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Spotters Vortex does it again

Pappasniper

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 13, 2011
1,083
308
62
AZ
I have owned and used an 85mm Razor spotter for years. Awesome spotter. I have the 27-60 variable eyepiece and liked it alright but later bought the fixed 22X with MRAD reticle and absolutely love that eyepiece.

Well, 2 weeks ago I pulled my spotter out of my bag and the eyepiece fell off the body and on a rock directly on the glass, dead center. I couldn't do it again if I tried 100 times. As you already probably know, I sent it back to Vortex and they replaced it no questions asked. I ask them to repair it but they just sent a new one like they usually do. Most people know of Vortex's great customer service but I was still compelled to give a shout out.

Also, if you own a Razor and don't have an MRAD eyepiece I highly suggest getting one. It makes reading your calls so much easier and is much better in the summer for mirage with the lower 22X power. And making a fixed eyepiece is easier to make aberration free glass so it tends to be clearer.

Buy Vortex with confidence.

PB
 
I have owned and used an 85mm Razor spotter for years. Awesome spotter. I have the 27-60 variable eyepiece and liked it alright but later bought the fixed 22X with MRAD reticle and absolutely love that eyepiece.

Well, 2 weeks ago I pulled my spotter out of my bag and the eyepiece fell off the body and on a rock directly on the glass, dead center. I couldn't do it again if I tried 100 times. As you already probably know, I sent it back to Vortex and they replaced it no questions asked. I ask them to repair it but they just sent a new one like they usually do. Most people know of Vortex's great customer service but I was still compelled to give a shout out.

Also, if you own a Razor and don't have an MRAD eyepiece I highly suggest getting one. It makes reading your calls so much easier and is much better in the summer for mirage with the lower 22X power. And making a fixed eyepiece is easier to make aberration free glass so it tends to be clearer.

Buy Vortex with confidence.

PB
Sure, give them kudos for a poor bayonet connection, if you buy vortex you will need that warranty.
 
Sure, give them kudos for a poor bayonet connection, if you buy vortex you will need that warranty.
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I honestly don’t understand some of the Vortex hate I’ve been reading lately. EVERYTHING can break with use, specially when you’re out using it like you should. I’m hard on all of my gear so I take comfort in the peace of mind with the VIP warranty.

I guess things won’t break if you only take them out of the safe to rub with a cloth and stare at.
 
I honestly don’t understand some of the Vortex hate I’ve been reading lately. EVERYTHING can break with use, specially when you’re out using it like you should. I’m hard on all of my gear so I take comfort in the peace of mind with the VIP warranty.

I guess things won’t break if you only take them out of the safe to rub with a cloth and stare at.


I have never dealt with a nicer, more generous company….
 
You guys can flame him if you want, but he isn’t wrong. I mean the eyepiece FELL OFF the body…

They basically build an insurance plan into everything they sell, that’s well established. The fact they don’t repair their flagship spotter and replace it should also be telling that the stuff isn’t even worth fixing.

Not hating on Vortex because they make some good stuff but the eyepiece wouldn’t have broken if it didn’t fall off.
 
You guys can flame him if you want, but he isn’t wrong. I mean the eyepiece FELL OFF the body…

They basically build an insurance plan into everything they sell, that’s well established. The fact they don’t repair their flagship spotter and replace it should also be telling that the stuff isn’t even worth fixing.

Not hating on Vortex because they make some good stuff but the eyepiece wouldn’t have broken if it didn’t fall off.
My money is the eyepiece wouldn't have fallen off if the user had properly attached it. My Razor eyepiece is a bit of a bitch to get off.
 
Yes, I used that eyepiece every weekend for years and let others use it as well. Many crank on the eyepiece trying to get the focus knob. My guess is me or someone elses user error caused this mishap. No fault of Vortex.

PB
 
Had a pair of Vortex binos on a tripod on the top of my truck, stepped away for a few seconds, and the wind blew them over down to the ground. Completely my fault. Came back to me working perfectly in less than 2 weeks.

They’ve sent me discontinued parts I’ve needed, hats and T-shirt’s, multiple times, all at no charge.

Some will say it’s just great marketing, and the warranty isn’t helpful when your gear fails in the field. But I’ve had gear fail from just about every backpacking/hunting company, and in the field is when it always fails because that’s when it’s getting used hard.

My experience with Vortex has been excellent.
 
wife dropped my furys walking to the deer stand last year and messed up one of the eye pieces, vortex had them fixed and returned in two weeks. thought i was gonna be without them the rest of the season
 
Sure, give them kudos for a poor bayonet connection, if you buy vortex you will need that warranty.
I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong, but I have never needed their warranty.

I hesitantly bought one of their older Viper 6.5-20x44 Mil Dot scopes back in the late 2000s just to get an idea of what the company was like, because they were advertising their new Viper PST line of scopes soon to come out, and the feature set was what I was looking for. I had never heard of them, so I figured a $400 variable couldn’t hurt. Turned out to be a great scope for the money, and most importantly, it took semi auto abuse from high temps to below freezing in high volume, had great glass, and smooth magnification.

When the PSTs came out, I got the 2.5-10x44 and ran that on my .260 Remington AR-10 while awaiting something with more magnification, then put it on my 16” Grendel and ran it for years. They discontinued it and replaced it with the Viper PST 2.5-10x32, which I also bought and mounted to my 17.6” Lilja Grendel, where it still sits today after 10 years of regular use.

I also bought one of their spotting scopes, which I still use to this day. Has been 15 years now of regular use in LR and DM courses, as well as astronomy with the kids. I’ve watched hundreds of thousands of rounds go down range through that scope, different planets and their moons, and took photos through it of the recent eclipse we had with a filter.

I have several of their RDSs on carbines that are run in high volume for CQM courses.

I bought a bunch of their 8-28 R/T mini binos with the Mil reticle, which everyone snagged off me and offered way more than I paid for them. I figured that I could just buy some more, but they were discontinued. I love those mini binos. Wish they still had them.

I bought the Gen III Razor a few years ago, which is an amazing piece of glass. Looks like magic when I get behind it.

One of the warranty-related incidents I have seen with them was at an event up in Idaho several years ago. One of the attendees dropped his rifle off his tail gate onto the asphalt of the Motel we were staying at. He called Vortex and said it was all his fault, but he just needed a new scope before the course started and was willing to pay for one. They said not to worry, a new one is next-day aired and on the way.

It actually arrived in-time for him to mount and zero, and use it throughout the 3-day event. That is amazing customer service, but like I said, I have never had to use it on any of the Vortex products I have owned. I shoot a lot more than the average cat.
 
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Had a pair of Vortex binos on a tripod on the top of my truck, stepped away for a few seconds, and the wind blew them over down to the ground. Completely my fault. Came back to me working perfectly in less than 2 weeks.

They’ve sent me discontinued parts I’ve needed, hats and T-shirt’s, multiple times, all at no charge.

Some will say it’s just great marketing, and the warranty isn’t helpful when your gear fails in the field. But I’ve had gear fail from just about every backpacking/hunting company, and in the field is when it always fails because that’s when it’s getting used hard.

My experience with Vortex has been excellent.
Wow, six posts and banned...is that a record? LOL
 
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