Never buy Atlas-Copco

jimfnd · Feb 22, 2013

I'd rate their compressor quality overall as average.
Though I don't know what plastic parts are doing on the internals of a separator of a $75K compressor.

Where they really fall down is service after warranty - you no longer exist to them.
Phone calls go directly to voice-mailboxes that are never answered.
Emails are ignored. They can't be bothered with even simple questions.

Oh sure, during the sales part of product life cycle they are very easy to contact.
After that you are a pest, best ignored.

What makes them look worse is they use Siemens drives and motors.
Those guys are great and will keep the oldest product running, but you can tell they get tired of hearing people complain about Atlas.

Gordon B. Clarke · Feb 22, 2013

jimfnd said:
I'd rate their compressor quality overall as average.
Though I don't know what plastic parts are doing on the internals of a separator of a $75K compressor.

Where they really fall down is service after warranty - you no longer exist to them.
Phone calls go directly to voice-mailboxes that are never answered.
Emails are ignored. They can't be bothered with even simple questions.

Oh sure, during the sales part of product life cycle they are very easy to contact.
After that you are a pest, best ignored.

What makes them look worse is they use Siemens drives and motors.
Those guys are great and will keep the oldest product running, but you can tell they get tired of hearing people complain about Atlas.

OK you are an unhappy customer but isn't the "culprit" the dealer you bought from rather than the manufacturer.
Have you tried contacting the horse's head rather than the ass?

How about telling us more about what's wrong and who you've tried to talk to about it?

Gordon

Ox · Feb 22, 2013

What's wrong with Siemens motors and drives?

I don't think I've ever had an issue with any of mine in 20 yrs.

????

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

JS · Feb 22, 2013

If you dislike it so much buy an Elliot compressor. You don't have to tear into them like an Atlas to repair them.
I work with an older guy who has been trying since 2005 to get new compressors to replace the (2) Giant IR reciprocating compressors and (4) Joy Compressors. A work in progress finally getting stuff replaced , but they are costing $,$$$$,$$$ to cover current production and expansion projects.

Elliott Turbomachinery: Global leader in turbomachinery including steam turbines, turbine generators, fluid & gas compressors, gas expanders and unparalleled global service.

usmachine · Feb 22, 2013

I think that he meant that the Siemens stuff was AOK and that they got tired of hearing people with their stuff complain about Atlas

Ox · Feb 22, 2013

Yeah - I guess it could read that way....

:scratchchin:

-------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

jimfnd · Feb 22, 2013

Gordon B. Clarke said:
How about telling us more about what's wrong and who you've tried to talk to about it?

Gordon

Dealing with Atlas Copco's "service" tech for my area. Is out of Minnesota.
The compressor's Variable Speed Drive faults out with over-current alarms.

Siemens thinks the compressor drive never had the right parameters. For instance it is set up for 50Hz 380 Vac input.
Mostly likely when it ran the past very few years it was always just under the current fault, but a little wear put it over.

I just want to get the machine running well enough to sell it to another smuck.

dkmc · Feb 23, 2013

I just want to get the machine running well enough to sell it to another smuck.

Nice.....

jimfnd · Feb 23, 2013

dkmc said:
Nice.....

Feh, once I get the right parameters (or more likely pay Siemens to write them), I'm sure the compressor will be fine.

dkmc · Feb 23, 2013

Oh and look.......you even deleted your post that I quoted........

I just want to get the machine running well enough to sell it to another smuck.

Who's the schmuck here ?
I don't think this forum has many like you.......fortunately!

Anybody in the market for a compressor ??

Scruffy887 · Feb 23, 2013

I sacked my Atlas service company. Safety blow off valve would pop once in a while and if we did not get to it in time it would fog the shop. They came down and rebuilt the valve and the problem went away for a while. Problem came back and they rebuilt it again. Problem comes back and this time they sent one of their techs who had a partial brain. He traced the problem to the internal refridge unit valve freezing. Maybe a thermostat problem. Replaced the thermostat and the problem went away.....for a while. And then it came back again. WTF!!!
At this point I had paid those fakkers 20% of the cost of a new unit just for service. This was going on year three so I sacked them and threw out their contract. We got the electrical diagram and traced the problem to a sticking relay. We confirmed this when the refridge unit kept running long after it needed to and we tapped the relay with a screwdriver.
They never fixed the problem. This is a 20 hp screw in a very tight location. We mounted it on a pallet type base and connected it with long leads and hoses so we could pull it out for service. When we pulled it out for service the extra vibration un stuck the relay.

jimfnd · Feb 23, 2013

dkmc said:
Oh and look.......you even deleted your post that I quoted........

I just want to get the machine running well enough to sell it to another smuck.

Who's the schmuck here ?

I don't think this forum has many like you.......fortunately!

Anybody in the market for a compressor ??

The schmuck? Anybody who'd buy Atlas-Copco compressors - new or used.
That should be obvious.

Alloy Mcgraw · Feb 23, 2013

jimfnd said:
The schmuck? Anybody who'd buy Atlas-Copco compressors - new or used.
That should be obvious.

That would be you right?

adama · Feb 23, 2013

Regarding your drive settings, most electronics from that company have manuals + data sheets, a quick read and 10 minutes of parameter tweaking would probably sort that side of the problem right out.

Dave K · Feb 23, 2013

For the record, I've got a Atlas Copco, and could not be happier with it. Had to replace a motor on it, but no problems since. Not much maintenance, it just keeps running for us and not giving us any trouble at all. It's about 12 years old now. Service is through a company called "Air supply systems", and I also happened to purchase it from them. I had the compressor stop on my once. Called air supply and they came out and had me going all within about 3 hours. Just a blown fuse from getting a little to hot on an extremely hot summer day.
I'm not trying to dispute the O.P. just saying I think the compressors are pretty nice. I think the service you're receiving is probably your biggest complaint.

Oakct · Feb 23, 2013

I agree on the lousy service. Atlas copco local service and factory reps sprayed so much BS at me that I refused to talk to them anymore, left that to the owners. I wanted to dump the damn thing in the dealers yard but the boss protested.

tomjelly · Feb 23, 2013

I had one in here, a gx5ff I think. This unit has a panel inside where all the wires from the dual voltage motor run to, and it is set up so you move jumpers in the panel to change voltage, which is nice and convenient. Customer changed from 230 to 460 and the unit would not run correctly- it was single phasing, because the back side of the panel was incorrectly wired from the factory. Ruined the motor- a special motor that was damaged so badly it could not be rewound.
t

jimfnd · Feb 23, 2013

Alloy Mcgraw said:
That would be you right?

Yep. Did I mention the main controller died last year? Paid a couple large for a new one.

Alloy Mcgraw · Feb 23, 2013

jimfnd said:
Yep. Did I mention the main controller died last year? Paid a couple large for a new one.

I get where your coming from, and feel your pain.

Was just pointing out that you called yourself a smuck, and reinforced your own statement by saying you just wanted to get it running well enough to unload it on another smuck.

jimfnd · Feb 23, 2013

Alloy Mcgraw said:
Was just pointing out that you called yourself a smuck, and reinforced your own statement by saying you just wanted to get it running well enough to unload it on another smuck.

My primary interest is that more smucks (or what Atlas calls customers) aren't made from the crowd here.

Never buy Atlas-Copco

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