The spreadsheet shows a lot of people have got the email but have not received it yet. I don’t know if that is because people have stopped filling it in or not. It has always been the case that machines are not shipped in strict order.
According to ‘the spreadsheet’, given the number of pros that have been delivered that were ordered after the initial campaign, I’d say it’s clear that people have stopped filling it in. YMMV. As to Basics, my post above yours was modified (due to me double checking my assumptions) as to the state of basic shipping according to the spreadsheet while you were composing and posting your reply. Apologies for any crossed wires.
2 Likes
…there’s also the option of they chose to not take delivery at this time. That’s not on GF.
1 Like
I’m sure the 2.4% of International buyers that have to spend $2000 on round trip shipping for warranty work will be pleased to know that you feel the return rate is acceptable.
I believe the return figures are much higher. Dan has stated it as high as a week’s production.
4 Likes
Possibly, but since we don’t actually know the total produced, any supposition is just a guess. 
1 Like
Yes but how else do you make an intelligent decision about whether to accept it or not?
I think the answer is… Even in your guesswork only 5% need to be returned. So looking at the worst-case scenario, you’ve only got a 5% chance of getting a defective unit. Now… I’m not sure why anybody’d choose the considerably-less-significant value to look at, so let’s look at it from the majority side… You’re practically guaranteed a fully-functioning unit. By your figures, you’ve got a 95% chance of that! Let’s face it… If somebody told you have got a 95% chance of winning the lottery today, you’d play.
1 Like
I think dan made that statement about a month ago. Assuming they have been in production for about 6 months at that time call it 26 weeks. (1 week bad) / (26 weeks total production) = 3.8% return rate. Your assumptions may vary.
But that return rate includes DOA machines, or machines that obvious defects like detached glass or handles. It does not represent return rate due to warranty work required, which is the real issue. So we have to be real careful in the numbers used and what they need to represent.
The issue of identifying machines that can’t cut/score/engrave right across the entire bed even though the machines look fine when received is a real one. A set of tests for this is needed, so that people can return these machines and have GF pay shipping.
It seems to me the number of machines that ‘go bad’ after they have been working right is small. But that’s an anecdotal feeling. Getting a good measure of that would really help people make the right decision for themselves.
3 Likes
It isn’t a 95% chance of winning anything. It is 95% chance of getting something I already paid for and a 5% chance of paying another $1000 to get it.
3 Likes
If im not mistaken, you would need to pay for shipping in both directions. Doesn’t the warranty state you have to ship it back at your expense, with prepaid return (to you) shipping?
Yes shipping to the UK is just under $500 one way for the GF and nearly the same again for the filter. I am assuming only one would need returning.
1 Like
@palmercr From how active you are in the forum I had assumed you already have your unit… sorry to hear otherwise.
I think the argument, in essence, boils down to every individual buyer’s will to take a risk. that has always been -and still is- true about all of us buyers, for international buyers it’s just a bigger risk.
personally, after having to replace the first unit I got my GF finally chooching (which included a few trips Canada-USA). I started burning a few projects, I see the potential and am excited about the possibilities.
But I also see the issues:
the App is extremely basic right now. many basic functions that are present in virtually any graphic program, and that you intuitively believe will work are just not present (few examples: if you have multiple artworks, selecting the right one is complicated, no alignments, I don’t think you can rotate artwork, and more).
first time I proudly uploaded my first design I was greeted by 3 or 4 red windows (no clip path, no text support, and I forget what else).
Alignment on my machine is off. yes, it might be usually within 1/4" or so, so it might be within spec. but how does that help me? if I need to create an jig or template, it might as well be off 5". the whole drag and drop was to me a big selling point, if not the biggest (apart from price).
now you have to adapt your workflow to fit the machine, as opposed to the other way around.
auto-focus relies on you measuring the material and entering the dimension in app, and even FP material needs to be double checked, so there might as well be no focus.
and continuous focus will never happen: I’m willing to bet money with anyone on this forum that follow focus is just never going to happen with the units we have at home. definitely not the way it was portrayed in the fundraiser demo, and almost certainly not any other reliable way. the only possible way with our units would be if the GF actually scans the material entirely before cutting, takes a picture of every scan (hundreds of them) and uploads it to the cloud, does the math etc. but since the whole process relies on a wide angle camera that cannot be user-calibrated taking a picture of a skewed laser point over one of 100s possible materials, it is inherently flawed, in my humble opinion. (hopefully dan and other engineers at GF are geniuses and can pull it off, then I’ll eat my words.)
so it’s not a bed of roses, it’s a tool with a learning curve, with limitation and possibilities.
I’ll end up with a question for those who already received their units:
knowing now what the GF can do, if you had received the gf free to try but today had to decide between returning it or keeping it but pay full price: what would you do?
2 Likes
I think you are right there. I don’t think it will every follow a curve on the edge of a laptop, etc for a couple of reasons.
-
it measures the height by looking at a laser spot with a high res camera. That is quite big so it must calculate the centre of a lot of camera pixels. If the spot is shining on a curve you can’t use the centre of the spot as it will be elongated on one side compared to the other. So how it can measure height to 0.1mm on a curve , I have no idea.
-
The focus lens steps in 0.7mm units. That seems way too course to not cause visible discontinuities.
Not to mention processing video in real time.
Man, I would love to spend a month in New Zealand! Not just for the landscape, but for the southern stars too.
Yes about the only constellation I recognised was Orion but he was upside down! Saw three shooting stars while looking at him one evening.
5 Likes
It would take some getting used to seeing constellations familiar to me upside down!
In would really like to see the Magellanic Galaxies.
3 Likes
Since all of this is actually based on a series of WAG’s, and has been going on and on and on for months, at what point does one decide to “pull the plug” so to speak and decide to get a unit that they can completely dismantle and rebuild themselves, or get a unit made in a country where international shipping does not apply. I know I always seriously figure that part in when I buy anything made and maintained outside of the US. It is the normal consideration of Full Cost of Ownership.
3 Likes
Probably when the dollar is high against the pound I will get my refund. When I finish my current 3D printer design I will design my own 3D laser cutter that is actually one.
2 Likes
I think that sounds like something you will be very happy with. Best of luck as you move forward with that.
I just don’t have the time to read the whole paper so all I read is the obituaries and the arrest records. There is no hope for mankind…
6 Likes