Longevity Super 160P Inverter, JUNK, DOA, and no reply to my request"S" for help.

[TLG-Windpower]

My words to Longevity..
Screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me!

My words of warning to the public!!!!! Please read and save your money.

I bought one of these Longevity Super 160P figuring that for a thousand bucks it might be worth a try. IT WAS NOT!!!!

Here is what it looks like sitting in my shop as a reminder to NEVER BUY ANYTHING from Longevity again!.

http://www.tlgwindpower.com/images/super_160p.jpg

My story:
I called a number that I found on the Internet for combo unit inverters. I got a call back from a guy named Simon the next day. I had some questions and he seemed to be really excited about his product and gave me the answers I needed to hear.
I called back the next day with a couple more questions and left a message. He called me back that afternoon. Fast return calls from him left me with the feeling that I could do business with Longevity. So I made the leap.
This was a BIG MISTAKE!

I got the unit in and didn't have time to hook it up right away due to family illness. So it sat in the box for almost 2 months...
I finally got it out and hooked it up and it lit up, reads out numbers of amperage that it appeared to be producing even though it was not doing anything. I tried to use it, and it would not do anything at all no matter what I did with it.
It was just plain junk right out of the box!

I went in and looked up where I had paid through PayPal for this unit, got the email address that I sent the payment to and send a note asking for help. no reply.
I went to the Longevity website and got the number again. I called and left a message....
No reply....
I sent an email note directly to the contact on the website....
No reply.....

So it seems that Simon at Longevity was there for me as long as I had my wallet open, once he got my money then he didn't want to waste his time on me anymore.

Now I see where they make claims to have good service, but I wonder if that is because the ones they get back to paid with a credit card and would have a leg to stand on when something happened.
I strongly feel that since I paid with PayPal and it was over 45 days before I got around to hooking it up Longevity didn't feel like they had to do anything to make it right with me since PayPal would be out of the picture.. 45 days or 11 months should not make a difference on a product that claimed to have a 1 year warranty.

I will say this as fair warning to anyone thinking of buying a product from Longevity. Do so at your own risk. And be advised that I think it is a very high risk.

I would not be near as upset if I would have gotten some kind of reply.
But to see Longevity on this forum getting right to anyone with a question like they really care reminds me of my ordeal and how they were right there with their door open wide and their hands extended for my wallet, then once the money hit their hand the door was slammed in my face.

To make a long story short. I have sent emails, left voice messages, and have NOT GOTTEN A REPLY of any kind from Longevity. So if you are thinking of buying a Longevity anything, you should really think hard about it. You may very well end up just like me.

Special thanks to this forum for allowing people that get ripped off a place to vent and warn others so that they do not end up in the same boat.

Terry; Owner TLG Windpower Products. http://www.tlgwindpower.com

[prop-doctor]

Terry GLAD TO SEE YOU GETTING HELP
(god bless the squeaky wheel)

[longevity-inc.com]

Please do not try to contact us through these forums for help. There are not our forums and we have a toll free number you can call for assistance. If you need assistance on the unit, you can call me toll free at 877-566-4462 x201

That is my direct extension.

Simon

Thanks for your Reply, and I was asking all the Vendors not just you. I knew you would be up front and I appreciate your reply and will wait on the others.

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by jonesiera

Thanks for your Reply, and I was asking all the Vendors not just you. I knew you would be up front and I appreciate your reply and will wait on the others.

Hello,

The mosfets on these units can go out. Because there are so many, if one of them fails it is likely that the unit will not operate properly.

However, on stand alone units, the our return ratio is less than 2%. We are very happy with the units.

Simon

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by olddad

Ya got that right Zap !! One has to wonder if anything would have ever been done if he hadn't gone public.

Public forums are the perfect place for this stuff, you want a reputation you'll get it quick here...might not be the one you want though

We've got perfect examples of both sides of the coin right here with the negligence of the Longevity guy and then the Giant guy stepping up to the plate to offer his help !! While I don't agree with selling Chinese here this is a perfect example of the involved indivduals character. Both sides of the coin for all to see

That is not true. Terry received help immediately once we were aware of the situation. You can ask him. We have a toll free support number and you should contact us through email (our new email @longevity-inc.com hosting) With Terry's situation, his emails did not come through because he must have emailed our old domain hosting.

This forum is not run by us so it is not constantly monitored by our employees. We did place a forum for our customers on our website as we agree that public talk is a great deal. I was honest with Terry's situation and he can relate our support to everyone on this forum and has thus far. We take care of him and everyone that is having issues with RESPECT. We will help any customer out that needs it. We sell one of the best welders on the market and we strive to perpetually improve our after sale customer support. We realize these units are new technology and support is very crucial to success. We also realize there is a lot of competition.

I just wish people would realize how competition is a positive factor for consumers, who will win with better prices, support, etc.

