"Out-of-Stock" on just about everything important at ReadyHeli

[Caveman5150]

6 months ago, I went to ReadyHeli & tried to order 6 parts, 4 of which were "out-of-stock". I couldn't finish the re-build without them; I figured its winter, slow business.... I'll try later.I have been trying to buy 8 parts now, 6 of which are out of stock, and 4 are the same ones that were out 6 months ago. As I scroll down the lists, about 35% of their main-line (ie- stuff commonly needing replacement: Main gears, Skids, Rotor Shafts, etc) is out of stock.

I wouldn't be complaining but, as far as I know, they are the ONLY Mikado dealer I can buy from in the U.S.

I was understanding 6 months ago, but with some recent CS issues confounding the trouble, I'm hedging on down right mad. Stock trouble is not RH's fault, they play the cards they're dealt from over seas..
I compared the parts I was looking for with their European site: Guess what? 1(one) part of 119 listed parts was out-of-stock.

http://shop.mikado-heli.de/LOGO-500/Spareparts-Chassis.htm?shop=k_mikado_e&SessionId=&a=catalog&t =2657&c=3656&p=3656&Start=40

$2200 for a "top-of-the-line-heli" & this is how Mikado treats their sole US vendor?

*****After I posted this, I read this posted OVER A YEAR AGO! 2011********
http://rc.runryder.com/helicopter/t632631p1/

Experiences? Advice?
Am I way out of line here? 6 months is a long time, and 30%-40% is a huge amount of inventory. Take a look for yourself.

http://www.readyheli.com/

[taoY]

Lol. You make it sounds like the parts you need are out of stock for over 6 months. ReadyHeli had huge parts shipment a couple weeks ago. Sorry you missed it.

These are what you can do:
1. Like the ReadyHeli Facebook page. The stuff posts announcements whenever they receives big shipment.
2. There's "Put me on waiting list" link on any out of stock item. When the item is back in stock you will be notified.
3. Act quick on popular items.

These are how I get my stuffs. Did not work every time but worked most of the time.

[rcmarty]

rcflightstore.com

Yes there in canada but an extra week or so for shipping i'd assume is going to be less than waiting it out for readyheli.

In mikado / readyheli's defence the logo lineup is becoming more popular and at a faster rate (IMO) than before.

There are plenty of more offerings out there also ( to be fair )

I recall a few years back a logo in the classifieds would last minutes before being sold. I was trying to buy one used but it was hard. Then a price break came out (logo600se combokit) and i went for it.

Now a trip to the classifieds you will find plenty of offerings , sab , compass , logo , blade , etc and some align machines

A few years ago it was page after page of align machines.

Hopefully the germans realize that there share in the us market is growing (mabye more than they figure) and make adjustments to the parts flow.

RH has great service and there famous for it , good and bad thing as there the goto guys. Then they get cleaned out as a result.
Mabye turning to the smaller shop with less traffic will have some more parts on hand longer.
(don't go cleaning out my guy .. lol )

Martin

[Caveman5150]

Originally Posted by rcmarty

Mabye turning to the smaller shop with less traffic will have some more parts on hand longer.
(don't go cleaning out my guy .. lol )

Martin

You mean the Canada shop? I'll pay the shipping, I dont care. If you're aware of any others please advise, I'll spend the extra to get what I need. I promise I wont buy another set for at least 3 mos, & I wont order duplicates my man, promise. You know what the shipping fee is?
Agreed on RH, this is not an RH problem; its a Mikado problem. ReadyHeli does the best they can with what Germany feeds them.

regarding Facebook,,,, LOL

I've been on the waiting list. I saw the button as you did & clicked it.. Still waitin'
I'm not going to fan a website & then hound my own email/Facebook just to catch a 1/ month shipment like a swarm of peasants at a swap meet. If that is what's required to get what I need from Mikado, I need to sell the Logo & buy a more supported Heli model, which ultimately as Martin pointed out, may be the only option in the end.

[rcmarty]

Yup canada store.

