Getting pretty sick of "Blade"

[litehawkdown]

I have two Blade heli's

Mcpx. Great machine well worth the money. It is the heli that epitomizes everything that the blade brand tries to be. Noob friendly Easy to fix. light on the wallet in a crash. Not big enough to inflict major damage. This heli should be their logo. James Haley is going to be running HH like a boss one day after developing this gem! Look out John Redman!

MSR. ????? I know I will get burned for this but I think it is a POS. Needs constant attention. Burns through motors and batteries quickly. Flies like it has a mind of it's own. But it was fun while it lasted. I only bought it for the charger anyway. lol.

But I thank HH and show them love with my hard earned $ often enough to not have to tell them that I care. I am sure that they don't mind the lack of calls that I give them either. Looks like the CSR's have lots of crazy's to deal with already.

[chuck-o]

Originally Posted by tyoung560

I've owned mcx2, 120sr and mcpx. Dx4e, dx6i and the stock mcx2 TX. I've never had any problems other than the 5n1 for the 120 went bad after 2 months and probably 75+ flights. They replaced it no problem.

Bottom line: not to sound harsh, but I think you're having bad luck

yeah sure, bad luck.
Seems to be an aweful lot of bad luck going around.
of course everytime someone mentions faulty motors , bad wiring, and faulty electronics they get silenced by the minority.
Those with good luck.
Even the support Rep admitted the quality control issues.

[ahahn]

Originally Posted by chuck-o

yeah sure, bad luck.
Seems to be an aweful lot of bad luck going around.
of course everytime someone mentions faulty motors , bad wiring, and faulty electronics they get silenced by the minority.
Those with good luck.
Even the support Rep admitted the quality control issues.

I think you misunderstand the definition of minority and majority.

[M3bluegsr]

I have 7 blade helicopters, my friends have 4, all worked fine out of the box. Some might have weak links, but Horizon probably already knows about the issus from feedback. Out of my collection the 120sr has consumed the least parts..

[tyoung560]

Originally Posted by chuck-o

yeah sure, bad luck.
Seems to be an aweful lot of bad luck going around.
of course everytime someone mentions faulty motors , bad wiring, and faulty electronics they get silenced by the minority.
Those with good luck.
Even the support Rep admitted the quality control issues.

I think it's fair to say that most companies dont have perfect quality control. If you consider the quantity of helis/parts/radio systems that blade produces, they do a pretty good job. You got three defective products in a row. If that happened with ANY product from ANY company, it would justify calling out that company for poor products. But statistically speaking for most products and specifically blade products, yes, I would call it bad luck.

And to correct your statement, people with all these problems get silenced by the majority*

[GD5015]

No company has perfect quality control. Heck, most companies don't have good quality control. It's cheaper to replace the minority of products that get reported, than to pay what it would cost to catch the problems in the factory. The difference with HH is that they will fix or replace the product. Not always, but probably 98% of the time. Look at the product and the price of what you are talking about. An RC heli is a pretty sophisticated piece of gear. Lots of small, fragile parts, that frankly hold up very well. The DX6i is pretty inexpensive for what you get. It's inexpensive because there is a lot of plastic in it and maybe a few corners cut, here and there. Would I be irritated if I were you? Most of us here probably would. That doesn't mean HH sells crap and should be vilified. You had some crappy, bad luck. No doubt.

John

[chuck-o]

I will remain skeptical.
I suggested to the Rep that perhaps they should consider building them here instead of China.
Instill a little American pride in the factory workers and watch most quality control issues melt away.

[rdandy5875]

I'd love to see made in usa. Can you imagine the prices, though. We'd be paying 3x more, but I'd pay it.

[chuck-o]

Originally Posted by rdandy5875

I'd love to see made in usa. Can you imagine the prices, though. We'd be paying 3x more, but I'd pay it.

It's costing more and more to manufacture in China, if Obama pushes through the tax breaks for American manufacturers you just might see our "job creators" moving jobs back here.
I doubt it would cost three times now, Chinese people are getting greedy too.

[rdandy5875]

Originally Posted by chuck-o

It's costing more and more to manufacture in China, if Obama pushes through the tax breaks for American manufacturers you just might see our "job creators" moving jobs back here.
I doubt it would cost three times now, Chinese people are getting greedy too.

I agree. It's swinging back to us and we need it so badly.

[Neo Blade 120]

I hope I don't jinx myself but I have had nothing but good luck with my Blade helis---MSR-MSRX-MCPX-120SR.
Since I took up this hobby (Jan. 2012) the only component damage incured was because of my lack of skills ( the 120 is a tank, and so is my 42" flat screen).
I have replaced all the commonly talked about parts that break like skids, blades, mounting post, tail booms and motors (after tail strikes), etc. But as stated, that was my doing.
I do empathize with the guys having QC/CS issues, I think I would have given up this great hobby if I had to go through what some the guys have.
I wonder how many heli hobbiest post and/or reply to this or other forums, if it's less than 50% then all comments pos or neg would be from a minority group.

Syma107-Great Wall 998 (MSR knock off)-MSR-MSRX-MCPX-120SR-HK450 in progress-Phoenix Sim-DX6i

[ENDO1]

Chuck, Welocome to RC Heli's! The learning/repair/crash curve might as well be the face of Everest...

If you survive the first few months, it's great fun. Kinda like learning to parachute by being thrown out of a plane with a few bags of gear.....

[Thalios]

Originally Posted by xpftp

nope not sold out . and

Thalios yep show o never mind not worth it .. your right sir ... its the best ever ..