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by 69 chevy

"Longevity will ship out free of charge an LP-40D Plasma cutter today through DHL. Tracking number was provided.
Also included in the fax was a pre-paid label for the return shipping of my DOA 160P.
He stated both on the phone and fax that once he has notice of the defective 160P unit being picked up by DHL that he will immediately send out an LW-200ACDC unit to replace the welder portion of my system."

Let's see if I get the gist of what's going down. You originally ordered an all-in-one machine, that turned out to be DOA. The seller is now offering you two separate machines that will do what the original ONE machine did all by itself? Are you settling just to put this sorry affair to rest? Why not a Super 160P that works?

We are currently low on our 160P stock so I have agreed to take care of Terry by supplying two separate models for the time being. Even though the cost of those two models are higher, I was unable to supply him at this time with a unit that is comparable to the 160P without having to pull two separate units. This is the best solution we could have come up with at this time. We have also assured Terry that if he has anymore problems in the future, he may contact Simon directly at extension 201.

Thanks

[Bob at WeldingMag]

Everlast has been warned that WeldingWeb will no longer tolerate any airing of his grievances against other vendors. No other warnings will be provided.

[TLG-Windpower]

Wow, I cannot believe that my thread turned into.
My post was about the unit that I had and the lack of response I got from Longevity (at that time).
After Simon of Longevity found my thread here he contacted me right away.
He explained that he did not get the email notes from me as he had changed email address to match his website.

His first offer was to replace the 160P unit and I said NO. I did not even want to mess with it regardless of how good of luck Simon said he had had with it.

He offered a different solution, that being two different units per my request.

I said that I would update this thread and keep everyone informed.
What I figured would happen is people would wait to see what the end results were. I am surprised as well as disappointed in some in this forum who took my thread and turned it into a (my company is better than your company) bash fest...

As of yesterday my LP-40D Plasma cutter arrive.
I opened it up to look for loose connection and to basically see how it was built. In comparison to my Miller unit I have to say I am impressed. The unit is very heavy built and clearly no expense was spared in quality components.

I hooked it up and it cuts every bit as good as our Miller does.
I hate to say it because I like the stuff that says made in USA, but sadly it can be compared as apples to apples with the Miller machine when you consider that the guts of our Miller is made in China as well.

I sent my 160P back yesterday as well so my 200 amp AC/DC welder should be on its way from Longevity now.

When it gets here I will open it, inspect it, test it, and let you all know what I think of it as well.

I hope it is as good as the LP-40D is. If so I am going to be a happy camper.

Terry TLG Windpower Products

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by 69 chevy

If it's as good or better than Miller, why is the warranty not as long?

Chevy69,

We will be increasing our warranty to 3 years shortly and every existing customer or new customer will have that warranty in affect, including Terry once that switch is made. We respect what Miller, etc.. have done for the industry and are offering good quality products to consumers with price and service in mind.

If you guys have any questions or concerns, ask or PM Terry personally or go to our forums - there are many satisfied customers there.

Thanks

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by jamlit

I find it funny that the quality made manufactures are not posting here. I guess it because they don't need to.

If miller Plasma cutter guts are china made then I am super glad I bought a TD plasma cutter.

Lots of products' guts are China made, including Miller, Hobart, Etc... Unfortunately, it is very expensive to produce in the USA.

[longevity-inc.com]

Terry,

Our LW-200ACDC should reach you shortly. We made sure it was packed very study so let us know if there are any problems.

Simon

[TLG-Windpower]

Thank you for the update Simon.
I am hopeful that the insides of the welder will be as impressive as the cutter was.
So far the little cutter has taken its fair share of abuse. We have done a lot of bevel cutting on 3x3x1/4" steel basically trying to make it fail if it is going to.
Its holding up very well so far.

I look forward to trying out the welder as soon as it arrives.

Thank you for following up and doing as you said you would.

Terry

[TLG-Windpower]

UPDATE: The unit arrived today 2/27/08.
I have un-boxed it and I will be opening the case to inspect the inside of the unit for loose connections, and basically to see how it is built.
I will post another update when I weld with it. It may be a few days since it is warming up some this week and I have a lot of outside work to complete.

[Brett]

Originally Posted by TLG-Windpower

UPDATE: The unit arrived today 2/27/08.
I have un-boxed it and I will be opening the case to inspect the inside of the unit for loose connections, and basically to see how it is built.
I will post another update when I weld with it. It may be a few days since it is warming up some this week and I have a lot of outside work to complete.

Thats good news Windpower.
Lets see thats 14 days after Longevity first replied to you. Not an unreasonable turn around (discounting the prior lead time). I guess if your cynical you could wonder if you had not posted would you have gotten the service ? but Hey, you have it now and I hope it performs well for you.

I guess its important to have forums where suppliers actions can be evaluated by other potential customers.So often we only know a few people and cannot get access to a lot of experiences .

[TLG-Windpower]

Update 3/17/08
It has taken me a bit longer to update this than I thought it would. We are getting into our busy season here.

About the welder. I am impressed with the overall design and workmanship of the unit.
The unit has a wide range of adjustment so you can get it dialed in just the way you want it.

