Heads up on Econo-probe

GunsOfNavarone

GunsOfNavarone

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Buyer Beware
I placed an order for Wild Horse Innovations Ecno Probe and ETS a couple weeks ago. It is ridiculously inexpensive and it seems, those that use them are mostly happy with it. After ordering and paying via PayPal, I checked a couple days later on order status, it was still asking me to make payment. I made a copy of the paid status from PP and emailed to the email on their website (which is the same email PP had on file.) No answer. Checked their website a couple days later, still asking for payment. This time I called the phone # on their site, again, it's the same as paypal info. They are in Montana, phone number is in California. Someone answered and they had no idea of the company I was asking for. (This phone # is an acronym for the company name.) Ok, now I know this isn't happening. Shot another email with much more urgency for a reply. A couple days passed...nothing.
Now I had to put in a claim with PP, they said give the a MONTH. I see PP has emailed them no less than 8 times in the time that has passed, no reply. They may make a decent, inexpensive product, but I don't believe that there will be any more in the future. Guess I'm gonna pony up a few extra hundred for one. Any suggestions?
 
I'm not familiar with the company or their products but could their phone number be a typo that they are not aware of? Their number is listed as 408 area code, San Jose CA as you stated but I just looked up the area code for Plains MT & it's 406. Worth a try calling with the 406 area code. Doesn't explain the lack of email responses though.

EDIT: Maybe not a typo? 408 is listed everywhere for them.
 
Yeah, I tried everything so did PayPal. Something isn't right. Too bad, I was pretty stoked. Just don't want anybody else have to deal with the added stress of fighting an invisible "enemy". Maybe there's a good reason...owner/manufacturer died? Hopefully not that bad, but you get what I'm saying.
P.S they got that phone number and have been using since 2018, I think wrong # would have come up. One other thing that is strange, the person answering it didn't say, "I get these calls sometimes" He acted like that was the first time anyone had called for them.
 
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I had looked at that probe four or five years ago. At that time, I believe they were located in Illinois. The web page listing from my history comes back as an error.
 
I picked one up a year ago off their current website. Didn't have any issues. You used PayPal so should get your money back if they don't ship.

Bruce
 
Yeah, I’m not too worried about getting my money back, but this guys has gone completely off radar. That his phone number no longer belongs to him and or, he doesn’t claim it does....I can’t in good conscience not warn others. It will be a month before PayPal will concede & give me my $ back...give home time to reply. Yeah, a pain. I also feel like I can’t make another purchase until this is put to rest...another pain. Old school edge finding on the CNC for me for a bit longer.
 
The Drewtronics probes are quite nice and relatively affordable (at least compared to most probes).


They have several different versions available.

I have both a Drewtronics 5100 and one of the Wildhorse econo-probes. The 5100 is significantly nicer.

The only "issue" I have had with mine is with the LED indicator on it. The controller on my mill will not detect the probe as tripped with the LED still part of the circuit - all I had to do was nip one of the legs on the led to remove it from the circuit and it worked as intended.
 
Wow! That's pretty cool...they have a TTS version no less. It says its compatible with 770 and 1100 but I'm not seeing the 440, it must be an active probe? If so it's HELLA cheaper than the Tormach Digitizing probe. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be having to find something soon.
 
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