Raider Rods.....never again (rubbish)

[yellahunter]

well after backing shitmano for the last year and reccommending the raider rods to everyone i know its all come back to bite me in the arse.
a few weeks ago i noticed that the tip was curving a little, i emailed shimano and they said take it back to where you got it and they can have it looked at under the 12month warranty. Well i did that and they were very negative saying its obviously been left in a hot car etc etc etc. Well he said i can leave it there and have it looked at by shimano but the rep might not be in fpr 6 weeks, so i said dont worry and walked out.

Well went fishing tonite and second cast, bang the top section of the cork grip has snapped in half.
I feel like taking it in again but i know hes only going to say well you havent lookecd after it if theres now 2 problems.....

what the hell do i do.....does anyone have any idea.....?
i could glue the grip back on use it for another couple of months (hoping it holds together) and then throw it out
or take it back to my local and see what he says,
i mean in my opinion he should look after me ive spent hundreds of dollars with his store, Daiwa reels, loomis rods, heaps of lures....

well i know one thing il never buy another shit rod, Loomis or nothing from now on,
at least they honor their warranty.

Ben

[Spiero]

You really think they are that bad, or just the one you got??? I was going to buy a 3 piece raider baitcasting rod as a backup rod for when i head up to weipa early next year. Has anyone else had problems with these rods? Is there a better rod i could get as a backup rod for my Loomis forcelite that would be around that 150 range???

[NAGG]

That looks like an unusual breakage .... considering that it is a Fuji winch fitting :-/ ...... Try gluing it back together with 24hr Araldite ..... Nagg

[yellahunter]

i would glue it but i reckon i deserve a replacement.
surely this is a warranty issue, if this happened theres no telling whats going to happen next.

[yellahunter]

as a backup its an ok rod spiero,
however i fish quite a lot and it just hasnt handled the pressure of fishing a few times a week, very disappointing

[Spiero]

Thanks for that Yellahunter, kinda hoping that i wont need to use it, but its a long way to go and break the only rod you have for the trip im thinking, the plan is that it will pack up small and get me through if needed. Thanks for the help

Cheers Spiero

[Jeremy87]

I've had that happen to one of my raiders to and had maybe 4 or 5 come back into work with the same problem, it's a design fault with the the fore grip which has been plauging (though considering how many are out there its not that bad)them which will be covered under warranty under the 12 month period.

Though i have to say i think your acting unfairly towards shimano in regards to the tip, its outright fact that composite materials like graphite can only distort from heat stress, you've been told this by many members of this forum and have refused to believe it is not a manufacturors fault, a loomis rod would have done the same thing and you would have had to pay the expodite for the warranty.

[land-lubber]

not uncommon on the old handle screw fittings on some of the raider series, as far as i know the new models all have the standard screw down mount now

[artesian]

Spiero, if you are staying in Weipa I reckon you could probably pick up a replacement, including a loomis, in the newsagent next to the post office, or an acceptable replacement in the shop across the carpark.
You've gotta love a town where there is a bit of a selection of high end and less so fishing tackle for sale in a newsagent, and where the camping shop has good stuff too

[TheSaint]

Well i would be taking it back for warrrenty claim as it is a clear manufacturer's fault going by the pictures. It does seam that you are annoyed at what has happened but to say they are crap rods cause you have got a dud is alittle harsh. I have owned 5 raider rods over the last 2 or 3 years & found them to great rods with only having one break at the tip due to a manufacturer's fault. It was replaced by Shimano without any problems...

[yellahunter]

cheers for all the feedback guys,

hey Saint, did you speak to shimano direct or the tackle shop you got it from...?
im going to take it back but need to know who im better off dealing with.

[Steve B]

Yella,

had a mate have the exact same thing happen to his raider baitcaster. He got another under waranty, no problems.

[TheSaint]

Well the tackle shop I got it off has shut down & had to go thru other Shimano dealer but I had my receipt to prove it was still covered under warrenty..