Since I got it hooked up a couple of weeks ago I have made several fusion welds with it on 1/16th inch and 1/8 inch Aluminum.
I did a bevel weld on 3/16th inch Aluminum as well and they all turned out nice.
One thing I noticed while doing the smaller gauge material was the machines ability to turn down low (and I mean really low) and maintain integrity without having to change the adjustment of several knobs.
When you consider that normally when you buy a tig welder for Aluminum you generally have to buy a small unit for lighter gauge stuff, and a bigger unit for the heavier stuff, it makes this unit very affordable. I base that comment from working with other machines that cannot span such a wide range or output. Meaning that a big machine will not dial down low enough, and a little machine cannot dial up high enough.
This one can and will do both.
This machine here will dial down low enough that I would be willing to bet that you could weld pop cans with it. Then on the other hand you can change out the electrode and dial it up and weld some heavy gauge aluminum like 3/8 inch. It may be able to do heavier but then I would need Helium to prove that thought.

Overall for the price I have to say it is a great tig welder.
And based on the way that Simon from Longevity has worked with me to get my situation resolved I am going to have to give him the strong benefit of the doubt that he didn't get my original messages and that may very well be the reason why I was not contacted back originally.
None the less I am grateful to this forum where Simon found my post and got me taken care of.

At this point of someone were to ask me if I would buy from Longevity again I would have to say yes. They have redeemed themselves with me.

[STwelder]

Thanks for keeping us updated TGL-Windpower!
Ill keep watching this post for further updates if any. Again thanks.

[Mandau]

good for you... check for fine print in the gut... it may write MADE from German or America... complain always get you a better machine... AAA quality for a rustcrap.

I had a few complain in my life and good result from overexpose of the matter in open...

[Brett]

Originally Posted by TLG-Windpower

Update 3/17/08




At this point of someone were to ask me if I would buy from Longevity again I would have to say yes. They have redeemed themselves with me.

Pleased to hear it all worked out.

[jakeru]

Also remember an important thing I wanted to add - the argon regulator that comes with the thing was a little problematic because it didn't thread to a standard US-specification argon bottle. I had to get the inlet fitting changed at no small effort & cost. Also, the units are not standard units but metric. All said it done, it it getting the job done but wanted to pass that on. You might find a better for the argon regulator elsewhere. The footpedal is extremely useful for TIG and you'll definitely want to pick up one of those (hopefully shipping won't bend it like it did with mine.) I am still fine tuning my foot pedal, I got it almost perfect - only remaining issue is if I stomp all the way down I get about 95% power (about 190 amps) whereas if I disconnect it from the unit and run full power I can get 199amps. So, almost can get full power using the footpedal.

Oh yeah the hose clamps are very poor quality, I would just toss them and preventively replace them all with good ones. I think I had a problem with one already and replaced it. And I just noticed another is causing a slow leak. That's where my argon's been going. :P I will need to change that as well.

I have yet to overheat the machine and it has impressive power capability. I got a 60 cf argon bottle thinkig it would be more "portable" than an 80 cf, but really should have just got the 80 cf. (Maybe I can upgrade to the 80 cf at my LWS next time I refill.)

[longevity-inc.com]

Dear Members:

Please do not take away from our forum with a competitor's issue. Longevity Welders and Plasma Cutters have nothing to do with any other brand. We try to take care of every customer out there even if their original purchase was from a competitor, but the issue at hand was addressed and dealt with in a professional matter once our company was aware of the situation. If you have any questions about our service and unit, feel free to contact Terry directly through private message. I am sure he will be more than happy to share his experiences with the Longevity Plasma Cutter and Welder he has.

If you guys are looking for help, our customers on our forums would love to help with our products.

Thanks

[jose]

Hello evrybody my name is Jose . I am from phoenix Az .I bought A 416 combo machine from longevity
not long ago and I can tell. Uptill now Im happy with my machine. And Simon was very helpfull with me . If I ever need to buy a new machine I will contact Simon with no doubt.
Thanks Jose.

[Engloid]

As we have seen posted, Longevity has the ability to delete posts in this forum. I guess we gotta at least give some props for him not deleting the thread.

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by Engloid

As we have seen posted, Longevity has the ability to delete posts in this forum. I guess we gotta at least give some props for him not deleting the thread.

Jose,

Thanks for your support. Call us anytime.

Simon

[longevity-inc.com]

Originally Posted by Engloid

As we have seen posted, Longevity has the ability to delete posts in this forum. I guess we gotta at least give some props for him not deleting the thread.

Engloid,

I had to delete the useless chatter in the previous posts or this whole BS about competitors and china would continue. This thread has every right to exist because the customer, Terry, actually had an experience with my company and myself.

I will never silence someone even if they are unhappy as long as they have given my company a chance! The posts we deleted were from people who are upset at the fact we are an addition to the corporate world of imports or posts by competitors who had nothing to do with Longevity.

Thanks,

PS: i am looking into the torch capability with miller and lincoln.

Simon