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Hunter alignment machine problems

01ps

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
131
We have had 2 Hunter alignment machines over the last few years. First one was good for about 1.5y and then started blowing boards all over the place, we put $1000's worth of repairs into it. We followed all the recommended "fixes", such as monitoring power, installing backup power, and even a $4500 filter on the main panel, with another battery backup, followed by a surge protector. Finally we had enough, and stupidly we bought a new one from Hunter (670), assuming we had a dud.

After a few months, this one started giving us problems with failed boards. It is just 1yr old, and we have not had a working aligner now for 2 weeks and have had to farm out the work. The boards are covered in corrosion, and we have had 8 replacements sent over the past few weeks, and 5 didn't work out of the package!!!, still leaving us without a working aligner. Their latest fix is spraying the boards with Krylon for sealing them for frik sakes.

Hunter is blaming it on our power, our air quality, blah blah. We can't get any satisfaction from them. We have no problems with any other electronic equipment, other than this thing, and out hunter balancers, which until a few days ago were both down with failed boards as well!!! Our repair tech has been really good trying to keep us going, but he is in over his head, and he just keeps getting the same BS from Hunter about power etc.

Since we have had 5 boards for this thing not work out of the box over the last month, I'd say the problem is with them. A few days ago he ordered 2 boards to replace the one that has been down, hoping to get one that works. After waiting and making a special 5hr trip to pick them up because they weren't shipping fast enough, BOTH new boards don't work out of the package!!!

Anyway, I know this is as much a rant as a question, but has anyone else had issues? Or is there a way to contact Hunter directly, all we get are layers of sales reps that don't do anything for us.
 
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joecon

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
683
We have 2 Hunters and have had no problems with them. I doubt that all those boards are bad out of the box and bet some thing else is really wrong with the machine.
 
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39CAMC

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Messages
473
Location
St. Louis, MO
What model aligner(s) are these? You mention 670, is that a WA670 computer? The computers are just PC's....what boards are failing? It is crazy easy to use a UPS/Battery Backup, which also conditions power with the aligners since they run on 110v

It is a little harder on the balancer assuming it is 220.

Regardless, I have had a ton of Hunter aligners in the past 8-10 years, all used, usually cheaply purchased off CL and have never had a bad board in any of them. On the PC based ones, I have had a few CPU fan failures, 1-2 fan failures on the Hunter Interface box and never a board failure.

My old balancer was also picked up used as a trade the Hunter guy took in from a Firestone. It did fry the DC motor board ONCE but this was apparently an known issue on the DSP6700 Road Force balancers and once fixed it was fine.

I agree with Hunter, something is going on with your power. I would invest in a UPS for that aligner ASAP, that is the easy button to confirm or eliminate power there.

Also, in all those old POS machines I have cleaned up, repaired and then flipped to upgrade to where I am at now, I have never had a bad part out of the box from Hunter. Not that I have had a lot of parts, but it just seemed to never happen to me.

DaveW
 

matt_i

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
10,760
Location
SE Michigan
Do you have a condensing environment in your shop where the door is open a lot and warm air is bathing cold machines?

That you spray paint the circuit boards to make them last, you have corrosion on multiple boards on multiple machines for the same issue says to me you need to look strongly at the environment of the shop and not at a manufacturer.

Run fans, dehumidifiers and keep the heat on all can help.
 
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