HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

I use piano wire and yes, on a hard landing they can bend, but I can always bend them back while mounted in the plane anyway. I also tend to make spares from previous experiences so if it gets too bent or has been bent back and forth too many times, I just grab a new one. It only takes a couple of minutes to change one out at the field.

I'd rather stress a piece of wire worth a penny or two before transferring any damaging energy to the rest of the mechanism, but that just MHO.

mirwin

My Feedback: (1)

I have pretty much resolved the issue of the cheap 5/32" struts on these .60 size H9 models. I am using Titanium 5/32" struts sold only by Central Hobbies on my H9 Corsair. They're still 5/32", so they're wobbly. BUT the titanium doesn't bend.

They work very well in combination with the Lado retract system - which is still working flawlessly.

The 5/32" Titanium struts are part number CHMTS5, and they cost $16.95 per pair. www.centralhobbies.com

The EASIEST solution would be if H9 would START USING 3/16" WIRES!


Happy New Year
Mike

rcflyerf4u

My Feedback: (90)

seems that lado is still having problems shipping orders. ordered my retracts on 11/7/08. Was promised shipping in 3 to 4 weeks. i called and got what seems to be the standard promise that they would be shipped next week. Still waiting after two additional phone calls leaving messages on their answering service. no return calls from them yet. notified credit card company to recover my payment. bad customer service is a buisness killer.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

You want great customer servace , call Lenny from Shindig , the guy emails you right back , then he follows up , then he tells you when your gear is made , he puts your name on them and waits for payment , totall first class text book !!!
I dont care how big , small , tired , inexperienced , or super experienced , if you busy and running a tiny start-up biz you bring in the family , you have people make calls and tell your #1 asset your customer that "hey sorry , we late " , I hope you dont mind the call , but we did not want you to worry , we will be filling your order to ship in three weeks , we are really sorry for the delay .
I am a vp of sales in a very large company , I call our smallest customers to our largest , and I dont have the time , but telling them your late before they have to call goes a long long way .
As far as retarcts , dont this Lado , only heard good things about the guy and his products but they need to call there customers ,
as far as I am concerend Lenny has raised the bar in my book , good guy , great products and great follow up

Larry3215

My Feedback: (2)

Got a link to this Lenny guys web site? I assume he makes landing gear?

I would sure like another set of the Lado's but Im not willing to go thru what happened to me on my first order again. I dont care how good the product is when the service is that bad.

If there is an alternate out there Im all over it.

phatbob02

My Feedback: (126)

I've had two sets on order since September and I ordered them the same day I received an email saying they were now in stock. I've since received four shipping dates and I'm currently waiting for LADO to answer my fifth.

How many years does it take for a new company to become not a new company? They're better at manufacturing excuses. I hope I'm still alive when the 70 series come out.

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

Larry , I get you the link no problem , yes he makes retracts on par with Sierra gear 100% quality

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

www,shindinmachine.com-Larry try this site , or google this , its very easy to get to

Larry3215

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks LDM. Thats some nice looking stuff!

By the way - here is a link that works

http://www.shindinmachine.com/

phatbob02

My Feedback: (126)

I emailed lenny @ shindinmachine.com and he doesn't make a rotating retract. I will say that he did respond within 30 minutes. Nice looking products and I will look him up in the near future.

I just cancelled another one of my orders with LADO. 14 weeks and and still nothing![:@] That's two cancelled and one to go. If you can't get new product, I sure don't want to find out what a warranty issue would entail.

prophead

My Feedback: (25)

