretty funny lol.

 

[jeh]

If you do not like their products or the way they run their business then do not buy their products. No need to slander their operation.

 

[SilviaS7]

I just placed my first order with them, a preorder for the new edge rule.  The price seemed pretty reasonable for me to try out one of their tools to see what I think.  I want one of their squares but my god, the price on those... I'm very confused by certain woodworking tools being dirt cheap here and pricier than diamonds there.  But I'm new to woodworking so maybe as I get more experienced I will appreciate the reasons for the higher prices.

 

[Birdhunter]

I’m feeling a bit dense as I don’t understand what the issue is with the One Time Tool offering.

My guess is that their product guys come up with a tool idea, they estimate sales, tool up, make the tool, and go on to the next idea. If the product sells really well, they can make another production run.

The up front payment is a smart financial move for them. I have made very much larger up front payments for other products. As long as I get the product, I don’t care when I pay.

 

[semenza]

I’m feeling a bit dense as I don’t understand what the issue is with the One Time Tool offering.

My guess is that their product guys come up with a tool idea, they estimate sales, tool up, make the tool, and go on to the next idea. If the product sells really well, they can make another production run.

The up front payment is a smart financial move for them. I have made very much larger up front payments for other products. As long as I get the product, I don’t care when I pay.

  There are many "one time"  products that people would like see available all the time so they can buy when they actually need / want it rather than have to decide now or miss out. Maybe it gets another run maybe not.

  And of course the name itself suggests that it is a one shot deal, no future runs. Which may well have been the intent originally and now Woodpecker's probably does not want to change the name. Although I see no harm in changing the name. In any case apparently it works for Woodpecker's. And I suspect that we might not see any (or not very many) of the "one time" tools at all if they were not produced as limited runs due to possible production constraints.

Seth