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Now That’s Service

PaulC | Posted in Tools for Home Building on March 29, 2009 05:20am

The remote control for my Stabila rotary laser stopped working.

So I phoned a dealer, and they said $180 to replace it. Yikes!

After a few more calls, I got in touch with the warehouse/ service center directly. The guy there said send the whole kit in and he’d look at it. So I took it to the post office on Tuesday afternoon.

On Friday, my wife called “There’s a big box here. Have you been spending more money on tools?”

They had checked it over, calibrated it, replaced the remote, and express shipped it back to me no charge.

Thank you Stabila!

Amateurs talk strategy, Generals talk logistics.

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  1. User avater
    Ted W. | Mar 29, 2009 12:16pm | #1

    I've heard a lot about Stabilla's excellent customer service. That thar is one goooood company.

    ~ Ted W ~

    Tool Auctions - MyToolbox.net
    See my work - TedsCarpentry.com

  2. AitchKay | Mar 30, 2009 12:58am | #2

    That's great!

    But 5/16" @ 100' isn't. I ended up with a RoboToolz, less than 1/8" @ 120' last time I calibrated.

    Don't know how their service is, though.

    AitchKay

    1. FingerJoint | Mar 30, 2009 02:38am | #4

      I think mine might need a little adjustment at this point.  Would be good to at least verify it's working as it's supposed to.  What do you use as a reference to get that kind of accuracy? 

      1. AitchKay | Mar 30, 2009 03:29am | #6

        The last time I calibrated, I shot from a slab beside a customer's house, over their back lot-line fence, and across a driveway to a school building wall.Around dusk, when I could see the line clearly, I hopped the fence and made a mark on the wall. Then I went back, picked up the laser, turned it 180º, and shot the line again. My new line was only a fat 1/16" away from the first.If my second line was 1/8" from my first, that would mean the laser was 1/16" out over that 120'-- 1/16" high on the first shot, plus 1/16" low on the second equals 1/8". But since we don't flip our lasers around while we work, all of the lines we shoot should be within that 1/16" over 120' range.I didn't bother to mark the laser to indicate which side shoots 1/16" high, and which reads 1/16" low -- I'm just a carpenter, not a NASA guy.AitchKayPS I just noticed that I wrote 90º when I meant 180º, so I've corrected the above.

        Edited 3/29/2009 9:00 pm ET by AitchKay

        1. FingerJoint | Mar 30, 2009 05:49pm | #8

          Thanks.  I'll give that a try.  I don't know why I never thought of doing that.  Of course, I didn't really read the instructions too well either. 

    2. PaulC | Mar 30, 2009 02:56am | #5

      Stabila and Robotoolz both claim the same, +/- 1/8 at 100'.Amateurs talk strategy, Generals talk logistics.

      1. AitchKay | Mar 30, 2009 03:57am | #7

        Good to know. A few years back, when I was looking into it, Stabila was advertising 5/16" over 100'. That seemed crazy, since you never quite live up to what your level says.With a level that's within a tight 1/8" over 100', it should be a breeze to bring your work in within 1/4" if you are half trying.AitchKay

  3. Scott | Mar 30, 2009 02:30am | #3

    Nice to know; and it's a nice change from the usual whining we all hear (even though a good portion of the whining is well-deserved).

    Scott.

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