[Roo]

The Black plastic collar at the base of the foregrip is where you should twist to tighten the reel seat. If you grab the cork its only a matter of time before it comes apart.I've got 2 of these rods......mine haven't fallen apart.
Have a long hard look at how you treat your equipment before telling the world that it is Sh*t gear. Bent tips and busted cork doesn't happen on there own. I've done it myself...lesson learned. Haven't since.

Roo.

[mad max]

Yeah well said roo...

[yellahunter]

i rang the guys at shimano today and wasnt happy to say the least,
they told me to glue it back together and not to worry about warranty.
I explained that i payed for the quality product and thats what i expected,
i said to him if i were to glue it not only would this void my warranty but just decrease the chances of getting something else fixed should it go wrong after the warranty ends. His answer to that was he will take a note down that "Ben" is glueing it together and if it breaks before the warranty expires he will give a new one,
im getting close to snapping it over my knee and never buying a single shimano item ever again.
Tomorrow is the dy of truth as il be going to see the guy who sold it to me,
but i cant see myself getting a better response than the dismal one given today.
The thing is that the warranty clearly says they will replace it if theres poor workmanship or a fault with the item within 1 year
The other thing that got me was how he said its not a problem as such as they had only had 5 or 6 raiders returned over the years with this problem,
and thats out of the thousands getting around all over the country. what an absolute load,
theres more poeple than that on Ausfish and the other fishing forum Im in alone ...
Not happy Jan.

[yellahunter]

sorry double posted, just deleted it

[Blackened]

G'day

Pretty poor effort from shimano.

Dave

[revs57]

Hmmm, makes a good case to go Penn...They are bringing out a new range of rods specifically designed for jigging, in fact if they haven't been released, they are not far away

Cheers

Rhys

[Roo]

im getting close to snapping it over my knee and never buying a single shimano item ever again.

That will show them:-X

I still stand by the product as being good and your being a bit of a pill for having a public tanty over it. Just glue it up and get on with your life. you broke it, you fix it. When did we start living by the notion that everything is someone else's fault?

Roo.

[marty+jojo]

SHITANO;D ;D . I agree if they won't replace it, i would not buy another shimano product. I never have, and i never will. Keep us posted.
Marty.

[Matt_Campbell]

Its a $100 rod. I think they're pretty good value. You cant expect Loomis-type service for $100 rod can you?

[Lovey80]

I have a Rack raider and have had it replaced after a snapped tip. I love the rod and it's performance. I bought a T-curve barra rod and my brother bought a barra raider. I have already offered to swap him at a $100 loss to me after 10 casts of it.


Cheers Chris

[banshee]

'Dunphy sports fishing limited will perform repairs or effect replacement at their option without cost to you other than shiping charges incured to and from our service facility....'

Shimano's warranty policy does not state they will replace unconditionaly,more than likely you'll be without the rod for an extended period of time and it will come back glued up with a freight charge to boot,probably better to do it yourself.

[yellahunter]

ok forget about it.
its obvious that ive upset a few shimano diehards,

to me its a no brainer, the grip split - thats a replacement or repair under the 12 month warranty, if it happened after the 12 months i would glue it and get on with things, however the fact remains that the product did not hold up to use within the warranty period.

I took it back today and the guy was really good,
i didnt even have to explain, he took one look and said yeah that is covered and they would most likely send a replacement. If I have some luck and they do that, il be asking if i can have credit when the replacement comes - Il then buy a decent rod, My days with shimano are well and truly over.

Il update this when i hear some more,
for all those who backed me thanks :)

[NAGG]

The Black plastic collar at the base of the foregrip is where you should twist to tighten the reel seat. If you grab the cork its only a matter of time before it comes apart.I've got 2 of these rods......mine haven't fallen apart.
Have a long hard look at how you treat your equipment before telling the world that it is Sh*t gear. Bent tips and busted cork doesn't happen on there own. I've done it myself...lesson learned. Haven't since.

Roo.

