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A bad day at the range with the Hensoldt Zeiss Spotter 60

XLR

boss man
Commercial Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
So I love my Spotter 60...that is I did. The other day at the range, we had it mounted to a RRS tripod with a 30 lbs pack hanging from the tripod. Somehow the wind still blew it over and broke the case :(

Hensoldt wants me to send it to them (at my expense-Germany ITAR controlled product). If it can be fixed, I am looking at a minimum of $2150 to get it fixed. If I decide I don't want it fixed, I will still owe them $560 plus the cost of shipping it over. I must say I am regretting my purchase just a bit lol.

The Vortex warranty is looking better even if the glass is not on par lol.
 

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Agree that no questions asked warranties (Vortex) are great and it often influences which brand I buy.

Another option is to insure those big ticket items that don't have great warranty coverage either through a personal articles policy or a separate firearm insurance policy such as the NRA sponsored policy
 
So I love my Spotter 60...that is I did. The other day at the range, we had it mounted to a RRS tripod with a 30 lbs pack hanging from the tripod. Somehow the wind still blew it over and broke the case :(

Hensoldt wants me to send it to them (at my expense-Germany ITAR controlled product). If it can be fixed, I am looking at a minimum of $2150 to get it fixed. If I decide I don't want it fixed, I will still owe them $560 plus the cost of shipping it over. I must say I am regretting my purchase just a bit lol.

The Vortex warranty is looking better even if the glass is not on par lol.

Don't know how old it is but some credit cards have built in warranties for purchases made on them.......
 
I'd had a triple stroke and that's no joke. I'd fix it my self--as long as the optics are still as they were prior the apocalyptic endo... There's a number of ways; epoxy, fiberglas/carbon fiber, hose clamps/Arca Swiss plate, etc. Probably be ugly, but better that than broke. I just lost a scope myself, but fortunately it was already 20 years old and though imported--not a Henny. Good luck.
 
So I love my Spotter 60...that is I did. The other day at the range, we had it mounted to a RRS tripod with a 30 lbs pack hanging from the tripod. Somehow the wind still blew it over and broke the case :(

Hensoldt wants me to send it to them (at my expense-Germany ITAR controlled product). If it can be fixed, I am looking at a minimum of $2150 to get it fixed. If I decide I don't want it fixed, I will still owe them $560 plus the cost of shipping it over. I must say I am regretting my purchase just a bit lol.

The Vortex warranty is looking better even if the glass is not on par lol.

Hensoldt warranty is not an issue here as much as US gov ITAR bullshit , without ITAR this would be an non issue

We in Europe have same issues if we want to send in for repair US products ,company warranty has nothing to do with it.
 
Hensoldt warranty is not an issue here as much as US gov ITAR bullshit , without ITAR this would be an non issue

We in Europe have same issues if we want to send in for repair US products ,company warranty has nothing to do with it.

Except I have to pay for the shipping AND pay for the damage...Even if I decide not to fix it. I wish I only had to pay for the ITAR export.
 
Agree that no questions asked warranties (Vortex) are great and it often influences which brand I buy.

Another option is to insure those big ticket items that don't have great warranty coverage either through a personal articles policy or a separate firearm insurance policy such as the NRA sponsored policy


This is the real gem in the thread. Always do this. I even have my watches and knives covered.
 
I'd think renter's or home owner's insurance would cover something like this(?). It should definitely be under the limit of coverage.
 
I've a rifle/scope under full replacement value with State Farm. After this rig spent four days floating in an eddy of the Koyukuk I couldn't get to the insurance company fast enough. $65 a year.
 
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Take it to someone very proficient at Tig welding. They can keep the heat down and fix that right up. As long as the glass is still good, I wouldn't send it back to Germany.
 
Except I have to pay for the shipping AND pay for the damage...Even if I decide not to fix it. I wish I only had to pay for the ITAR export.

Not sure why they are saying you have to deal with ITAR? I've sent ITAR items to both Germany and Japan for repair, and didn't have to deal with it. Unless things have changed recently, you are allowed to send ITAR controlled items back for repair to the original manufacturer. There's a toll free number for US Customs that you can talk to a customs agent about it. Yes, the State Department has their rules, but I believe CBE actually are the ones who deal with and enforce the ITAR rules.
 
Europptic handles Hensoldt repairs in the US. Send it to them and they will take care of it. I’m sorry for your loss. That’s a lot of money.
 
Oh, in the future, replace the attachment screw with a nylon unit, then if it falls over the nylon will break and not the housing.
 
I don't know, that break seems to be entirely too uniform and circular for it not to possibly be a manufacturer error that your drop exploited.

Then again, its Hensoldt, and coming from a German, its your fault regardless because you didn't comprehand how this was expertly engineered!
 
I don't know, that break seems to be entirely too uniform and circular for it not to possibly be a manufacturer error that your drop exploited.

Then again, its Hensoldt, and coming from a German, its your fault regardless because you didn't comprehand how this was expertly engineered!

I work for the US Subsidiary of a German company...........how right you are. We also have a French subsidiary. None of the other subs will buy from them, they're worse than the Germans. if such a thing is possible. :rolleyes:
 
I work for the US Subsidiary of a German company...........how right you are. We also have a French subsidiary. None of the other subs will buy from them, they're worse than the Germans. if such a thing is possible. :rolleyes:

The French are historically lazy and things like deadlines are completely meaningless to them. They will spend more energy telling you the 100 excuses as to why they haven't finished something instead of actually finishing it. I've seen it a billion times; look at their labor 'work week' that they fight so hard to keep, remove all the bullshit idle time, coffee time, cigarette breaks and lunch time from it and they literally do actual work, maybe 20 hours for a work week. Maybe. Then they'll lose their fucking minds if you suggest they work past that.

