When did you order your HDS?

[Johnbeck180]

I just had a thought.
I know Henry is having problems getting a machining shop to make his lights. So my thought is: maybe we can help him out, does anyone know a machining shop close to them? We could possible start getting phone numbers for Henry. I'm sure he'll probably want to stay in the US due to shipping cost. Off the top of my head I know of two I can get the number to. I'm in central Indiana. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

 

[jrk]

HCRI Rotary: ordered 01/24/12, cancelled 06/12/12

 

[diesel79]

April 4, 2012 HCRI Clicky. Thinking about cancelling as it looks like their is no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon. When I ordered it sounded like he had things figured out, guess not quite yet. Maybe just wait until some stocking dealers have some in.

*Canceled 6/14

 

[AnAppleSnail]

April 4, 2012 HCRI Clicky. Thinking about cancelling as it looks like their is no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon.

Clickies are in production, last I knew. Rotaries are still in the dark. I was told "Two months to get parts for my Rotary order" last week, so we'll see. I'm in for the long haul, just to see what the fuss is about with HDS.

 

[davyro]

I just had a thought.
I know Henry is having problems getting a machining shop to make his lights. So my thought is: maybe we can help him out, does anyone know a machining shop close to them? We could possible start getting phone numbers for Henry. I'm sure he'll probably want to stay in the US due to shipping cost. Off the top of my head I know of two I can get the number to. I'm in central Indiana. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.[/QUOTE

I think its a great idea to be honest i think Henry needs all the help he can get on the subject of machine shops.After all what have you got to lose by asking around.]

 

[MoreToasties]

Thinking about cancelling as it looks like their is no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon.

Good one!

I was thinking of ordering an HDS light but this thread has steered me away for the time being. I hope that Henry can sort out his supply issues soon.

 

[HighlanderNorth]

i would think by now with all the sales and hds lights being in high demand that he would have backup to the backup for making his parts. seems as though he has the potential to make it bigtime but i think people are gonna get tired of waiting. i probly would have cancelled my order by now. come on henry, lets get it together.

Yeah, I had no idea there was such a long wait for these things, as I just started looking into them a few months ago, but didnt check on supply until yesterday. But there's no excuse for a 7 month wait to get a product mailed out. It seems like it's a good product from what I've read, probably better than Surefire lights, so this company could be a real success story, but you have to wonder whats up with the administrative end of the business. There are plenty of competent machine shops out there, who can do the necessary machining in a timely manner. If you make a contract with a machine shop/producer and send them a lot of business, then they can justify buying new equipment to keep up with demand. Thats how business works!

But if you dont come up with a reasonable offer for these outside contractors to produce the product for you, and instead you spend many months, or a year or more searching for that low-buck contractor to further increase your profit margin, then in the long run, your customers suffer, and you lose business and make less money.......

I dont know if thats^ the case here, and it may not be, but there should be plenty of American machine shops that have been hurt by all the Chinese competition who would kill for a new contract to produce! Its not like they are swamped with business these days.....

Not to get too far off subject here, But there are many US companies that have used the Chinese competition as an excuse for HUGE, VULGAR price gouging, to the point where they are now making the same products they were making 5-7 years ago, but charging 2-4 times as much money for their products. Then playing the victim card and claiming that they are "forced" to do it..... B.S..... How were you able to produce a product in America just a few years ago and make a good profit, but now you must charge much, much more for the same product produced by you at the same cost as before? I think HDS is charging a fairly reasonable price for their lights, but then I dont know how much they charged 10 years ago(if they were in business then)

HDS: You've got the quality of your lights at the right level, now get the quality of your planning, management and contracting up to the same level, and you'll make some serious cash without having to price gouge like other companies.

 

[Taschenlampe Dude]

I ordered an HDS EDC R1B 200 on 26 May 12.

 

[alanagnostic]

High CRI clicky ordered on Dec. 31st 2011. Patiently waiting.

 

[rewdee]

If there are people who recently received their lights, please do chime in. We would like to know whats shipping...

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Ordered a high CRI Rotary on January 2, 2012. An email from Henry on May 22 said that he was a few weeks out from being able to deliver orders, but it sounds like he's hit another snag, and the delivery time is now a few months.

I already have a cool white Rotary, my second HDS light, so I know they're a great product, but a wait time of 6-months and counting is ridiculous, especially with Henry not taking initiative to keep his customers updated, meaning it would be good if he initiated contact instead of waiting for customers to contact him first.

 

[shelm]

Yeah, I had no idea there was such a long wait for these things, as I just started looking into them a few months ago, but didnt check on supply until yesterday. But there's no excuse for a 7 month wait to get a product mailed out. It seems like it's a good product from what I've read, probably better than Surefire lights, so this company could be a real success story, but you have to wonder whats up with the administrative end of the business. There are plenty of competent machine shops out there, who can do the necessary machining in a timely manner. If you make a contract with a machine shop/producer and send them a lot of business, then they can justify buying new equipment to keep up with demand. Thats how business works!

But if you dont come up with a reasonable offer for these outside contractors to produce the product for you, and instead you spend many months, or a year or more searching for that low-buck contractor to further increase your profit margin, then in the long run, your customers suffer, and you lose business and make less money.......

I dont know if thats^ the case here, and it may not be, but there should be plenty of American machine shops that have been hurt by all the Chinese competition who would kill for a new contract to produce! Its not like they are swamped with business these days.....

