Another NRX QC issue

SteveSchmelzle · Post by **SteveSchmelzle** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:28 pm

I haven't been on here for a while....

I come back for a visit and look-see....and I notice nothing has changed re the NRX issues.

Bantam1 must be just getting sick of reading this stuff.....

As for myself, I'm at a loss for words....

Shimano / Loomis: What the heck is going on?!

Mang · Post by **Mang** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:39 pm

Mang wrote:Hate to do this but people have to know whats up. This is my 3rd replacement rod and this one has 8 bubbles that kinda bothers me... Still don't know what im going to do, what do you guys think? should i return it or just keep it?

I'll just give them a call tomorrow

Post by **Tokugawa** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:33 pm

Hate to say it bud....but return it Mang. That thing is $500 - it better be flawless. Every time you look at it you'll get irritated, and that's not why you bought it.

juerg1974 · Post by **juerg1974** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:35 am

I'm really shocked about the dimension of the quality problems in the NRX line. I received my 843C GLX Mag Bass and my 852S NRX. They are both flawless. I did not dare to order a Casting NRX though as I'm overseas and warranty would be extremely complicated.

I had a nice conversation with Trey Kistler about my future rods. I was looking into a couple more GLX first - as a casting NRX is really no theme without warranty coverage close by in Switzerland. So I'm going to order Kistler next time. If warranty is not important, but quality is - that's a really easy decision.

I'm sorry for GLoomis though. Seems like a lot has change under shimano....

Gblaze · Post by **Gblaze** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:45 am

Wow- what a crap shoot. It really does seem you are rolling the dice getting a casting NRX online. What a pity really. I am surprised Shim/Loomis doesnt just recall the rods back to them and retool the blanks - then having to waste personelle time dealling with returns etc. Makes you wonder what they are doing with the epoxy bubble thing/cracking issue - because a lot of them seem to be coming out of Tacklewarehouse. Poor handling on their end (TW) or are they just coming out of Gloomis like that?

jeb · Post by **jeb** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:28 am

Gblaze wrote:Wow- what a crap shoot. It really does seem you are rolling the dice getting a casting NRX online. What a pity really. I am surprised Shim/Loomis doesnt just recall the rods back to them and retool the blanks - then having to waste personelle time dealling with returns etc. Makes you wonder what they are doing with the epoxy bubble thing/cracking issue - because a lot of them seem to be coming out of Tacklewarehouse. Poor handling on their end (TW) or are they just coming out of Gloomis like that?

The first pictures Mang posted of his replacement rod could have been some kind of handling issue. But both of the rods Mang has posted pictures of in this thread came straight from either Loomis or Shimano as replacements, according to the info he posted yesterday. So TW had nothing to do with either of those. The issue I started this thread about was also clearly a factory issue.

This has to be costing ShimLoomis big time money. Not just from all the replacement rods, but driving customers away. Maybe a good thing they have Shimano's money behind them after this mess.

Snidley · Post by **Snidley** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:50 pm

Last year I was asked to go with a buddy of mine to look at the purchase of a Steeze rod. We looked at the 1 Steeze rod in Toronto (a city of about 4 million people) and although it was a beautiful, flawless rod the action/weight was not what my buddy wanted. I picked up a GLX that was beside it on the rack and suggested that the weight and action seemed better suited to what my friend was seeking. I should have known better. My friend, who is a stickler for details, took a really close look at the rod (up here they are $400+ rods after all) and he noted that the guides were crooked. In fact all of the GLX casting rods on that rack had crooked alinement of guides. Some were really out of alinement some only slightly off but off all the same. To make a long story short we went to 6 shops around the greater Toronto area and looked at over 30 GLX casting rods. ALL of those rods had guides that were not on straight. We saw some Zillions with the same problem but there were some that were properly lined up too ( we only looked at 3 or 4 Zillions). In the end the only premier brands that we viewed that had straight guides on each and every rod were the St Croix Legend Elites and the Shimano Cumulus brand. I even pointed out the problem to a guy I know that works at one of the fishing tackle stores and the look on his face was priceless (maybe it was his job to look over expensive rods BEFORE they hit the rack, lol). In any case my friend did not purchase a super high end rod and I think this experience has soured him on the whole concept of $400 rods. I've said it many times in the past but I will say again, G Loomis has been a marketing company ever since Gary left the firm and Loomissoids are buying hype....at outrageously inflated prices

