Fisher Repair

[JamesFariello]

Hi all,

I called Keith Wills at East Texas Metal Detectors on a repair of my Fisher. I have several, a CZ20 and some smaller loaners for friends that come along and have no detector. I have had Keith work these and other metal detectors and I trust him and the repairs have always been good and reasonable. I sent a machine into him and the compression ring was bad on this one and he had fixed it in the past for under $50.00 with S/H. The last time it went out the part was $2.00. I saw the cost of the part now, $22.00 on the repair. I called Keith ready to chew some butt but I found out that Fisher has raised the parts price to Keith (the only authorized repair dealer for them) and he had to pass the cost on to me. Keith didn't want to talk about Fisher as he is a modest person but I forced him to tell me what was going on.

Keith said he got a call (no names in here) from a higher up with Fisher and the person basically informed Keith that Fisher was going to let him keep his Fisher Authorized dealer status but he was going to be required to purchase a metal detector every time he ordered parts to repair a Fisher. Keith also said that the person stated that he (Keith) was going to be charged a very high price for part(s) to discourage him from doing repairs on Fisher machines as the factory wants all of those repairs now. Keith said he believes he is the only independent repair dealer left for Fisher. I wounder why he is the only one left with a company like Fisher that treats a loyal friend like Keith like that. I know when Fisher was purchased a while back that Keith helped them get things setup as Keith is one hell of a repairman and knew all of the Fisher ins and outs for parts and repair. Well this is one hell of a thank you for being a good friend and dealer for them.

I now want NOTHING to do with Fisher and if I am forced to send my machines to the factory at over priced parts and service. I will put the machines up on eBay and write FISHER off as a lost cause if this type of business ethics is normal for them. If Fisher doesn't get its act together, folks like us will go to a company that respects us and the dealers you have a relationship with.

PS, Keith also was told that he was not a valued person anymore. God if this idiot that talked to Keith told me that I would tell him to kiss my rear end. Keith will try to keep fixing the machines but you folks are at the mercy of Fisher and you might get charged a 1000% increase on small parts. I want an independent repairman to work on my machine and Keith is one of the best and has been in business you years. Keith, keep up the good work and I am glade I didn't need to chew on you butt. Thanks for the information, James

 

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[nova]

I two am not happy with fisher.

 

[space_weaseal]

After the Gold Bug SE that i just got and just sent back to fisher, (THE SAME DAY) i doubt i will get another new Fisher.
It is the worst QC i have ever seen on a new detector.
The cz3d, f70, coin$strike were perfect and i love the T2 and Omega that are made by their sister company but i am just shocked about the GB SE.......

 

[seeker41]

"Keith said he got a call (no names in here) from a higher up with Fisher and the person basically informed Keith that Fisher was going to let him keep his Fisher Authorized dealer status but he was going to be required to purchase a metal detector every time he ordered parts to repair a Fisher"

i dont believe that for a second!!!! i think this and the rest of your post is pure fiction!!!!!!!!!

 

[slowNsteady]

Hi,
This is just crazy! Honestly it's not surprising however. When a company is small, they have to have a good product with even better customer service. As that company grows, greed takes over and everything else is out the window. I have been a fisher fan for a long time, but since they were bought out and the lifetime warranty was taken away it's all gone down hill. If FT doesn't change their tactics, I personally feel that Fisher will not be around much longer. Many people are happy with them, but I feel that many more are not. Personally, my next machine is going to be a Tesoro. They have an issue with the water machines right now, but I feel I can trust them to take care of me if there is ever a problem. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Lowbatts]

Wouldn't let FT service change my batteries. BTW, just picked up an old CZ-5 because I want to find old, deep coins again.

 

[Streak!]

