UPS Shipping and Grizzly Tools

[Jerry Booher]

I just received a Grizzly G0555 14" Bandsaw, a G0490X 8" Jointer and G1021X2 15" Planer. I am excited. However, I could not believe the condition of the tools sent Monday. The 1500# in 4 boxes were too heavy for the driver. The pallet jack would not go under the jointer bed so he rammed the hand truck under one end to pry it up. He missed and separated the bottom of the coffin-like plywood box. After working around and separating the bottom with his misses, he finally raised it and slid the pallet jack under. The bottom was completely separated and drooping.





Same problem with the planer. He wheeled the 700# box into my garage (shop), but could not slide the pallet jack out from under it. With the hand truck tilting it up and, OH NO, CRASH, the "Extremely Fragile Do not drop" box hit the concrete floor.

I was horrified and could imagine spending hours on the phone with Grizzly tech support to request parts and help with alignment. Although I felt uncomfortable doing so, I refused the shipment.

At my request Grizzly put the new boxes on a pallet and reinforced the jointer bed box and the planer box. Looks OK except for a big hole near the top of the planer box.


Jerry

[Steve Clardy]

Wheeeeww.


Looks like the crates needed thicker blocking underneath for clearance.

Looks like the driver needs a good bop on the head.

[Jerry Booher]

I agree on both counts. I tried to describe the inadequate clearance to Grizzly and asked for the 4 boxes to be put on pallets so the pallet jack would slide under them. The new shipment had the 2 cardboard boxes on a single pallet. Good.

The jointer bed and the planer had 1x4 stapled on all the edges but no additional clearance. Same problem, but this driver was more careful.

Jerry

[Dave Lehnert]

I work in retail and on the dock. It is very obvious that company's use a forklift to load product on trucks. Forks are much thinner than a pallet jack. They need to take into account the person unloading the truck or the customer may need to get a jack under it.

[glenn bradley]

Wow. What did the inside of his truck/trailer look like? Not that FedEx can't do just as much damage depending on the guys doing the moving but my G0490X arrived in great shape. Granted it only had to get down the left coast from WA to SoCal.

The blocks were inadequate to allow a pallet jack under. A 2x4 and a small block of wood provided all the leverage necessary to lift the coffin to clear the pallet jack. No problem. Hope th machines are OK. If there is any damage, just call. A dinged switch-box was replaced within a few days with follow up emails and phone calls to assure it arrived and was correct ;-)

[Lance Norris]

Every piece of large machinery I have ordered, from Grizzly, Jet, and Delta, I have picked up at the freight depot. It doesnt help in your situation, but it allowed me to control the loading and unloading at my end.

[Gregory Stahl]

That driver obviously doesn't want to be employeed much longer! He needs to find a job where he doesn't have to do residential delivery. Can't blame Grizzly for this, the machines made it all the way to your house before this driver had at it. Since you paid the shipper extra for residential delivery, they should be obligated to find a way to unload the shipment without damaging it. If not, then they should not do residential service.

I have four machines from Grizzly, and all arrived in excellent condition! They were shipped via UPS Freight, and the driver was very careful unloading them with my help.

My last shipment was a slot mortiser from Laguna. It came via a smaller shipper, but they had a small low profile pallet jack to unload it! This worked out great because mine was too large for the pallet.

What a let down--watching your machines being destroyed by the driver unloading them. You made the right call, I would have refused delivery too. In addition, I would have called the terminal and complained about their service too.

[Peter Quadarella]

I ordered a bandsaw from Grizzly. I have to admit, the wooden "crate" was pretty flimsy. However, in my case the driver was a real professional. He performed some maneuvers that were truly impressive and got the machine to my spot in my garage safely.

The bandsaw itself is great though.

[Don Bullock]

Wow! I feel even more fortunate that that the FedEx Freight driver who delivered my G0490 knew what he was doing. My experience was far better than yours. I hope it all works out for you. From what I've read in many posts, Grizzly fixes any and all problems caused in shipping.

[John Keeton]

There have been many posts on the quality of the imported plywood available now at the borgs, but when you uncrate one of the Grizzly tools you REALLY get an idea of how bad Chinese plywood can get!!! I mean, that stuff is JUNK!!

My tools have all arrived in much better shape than yours. But without exception, they all had some issues with weak crating. I know they need to hold down cost, but the cheap plywood will not withstand much stress. It separates, permits rack in the crate, and will certainly not withstand a pounding with a pallet jack!

When one of my tools arrived, a handle was protruding thru the plywood - no damage to the tool, but if a round plastic knob can shove thru that stuff, a pallet jack can wreak havoc!

My guess is that Grizzly will make it right. They have been great in all my dealings with them - just wish they would insist on better crating!

[Rick Gifford]

I am in amazement how cheap the chinese plywood is. Seperations and bad warping.

On the topic of shipments I feel your heartache with the troubles. I don't know what goes through the minds of some of these shippers.

My tablesaw was supposed to be with a liftgate service, but the semi showed up without one. This was Sawstop purchased from a regional retailer. Now it was packaged the best I have seen, real solid with no complaints there. But common! 700 lbs needed to be lowered to the ground from the back of a semi trailer to the ground without a liftgate? Need I say my gut was in a knot as we "lowered" the crates down a makeshift ramp. And since I was helping I was thinking if it dropped I am probably assuming some responsiblity...

Im glad Grizzly tried to palletize a little better for you. They should think about the customer end a little better.

[Ray Knight]

I always pickup at the terminal, shipping is cheaper, there is still occasional forktruck damage, but then we (me and friends), unload and move in. Don't have to miss work to meet a truck, save a bit of money, and don't risk the crummy rude truck driver. Ray

[Andy Casiello]

My Grizzly G1023 TS had the same problem with short pallet and the pallet jack not fitting in. The driver kept trying to ram the jack under the pallet, until I asked him to stop. I grabbed my large hand truck and we used that successfully. The saw wasn't damaged, but the pallet wasn't going to take much of that..

[Don Dorn]

Seeing all this, I'm very lucky. I've outfitted two shops with primarily Griz equipment and have never received the equipment in anything other than perfect condition.

I don't get overly excited about small blemishes or scratchs as I'm not buying a car, but had I seen the driver do that, I'm not sure I wouldn't have refused it. Hopefully, everything is alright, but as others have said, I'm sure Griz will make it right, they have always had top notch customer service in my experience.

[Butch Edwards]

I've picked up my Griz machines @ their Muncy showroom/wharehouse(except 1)..they loaded my truck each time, with care and attention..not only for the tools, but my truck as well...and oh yeah..except for the 1st time, all the forklift operators were female!!!
the bandsaw I rec'd thru freight, and it was in perfect condition when the driver slid it off his trailer onto my pickup!!!