Miller/Smith torch warranty

[Iluvbeer]

I purchased a new Miller/Smith heavy duty professional torch kit this past Winter. My rosebud ST602 is leaking really bad where the tip is mounted into the part that screws to the torch handle. I just filed a warrant submission with Miller. Hopefully they’ll fix me up with a new one. Anyone had any experience with dealing with their warranty dept? I still have my receipt from the welding shop where I purchased it so hopefully it’ll be a smooth experience.

 

[trackwelder]

I purchased a new Miller/Smith heavy duty professional torch kit this past Winter. My rosebud ST602 is leaking really bad where the tip is mounted into the part that screws to the torch handle. I just filed a warrant submission with Miller. Hopefully they’ll fix me up with a new one. Anyone had any experience with dealing with their warranty dept? I still have my receipt from the welding shop where I purchased it so hopefully it’ll be a smooth experience.

I have had no issue with repairs with repairs on the “Lifetime” torch handles and cutting attachments. If it’s the rosebud leaking it just might need a o ring.
My LWS has always handled the warrant claim directly with Smith and now Miller

 

[NUTTSGT]

Got a picture of where it threads in ? Maybe we can spot an issue.

 

[Iluvbeer]

This is the professional series that supposedly comes with lifetime warranty. The rosebud has been loose since I got it this past winter. I took it apart last night and discovered the threads are not stripped but not machined correctly resulting in it not tightening up properly. I explained this to Miller warranty support and all I got back was an email telling me what o-rings to buy. They obviously didn’t read the email very well. Worst of all, it was a no reply email so I couldn’t even respond back saying that wasn’t the issue. I had to go through the entire warranty claim procedure again just to explain it all over. What a terrible experience so far. Kind of makes me wish I’d went with Victor. I only went with Smith because of their history of customer service. Not looking so good now that Miller has taken that over.

 

[rlitman]

Have you actually tried to change the o-rings?

 

[Iluvbeer]

Have you actually tried to change the o-rings?

No I haven’t. It’s only been used twice in 7 months I’ve owned it so the rings should be good. But, the threads aren’t machined correctly so as you attempt to screw the tip down, it never tightens, is just continues to spin. So o-rings aren’t gonna help the thread issue.

 

[rlitman]

On a rosebud, the o-rings form the seal, regardless of whether or not the tip is "tight". However, if the threaded ring keeps turning and the threads slip, then sure, something is wrong. Perhaps you don't have the correct sized tip for the handle.

 

[Iluvbeer]

Thanks. Yeah something is wrong. Been loose like this when i took it out of the box. I purchased the entire setup as a kit for $650 so if it’s wrong size tip/handle, they messed something up when they packaged it.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Where did you purchase it?

 

[seber]

I had a Lifetime torch several years ago that locked the tip solid. Took it to a local welding shop to take care of it. They sent it in for me and a week later I had a new torch and tip.

 

[Iluvbeer]

Well....Miller came through after all. I had responded back and explained how unhappy I was with their response (which wasn’t helpful in the least) and they responded by sending me a brand new st602 in the mail that I just received. So while their initial contact felt like I was just a number they wanted to hurry up and respond to and forget about, they ended up making everything right.

 

[Iluvbeer]

I had purchased everything from my local welding shop.

 

[rlitman]

Glad to hear it. So, how is the fit of the new one? And was the old one the wrong part in the box, or a manufacturing defect?

 

[Iluvbeer]

The new one works flawlessly. It was a mfg defect on the old one. I think the threads were just machine incorrectly not allowing the tip to thread down properly. I’ve still got it too. The new tip will thread out of the new housing and into the old housing just fine so it’s obviously just the threads in the old tip that are the problem.