I guess I have been one of the lucky ones. My first F75 (purchased right after release) is still going strong, and my LTD, F70 AND F5 are all working very very well. I DID have to send the F5 back once for a small issue, but it was resolved with a minimum of pain.
Ones of the curses of the internet, is that when one machine fails, its all over the news, but you never hear about the hundreds ( or thousands) that work just fine. I CAN understand the frustration of those that had/ have problems, that were not resolved correctly the first time, but that does not mean they are ALL junk. EVERY manufacturer has problems with new releases, and can assume they will have a certain percentage of returns on release of that product. God knows Minelab has had their share of problems. Same with Garrett with the Infinium, and Whites with the TDI and V3. When you make and sell a gazillion machines (FT sells more machines than all the rest combined), it stands to reason that a few will have problems, and a few will fall through the cracks. I see a lot of guys pounding FT because they dont do things like Old Fisher did. Old Fisher went belly up because of the way they did things............and if it werent for FT........Fisher would be no more. Thats a fact.
While like every other manufacturer on the planet, FT may not be perfect, but I'll STILL use their machines over any others....for a very simple reason. They perform.
I kinda get tired of guys pounding FT because of the association with those nasty old Bounty hunters too. The NEW bountyhunters (under FT) are a FAR cry from the bountyhunters of old. FT has a buisness model not unlike many many other entitys out there. They make high end machines, middle of the road machines and entry level machines. Not every one out there can afford a top of the line machine..and there are many many many (did a say MANY!) happy and sucessful Bounty hunter owners! A LOT of guys I know cut their teeth on a Radio Shack or Walmart special, and then moved up when they had the experience and $$. Does everyone on the planet drive a BMW? Nope!
I really feel sorry for Felix at FT. I really do. Can you imagine spending all day EVERY day listening to problems, and then having everyone expect EVERYTHING you do to be perfect...........EVERY time! It an unrealistic expectation to say the least. Can ONE guy/gal HERE say they have spent their professional lives without ever having made a mistake, forgotten something, or simply screwed up? Remember..the folks at FT are just people.......JUST like you. They are fallible. Just like you.
While the folks at FT may not be perfect......................I'll still be spending MY money there. For me..the performance of the product is worth it.............................................. Streak!
(Ok bash away!)

 

[kaptainkosmic]

I really feel sorry for Felix at FT. I really do. Can you imagine spending all day EVERY day listening to problems, and then having everyone expect EVERYTHING you do to be perfect...........EVERY time! It an unrealistic expectation to say the least. Can ONE guy/gal HERE say they have spent their professional lives without ever having made a mistake, forgotten something, or simply screwed up? Remember..the folks at FT are just people.......JUST like you. They are fallible. Just like you.
While the folks at FT may not be perfect......................I'll still be spending MY money there. For me..the performance of the product is worth it.............................................. Streak!
(Ok bash away!)

no questions on the performance, i really like the detector, and i'll give you everybody makes mistakes, i know i do.

spend my money to correct their mistakes, whoa buddy!

sent my cz-20 last fall (lifetime warranty) told them my local detector dealer (30 yrs exp.) thought it was a coil problem, they changed to a cz-21 but left old coil. put a couple of coins under coil when it was returned it functioned removed batteries, put in storage. got it out the first week of june installed batteries, nothing, changed battery pack, nothing, tried both battery packs in back up cz-20 they worked. called and spoke with felix and told him i had not used the machine. was given return # and was called a couple of weeks later & told it was repaired and that i owed them $25. i again explained that the detector had not been used, reply was what would i do. (i would keep my customer happy) i told him i wanted my detector and that if they were going to hold it hostage i would pay the $25. i did and they returned the detector, guess what it was the COIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so they probably didn't have to change the box to a 21 (although its corporate policy) and they wouldn't have me saying their service sucks if they had simply said you know what we made a mistake, and corrected it.

the repair was not adequate, i know some months went by, the detector was not used and didn't work, therefore the repair was defective.
unless of course setting in a dry warm cabinet without batteries in it wears them out.

so $15 shipping fee
$25 fee for defective repair
$15 shipping fee
$25 fee for repair
$80 total

so no matter how good the machines are if i can't rely on their service, i can't give them my money!

steve :-)

 

[Streak!]

