TR8 woes.

[lux]

Först without doubt have the best sales and marketing team in the UK woodchipper market.
They appeared out of nowhere into a steady-away marketplace with great branding and a massive flurry of free hats, pens and pretty promo-birds, converted their existing Jensen customers and also bringing in a load of new business from users of long-in-the-tooth competitors’ machines with the promise of something radically better.
(From a consumer’s point of view this has largely been a good thing, as it forced others to have a look at and improve their existing offerings (none of the main manufacturers offer a bad machine today IMO)).  
Forst then kept the ball rolling with very good aftercare (which must have cost them a fortune), and have underwritten their machines very well to those looking to part-exchange into a new chipper to keep value in their brand. They also offer incredible deals to ‘new business’ - offering above-market-value for other-brand part exchange machines. 
The issue is that there is no way of breaking away from the brand once ‘hooked’ without taking a significant financial kicking. They are worth very little second hand unless you are buying another Först - nobody else wants them in part-exchange and buying a second-hand one is a potential grenade... Once they’ve got you invested in their brand you are a bit screwed sadly.

Something I did factor in with decision to go to forst. My intention was to flip the machine at 3 years as the warranty expires and get another forst. I’m happy to continue with that if they can remedy my currant situation well.

[5 shires]

And the list goes on and on....isn’t that telling you that overall FORST are not up to the standard of other makes....I get the forst rep ring me at least once a month even trying tempt me into buying there machines but not a cat in hells chance...ok never say never but all the feedback which is what happens in this day and age is never positive...would like to hear some comments from others who have brought a FORST and have had no major issues which leads to major down time and aggravation.i wouldn’t say any machine is 100% guaranteed to work without fault but surely when it continues to fail no amount of apologies and service guys coming around to fix the problem is acceptable...get it fixed,get rid and get a machine you can rely on..in this game time is money.

[Gray git]

And the list goes on and on....isn’t that telling you that overall FORST are not up to the standard of other makes....I get the forst rep ring me at least once a month even trying tempt me into buying there machines but not a cat in hells chance...ok never say never but all the feedback which is what happens in this day and age is never positive...would like to hear some comments from others who have brought a FORST and have had no major issues which leads to major down time and aggravation.i wouldn’t say any machine is 100% guaranteed to work without fault but surely when it continues to fail no amount of apologies and service guys coming around to fix the problem is acceptable...get it fixed,get rid and get a machine you can rely on..in this game time is money.

I get this too, go's something like this

'hi im .... George... Your new area rep and just wanted to touch base'

Strange I'm sure .. Bob... Only called me 3 month ago as new rep and ... Carl and bill and Steve before that.....

'so what chipper's do you currently run?'
Bandit and Schliesing.....

'Ah... Are you aware forst offer a sub 750kg machine now?'

Yes... Why would I want one of those when the ones without build quality restrictions due to keeping them light fall apart?
,............................
Hello....
Hello....
Ah he seems to have rung off.🤷🏻‍♂️

[5 shires]

10 minutes ago, Gray git said:

I get this too, go's something like this

'hi im .... George... Your new area rep and just wanted to touch base'

Strange I'm sure .. Bob... Only called me 3 month ago as new rep and ... Carl and bill and Steve before that.....

'so what chipper's do you currently run?'
Bandit and Schliesing.....

'Ah... Are you aware forst offer a sub 750kg machine now?'

Yes... Why would I want one of those when the ones without build quality restrictions due to keeping them light fall apart?
,............................
Hello....
Hello....
Ah he seems to have rung off.🤷🏻‍♂️

Hi john....ya we both know they are only doing there job and trying to earn a crust but it wears a bit when you have to keep saying thanks but very much no thanks...I feel like telling them the reasons why I don’t want one if there Machines and about all the horror stories you hear about there reliability or rather lack of it but that’s only having ago at the little people and small cogs in the big wheel of things who know near as next to nothing of the bad press the machine he is trying to sell you gets...all the crap feedback needs to go to the top and may be just may be they could get there act together and produce a better product that what they have at the moment.

Hope all good with you and your family buddy.

Edited January 3, 2021 by 5 shires

[butters]

And the list goes on and on....isn’t that telling you that overall FORST are not up to the standard of other makes....I get the forst rep ring me at least once a month even trying tempt me into buying there machines but not a cat in hells chance...ok never say never but all the feedback which is what happens in this day and age is never positive...would like to hear some comments from others who have brought a FORST and have had no major issues which leads to major down time and aggravation.i wouldn’t say any machine is 100% guaranteed to work without fault but surely when it continues to fail no amount of apologies and service guys coming around to fix the problem is acceptable...get it fixed,get rid and get a machine you can rely on..in this game time is money.

I get Timberwolf ring me once a month as well as my local greenmech dealer so not just forst with the constant ringing.

I’ve got a year old forst 700 hours on it and no major brake down at all. Paint work is all in tact and just bought another st6 second hand and is fine also.

I hear just as many issues with timberwolfs and greenmech as I do forst nothing is made like it used to be.

[5 shires]

34 minutes ago, butters said:

 

I get Timberwolf ring me once a month as well as my local greenmech dealer so not just forst with the constant ringing.

I’ve got a year old forst 700 hours on it and no major brake down at all. Paint work is all in tact and just bought another st6 second hand and is fine also.

I hear just as many issues with timberwolfs and greenmech as I do forst nothing is made like it used to be.

 

That’s true but the original post is about FORST...if you have had nothing go wrong with yours and have good things to say about them that’s fine and as said when the post was started this isn’t about FORST V GREENMECH V TIMBERWOLF it’s about a guy having major issues with the FORST machine he has brought and has been a crook of shit since.

[Stubby]

10 hours ago, lux said:

Something I did factor in with decision to go to forst. My intention was to flip the machine at 3 years as the warranty expires and get another forst. I’m happy to continue with that if they can remedy my currant situation well.
 

Flip em every 3 weeks more like !

[Rich Rule]

@5 shires Yes and he answered the question you asked.

 

He has two, and had no major problems.

 

I also posted earlier in the thread.  I have an ST8 and work with another guy with the same machine.

 

No major issues over the last 2-3 years.

[HuntingHicap]

12 hours ago, lux said:

Probably embalming himself with a whisky and soda right now

Come on@stubby
You’re too old for those ported saws now , let me take them off your hands.
 

Oi! I have already claimed first dibs on those!

[Mick Dempsey]

6 hours ago, 5 shires said:

That’s true but the original post is about FORST...if you have had nothing go wrong with yours and have good things to say about them that’s fine and as said when the post was started this isn’t about FORST V GREENMECH V TIMBERWOLF it’s about a guy having major issues with the FORST machine he has brought and has been a crook of shit since.

I think the guy is allowed to recount his positive experiences with his machines here, threads develop and change. 
 

Plenty of other issues in the industry have come under discussion in this thread.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Mick Dempsey