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Thermopen failure

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    Thermopen failure

    The housing on my Thermopen failed, even though it was never dropped. The plastic has become brittle, developed some cracks and started falling apart. Contacted the company and, because it's three years old, it's outside the guarantee. They offered to sell me a new one at 30% off, but require me to send in the defective unit. Being in isolation I'm not about to go to the post office. A second option is to sell me a new one for 25% off retail. Not much of a break considering they often have it on sale for that price. Very disappointing that it failed sooner than it should have considering it originally cost $100. Anyone recommend a less costly alternative?
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    Last edited by BBQPhil; May 7, 2020, 06:24 PM.

    #2
    Damn, that's disappointing, I've always had great customer service from them but it's always been with industrial probes that were in warranty.

    I use a LavaTools Javelin Pro Duo at home. I've had it for 2 1/2 years, I've dropped it, left it outside stuck to my prep table for days, my wife dropped it in the sink, etc. It's still going strong

    They're $55 on Amazon.

    That being said, I'd buy another ThermaPen in a heartbeat.

    Comment


      #3
      Well that's certainly a bummer, BBQPhil . I'm surprised that Thermapen didn't give you a better deal. How do you think it happened, since you didn't drop it? Placed on a warm surface for a while or repeatedly?

      Kathryn

      Comment


      • BBQPhil
        BBQPhil commented
        Editing a comment
        Have no idea. Just noticed it while using it. The probe rotates easily and I never exposed the plastic to high temps. As a retired product designer/engineer it looks to me like the material just became brittle and disintegrated. That can be caused by a bad batch of material or a molding malfunction. My disappointment is paying $100 and not getting better support or a longer life.
        Last edited by BBQPhil; May 8, 2020, 09:55 PM.

      #4
      I use their thermopop which is less than half that price. The cracks on yours look kind of weird. If it is a failure in the plastic I would expect it to be in multiple places since you didn’t drop it or drop anything on it. Maybe something was malfunctioning in the hinging mechanism. Is it cracking on the other side, too?

      Comment


      • HawkerXP
        HawkerXP commented
        Editing a comment
        I use the POP as well.

      • BBQPhil
        BBQPhil commented
        Editing a comment
        No, back side only.

      • Alabama Smoke
        Alabama Smoke commented
        Editing a comment
        I also use the ThermoPop. Its a very good little package and only very slightly slower to register an accruate reading than it's more expensive cousin. About 3 to 4 seconds gives me an accurate reading for about $30 or $32 the last time I looked at it. I liked mine so well I purchased one for my son. He really likes his as well.

      #5
      You can get the Maverick instant read thermometer from https://snsgrills.com/collections/th...products/pt-55 for $40.

      Kathryn

      Comment


      • VideoWolf88
        VideoWolf88 commented
        Editing a comment
        I have this and it works great.

      #6
      I've had a similar experience with them. I have a Thermapen IR. When opening out the probe, temps readings would fluctuate all over the place. It was under warranty, but TW requires you send the device back at your cost. They will then evaluate and decide whether it can be repaired or maybe replaced. They will not cross-ship a replacement or issue a credit as many other online sellers will.

      Otherwise, their products are outstanding. I have an MK-4, a Dot and one of their IR guns, so I'm not bashing, just noting they have a relatively weak replacement/repair process comparatively.

      Comment


        #7
        I think the reason why they have this policy about wanting the item back is they've had a lot of trouble with the market being flooded with copycat look-alikes being sold on eBay or Amazon. People think they're getting the real deal at a great price, but they're instead getting a cheap knockoff.

        A policy of "no return, no questions asked" customer service means ThermoWorks would not only have to provide support for their legit products, but also provide the same level of service for the look-alikes. I don't blame them if they don't think they need to do that.

        I'm not saying they shouldn't provide good service, just that I don't blame them for not wanting to fix other people's problems at their expense.
        Last edited by IowaGirl; May 8, 2020, 08:43 AM.

        Comment


        • BBQPhil
          BBQPhil commented
          Editing a comment
          That's a good point but in my case the pen was purchased from them.

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