I really feel sorry for Felix at FT. I really do. Can you imagine spending all day EVERY day listening to problems, and then having everyone expect EVERYTHING you do to be perfect...........EVERY time! It an unrealistic expectation to say the least. Can ONE guy/gal HERE say they have spent their professional lives without ever having made a mistake, forgotten something, or simply screwed up? Remember..the folks at FT are just people.......JUST like you. They are fallible. Just like you.
While the folks at FT may not be perfect......................I'll still be spending MY money there. For me..the performance of the product is worth it.............................................. Streak!
(Ok bash away!)

no questions on the performance, i really like the detector, and i'll give you everybody makes mistakes, i know i do.

spend my money to correct their mistakes, whoa buddy!

sent my cz-20 last fall (lifetime warranty) told them my local detector dealer (30 yrs exp.) thought it was a coil problem, they changed to a cz-21 but left old coil. put a couple of coins under coil when it was returned it functioned removed batteries, put in storage. got it out the first week of june installed batteries, nothing, changed battery pack, nothing, tried both battery packs in back up cz-20 they worked. called and spoke with felix and told him i had not used the machine. was given return # and was called a couple of weeks later & told it was repaired and that i owed them $25. i again explained that the detector had not been used, reply was what would i do. (i would keep my customer happy) i told him i wanted my detector and that if they were going to hold it hostage i would pay the $25. i did and they returned the detector, guess what it was the COIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so they probably didn't have to change the box to a 21 (although its corporate policy) and they wouldn't have me saying their service sucks if they had simply said you know what we made a mistake, and corrected it.

the repair was not adequate, i know some months went by, the detector was not used and didn't work, therefore the repair was defective.
unless of course setting in a dry warm cabinet without batteries in it wears them out.

so $15 shipping fee
$25 fee for defective repair
$15 shipping fee
$25 fee for repair
$80 total

so no matter how good the machines are if i can't rely on their service, i can't give them my money!

steve :-)

I wouldnt say you cant rely on their service. You DID have major problems, and were right to be upset about it, but your case was almost certainly the exception, not the rule. FT repairs a HECK of a lot of machines, and as I said before.............you only hear about the bad deals......................not so much the good ones. I'm sorry you had problems, and I'd likely be JUST as upset as you were.......but ya cant really base things on ONE deal. Truth is.............I think the major repairs (and costliest ones) ARE on the older Fishers, (analog...and a lot more work to tune) so it stands to reason that the bulk of the screwups/mistakes will be on those machines. Its just possible that the coil worked fine when they tested it (you yourself said it worked fine when you got it back the frst time) , so they just did the standard repairs/upgrades. Coil problems are sometimes hard to nail down....as they are subject to a lot of variables. BTW...it is standard procedure to make the CZ20 to CZ21 conversion now. I think it standardizes things for them.
Anyway, I assume you finally got it repaired and it works ok now?
Again, sorry you had problems, but I still think its not a valid reason to kick Ft to the curb. Until they come out with something better, problems with service or not, you'll get my FT machines when you pry em out of my cold dead hands. Guess we will have to agree to disagree! (is this great country or not?) Streak!

 

[NGE]

I heard that the reason they are being converted to CZ-21's is because the original CZ-20's were the ones that Fisher infringed on Minelab's multi-freq. patent. That is why Fisher got the pants sued off of them..........NGE

 

[gmanlight]

CZ 20 and CZ 21 both run multi freq 5 and 15kHz the differents
is the upgraded PP button.
My CZ 70 and other CZs all-so run the same milti frequency's

 

[Lowbatts]

I heard that the reason they are being converted to CZ-21's is because the original CZ-20's were the ones that Fisher infringed on Minelab's multi-freq. patent. That is why Fisher got the pants sued off of them..........NGE

No, they are converted because they no longer have the original interface boards/front panel assembly from the CZ-20 runs.