We need to stop this negative input toward Doug at LADO, I personally know Doug and can tell you that he has given up everything to keep this business going. He has lost his home, he has lost his new car, he lives with his in-laws all of this in an effort to keep this business going. It has even taken a big part of his health due to the stress he is experiencing. You guys that are talking negatively about him and his business are effectively driving his business into the ground, and soon we wont have this cool landing gear that Doug has spent thousands of hours designing and tens of thousands dollars to build. If we don’t support him; this neat product will disappear. You guys are calling him all the time with questions that the answers are on the website and effectively tying him up so that he cant get any work done. You need to cut him some slack and let him get some work done! If you don’t we will all loose. I know for a fact that Doug has procured a new mill to use in his business in an effort to increase production, he has only had this mill for a few short weeks. I’m certain that his production time will now turn around for the better. If we don’t support LADO and do it now, we will loose a valuable contributor to this hobby. He needs support now more than ever, his products are the greatest thing since the invention of the computer. Support him don’t drive him into bankruptcy. When you as a customer start thinking about how long its taking to get your gear and your starting to get upset about it, just stop and think about what Doug has lost in an effort to make this neat product that we all like once we get it. Then think about how small a sacrifice we have made by waiting, patiently I might add, and then think about the huge sacrifice that Doug has made. There is no comparison, and I think waiting for a product this cool for a few short weeks is indeed a small but worthy sacrifice that we all need to be prepared to do in an effort to keep this guy going so that in the future we still have him around making this cool stuff. Doug is at the point right now where you guys can either make or break him, I for one would like to see him make it. I talk to Doug almost every day and I can say that in the tone of his voice that he is just about beating mentally, I keep encouraging him to not give up! He is under 10 tons of stress, lighten up guys, don’t beat him down, support him.

Kelvin

Larry3215

My Feedback: (2)

Kelvin,

I appreciate what you are saying and I too really want Doug to make it and prosper, but I have a hard time with the "new mill" excuse. We were getting similar responses this time last spring - I think it was a new lathe that time - along with the same promises of shorter lead times and no more missed shipping dates.

But more importantly, you and Doug still just dont get it.

Its NOT the long lead times that are pissing his customers off.

Its really not.

I would happily wait 6 or 8 or 10 weeks to get a new set of gear - if I could trust Dougs word that thats when they really would be ready.

Its the repeated lies and broken promises - over and over and over again that is killing Dougs business.

THAT is what Doug needs to fix to save his business. He doesnt need a new mill.

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

I for one wholeheartedly agree with Kelvin. What YOU don't seem to get is that Doug has obviously sacrificed A HECK of a lot to keep this venture going. If YOU can't grasp the very real issues with having a small business and the challenges that go with them, especially when a product takes off beyond the inventor's expectations, then why don't you simply take your business elsewhere and quite driving his potential customers away?

I mean, come on, this is not Robart, or Sierra for Peets sake! This is a truly one of a kind product, and you obviously haven't dealt with specialty products like these very much or you would ease up a little. Sure, he tends to be a little optimistic when he gives shipping dates, but these things will surely work out in time, and perhaps your suggestion of giving more realistic delivery times could ease things for touchy folks who have patience issues.

If you really meant what you said about Doug's business, then this isn't the place to vent your frustration unless you actually intend to help do the opposite. If you think posting negative comments is going to magically make your order appear, I suggest you think again.

stang151

I agree with Larry 3215, it's not the long lead times , it's being told ",shipping Firday" for two months. I LOVE the gear and I think it's the wave of the future!! If he told people 15 week lead time I don't think anyone would have a beef, it's the constant unfulfilled promises. I know he wants to make people happy but that is not the way to go about it. I want Doug to pull through this . Again I LOVE the product and when he gets caught up I want to order more. Just be realistic about shipping and I think people will back off. JMHO

Larry3215

My Feedback: (2)

Actually, thats exactly what it took to get my order shipped.

Repeated phone calls, repeated e-mails all failed over almost 3 months. It took posting on here to get Doug to actually ship them out.

Being patient is one thing. I WAS patient. So were ALL the other guys that have posted negative comments in this thread. I dont think anyone has posted that has been waiting less than 2 months and ALL report the same thing. It wasnt the delays that piss them off - it was the repeated broken promises.

Also, I DO happen to know exactly what its like to run a small, struggling business. Thats what I do every day. ALL of my orders are special orders going to very picky customers who are on very tight schedules. I too am highly dependent on subcontractors and vendors to do thier jobs perfectly because if they dont, I am the one who gets the blame and has to eat the costs. I know exactly what Doug is going through.

"Stuff" happens in my business all the time. At this exact moment I have orders I cant complete because trucks cant get into the NorthWest because of bad weather. I have vendors who cant ship because they cant get product or people cant get to work. My customers still need there stuff and are still breathing down my neck.

So - should I lie to my customers and promise them their order will be shipping out today - when I know full well there is no way?

NO! The first time I do that I will have lost that customer for ever. Then that customer will tell other customers that I cant be trusted and my business will be gone in no time.

It doesnt matter how "nice" a guy you are. It doesnt matter how "great and unique" your product is. It doesnt matter how cheep your product is.