Roo .... you are spot on here ! ( Thanks for the heads up8-) ) ..... Nagg

[basskid]

I Cant believe that either mate bad luck i have to decided to go daiwa all the way because a log time ago about 1 year and 1/2 i bought a stradic 1000 and within two weeks i had the bal arm brake and then they repleced it then it screwed up again so i got another one then i sold it so iu wouldnt have to go throught the crap again but in saying that i have a chronarch 50mg for about 10 months now with one mark on it and it has been absolutely fantastic reel so i guess you really get what you pay for but no in your case you were probley better off getting a berkley rod which is an ok rod for 90 buks i guess

[bass-pirate]

value for money i rekon they are an awsome rod, i bought one for my little brother for his birthdy with a little symetre 1500 reel. i couldnt expect any better for the money payed.... shit happens dude... your cork cracked. Personally i dont really like the whole twist grip idea. I am a loomis man, but if i was on a tighter budget i would have no hesitations buying another rack raider for myself... if your going to be using it 3 times a week or whatever then pay more and get something better..... dont expect too much.. i mean think about it, a good loomis is about 4 times the price of a rack raider so they dont even compare.

[Roo]

Value for money is a pretty good desription of shimanos lower to mid range gear. I'll pick Shimano over Daiwa any day in this catagory......when you step up tho' I'll take a Jap made Daiwa over Shimano any day. There's been plenty said about how terrible Pflueger rods are....mine are great, reckon there also excellent value for money in the mid range of gear. If you respect your gear and have realistic expectations of it, you wont have these dramas.

I'll defend my raiders to the death!!(a bit melodramatic?) there is nothing wrong with the rods. all products will have a failure rate of some sort but your issues,Ben are all down to you. I'm no shimano Die Hard!!! I just can't see how this is a failure of the product.
Rod.

[yellahunter]

ok Rod let it go now mate,
lets get back to the fishing ey,

Ive got the support i needed now lets move on

[yellahunter]

any chance a mod can close the thread

[Roo]

ok Rod let it go now mate,
lets get back to the fishing ey,

Ive got the support i needed now lets move on

pull ya head in Ben. if you put it out there on a public forum you gotta expect to get it clipped here and there.



any chance a mod can close the thread

:-X

[mad max]

Build a bridge and get over it....:'(

in all the time youv been whingin you could have just glued it back yourself and been catchin dozens of fish.

[GPB]

yellahunter, in post#1 you were offered by the shop owner to leave it there for the Shimano rep and you chose not too, then say you will buy Loomis [3X the price] as they honour their warranty. Think before you speak [or wright]:-X

[GPB]

Hmmm, makes a good case to go Penn...They are bringing out a new range of rods specifically designed for jigging, in fact if they haven't been released, they are not far away

Cheers

Rhys


revs57 how is that a "good case to go to Penn" when the rods haven't even been released and you haven't tried them:-/ , 99% of Raider owners are happy Raider owners;D

[yellahunter]

will someone close this thread

im over it

[mad max]

hahaha what a surprise

[revs57]

Hi GPB,

I've seen the prototypes mate. They look the goods but like anything, time will tell, just like yella's thread. There is obviously a problem with the twist winch fitting on that particular rod, and I don't reckon it matters if he uses it three times a week or three times a year. And sure he could glue it and do all the rest of what has been said.

But...

I don't know what you fellas are so defensive about.

A bloke has bought a brand name fishing rod in good faith. These are rods that are put through their paces and passed stringent examination. I've been aware of the new Penn range for 4mths now. They have been through the development hoops and are just about to be released.

If any product isn't right, the company that makes it needs to know so it can go back to the drawing board and work the problem out. It could be as simple as a bad batch of glue to a design problem.

Most fishing product with the exception of the custom made local product are made with cheap labour in Asia where people work for pittance, under a thorough quality control regime and sold here for exorbitant profit.

And it doesn't matter if we are talking about fishing rods or bread toasters!