Unfortunately as I found out, if not warrantied this is a $500+ charge. That and when you get it back, you discover the FT people do not know what torque settings are. That's why mine now rattles. Fool me once, I'm gone.

Streak, hope you're not getting paid to promote FT!
"FT repairs a HECK of a lot of machines, and as I said before........."

 

[Streak!]

I heard that the reason they are being converted to CZ-21's is because the original CZ-20's were the ones that Fisher infringed on Minelab's multi-freq. patent. That is why Fisher got the pants sued off of them..........NGE

No, they are converted because they no longer have the original interface boards/front panel assembly from the CZ-20 runs.

Unfortunately as I found out, if not warrantied this is a $500+ charge. That and when you get it back, you discover the FT people do not know what torque settings are. That's why mine now rattles. Fool me once, I'm gone.

Streak, hope you're not getting paid to promote FT!
"FT repairs a HECK of a lot of machines, and as I said before........."

nope. not one red cent! Still, my experience with Ft has been a bit different than yours. If my Cz had come back with a "rattle" it would have gone back ASAP, and THEY would have paid the shipping both ways. (and I would have been on their ass to get it done quick!)
My Cz 20 was "upgraded" too, but fortunately without the problems that you have had. (works perfect). Ive had problems with pretty much every manufacturer with repairs over the years...............so it ( the occasional bad repair) isnt anything FT has a corner on.
I've had it happen with Tesoro, Whites, Shadows AND Garrett. Heck.....if I based what I bought on the occasional problem with manufacturers..............................there wouldnt be anyone left to buy from! I've never owned really a minelab..with the exception of a short stint with a Musketeer and Excal. Both were sold pretty quickly, so my experience with Minelab is very very small. Point of all this is.......if there is a problem..........get the right people on the phone.....and get it dealt with. I use Fishers because they WORK for me. (and very well I might add). The only exception to this is when I'm hunting Red Va soil..........and then I use a Groundbalancing pulse. Fisher does not have a machine for THAT............so I use Whites and Garrett. For HERE though....Fisher is the pinnacle of performance. Streak!

 

[gleaner1]

I had an original cz-20 (1993) and after 15 years, 300+ silver, 200+ 1800's coppers, it died. Sent back to factory, too expensive to fix. Service was horrible. I junked it. I fell into a deep depression. Being a fisher guy I felt violated.

The only thing that cured me was to buy my buddy's 1999 cz-20. All is good now.

 

[metalmolly]

I guess I'm in the minority here too.

I got great repair service from Fisher, and Felix was very helpful.

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Hi
My fisher CZ-6a went haywire and sent it to Fisher Repair Labs (First Texas).
From N.Y. to Texas hole thing took 2 weeks they replaced the coil and the coil connector on the box
Retuned and shipped 155.00 Felix and First Texas did a fine job for me.
I think all the neg.talk on all the net has made them think.....about better CS
thanks Gary G.A.P.metal

 

[ToadWhisperer]

"Keith said he got a call (no names in here) from a higher up with Fisher and the person basically informed Keith that Fisher was going to let him keep his Fisher Authorized dealer status but he was going to be required to purchase a metal detector every time he ordered parts to repair a Fisher"

i dont believe that for a second!!!! i think this and the rest of your post is pure fiction!!!!!!!!!

Seeker, I gave East Texas Metal Detectors a call to about a repair and was told that Fisher told him that now that they know how to repair their own detectors they didn't wan't him doing it anymore. Also, that if he wanted to buy parts he'd have to order a new detector every time he ordered parts. He also said he would not be working on Fisher water machines at all anymore, except 1280-X's because "it's not worth the headaches from Fisher".
Granted, this is just one side of the story but it seems obvious that something happened.