You cannot lie to your customers and expect them to come back.

And you most certainly cannot expect them to give glowing reviews and recomendations to their friends and fellow modelers.

Stang51 has it exactly right. Be up front, be honest and people wont get nearly so mad.

rcflyerf4u

My Feedback: (90)

Larry has it exactly right. I whole heartedly agree.

phatbob02

My Feedback: (126)

I'm with larry,

Again, the "Bleeding Hearts" come out. They tell me he lost his home, car, and sacrificed family to keep the business going!!? Sounds like someone bit off more than they can chew and had no business plan.

I bought two sets when they first came out and loved them. After placing orders for three more sets, that were in stock, now into the fourth month for delivery, and almost $600 of my cash, I recieved my fifth delivery date yesterday.

I for one don't hound LADO with calls or emails. If I get a delivery date and it has passed by a week or two, I'll email. I'll take my new date with a grain of salt.

Doug may be a great guy but the way I see it, I was lied to numorous times.

BAD, BAD, DOUG

Destroyer of Airplanes

My Feedback: (25)

I got an idea. Since Doug only seems to deliver about a third of what he could sell. Lets have him raise his prices about 600%. That way he would have fewer customers, plenty of product to sell and it would be profitable as well.





Glad I could help.

Paul

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

Sounds more like BAD BAD PHATBOB to me. If you are such a hardarse with your bleeding hearts comment perhaps you should take your beef to the guy who kept sending Doug money if you aren't happy with the service. Seems like you should have learned your lesson the first time.

phatbob02

My Feedback: (126)

[sm=cry_smile.gif] If you try [sm=cry_smile.gif] to reread [sm=cry_smile.gif] my post, [sm=cry_smile.gif]I [sm=cry_smile.gif]didn't[sm=cry_smile.gif]have a [sm=cry_smile.gif] problem [sm=cry_smile.gif] with the [sm=cry_smile.gif] first order.

[sm=cry_smile.gif] It was the second. [sm=cry_smile.gif][sm=cry_smile.gif][sm=cry_smile.gif]

[sm=71_71.gif]I also wonder if Doug appreciates his personal life being broadcast on the forums.[sm=confused.gif]

[]You and me, we're still friends, right?[]

lado-tech

Hey guys I just wanted to say I appreciate all of your input. I know some of you are frustrated with me and I can understand why. We have bitten off more than we can chew and are working to build up to the demand of our products. I never thought our retracts would be this popular. This was going to be a side gig in my garage part time. Now we have a full shop, ¼ of million dollars in equipment and employees. That’s a big change for just two years! This growth is good and bad, I am working through it the best I can. Things will get better as we move forward.

As I move forward I will take all of your advice to heart and work on communication and delivery promises. I appreciate all of your support and suggestions.

Thanks,
Doug

LADO Technologies
www.lado-tech.com

Destroyer of Airplanes

My Feedback: (25)

Doug,

I like your stuff and it has been my intention all along to wait out this slow period and order again. However I believe I may have the answer to your production problem. I think you should apply for a government bailout to save the flagging 'Electronic Retract Industry". What the heck a couple of hundred million should do. Right, you best get your congressman hump'en on it.



Regards

Paul

lado-tech

That gave me a good luagh! Thanks Paul!

Doug

DirtTorpedo

LOL

After talking to Doug about my H-9 Jug, and placing an order.... I don't think his business qualifies... He offers an actual product, and can't keep it oin the shelves!!!!! (unlike the Gas Guzzlers I see molding away on the GM lots around here!!!)

Can't wait to get my set of 60-1's.. And then order another set for the Spitty I just picked up!!

V1

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Doug,

Please forgive me for trying to contact you via this public forum, however I believe that this might be the only way that I can get you to reply to my numerous attepmts to get my retracts delivered. My original order was placed way back in April 2008 and unfortunately my patience is now starting to become a little thin. I sent an e-mail to Lanae on the 13th of November 2008 and recieved the following reply:
Steve,

We will ship your order today for the 60-2 Rotating Retract.



Thanks,

Lanae


As of today I am yet to recieve my retracts. I have spoken to you on the phone and was told that my order was number two on the delivery list and that was seven months ago. Please know that I have done much research into what type of retract products are available and would like to congratulate you on the hard work that you and the family have done to introduce this type of innovative product into the market , all I need is for them to be sent to me so I can use them.