Technical Bait and switch - JEGS new 6 piece English wheel anvil set

EDIT on 3/6/2019

I've taken a lot of heat on this - rightly so, badly handled by me. JEGS received a mixed lot of parts, more details below.


The box arrived today

This is what I ordered - note the nice polish.. Copied from the JEGS website today (3/5/2019).

https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/81517/10002/-1


This is what was in the box. Casually thrown in the box with one (1) strip of shipping paper. The turn marks are not gross, but, can be felt with a fingernail.

I did get it at my door when promised.


The dies are nominally 2" in diameter. You can see the tool marks on this picture. The radius appear to be accurate. NOTE: I highly recommend the Fay Butler radius gauge, I got a quick shipment, with a nice note.

Probably worth the approximately $24 each, but, not what I ordered.

More pictures and a discussion of fitting the Harbor Freight English wheel.

A probably followed by a cheap tool rant...

 

Harbor Freight (HF) English wheel compatibility - Mine was purchased in November, 2018. The HF lower anvil is 3" in diameter and is polished. The JEGS lower anvil is 2" in diameter and has an "as-machined" surface. In this picture, both anvils have a 3" radius.


HF anvil in holder.



JEGS anvil in HF holder. NOTE: The Allen screw takes a 5MM Allen wrench.


Frontal view of a 3" radius JEGS lower anvil in a HF English wheel holder.

SUMMARY: A (barely) usable anvil for the less than $24 price. I still think that JEGS did a bait and switch.

 

Mini-rant on cheap tools.

I expect lots of comments to follow. From disdain for tools not hand crafted in the USA to "I built my rod with tools that fell off the telephone truck".

I am a 74 year old "late bloomer". I bought the 25 cent magazines in the late 50's, but family and finances (they are related...) has prevented me from building anything spectacular.

I have acquired tools over the years Sears, warehouse stores, "Blister-pack-city" auto parts stores, traveling Chinese tool tents (before Harbor Freight (HF) was almost everywhere) and lots of HF tools. I occasionally have to throw a tool away before completing the first use, but, I regularly use 30 to 40 year old cheap tools. The ability to do most of my own repairs on cars, truck and houses has allowed us to live better on a restricted income.

I'll keep the JEGS anvils and attempt to learn a new skill.

Let the comments follow.

 

I assure you, Jegs has no intention to bait and switch you or anyone else. If they were not what you expected, they will gladly take them back. China, on the other hand, might bait and switch you.

-Abone.

 

Did you see the picture of what they advertised and the picture of what they delivered? Or are you answering the title without reading the contents? The purpose of this post is to inform those folks that are active seeking a source of lower anvils. Hopefully, I have prevented some disappointment.

 

I think he is telling you that jegs did not look in the box. Contact them with your pictures , I think they will agree with you. Now a rant of mine, if we all expect what we buy to be ok then when it isn't why do people keep it? If it is not right , give them a chance to set it right but don't settle without satisfaction. That is why customer service is so poor

 

What did people do before the internet came along to slander companies without giving them a chance to correct a problem? Did they just stand of the street corner and yell at random people walking by?

 

Send them back and get these from Northern tool. They are suppose to fit the HF wheel.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...MIlNGr15vs4AIVSxtpCh3wKwk1EAQYASABEgK8hvD_BwE


Then report back so I can see if I should order some for mine!

 

you wanted american quality and thats what you got-LOL

 

The NT ad shows polished anvils also, but the review from a customer says that they have a rough surface and need to be put in a lathe and smoothed and polished. Caveat emptor.

 

I did look at them, they are still back ordered without a defined delivery date.

 

WYSIWYG is now WishIWYG

 

That's an real asshole comment.

 

If your that unhappy with what you received send them back.

I did notice the word "polished steel" was lacking in the advertisement, looking at the anvil dies offered on the internet they are usually in the 80 to 100 dollar range per die.

There is a old adage that is attributed to Ben Franklin -

" The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

HRP

 

How long do you want to wait? I looked at the ad and they are back ordered with a wait of 30 days OR MORE. How's that for a disclaimer?

 

On another long thread, a bunch of us are looking for affordable lower anvils.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...glish-wheel-lower-anvils-help-please.1127798/

All the usual sources were in a "back-ordered" status. I was the "crash test dummy" when a set finally became available.

After many months, a new shipment of anvils came in - and JEGS did not look into the box and just shipped them out - says volumes about their quality control.

I intend to leave this post up - This community needs a warning about goods that do not match the description on the web sit that you entered your order.

If Ryan or the moderators disagree, they can "POOF" or lock this thread.

 

Tooth, bought the Jeg's english wheel that came with the full set of lower anvils, and they are the same as the H/F wheel.

 

Your title says "bait and switch". I do not believe that is the case. You later say it is a problem with quality control. That may be correct. It seems these days drama is the answer for all things.

Neal

 

We bought the English Wheel and Anvils from Jegs (must have been on sale because I am cheap) in mid January of this year and the pieces were shiny, they don't look at all like what you received. I'd contact them because they don't want/need any bad press.

 

I picked up a Princess Auto (HF down south) English wheel a couple of years back. Anvils nice and shiny. And I got six of them. Why do people need to buy the anvils? Are they not included when you buy the wheel?

 

HF is out of anvils, bought my English wheel from HF in November, it came with just one nicely polished 3" radius anvil.

I took a Gene Winfield class in November and a Joel Davis class in February, no one knew of a source for reasonable priced anvils.

 

Enough of the china japan etc crap if it was not for japan we would still be driving vegas and colts and pintos.
RLS

 

Maybe, but any that are left would have V-8's in them by now.

 

What's wrong with Colts? I got one with a 542 BBM in it!

 

Oops. Not HAMB friendly!

 

Thanks for stepping up to walk the point and keeping us posted on the results. Now I know how not to spend some bucks.

As I posted in the other thread I'm still checking the local HF's for anvils when I get near them, will post again when anything new develops.

Ed

 

One bad anvil is a quality control issue, all 6 anvils having a dramatically different surface finish is bait and switch in my opinion.

As suggested, I just attempted to send pictures to JEGS. I was unable to find a way to link pictures. I did use the comments on their web site and sent the following (including the particulars (Name, phone #, order #, part #, email, etc). The following is the automated receipt of message from JEGS:

Thanks for submitting your question or comment.
I am calling this bait and switch. I ordered https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/81517/10002/-1 Look at the picture, Nice shiny, polished surfaces. What you sent me was "as-machined" surfaces. And it was poorly packed. Since I do not have the ability to add a picture, see my photos on the HAMB. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...nglish-wheel-anvil-set.1142091/#post-12983800

A JEGS Customer Service Associate will contact you by email at (i deleted my email)

I just received an email that it "is being reviewed by our Digital Customer Service Team."

I will report back the results.

In my mind, a satisfactory result is to replace the pictures with actual pictures of the "as-delivered" product. They appear to be decent under $24 anvils.

 

They don't deserve bad press, IMO, without having an oportunity to make things right! Too many people don't seem to understand that concept

 

You think your pissed and agrivated now...
Just wait till you try making parts on that while trying to use your newly learned skills.
Youll learn a bunch of bad habits, new cus words but not much wheeling

 

I posted a comment with a possible solution on the other thread :"HF English wheel lower rollers" as it seems that these two threads need to be combined(or maybe they split off?) as they address the same availability/price/poor quality issues.