Excellent Customer Service: Meister DRO

[Jarh73]

I was in Singapore recently and thought I'd visit one of the eBay sellers that sells DRO units.

So I met the owner Kerwin Ang and discussed my needs for putting a DRO on my mill.

Ended up with a 4 axis DRO: X, Y, Z and Quill.

Absolutely fantastic service and very knowledgeable.

Website below, but you can find him on eBay as well.

theDROstore Home Page (http://www.meisterdro.com/servlet/StoreFront)

Looking forward to installing all the gear on my mill.

Cheers

Justin

[Dave J]

Hi Justin,
Of all places I came across this post in a Google search for Meister, I must have missed it some how.
I have had good results any time I have ever contacted him or needed to ask a question about scale wiring to hook up other scales to the Meister DRO.

Thats a nice readout you bought, they came out after I bought my 2 from him 5-6 years ago or I would have bought that one myself. I would prefer a 4 axis as I have 4 scales on my mill but swap them over. I could make a switch and will when I get around to it.
The one thing that surprised me with that set is it has no ability to combine the knee and quill like a lathe DRO does the cross slide and the compound. The quill readout is a stand alone feature.

Have you seen Steve's Magna 4 installation?
Steve Bedair's Grizzly G6760 Mill (http://bedair.org/Mill/6760mill4.html)

My Meister XPOS3 is down at the moment as it needs a new circuit board, I am just getting around to doing it now. I had a spare mill DRO here so I am just using that for the time being on the lathe.
I was not real happy as this went down a year ago so thats only 4-5 year old when I paid $920 for it from memory (the dollar was around 67 cents at the time) but he has been helpful so far. I will post the outcome over the coming weeks.

Have you installed it yet? Looking forward to seeing pictures of your install.

Dave

[Jarh73]

Finally installed over Easter! (I should say completed as I started it last year)

I have installed scales on the X, Y, & Z/Quill axis but not the 4th axis on the head/column.

It all seems to be working perfectly I'm just super keen to start a new project so I can test out the accuracy.

Its been quite a big job actually lots of measuring, marking, drilling and tapping for mounting points on the actual mill.

Only job to do now is to sort out the cables from the scales just need to neaten them up a bit.

I will get some pictures up too.

Cheers

Justin

[Dave J]

Hi Justin, we all like pictures :D
Good to hear you got it all sorted and fitted. Having a DRO on machines makes them a lot more user friendly.
When I bought mine they where just starting out on ebay and never supplied any hardware like reader head mounting brackets like others do, has that changed?

With Meister I used to put there names up on all the forums and promote them.
After this recent trouble above I am disgusted in them and will never buy from them again.

I contacted him last year and he said he could send me a new circuit board for $125 posted and I would pay the return of mine. It was on the high side but still reasonable.

I had some things going on in my life over the last 9 months or so and contacted him a few months back about it.
After waiting a week he replied they had a new circuit board design so I would have to buy the board and front and use my original back, the price $390 posted, holly cow.

I nearly fell over seeing this price and after doing some looking and asking around I can get a brand new 3 axis lathe (or other) readout for $150 posted from china. They also have the identical unit to yours for $300 posted as I asked about it.
How can Meister be asking these sort of prices for 1/2 to 3/4 of a DRO read out when they sell a 3 axis complete unit for around $550.
I questioned him about it and a few other things, but to this day he has never replied to my email.

They have lost a customer and any promotion in the future from me.
Dave

[Jarh73]

Don't know what to say mate!

Its all a bit disconcerting!

Pity I couldn't have helped you out when I was in Singapore last year. Nothing beats face to face.

I feel a little discombobulated now :(

Cheers

Justin

[Dave J]

Hi Justin, don't worry about mate it's just one of those things. Like I said earlier I promoted them on all the forums when a question was asked about DRO's just like I did here.

It's funny because over the years I have asked a question here and there about using other scales with the Meister and he replied back strait away with the info and wiring diagrams, and when I bought them he did as well.

I bought a digital angle gauge off him a few years back and no problems there either.

I am really not sure whats going on myself.
Dave

[rodm]

Dave/Justin

I have had a similar experience recenty. I wanted to upgrade my 2 axis to a three axis on my mill. Their suggestion was to buy a 3 axis readout and a single scale. I did this without comparing prices (my fault) and what eventuated was that I could have brought a 3 axis kit for what I paid for the readout and one scale.

Later I queried them after seeing the price of the 3 axis kits and I was told there is discount in the scales for the kits. My fault for not checking and my excuse is that I trusted them to do the right thing.

Very polite when dealing with them but I will not be going back and that is the price they paid on this deal. :wink: