MixShip - SoSo Company YMMV

NOTE: This is just a heads up for others, you might get a board in good shape but I can't see myself risking it again.
EDIT: Read posts bellow, this store is not worth the hassle.


Well I must admit I expected the board to look better.

Bent pins, bent components, sockets that are not straight (some even soldered while not completely touching the board)

I couldn't get the pictures to show the damage in its fullest.
I'm sure some of these pins will break if straightened, the sockets will need to be removed straightened and re-seated

Even if the bent stuff is shipping damage this indicates improper packaging
and there is still the issue with things soldered without seating them to the board








I have a post in their support forums but honestly I'm not expecting an answer, last time I asked a question about a product and still haven't received an answer.


EDIT: as I unpack I find more
The LEDs on my heat-bed are crushed, the laser cut build plates were not cut all the way through so the bottom edge was snapped off of the MDF sheet and several of the holes are not all the way through.
The quality of these products and packaging are terrible.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 01:08PM by VDX.

Did you add the heated bed mosfet heatsink yourself ?
My Ramps from grrf came without one, I was considering adding it but the placement of the mosfet touching the screw terminal makes it difficult (I'd probably need to do some de-solder job first).

---

Most of my technical comments should be correct, but is THIS one ?
Anyway, as a rule of thumb, always double check what people write.

nope, those pics are fresh out of the box and unwrapped.

Got an email from them.

Quote
Hang Zhuo
Hang Zhuo, Jul 05 12:13 pm (EDT):

Hi Timothy,

You could try to use the pliers to make them straight, I believe the damage all occur while shipping.

We always check the RAMPS board and other components to make sure they are right.

As you know, we are still a small workshop, if we haven't done a really good work on packing or other details, please undertand us.

If the board won't work after you bent them straight, we will make a replacement for you.

Or you can send it back to us, we will send a new one to you.

Best regards,
Hang Zhuo
Mixshop Inc.

Notice how he ignored the crushed leds and poor laser cutting.
And the excuse used for the poor board assembly and packaging "we are still a small workshop" that doesn't count for anything, don't charge professional prices if your quality is sub hobbyist.

I ended my return email with:

Quote
Me
So no, I'm not going to fix this board.
Give me an RMA#, a return shipping label, and my $82+tax back
If you do that, I'll fix the poor job on the build plates, I'll replace the leds, and as long as everything else works you'll never hear from me again.

Wow these guys are scum.

I still have yet to get any form of an apology, instead I'm being treated as if I'm the one to blame because I wont accept damaged and poorly manufactured parts.

I offered to keep the unfinished mdf boards, and the heated build plate.
All I wanted was two new LEDs to replace the broken ones, and some pins for my trouble.
And they would only have to exchange the RAMPS board.

Not only wouldn't they go for it but they included this in their message to me.

"If the item is in fine condition, we won't pay for the shipping fee. We will pay for the shipping fee only if the item is truely damaged."

So if they bend everything back on the board and it works they will call it "fine condition"
The mdf is in "fine condition" also it just needs to be drilled out, and the edges sanded.

Id imagine in their eyes the only thing that is "truely damaged." is the LEDs, but would they count it because the heated bed is in "fine condition"

Basically I'll get screwed out of my return shipping.

The board looks fine to me and those pins will not break if you try to straighten them, I am very sure of it. Bend the fuses straight as well as the mosfet, it won't be a problem. My opinion is that you're too used to mass produced products where human error isn't involved. I've assembled the RAMP 1.4 before from scratch and it can be tough to get the headers to be perfectly perpendicular to the board with the first few solder joints but in the end it really doesn't matter. The drivers should still slide in just fine or if you'd like you can bend the headers to be a bit more perpendicular by hand, no damage will occur.

LT1Pat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've assembled the
> RAMP 1.4 before from scratch and it can be tough
> to get the headers to be perfectly perpendicular
> to the board with the first few solder joints

actually it's really easy, just stick some male headers in the top across the various females. For the pins on the board, I put a female header across a whole row of them (they're usually lined up)

I've soldered about a dozen sanguinololu boards and never had any troubles getting all the headers straight.

---

-----------------------------------------------
Wooden Mendel
Teacup Firmware

The components being bent was poor packaging

The sockets being soldered to the board without making full contact is poor manufacturing.