Not to get too far off subject here, But there are many US companies that have used the Chinese competition as an excuse for HUGE, VULGAR price gouging, to the point where they are now making the same products they were making 5-7 years ago, but charging 2-4 times as much money for their products. Then playing the victim card and claiming that they are "forced" to do it..... B.S..... How were you able to produce a product in America just a few years ago and make a good profit, but now you must charge much, much more for the same product produced by you at the same cost as before? I think HDS is charging a fairly reasonable price for their lights, but then I dont know how much they charged 10 years ago(if they were in business then)

HDS: You've got the quality of your lights at the right level, now get the quality of your planning, management and contracting up to the same level, and you'll make some serious cash without having to price gouge like other companies.

very good post.

So Henry is a designer/assembler only and not a real manufacturer who owns the CNC-drilling machines and professional high-end tools? that's okay with me. I thought that sustaining a reliable flashlight business is based on owning the machines, programming them by yourself, testing different designs locally, optimizing the characteristics of the product and being responsible for the entire manufacturing process from the very beginning (supply of aluminum rods) to the end (retail packaged product).
That's what JET-BEAM, for example, does. They have the machines, they produce it, they manufacture it and they design it and assemble it. It the full-fledged flashlight product.

So why does HDS not belong to the cpf section CPF Custom Flashlight Builders and Modders where all the other "1-man-shops" are gathered? (Mac Custom's, Malkoff, McGizmo, Prometheus, Steve Ku, Lummi, ..)

All HDS-related threads should be moved to that cpf section imho or am i wrong??

 

[Aepoc]

I've had my Ra Clicky for years and I absolutely love Henry's products! I wouldn't use any other EDC. My Tailcap broke in February and I was able to reach him via phone that day and I had another tailcap in my hands a few days later. Its hard to wait such a long time for a light but in my opinion they are well worth it!

 

[S1LVA]

December 31, 2011
HI CRI Clicky w/ both style tail caps.
$173 tied up for 6+ months and counting....

PLEASE get it together, Henry!

S1LVA

 

[ecallahan]

January 1, 2012

High CRI Rotary

 

[ChrisG]

Clicky 200
Ordered November 29
Canceled March 21

 

[rynbxtr]

I appreciate the sentiment behind wanting to help find machinists, but Henry needs to help himself out as well.

Why would he continue to take orders (and money) when he is so back logged? It's not the wait (approx. 6 months) that I find so aggravating. It is the utter lack of communication.

I want to believe all of he wonderful things I have heard about Henry, but in the past six months he has taken my money, only updated me when I contact him, and given me nothing but wildly inaccurate guesses as to when my order will ship.

This is not just a man. This is a business. A business that is sitting on thousands of dollars, provided by loyal customers, all without delivery of the product or even accurate communication.

Again, I mean no disrespect. But these business practices are deplorable.

 

[TyJo]

very good post.

So Henry is a designer/assembler only and not a real manufacturer who owns the CNC-drilling machines and professional high-end tools? that's okay with me. I thought that sustaining a reliable flashlight business is based on owning the machines, programming them by yourself, testing different designs locally, optimizing the characteristics of the product and being responsible for the entire manufacturing process from the very beginning (supply of aluminum rods) to the end (retail packaged product).
That's what JET-BEAM, for example, does. They have the machines, they produce it, they manufacture it and they design it and assemble it. It the full-fledged flashlight product.

So why does HDS not belong to the cpf section CPF Custom Flashlight Builders and Modders where all the other "1-man-shops" are gathered? (Mac Custom's, Malkoff, McGizmo, Prometheus, Steve Ku, Lummi, ..)

All HDS-related threads should be moved to that cpf section imho or am i wrong??

JET-BEAM does not even belong in this discussion. I do agree that HDS is responsible for their product and their delays, etc.

As far as the rest... it depends on your definition of a "1-man-shop". Most manufacturers have not: been around as long as HDS, gained such a reputation, and provided such great customer service. Most do not possess the metallurgy skills to form their own metals, or form all of the other components in their lights. Most manufacturers are designer/assemblers only, this is how manufacturing works from my understanding. If this wasn't the case you would be purchasing lower quality products at a higher cost for every consumable good from toothbrushes to cars to toilet paper. HDS has chosen to provide a single flashlight option designed to very specific tolerances at extremely high quality, I wish you luck convincing members of this forum otherwise.

 

[Ti²C]

thanks all for the input !
now i understand what "significant backlog" means...:thinking:

 

[ElectronGuru]

there should be plenty of American machine shops that have been hurt by all the Chinese competition who would kill for a new contract to produce! Its not like they are swamped with business these days.....

Short term that's what happens. Long term, these shops close down and the skills are lost. What you end up with are fewer weaker shops, less able to deal with fluctuations and less willing to take risks or jump through hoops.

Not to get too far off subject here, But there are many US companies that have used the Chinese competition as an excuse for HUGE, VULGAR price gouging, to the point where they are now making the same products they were making 5-7 years ago, but charging 2-4 times as much money for their products. Then playing the victim card and claiming that they are "forced" to do it..... B.S..... How were you able to produce a product in America just a few years ago and make a good profit, but now you must charge much, much more for the same product produced by you at the same cost as before?

I'm not that familiar with examples of this, but the only broad legitimate cause would be loss of economies of scale from reduce sales/production, as customers shift to cheaper off shore alternatives.