Germans are different and in a way the complete opposite to a fault. The children are kind of the same as asian children in that for the most part they're drilled constantly throughout childhood with rediculous expectations on them. The triple tier school system that basically starts pigeonholing you at basically age 5 for success or failure really doesn't help things either. So they overthink and overengineer fucking everything. Everything is a debate; nothing is good enough. This then translates to German companies, and 10 fold with places that design/build/engineer things because the premise that you ever dare mention something that you think is wrong or a design flaw is insulting, because they have spent hundreds of hours perfecting it and what do you know? Critical feedback of something has always been something you stayed away from and has always been a double edged sword in Germany and Europe. There are a lot of overly educated people that don't/can't take any feedback that then hinder themselves in the long run because of it.

I was part of the G3A3/ZF program on the end user side for the Bundeswehr. You should have seen the look on the faces of the HK representatives when suggestions of improvments were made for the ZF to not just be a A3 with a claw mount. To their defense, a lot of the feedback was seen in the G3SG but the Bundeswehr got....a G3A3 with a claw mount. Because how dare we make suggestions.
 
The French are historically lazy and things like deadlines are completely meaningless to them. They will spend more energy telling you the 100 excuses as to why they haven't finished something instead of actually finishing it. I've seen it a billion times; look at their labor 'work week' that they fight so hard to keep, remove all the bullshit idle time, coffee time, cigarette breaks and lunch time from it and they literally do actual work, maybe 20 hours for a work week. Maybe. Then they'll lose their fucking minds if you suggest they work past that.

Germans are different and in a way the complete opposite to a fault. The children are kind of the same as asian children in that for the most part they're drilled constantly throughout childhood with rediculous expectations on them. The triple tier school system that basically starts pigeonholing you at basically age 5 for success or failure really doesn't help things either. So they overthink and overengineer fucking everything. Everything is a debate; nothing is good enough. This then translates to German companies, and 10 fold with places that design/build/engineer things because the premise that you ever dare mention something that you think is wrong or a design flaw is insulting, because they have spent hundreds of hours perfecting it and what do you know? Critical feedback of something has always been something you stayed away from and has always been a double edged sword in Germany and Europe. There are a lot of overly educated people that don't/can't take any feedback that then hinder themselves in the long run because of it.

I was part of the G3A3/ZF program on the end user side for the Bundeswehr. You should have seen the look on the faces of the HK representatives when suggestions of improvments were made for the ZF to not just be a A3 with a claw mount. To their defense, a lot of the feedback was seen in the G3SG but the Bundeswehr got....a G3A3 with a claw mount. Because how dare we make suggestions.

Nail.

Meet.

Head.

;)
 
So I love my Spotter 60...that is I did. The other day at the range, we had it mounted to a RRS tripod with a 30 lbs pack hanging from the tripod. Somehow the wind still blew it over and broke the case :(

Hensoldt wants me to send it to them (at my expense-Germany ITAR controlled product). If it can be fixed, I am looking at a minimum of $2150 to get it fixed. If I decide I don't want it fixed, I will still owe them $560 plus the cost of shipping it over. I must say I am regretting my purchase just a bit lol.

The Vortex warranty is looking better even if the glass is not on par lol.
Have the NF 82, Vortex Razor 27-60x86 and Razor 11-33x59 spotters, along with the Henny 60. Had looked through several friends' Hennys previously. I would never have bought the Henny for the price/performance/service (NOT!!!) difference. But, I got the Henny "FREE"......yeah, again proving there are no free lunches......included with my Barrett MRAD MK-22 Deployment Kit. Pricing every piece in the kit, I still paid full tilt $4330 for the Henny. But, I did get the MK22 kit for about $3-4000 below what I see them selling for.....sans Henny. I see Eurooptic is phasing out of selling Hennys....60 not available on their site, only the 45 and a few left over accessories.
 
Have the NF 82, Vortex Razor 27-60x86 and Razor 11-33x59 spotters, along with the Henny 60. Had looked through several friends' Hennys previously. I would never have bought the Henny for the price/performance/service (NOT!!!) difference. But, I got the Henny "FREE"......yeah, again proving there are no free lunches......included with my Barrett MRAD MK-22 Deployment Kit. Pricing every piece in the kit, I still paid full tilt $4330 for the Henny. But, I did get the MK22 kit for about $3-4000 below what I see them selling for.....sans Henny. I see Eurooptic is phasing out of selling Hennys....60 not available on their site, only the 45 and a few left over accessories.
You have mad resurrection skills, brah!
 
duct tape and bubble gun would fix that up right as rain . Id hate to think what you would do to your pecker if you got angry rip .
hulk smash
TastyZigzagCornsnake-size_restricted.gif


lol
 
Have the NF 82, Vortex Razor 27-60x86 and Razor 11-33x59 spotters, along with the Henny 60. Had looked through several friends' Hennys previously. I would never have bought the Henny for the price/performance/service (NOT!!!) difference. But, I got the Henny "FREE"......yeah, again proving there are no free lunches......included with my Barrett MRAD MK-22 Deployment Kit. Pricing every piece in the kit, I still paid full tilt $4330 for the Henny. But, I did get the MK22 kit for about $3-4000 below what I see them selling for.....sans Henny. I see Eurooptic is phasing out of selling Hennys....60 not available on their site, only the 45 and a few left over accessories.
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