How are Kowa's unwarranted repair? (1 Viewer)

Innosint · May 28, 2018

Hi all, I am considering picking up a used 883

One concern is that the scope, from reading other threads, seems to have paint flake off issues (needs cleaning) and that also brought up the general service

Since Kowa's warranty isn't transferable to the second owner... just curious typically how much does Kowa charge for none-warranted cleaning like the lint/paint flake issue, and general re-alignment if I accidentally bumped/dropped it.

jring · May 28, 2018

Hi,

first of all, welcome to Birdforum!

I cannot comment on Kowas service charges - others will hopefully chime in - as I had no necessity to use their service yet. My very old Kowas work just fine. And if they didn't, it is doubtful if they still have parts for them since my units are 30+ years old.

Regarding dust, lint or paint flakes in optics - as long as these little particles are not at or very close to the eyepiece field stop, their effect on optical performance will be negligible. There used to be some problems with black dots visible at some magnifications in some examples of the 25-60x wide angle zoom which Kowa replaced under warranty, but of course I don't know what the policy will be with the second owner.

It would of course be best if you could pick up your scope in person and check for this (use overcast sky or a white wall at some distance in a pich) and check all magnifications for dots in the EP.

Also spotting scopes are pretty tough in taking small bumps like lying in the car trunk or so - more so with a stay on case. They don't get bumped out of colimation like old porro bins - after all there is only one barrel anyways.

If they take the dive from a high tripod on hard ground or in your suitcase 12 feet out of an airplane onto the runway, it really depends on your luck what breaks - can be everything from cosmetical damage or a bent lens hood to broken objective lens, body and/or prism tray.

Joachim

Innosint · May 29, 2018

jring said:
Hi,

first of all, welcome to Birdforum!

I cannot comment on Kowas service charges - others will hopefully chime in - as I had no necessity to use their service yet. My very old Kowas work just fine. And if they didn't, it is doubtful if they still have parts for them since my units are 30+ years old.

Regarding dust, lint or paint flakes in optics - as long as these little particles are not at or very close to the eyepiece field stop, their effect on optical performance will be negligible. There used to be some problems with black dots visible at some magnifications in some examples of the 25-60x wide angle zoom which Kowa replaced under warranty, but of course I don't know what the policy will be with the second owner.

It would of course be best if you could pick up your scope in person and check for this (use overcast sky or a white wall at some distance in a pich) and check all magnifications for dots in the EP.

Also spotting scopes are pretty tough in taking small bumps like lying in the car trunk or so - more so with a stay on case. They don't get bumped out of colimation like old porro bins - after all there is only one barrel anyways.

If they take the dive from a high tripod on hard ground or in your suitcase 12 feet out of an airplane onto the runway, it really depends on your luck what breaks - can be everything from cosmetical damage or a bent lens hood to broken objective lens, body and/or prism tray.

Joachim

thanks for the welcome.

The seller only stated it's working perfectly with no spot/debris in view... so hopefully it's good?

still debating on whether I should pull the trigger or not...

jring · May 30, 2018

Innosint said:
thanks for the welcome.

The seller only stated it's working perfectly with no spot/debris in view... so hopefully it's good?

still debating on whether I should pull the trigger or not...

Hi,

so pickup seems not an option? Is this via ebay then - if yes, I would insist on paypal for some protection like a parcel with a brick arriving...

I would be wary to wire 2k euro or so to an unknown party advertising on gumtree, craigslist or in the classifieds and hope he'll send me a scope... the classifieds in here being an exception.
A dealer with an established business is sth else too.

Open it with some witness at hand and take images while unboxing...

In my opinion an 883 with wide zoom is the best scope to be had atm. No example I have looked through was less than good, most were excellent. The quota for other alpha scopes is quite a bit less good.

Good luck,

Joachim, who prefers to pick his used optics up in person, if possible...

slingworks · May 31, 2018

I recently sent in an older collectible Kowa for service. It was a mixed result.
The turn around was fairly quick.

I paid $95 for a cleaning and $45 for return shipping.

If parts are needed it may be a mixed bag. If it's a mid or low end Kowa I would suggest throwing it away and buying a used replacement...They may want what it's worth to repair.

Something higher end like the TSN 883, Probably worth the cost to have it repaired even if it were 1k, etc.

How are Kowa's unwarranted repair? (1 Viewer)

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