Anyhow the fun continues:

Sent off my RAMPS and Heated bed (they wanted the heated bed instead of sending 2 leds) for RMA.

So while I wait for the replacement electronics I decided to assemble the frame, got all the way to the metal Z Axis Couplers only to find the holds are not straight causing the rod to wobble
And here I was thinking it was well made, the rod threaded in perfectly, it slipped on the motor easily but as it turns the rod wobbles 1/4" at the end. Both Couplers have this issue.


More Info:

I was looking closely at the Couplers and I believe they are not square, so I got thinking about the mdf boards, this edges with and holes that didn't cut correctly are also not square.
it looks like the laser cutter head is tilting off 90° (either it is loose or being pulled by the belts)
one side cuts at 90°, one side is °1 off, one side is 3° off, and the final is 5° off,

So when they would have drilled/taped the couplers they, where sitting at a slight angle.
the angle is so small it is easily over looked but once the rod is in and the motor attached there is a noticeable difference.

I've reported my findings to MixShop, hopefully they fix it instead of letting bad product continue to be shipped.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2012 11:12PM by ShetiPhian.

Is it the upper end that wobbles? If so this is pretty typical. I used precision machined aluminum z-axis couplers with acme precision threaded rod and I still have about 1/4 wobble in the z-axis rod. It doesn't affect my print quality in the slightest. The smooth rods are stiff enough to prevent the x-assembly from shifting from side to side. Hope this helps.

archistrong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is it the upper end that wobbles? If so this is
> pretty typical. I used precision machined
> aluminum z-axis couplers with acme precision
> threaded rod and I still have about 1/4 wobble in
> the z-axis rod. It doesn't affect my print
> quality in the slightest. The smooth rods are
> stiff enough to prevent the x-assembly from
> shifting from side to side. Hope this helps.


nope, its the free floating end.
its off enough and has no flex I cant even get the rod into the X ends at the bottom, if I assemble at the top I can't lower it.

Thats too bad, sorry to hear that your having such issues.

I don't seem to be able to edit the first post anymore.
I want to edit the title, clean it up, and add info


Anyhow Update:

They know of the laser problem.
"We do have problems with laser, it won't go straight from the beginning, we try to fix it for long time, we didn't make that happen, but it won't make any difference when printing."

The Couplers:
"I see, can you check the Couplers ' M5 holes? I think they are maybe to large, and once the set screw goes in too deep, the angle will go off a little bit."

Well I "fixed" mine, after enough wraps of teflon tape to barly see the threads I was able to make them wobble within a 1/16th"

RAMPS was sent back, they tested it but due to all their boards being the same they can't send on with streight sockets, so my original one is returning. I'll have to resolder the sockets to make them seated correctly, I'll never buy a board from them again.

HeatBed was sent back, they replaced the leds. It is on its way back to me.

Shipment should arrive tomorrow so I'll see how everything goes after that

My CreditCard still has no shipping reimbursment, maybe its in the box with the returning items as a cheque or money order, I also might have to do a charge back for it.


Update:
Package arrived.
Turns out they did have a better soldered RAMPS board and they sent it instead of my original.
It was also packaged better resulting in no shipping damage (Though I must point out there was no heavy objects and they used the board protection I sent the RMA in, but future boards might be protected the same way)

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 09:03AM by ShetiPhian.

Plastic Parts are In!
Prusa Mendel Assembled (just need glass from local cutter, for printing surface)

Doing calibration, and my z axis won't move.
- rods turn easily by hand, not a mechanical fault.
- adjust trimpot, nothing.
- test each motor in another axis, they work.
- swap x-axis pololu with the on for z (z now works but x does not)

My Pololu is a Dud.

Off to see if MixShop will swap it out.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2012 09:32PM by ShetiPhian.

Update:

My interaction with MixShop for the Polou replacement went very well.

Even though Pololu has a we're not responsible after the package is open policy, Hang Zhuo (from MixShop) contacted them on my behalf to see if anything could be done.
After a few emails back and forth and running the tests Polou wanted and sending requested pictures, they determined the driver was not damaged from abuse or misuse therefore it had to have died from from a static shock (because they test every driver they ship) and offered a 50% discount on a replacement.

Hang Zhuo gave me a 2 for 1 deal, so now my replacement and spare will be on their way.

I don't believe this was to make up for the problems the first time around, it seemed like standard business practice.
This leaves me to think my first interactions just went horribly wrong.