Warning for others purchasing small Equipment

My small shop had limited use for a brake but we needed one. We came across steelfab123.com on the internet (now defunct and renamed). I was told we could get manuals and equipment and everything was made in USA..etc. 20k later we buy an upgraded all-in-one. They wanted half down and half at shipping. Short version, after several MONTHS of delays, not picking up calls, and ignoring us; we get the machine(shipped expensively collect with no notice). It was missing over 1000 dollars in accessories/tooling, no manuals, paint chipped and already rusting in places, etc. The back gauge didn't work because it was VERY flimsy, and the shear also will not cut anything longer than about 2 feet without popping out of alignment. The upper and lower die seats/beds are drastically misaligned and not as flat as they should be. Obviously the 2 year warranty was not honored. After tons of phone calls and emails. Their excuse on the missing items was my salesman died and they would get it out to me ASAP. Months later and multiple attempts at follow up this still wasn't resolved. Over a year later and they responded again that they will get it to me. Now they now will NOT return any calls or emails. These people are now running yellowjacket1.com and fabiteasy.com. They changed the names. They don't give you full names when talking with you, and based on my chinese hydraulic motor and construction quality, I don't think this is made in the USA. That being said. These people are crooks. Please avoid yourself the headache. There is a Nicole, Larry, Dean (pretty sure is the same person as Larry), and Roger(might be deceased).

I have found out they have several product lines and company names. CE Designs LLC. fabiteasy.com steelfab123.com yellowjacket1.com Big Brute, Gladiator, Gator Shear, PSI engineering, and Rock Roller. They seem to change websites every few years best I can tell.

I can prove all this as well. I thought other small shops should know.

Boy, if that thing doesn't look like it was made by 2 guys with a buzz box and a surplus center catalog...

In retrospect, It probably was. I knew it was small business, but I'm beginning to think I might be 3 or 4 people max. And unfortunately integrity runs short.

I know someone local who bought a press brake from them. Looked substandard construction, and they said it wouldn't bend straight. I believe he upgraded by buying a Baliegh press brake instead...that should say it all about how crummy the steelfab123 was..

In the debate of import/domestic equipment. The bottom most to me has always been companies who build crap in the US, and market it by preying on peoples patriotism. I would rather by Chinese equipment that doesn't try to pretend about what it is.

Fish On said:

Boy, if that thing doesn't look like it was made by 2 guys with a buzz box and a surplus center catalog...

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The must have quit working for Bettenbender, and "gone off on their own"....

FWIW there is nothing wrong with a buzzbox and a small shop, it's how you choose to build your product.

it's truly a shame, but with something like a press brake or shear you pretty much need to stick with the known manufactures.
Press brake/shear combinations machines never seem to work out well as far as I have seen, they are marginal at best.

digger doug said:

FWIW there is nothing wrong with a buzzbox and a small shop, it's how you choose to build your product.

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Hey, don't shoot, it's your own words...

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...new-pressbrake-344812/index2.html#post3125365

Fish On said:

Hey, don't shoot, it's your own words...

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...new-pressbrake-344812/index2.html#post3125365

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Yes, I said that. and 99% it's true.

BUT a small shop CAN make good.

Maybe just not yours eh ?...

digger doug said:

The must have quit working for Bettenbender, and "gone off on their own"....

FWIW there is nothing wrong with a buzzbox and a small shop, it's how you choose to build your product.

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Hey I'm small business too. Just over 10. But we send out quality and have for over 50 years. So it's sad to see this kind of thing and it hurts financially as well.

This one doesn't bend straight either. About impossible to get everything lined up. And worse, we had to retap every mounting/set screw int he thing. It was a pain. Most of them were only tapped deep enough to get the screw in and not to actually do anything.

dc2012 said:

Hey I'm small business too. Just over 10. But we send out quality and have for over 50 years.

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I think most of us here are in that same boat. I'm sure not beating down small shops, if you've got 10 guys working for you, you're quite a bit bigger than my business.

But, as Digger said, there's a difference between a small shop that puts out quality work compared to a machine like that that 'looks like it was built by 2 guys in a garage with the components from a dismantled log splitter'. Exposed hydraulic fittings and hoses in the drop zone of the shear? That's sure not a recipe for disaster.

I hate to hear that you got taken to the cleaners on that one. Hopefully this thread might save someone else from buying one of those.

I'm sorry you had to deal with the loss of time and money that came with all this, but I appreciate you taking the time to write this up. Hopefully this thread will show up in google if other people are investigating these companies before a purchase.

That was the idea. Especially since steelfab and fabiteasy had been recommended to look at on these forums by some probably well meaning members here who had no personal experience with it.