Yella has parted company with his hard earned dollars, he's had a problem, and is looking for product support what's wrong with that? Don't we all? And he writes up about it here to check his thinking and to look for some support from us his fishing community and to get some ideas from others who may have had similar issues with this product. Isn't that one fo the functions that ausfish is here for? C'mon blokes, I just don't reckon he should be jumped on.

hope it works out for ya Yella

Cheers

Rhys

[yellahunter]

thanks Rhys,

Appreciate the support mate, i didnt think it was too harder concept for people to grasp when i wrote the thread. Oh well

[Noelm]

I guess it comes down to the fact that would any of us "just accept" (say) a Boat that has a small leak and the Dealer say, "its OK, just take a bucket and bail now and then" or a new Motor that does not start as it should, "no worries, take a spare battery and it has a pull rope as well" I realise that it is a small fault that can be easily "home repaired" and indeed, if it goes back then in all probability it will be glued anyway, BUT it does have a warranty, there has been others that have failed, and it should be put right, now we do not REALLY know what has gone on between the tackle Store and the owner, the Tackle Store and the supplier, only what we have been told here! but it SHOULD be put right!! end of story (I reckon anyway)

[finga]

Anybody know what Jarvis Walker rods are like??
::)

[revs57]

:P;D;D;DAhhh you're a stirrer Scott:P;D;D;D

[Little grey men]

Got a little rack raider a day before this thread was started. FREAKIN ME OUT MAN !!!!
I'm rough as guts with my gear so I'll have to keep in mind to twist the black collar and not the cork....remember...remember...remember.

Good luck with it all Yellahunter:)

[Noelm]

I have got a two piece Shimano rod that I have had for years and years and it has the same sort of twist cork reel seat thing, and it has not broken yet and it gets used all the time for all sorts of reels, so I guess it must be possible to make a good one!

[Roo]

I don't know what you fellas are so defensive about.......


Yella has parted company with his hard earned dollars, he's had a problem, and is looking for product support what's wrong with that? Don't we all? And he writes up about it here to check his thinking and to look for some support from us his fishing community and to get some ideas from others who may have had similar issues with this product. Isn't that one fo the functions that ausfish is here for? C'mon blokes, I just don't reckon he should be jumped on.


Rhys,
Re read the first post again. What he wrote had little to do with looking for support. What he wrote told me he'd made up his mind and was telling the world what he thought of a product that, in his eyes, had failed to live up to expectations. the same product that potentially thousands of others have had no problems with and are quite happy with their outcomes from their purchase and use of it. He's had 2 problems with it and both times it been Likely that they are of his own doing and not a warranty issue. The offer to let the Appropriate Authorised person to confirm it was refused. How on earth does that warrant the comments of the product being Rubbish and the service from the agent Poor?
As for jumping on him....a bit of advice is hardly jumping, the tradgedy is when it goes in one ear and out the other. People should be taking ownership of their problems rather than playing the "woe is me" card. Thinking about how it happened and anything you may have done to cause or exacerbate it may be the key to learning a valuable lesson that may prevent him having the same event happen again and again.
Its terribly frustrating watching it happen, that may be why i get a bit defensive. I realise this but lets not stifle free and open discussion because someone believes they've got what they need (blinkers on).

Rod.

[Noelm]

sounds fair to me! but, as I said, we do NOT really know what has transpired between the three Parties involved, Owner, Seller and Wholesaler, but it does appear that the same fault has occurred in a few other ones so I guess he does have a Legitimate claim! and as such, it should be made good.

[artesian]

mine's all right, and I'm not super tackle friendly. Ised it every day for a week or so in the Wenlock.

I have read that one needs to be careful in doing up those reel seat hood/integrated foregrip winch fittings. Another mate had a bad experience with an unknown brand a few years ago, and won't have them now. I don't mind them, but keep my hands off the foregrip most of the time a fish is on

Did have an issue with a Starlo Snapper rod - confessed to what I did, which in my opinion should have not been terminal, and the retailer rang supplier, and they very graciously replaced it. Sad bit was that I couldn't keep the shorter tip section, which did seem to have some promise..............

[mad max]

I still agree with Rod....i sort of understand/agree with yella if the issue is a fault....i just dont like it when you bad mouth the shit out of shimano and generalise your problem to all raiders...