Renzetti vises

[whatfly]

Does ANY manufacturer cover wear & tear? More importantly should they be expected to?

...only thing I expect to wear out is the O-ring...

No offense taken, and I agree that expectations are too high with warranties. But I'd like to point you that you yourself then you say that all you expect wear out is the o-ring.

So which one is it? Do you expect Renzetti to replace wear and tear or not? Let's say the screw on the vise head snapped in half while tying a trout fly. Is that entropy or manufacturer defect? Or the jaws chipped? Or the shaft seized? These are all problems folks have reported with the Traveler, some of which I've experienced myself. These are not lost parts, this is wear and tear.

You're right, expectations are high, unrealistically so. But the Renzetti is designed, the Traveller anyway, such that parts will fail. There's a reason why spare parts for Renzetti's are so readily available. I've tied on a Traveller for the last 8 years and it is still one of favorite vises, but it is also the last Renzetti I'm going to buy.

[Bamboozle]

No offense taken, and I agree that expectations are too high with warranties. But I'd like to point you that you yourself then you say that all you expect wear out is the o-ring.

So which one is it? Do you expect Renzetti to replace wear and tear or not? Let's say the screw on the vise head snapped in half while tying a trout fly. Is that entropy or manufacturer defect? Or the jaws chipped? Or the shaft seized? These are all problems folks have reported with the Traveler, some of which I've experienced myself. These are not lost parts, this is wear and tear.

Whatfly:

Well maybe we have different ideas of what constitutes normal wear and tear versus manufacturing defects. O-rings will deteriorate just from lying around for awhile so when they crack or break; I chalk that up to wear & tear or just plain old age. Metal screws snapping under normal use ISN'T wear & tear in my book; that sounds like a defect although if it happened to me a few years after purchase I wouldn't complain. Jaws chipping is a problem I'd have a tough time accepting as wear & tear although putting in too big a hook, too close to the edge has chipped many a vise out there and they're not all branded Renzetti. Vise shaft seizure I might chalk up to lack of maintenance. I keep mine clean and lubricated and never had a problem.

Metal items are something most of us don't expect to fail under normal use so when I think of wear & tear under normal use on a Traveler; I think more about those nylon bushings or nylon set screws; all which will wear out in time under normal use. It's all about reasonable expectations. Speaking of rubber O-rings; my Bridgestone Potenza tires aren't covered against wear & tear and one of them cost more than a Traveler. Why should fly fishing manufacturers be expected to follow a different standard?

I don't expect ANY manufacturer to cover wear & tear.

What drives me bonkers is when guys wear out products USING them and then want the manufacturer to replace them under warranty. Or they buy something and never do any of the recommended maintenance and it fails and they seek remedy from the manufacturer. Heck I've heard of people returning 5 year old zingers and 3 year old wading shoes when they wear out from hard use. That's just plain unfair to the manufacturer IMHO and we all pay for those folks unreasonableness in the form of higher product costs.

I have had great luck with just about every product I own when it comes to defects. The manufacturers I've dealt with have accepted their responsibility when products failed due to defect; maybe because I presented my case clearly and without anger or maybe because they knew it was the right thing to do. As we speak I have a rod that snapped in half while casting on it's way back to me with no silly "handing charge"; and a week ago I got a free 14" no-stick frying pan from another company when mine failed.

I guess I have started to come around to Hardy's way of thinking when it comes to warranties. They unconditionally warranty reels for only one year after date of purchase with the belief that any manufacturing defect will show up within the first year of use. While I'm sure there are exceptions to this theory; it's a reasonable expectation to me and one I don't have a problem with.

Maybe the rest of manufacturers should follow suit or come up with an auto industry model like:

Your (insert you favorite vise brand here) fly tying vise is guaranteed to be free of manufacturing defects for a period of one year or 1000 flies.

All manufacturers screw up at times but unfortunately the Internet has become a place for people to vent before they even seek resolution. That often leads to low expectations of service from products or manufacturers, many which that are totally unfounded. Companies that continue to get my support are the ones who know when it's their fault and step up to the plate. My experience with Renzetti customer service has been excellent so they got me for life whether they want me or not.

I'm sorry your experiences haven't been similar but that's why we have choices!

Sorry for the hijack Ray! Enjoy your new vise!

[whatfly]

Bamboozle:

All valid points and I hope your Renzetti never fails on you. With light use, I imagine they last quite a while. However, when it does fail, I hope you are as generous in spirit when you are asked to pay $15 for a simple screw.

This is exactly why I recommended to Ray that he buy the parts kit now. Entropy catches up with everything eventually. Better to be prepared than to be without a vise at the wrong time.

[John Rhoades]

Bamboozle:

All valid points and I hope your Renzetti never fails on you. With light use, I imagine they last quite a while. However, when it does fail, I hope you are as generous in spirit when you are asked to pay $15 for a simple screw.

This is exactly why I recommended to Ray that he buy the parts kit now. Entropy catches up with everything eventually. Better to be prepared than to be without a vise at the wrong time.

I've probably had my Renzetti Master for about 10 years, and while I don't tie an extraordinarily large number of flies (maybe 20-30 dozen a year) I have yet to have a single failure with it.

John

[Ray Kunz]

Could WHATFLY please detail his failure events for us? Thanks.

[Crash13]

I've been tying with a the renzetti traveler for about 6 years. Love it, price was do-able. Looks cool. I only wish the base was a lot heavier. I tie everything from striper flies to midges.

Good luck,

Gary

[J Castwell]

Yo boozle,,,(a week ago I got a free 14" no-stick frying pan from another company when mine failed)

I have been told, never use Pam, or other type stuff on a no-stick pan,,, it will make them stick. Really.

[Normand]

i have been tying on one of the earliest renzetti travelers made (1980's) and have never broken a screw or had an o-ring pop. there's a little oxidation on the jaws but i wouldn't expect renzetti to replace them because of that.

i would never resort to going back to renzetti to buy a $15 screw when a short trip to the local hardware store will get me the same thing only stronger and o-rings are cheaper there too.

[caddis16]

I broke an o-ring a few years back. Guy at the shop gave me a new one. Old screw type traveler here. Rapidly approaching 20 years of flawless service.

[Bamboozle]

Yo boozle,,,(a week ago I got a free 14" no-stick frying pan from another company when mine failed)

I have been told, never use Pam, or other type stuff on a no-stick pan,,, it will make them stick. Really.

JC:

On this one the non-stick coating was bubbling & peeling; not something I ever experienced on any non-stick pan I own.