We live at a time when manufacturing needs to meet the demands of the customer NOW. Companies that fail to provide the customer what they want crash and burn. This now, now, now society requires shorter development times and reduced R&D cost which result in ongoing or rolling development. I don’t buy the first run of anything; I wait for the published reviews to expose problems and then I wait for the manufacturer to fix those problems. There is no doubt that the FX Independence is a better gun today than it was when it was first released. Internal components were redesigned and more corrosion resistant materials used. Air Arms and Daystate also redesign internal components and change the materials used for those components when necessary. In no way does this impute the quality of the product being sold by these companies. Reputable companies, Good companies continue to improve their product and Air Arms, Daystate and FX are all Reputable, Good companies producing quality guns.
Enough said
- Thread starter gamyrick
- Start date
I think you're making a small misconception here. Customers think that companies need to meet their demands, it's still up to the company to decide whether to follow this thought. Speeding up a process almost always lowers quality.
If the design and testing is done properly you can buy the first run without a doubt. The first few runs, in most normal cases, are the ones of highest quality standards. During these first runs there is time for quality checks and most components are custom made with attention. As soon as series production starts the flaws will start coming. Quality checks cost too much money, series production has higher tolerances, strategic purchasers are searching for "the same parts" but cheaper etc. Combine these things with bad design/testing and your product will fail. So yes, you can blame the companies for this, no matter what way you'll look at it. They've decided where their money went, and sometimes they choose the wrong way. That's the risk of having a business.
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There are so many examples in so many different industries in which the first run is NOT the best quality. Each year there are dozens of recalls affecting automobiles from nearly every major manufacturer. These recalls involve everything from door latches and seat belts to engines and transmissions. If you check "Consumer Reports" you will find that most often when there is a problem with an engine or transmission it occurs with the first model year and is then redesigned or changed the next model year. If you check electronics you will find first run smart phones, tablets, laptops and two-way radios such as the Yaesu VX-7R that had problems which were NOT corrected in the first run. I'm not picking on FX but after the initial release of the Streamline and negative feed back, they made changes in the trigger, the cocking mechanism and the fit & finish of the barrel shroud. If you purchase an FX Indy or Independence today, you will get a better quality air rifle than the first run, because internals have been upgraded for better corrosion resistance. The same statement can be made concerning Daystate and Air Arms they also use rolling development to correct deficiencies and or improve their product.
I made this post in the wrong place. It was my response to the piling-on of complaints concerning the FX Impact. My point was that some problems are frequently discovered after the roll-out of a new design and if you're not in a hurry, it may be to your advantage to wait for the bugs to be worked out before buying the product. It amazes me, that I received a - "Accuracy" point, not because my statement was factually wrong, but because someone interpreted the title "Enough Said" as arrogant. Someone I've never met and never spoken with. Unfortunately, the United States has become a nation that values emotions above the open and honest exchange of ideas.
I made this post in the wrong place. It was my response to the piling-on of complaints concerning the FX Impact. My point was that some problems are frequently discovered after the roll-out of a new design and if you're not in a hurry, it may be to your advantage to wait for the bugs to be worked out before buying the product. It amazes me, that I received a - "Accuracy" point, not because my statement was factually wrong, but because someone interpreted the title "Enough Said" as arrogant. Someone I've never met and never spoken with. Unfortunately, the United States has become a nation that values emotions above the open and honest exchange of ideas.
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I do not disagree with the general idea.
However, many companies prototypes are akin to custom air rifles. Their R&D department and engineers (people who are paid $90/hr or more) generally over build or have access to parts and specialized equipment making them far out of reach for most.
It is when a prototype is moved into mass production, the search for cost reduction for maximum profit, that things then begin to appear.
Other things beyond the company control, e.g. prices of commodities, currency fluctuations, labor disputes, can impact the quality or availability of a part, material, or labor.
I would like to see a first go around quality product hit the streets. But usually that kind of thing is reserved for the small batch, small company (like WAR) who have near total control of the whole manufacturing process. I am sure Travis can tell you, he sometimes has bottle necks in production when he cannot get a part or have time to manufacture something.
However, many companies prototypes are akin to custom air rifles. Their R&D department and engineers (people who are paid $90/hr or more) generally over build or have access to parts and specialized equipment making them far out of reach for most.
It is when a prototype is moved into mass production, the search for cost reduction for maximum profit, that things then begin to appear.
Other things beyond the company control, e.g. prices of commodities, currency fluctuations, labor disputes, can impact the quality or availability of a part, material, or labor.
I would like to see a first go around quality product hit the streets. But usually that kind of thing is reserved for the small batch, small company (like WAR) who have near total control of the whole manufacturing process. I am sure Travis can tell you, he sometimes has bottle necks in production when he cannot get a part or have time to manufacture something.
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I think you both have very good points! What would be great is if the Company or companies That make a defective product would be open about these problems and fix or replace the product !! Not, hide it, and or deny the problem exist, to the point where some one gets hurt and or dies from the defect, and or bad design !! Also, The least of which, is the consumer gets a poor quality product!!!
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