Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted H3D Tool ( the NC shop ) corp on May 23rd 2023 informing them that the head does not perform as I was told it would.
  The planer head is 24 inches wide. One half of the head ( 12" ) cuts as expected and how I was told it would. The other half ( 12" ) leaves lines and a wash board pattern. I contacted them by phone and email. After trying to get this resolved for a month they sent out new inserts or cutters to try. The side of the head I was having problems with had tight screw holes, thinking that was part of the problem. So I re tapped all the holes, at my loss of 4 hours and 2 taps. Problem is still there.
  June 29th 2023 a salesman came to my house to look at the head and had me remove it and he took it to the H3D Tool corp main office in Newcomerstown OH. Over a month later, many calls most unanswered and no return calls, many emails the owner ***** **** and ***** shop boss called. I presented my case for a full refund. ***** stated if I was a large customer he could refund my money $4012.68 dollars but seeing I was not a large customer he could not justify it. ***** also said the head was in spec to which I said I could give him samples of his product to take to trade shows but no one would buy his heads after seeing them. ***** and ***** asked for another week to look at it again (They have had it over a month already) the week is up but no call or email from them, I reached out by email. I told them I do not want anther head made, I have been waiting to long now with a planer I can not use. It appears they just hope all will be forgotten. None of the wood workers I have spoken to in person, over the phone or online would accept this head.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/07/2023

  This individual ordered a custom "planning" head that utilizes approx. 400 carbide inserts that spans over 24" of cutting length. This head is special in the fact that is is machined on a 7 axis machine and produces a tool with a true helical pattern. The advantage of this head is that it cuts very quiet, eliminates wood tearing, and minimizes lines in the material.  The purpose of this head is to plane or mill thick material into thinner material. 

  The head that we produced is a beautiful head and produces a beautiful finish. We have been producing cutting tools for nearly 60 years.. This type of head machines the material and then the material is fed through a wide belt sander for finishing in virtually every wood shop or company in the United States. This customer told our sales representative and myself that he doesn't want to sand his material after "rough planning"  This individual seems to want to skip this step and say our head is supposed to be "line free" when we sell it as "minimizing lines" not "line free". 

  Every machine and every tool has to have a "tolerance"  The insert that we use has a .001 tolerance. Our machining center has a machining tolerance of .001.. The milling tools we use have a tolerance from the manufacturer.  The customers operating planning machine has a tolerance.  The customer himself told us that he only measured a .0015 line in his material..  With all of the tolerances that we are allowed and his equipment has in it a .004-005 line would be acceptable.. He wants a refund on a custom head that was built for his machine and can't be resold to anyone else and is well within industry standards.

  This tool can not be sold to anyone else as his machine is unique..  We will NOT be giving him a refund as he ordered and received exactly what he paid for.  A "in specification " cutting tool that performs as advertised .  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/07/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  LIE # 1 400 cutters? Less than 200 cutters on this head. Lie #2  Beautiful finish? One side or half gives a good finish. The other half the threaded holes from their 7 axis machine needed re-tapped and leaves a wash board pattern on the board.Lie #3 In business for 60 years? They have been making these for less than a year.Lie #4 I do not want to sand? I said i do not want to run all boards through a wide belt, just sand some by hand. Which I could do on the good half. One half good and one half bad makes me know it is not made right.Lie #5 .0015? Some of the ridge highs are .0015 but some measure .002 and that is with a feeler gauge 3/8" wide and a straight edge so more than that.Lie #6 .004-.005 acceptable? No wood worker buying a premium head would accept that or mine. It is not a line but a taper to a ridge then the pattern starts again every 13/16 of an inch.Lie #7 Can not be resold? I have at least 6 prints that this head could make by turning down the shaft and bearing location. Why would you want to resell something that is not right.

  I was told what finish to expect before I bought from the H3D sales people and by the ********  machine company. I was told by ***** they would make me happy, is what he should have said was we will ignore you till you forget and go away. They tried to drop off the head unannounced with out changing, repairing or making it right.  I was told if I was a large customer of theirs they would refund my money, but could not make it back with me. I spent extra to buy from them thinking theirs was the best, how wrong I was. 

  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  *** ******