Wow, they are really dumb them as the mCP X is the best selling heli so far. Not stocking parts from it will push people to either buy online or get it somewhere else.

And I never said it was the best ever. Where did you see that?

The mCP X is a GREAT heli. Probably one of the best to start CP and learn new tricks. Is there better helis? possibly. But marketing wise and for the support and the user base, there's no other that comes to 1/10th of what HH has done with this heli.

[chuck-o]

To be clear I don't mind shelling out for stuff I break, it's the stuff that comes pre-screwed that I have issues with. I love tinkering, as a matter of fact I am getting ready to rebuild the entire drivetrain now that my crashes are few and light.
I doctored up a new motor and main gear a few days ago, The motor, properly broken in, is a bit louder than the original but runs much stronger. And you absolutely can not hear the gears meshing. Tail motor has settled in and is running smooth and quiet.
Gonna replace everything else from the frame up (moving parts that is)

[litehawkdown]

Originally Posted by chuck-o

I will remain skeptical.
I suggested to the Rep that perhaps they should consider building them here instead of China.
Instill a little American pride in the factory workers and watch most quality control issues melt away.

American Pride!.....Quality control issues go away.. ............. Coughs "Ford" coughs.........

[tommeke]

Originally Posted by litehawkdown

American Pride!.....Quality control issues go away.. ............. Coughs "Ford" coughs.........

made me laugh

[rdandy5875]

Originally Posted by chuck-o

To be clear I don't mind shelling out for stuff I break, it's the stuff that comes pre-screwed that I have issues with. I love tinkering, as a matter of fact I am getting ready to rebuild the entire drivetrain now that my crashes are few and light.
I doctored up a new motor and main gear a few days ago, The motor, properly broken in, is a bit louder than the original but runs much stronger. And you absolutely can not hear the gears meshing. Tail motor has settled in and is running smooth and quiet.
Gonna replace everything else from the frame up (moving parts that is)

I'm glad the problems you had are not discouraging you completely.

RC hobbies are all about tinkering and fixing, flying is just a perk you get every once in a while.

[Ralphie]

It's a shame to hear your stories, mine have been the exact opposite, I currently own eight Blade Heli's (list below) and love every one of them especially my mCPX'(s). I can't say I haven't had issues, the 120SR shipped with a bad motor but one call to support and a new one was at my door two day's later.

Two broken switch's on my DX6i, (totally my fault, dropped it catching my mSR as it was flying towards my head) another call to HH support in an attempt to purchase the switch's so I could repair. I was informed they didn't sell the switches I would have to return it and they would repair. Sixteen day's later a fully repaired tx with a note from HH support telling me the repair was on them, NO CHARGE, their way of saying thanks for the business. Not what I would refer to as poor customer service.

I'm not saying every bird is perfect, yes I may have to tweak things a little to get them to respond to the way I fly (which can only be referred to as erratic for I am a Noob), and yes I do have to oil my mSRX motor regularly to keep it from burning out, (original motor over 150 flights and still going strong) but I expect that and to me that is part of the maintenance that is required of any mechanical object.

So all I can say is sorry to hear about your issues, wish your experience with Blade products was more similar to mine...

Edit... and to xpftp if you are really that hateful of your V.1 mCPX, post it for sale on the McpX forum, I'm sure someone will gladly take it off your hands...

[newhelicrasher]

I can only share my limited experience with Horizon Hobby and Blade helis but it might be useful for other noobs.

The only heli I ever had before the Scout cx was a walmart air hogs mico..about the size of a quarter...it flew a few times and was almost control able. It was 30 bucks...it worked for 2 days.

A couple days later I was in my lhs inquiring about a factory team sc10 and saw this little scout on the counter for 50 bucks ....hmm. The guy says you can get parts if you break it....we carry everything for it. Great....Im sold.

Get home....it flies pretty good this is neat! I get.overconfident and try to fly under a chair and whap....break the upper main blades. 1 day into the heli it is out of commission....no problem my lhs says they have parts....out of stock is the reality!

I search online...everyone is out! Horizon says mid feb.....well it was the end of feb....then they say mid march.....well its mid march now.....nobody has em still.

Anyways back to the lhs about a week after buying the scout checking on blades for it...not having any but I have been bitten by the heli bug. screw it I will get the.mcx2!

Flies.great......a couple.days into ownership i break a canopy mount off the frame....later that week stop by lhs.....no frames in stock...also still no.scout blades!

i need to fly though.....Msrx anyone? Lol. Just broke a blade.grip on the first flight out of the box...back at lhs same.day.....I picked up the dx6i while there.

Now I dont know whre Blade fits as.far.as.quality in hobby grade helis is concerned but ey have managed to pry several hundred dollars out of me in short order and yes I have plenty of gripes already but I am already looking at other stuff to add to my dx6i and I cant even really fly my msrx well yet!

The lesson is it can be frustrating but it probably as good as.it gets.for noobs much better than those who came before us I can imagine.

[chuck-o]

Originally Posted by tommeke

made me laugh

You guys can laugh about that if you like, but I remember when we used to build things in this country, a time when "made in America" meant you were getting the best.
Then came a whole new business policy of exporting manufacturing jobs to third world and Communist countries where industrialists could hire slaves and children for pennies on the dollar under the auspices that consumer prices would go down.
A generation later prices on EVERYTHING are skyrocketing while wages stagnate or decline, the country has a thirty million job deficit, and more and more Americans can't afford even necessities.
Standard of living is in decline.
And you really do not have to listen very hard to hear the giant sucking sound of American wealth being siphoned off to other countries, as a crazy little guy named Ross Perot warned us.