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Thread: New Misco emaple Refractometer Disapointment

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Rice Lake WI
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    44

    Unhappy New Misco emaple Refractometer Disapointment

    So I have been using Misco emaple refractometers for 16 years now. My 1st unit worked well but went through batteries faster each year until it would need new batteries 2 times a day and I finally got sick of it and ordered my second one. The second one worked well and batteries would last a full season it it was a great unit until this year when I broke the hinge on the "flapper" or "lid" that closes over the test well. It still works but is now a 2 piece tester which isn't the most convenient. Anyway I decided to order another new one online in hopes of having a good reliable tester again ($500 with shipping) which would now be my 3rd unit. Well it showed up 8 days later, I calibrated it used it 5-6 times and then it started showing "error" on the screen. I let it sit over the rest of the day and used the old one. The next day I tried again and it worked 2 times and then showed the "error" again. I then called Misco customer service and talked to a "Mike Barber". He told me to ship it back and he would get it fixed right way or ship a new one out under warranty. Well after a week of hearing nothing I decide to call him and check in on the status. First they tell me that they can't find it, then they call me back and say they found it, but that they can not fix it or warranty because it had liquid inside of it and wouldn't even power up anymore? The only thing they will do is give me a $50 off of a new one. I have no idea if they got my unit mixed up or if it had bad seals from the factory but I did not get it wet anymore than dripping sap on the test well and cleaning it back off. I am pretty reluctant to purchase another one after loosing $500 to what I think is not my mistake. Has anyone else had issues with Misco customer service? Any other good brands out there with better customer service? Sorry for the rant, I'm feeling a little grumpy about it.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,675

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    Wow, that sure sounds like you got shafted. I'm not sure what I would do. my only suggestion is if you do get another guard it as well as you possibly can.
    It might be a good time to try a Murphy cup and a good hydrometer, while you do need a larger sample, they seem to be fool proof and the cost for both is far less than $500.
    I would think Misco would stand behind it, word like this getting out will sway lots of producers who were on the edge, between a Misco refractometer and the Murphy cup/hydrometer combo. This will hurt their future sales in my book.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Rice Lake WI
    Posts
    44

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    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    Wow, that sure sounds like you got shafted. I'm not sure what I would do. my only suggestion is if you do get another guard it as well as you possibly can.
    It might be a good time to try a Murphy cup and a good hydrometer, while you do need a larger sample, they seem to be fool proof and the cost for both is far less than $500.
    I would think Misco would stand behind it, word like this getting out will sway lots of producers who were on the edge, between a Misco refractometer and the Murphy cup/hydrometer combo. This will hurt their future sales in my book.
    For hot syrup I just use a hydrometer and find it to be an easier and better option. I mainly have just used the Misco's for sap and occasionally for cold syrup. What I really liked it for is sap, RO concentrate, and permeate. I buy a lot of raw sap from a number of producers so having a good way of testing sugar is important.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    New Hartford, N.Y.
    Posts
    2,101

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    Very sorry to hear this story. Sadly, customer service as a whole is on a downward spiral, and you are seeing it firsthand. Sounds like they don't want to own up to a faulty unit.
    I bought one years ago and wasn't happy with it. Like Sapsucker, mine worked great for cold/room temperature sap and syrup. But it was a tremendous waste of time for anything hot. It was very frustrating.
    I don't know what other units might be available, but my hydrometer and I have become good friends. More often than not, the original and 'old fashioned' way of doing something is far better than the newly reinvented wheel.

    Steve
    2014 Upgrades!: 24x40 sugarhouse & 30"x10' Lapierre welded pans, wood fired w/ forced draft, homemade hood & preheater
    400 taps- half on gravity 5/16, half on gravity 3/16
    Airablo R.O. machine - in the house basement!
    Ford F-350 4x4 sap gatherer
    An assortment of barrels, cage tanks & bulk tanks- with one operational for cooling/holding concentrate
    And a few puzzled neighbors...

    http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/t...uckethead1920/

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NE Ohio, Geauga county, Montville
    Posts
    359

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    I sent my Misco in for repair after it wouldn’t power up. After they evaluated it, I was told it was too old to repair and they offered me a $50 discount on a new one. I received the new one and had constant error messages on it as well. I sent it back in and was told there was nothing wrong with it and they couldn’t duplicate the problem. After many calls back and forth they agreed to send me a brand new one. This one works well. It was a headache dealing with them. Fortunately I live near the main office and was able to meet the representative which I think helped my situation.
    12X16 Sugarhouse and 16x24 attached woodshed
    1000 taps
    120 3/16 tubing
    And still some buckets
    Becker U5.70 Rotary vane
    Leader 2X8 Reverse oil fired, Revolution Pans & Steam a way
    Lapierre Turbo 2000 600 GPH RO
    Leader Clear frame filter press
    John Deere Gator 6X4
    Indy 500 and a very large sled.
    Kubota M8200

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Lake County Ohio
    Posts
    1,634

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    Sorry to hear you had trouble.. I've had mine for 10 years now and so far, it still works just fine. It's only used when I bottle syrup so has had a fairly sheltered life.
    In regards to hot syrup, it does take several minutes to get an accurate reading on syrup that's 100 plus degrees.

    Like Chris, I am close to the main office/factory and have dropped it off once or twice to be to have it checked and calibrated.
    John Allin

    14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
    Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
    Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
    Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
    CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
    06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
    14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
    Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
    7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,425

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    We've tried and compared several types of refractometers over the years and have settled on using the Misco units. We've had at least a dozen of them. They get a lot of use in our research - sometimes hundreds of measurements daily...mostly for sap, but occasionally for syrup. Most are them have proved to be very reliable and have lasted for years. We had one unit that failed within a single season (bad seal we think) and another that failed within a couple of years (probably also a bad seal). Given the amount and conditions of they are used in, they do get dropped occasionally, so we've not sent them in for evaluation and repair. It's a tough life for an electronic device...very cold or very hot temperatures, liquids, high humidity (sugarhouse), in the lab, in the woods, in the sugarhouse.

    This situation sounds unusual and I hope you're able to get it resolved.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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