. I'm told by guys that do fish high end rods that Dobyns top product is a much better, more consistent product than Loomis. They are still too expensive but they do have quality control at least. By the way while my buddy didn't buy anything I did. I picked up a Fenwick Techna 7'casting rod, with guides that were straight and a lifetime warranty... for $100 on sale. It may not be a GLX or NRX, Legend Elite or Cumulus, but it is a very good rod that will be replaced if I break it and for just slightly more than the 15% sales tax that would be on the NRX here.

smalljaw · Post by **smalljaw** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:06 am

I love my Loomis rods but I'm beginning to think there is something to this Shimano involvment that seems like they really don't care about the quality, either they don't care or are relying on a loyal fan base to just overlook the cosmetic problems but that is hard to do when paying close to 5 bills for a rod. I was turned off on what they did to the GL2, yes, they did make it look more modern and they made them technique specific but then they put on the same Aluminum Oxide guides and jacked the price up close to that of a GL3...WTF. I know for bass fishing aluminum oxide guides are good enough but on a 200 dollar rod I'd expect a little more and on a 500 dollar rod I would be highly upset with one replacement, 2 or more and I would be done. That said I officially got rid of the thought of getting one for next season, I'll get 2 good rods, I don't care they won't be the best of the best, I will be happy to be able to fish with them when I want insted of waiting for the UPS or Fed-Ex to show up with a replacement.

PaBass75 · Post by **PaBass75** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:47 am

Mang, I'd call Loomis and get some answers..
This is ridiculous considering. Three replacements?
I'd have given up after the second one since it's obvious something is seriously wrong with the QC at Loomis.
Good luck with the fourth!?!

Kinda off topic, I don't get how anyone here can describe Loomis as the "best of the best"..
Maybe a few years back, before these constant QC issues, when they were building flawless rods.. None of my Glx's have these problems. But now..?

The blanks may be the best, that's debatable, but the build quality is downright sloppy.
I don't have a horse in this race any longer tho, only Nrx I've had was sloppily build, just like what we've seen here, so I sent it back and am not going to bother with another.

As consumers, we should speak with our wallets and refuse to purchase a sloppy product lacking in QC! .. Even if it's a Loomis.

Mang · Post by **Mang** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:03 am

i haven't call them but did email them. got a shipping label and everything. but this time I told them i want it shipped straight to G.loomis in WA not in CA. I have a Question i also email them that i wanted to exchange my 852c for the 893 due to there mistakes? do you think this will happen?

Mang · Post by **Mang** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:12 am

I know I call make things easier but Im really sick I can barley speak, maybe once it arrives I feel better. I'll try to works things out

PaBass75 · Post by **PaBass75** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:20 am

At this point Mang, if it were my company, I'd send ya a free one just to make up for the issues..
A friend and I own a small company.
If we have an unhappy customer, we offer free replacement or a refund.
If they still aren't happy after a replacement, we offer a full refund, and another replacement. Free..
We've never had a customer require a replacement beyond the first.
It pays to get it right the first time.. You listening Loomis?

Hulkster · Post by **Hulkster** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:27 pm

In any case my friend did not purchase a super high end rod and I think this experience has soured him on the whole concept of $400 rods. I've said it many times in the past but I will say again, G Loomis has been a marketing company ever since Gary left the firm and Loomissoids are buying hype....at outrageously inflated prices

based on the NRX series, yes.

but not necessarily on the rest of their lineup.

eg. fish with their line of high end TSR ultralights and you will see that Loomis can still be Loomis when they get things right

my TSR791 is flawless and was like a UL fanatic's dream come true

Snidley · Post by **Snidley** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:15 am

Hulkster you make my point. I just took a look at the Loomis web site. They want $220 to $400 for little trout rods (TSR)and you guys are prepared to pay it. I suggest that if someone put a Loomis lable on a Fenwick Elite Tech River Runner or Smallmouth rod, a $90 set of rods, you guys would buy it and swear it was the second coming. Loomis is a company that can't put guides on straight or wrap a rod without multiple flaws and virtually zero quality control. As long as they can bamboozle anglers with marketing they will continue to flog over rated under performing product to the guillable public. Hopefully posts like these will make anglers a little more aware but PT Barnum was speaking the truth about the public 100 years ago and little if anything has changed.

haoz · Post by **haoz** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 9:29 am

just curious, anybody here with the green NRX with issues?

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