Guys, I can't recommend Kessler. So many quality and customer service issues. Furious.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I wanted to post this as an FYI to people who are thinking about buying a Kessler. I have a Pocket Dolly 2.0 with the Basic Motion Control Kit. We've used it for over a year shooting maybe 60 hours with it so far.

 

A few weeks ago:

 

1. The wire that attaches to the terminal of the battery broke off. The attachment construction is lackluster at best.

2. The female 12V cigarette lighter plug's plastic housing cracked after about 5 days of use when we first got it over a year ago. It has since been held together with tape. The plastic is just cheap as hell.

3. The female power outlet in the controller *broke off*. The thing at the top and to the right:

 

http://www.nefal.tv/media/image/thumbnail/kessler-elektradrive-basic-controller_720x600.png

 

Since when do power outlets break off? I've only had this happen on cheap Chinese-made sh*t because the solder points are crap. 

 

Kessler's Lifetime warranty does not apply to any of their electronics, and that has only a one year warranty, probably because they're cheap as crap. Joel over at Kessler basically told me I'd have to buy a new controller and battery. Being time pressed with projects lined up and having to rent every day, I relented and spent hundreds on a replacement controller and battery.

 

Today:

 

1. My videographer noticed that one of the four wheels on the sled was loose and wobbly. She lightly tried to tighten the nut on the wheel and the entire wheel sheared off, leaving parts of the metal threading stuck in the sled itself.

2. Thinking that this would surely be covered under the lifetime warranty of Kessler, I emailed them, asking for a cross-ship so as to avoid having to rent at $100 every 3 days as much as possible.

3. Joel said it wasn't covered. 

 

Unfortunately, there is no way for the wheel bolt to loosen without the cart itself being impacted and the wheel bolts bending. This is why the bolt snapped off, because it was tight and bent, and not loose.

 

However, if you would like to send the slider in for repair just let me know.

 

If the bolt is able to be drilled out and we can save the cart, the cost to repair should be around $50. However, if the cart has to be replaced it would be more around $150.

 

4. My videographer, who has been completely honest with me in the past even when she has accidentally broken gear before, said that she has never dropped or impacted the sled. I'm very much inclined to believe her. Joel, sight unseen except for a few photographs I emailed him, went right ahead and said they wouldn't cover it and practically accuses us of giving it impact damage. It can't possibly be due to some manufacturer defect, right? No weak point from manufacturing that eventually cropped up over a year later from repeated use. We ALL KNOW that NEVER happens. EVER. 

 

So, there's my story.

 

There's no effing way I'm ever going to be recommending Kessler to ANYONE. This stuff isn't exactly the cheapest stuff in the world, ESPECIALLY for indies and especially when you consider the crappy plastic build quality of the motion control kit and the fact that they try to weasel out of warranty repairs. 

 

Now, to those reading, please recommend a different slider with a motor and a separate controller that attaches via a wire. The Varavon is great but the motion controls are on the slider itself, which makes is difficult to control ergonomically for us. I've heard that the Konova sliders twist.

 

Afterwards I'd like to just cut my losses with Kessler. More trouble and stress than it's worth.