From what i've seen there are 4 places for mikado.

direct from mikado
ready heli
rcflightstore
the one in the UK

I think i stumbled on a chinese site of some sort that had mikado stuff (or claimed mikado stuff )


For me i wanted a logo for some time and ken at rcflightstore has great service. Shipments are 2 days for me.
Matches RH pricing to the penny. I even win on the exchange on occasion


Martin

[Caveman5150]

Thank you MARTIN....
That was easy. Only got 1 of each so as not to deplete your supply. Shipping not that bad.
GREAT STORE, had everything, same prices.
Thank you thank you thank you

[Jockpants]

There are two Mikado dealers in the UK: Fast Lads and Midland Helicopters. Both ship internationally as far as I'm aware. For once us Limey's are one up on you Yanks

[flyfishsick]

Love my logo! But this is the one thing that I do not like about having a logo!!! The constant wondering if readyheli will have the parts that I need? Sure you will say stock up on spare parts but why should I have to do that? With all the other heli that I own or have owned I never had to do that. With readyheli being the only place you can get parts in the USA you would think there inventory would be better stocked?

Love my logo but hate the parts availability!!!!

[maarset]

I do have to say, if I didn't enjoy my logo so much, this parts supply issue would make me drop the logo like a rotten tomato. But since I so enjoy this helicopter, I put up with it. I'm just wondering if anything is being done about it? Lately logo's have become very popular and the parts supply in the US has been getting worse and worse.

If someone representing mikado would just clarify that the parts supply issue is being looked at I think that would help resolve this fear.

[dahld]

Quote, "If someone representing mikado..."

I don't "represent" Mikado, but I can say what I know (because Mikado has told me through various conversations), and I can offer what I think about the situation.

Quote, "I'm just wondering if anything is being done about it?

Well, the business of Mikado and the popularity of their helis has under gone an exponential grow in the past few years. If you hire some firm to tell you how to grow your business when you need to expand, they'll tell you to hire more people and expand your facilities. Kind-of a no-brainer...but people get paid to tell businesses that.

When Kyle and I first visited Mikado some years ago (not that long ago...he's only been with the company since 2008), we were taken-back somewhat at how small the facility was, and how few people the company actually employed. At that time they had product literally stacked to the ceiling, and I'm not sure Mikado would want me to say, so I won't, but the small number of employees was almost laughable...and some of them weren't even full time at that.

They have been trying for the past few years to build a vastly larger facility and hire additional staff, but the building regulations and hoops they've had to go through (you know, those easy to deal with business friendly Euro governments during a planet-wide economic depression), has made it a miserable task, and delay after delay has bogged it down over and over again. Mean while, they've been stuck in the same building I visited years ago, trying to keep-up with the ever growing world-wide demand for their products.

They are finally (again, if something doesn't mess it up at the 11th hour), going to be occupying their new facility in the coming months. Once the transition happens, they will be able to get the needed expansion really going.

Hopefully, things will get better.

(-: Dave

[deepak]

Your 100% right
But if you email them or call them they will do what they can to assist? Readyheli that is.
I had a similar problem and "bryan" helped me out. It took a week or so but he did get a shipment out to me.
Great company.
just my opinion
regards
d

[SRatha]

I had to get my parts for my crashed 600sx from 3 different vendors, no one place had all the parts I needed.

That said I think Mikado should stop making so many different size booms and all that nonsense. They should standardize parts when they can.

My last parts arrived today after a month being down.

Yeah I like their helis but I would like it more if they make things a little more convenient for end users, I hope that's not too much to ask for...

[bikneli]

after a month being down.

SRatha, I was agreeing w. ya and feeling your pain......................until..............I seen
your fleet at the bottom! Man, you should have NO downtime.

What a sweet fleet!! You have ALL the good ones

Any of those by themselves would be nice, and I have drooled over most all those, but
to have those all at once............................

Anyway, just admiring (and drooling over) that great list of helis.

[ElectricSheep]

Guys, remember that you can also post on the PART SWAP THREAD if you really need something. All this complaining and no posts/requests on that thread in nearly a month!

There's a good chance that someone has what you need...

My take is that if you REALLY need to have parts the same day, then there are plenty of those mass market types/brands of helis to choose from!

With the better/smaller brands of helis like Mikado, a little patience goes a long way -- and I've said this many times before: patience is just finding something to do while you're waiting!

Most of us have more than one heli -- just fly that (or those) until your parts are back in stock.

[SRatha]

Thanks Electric Sheep, the amount of heli hobbyists represented in the forum for any helicopter is a tiny portion of the actual amount of us out there. I can surely testify to that; out of 20 plus heli friends I have locally do not log on or don't even have an account to the forums available. While the parts swap thread is useful to forumers, it isn't really helpful to the rest of us. They do order parts directly from vendors and they don't want to hunt around for the parts from so many different sources. I don't have a hard time sourcing parts for my other helis, I hope the problems do get sorted out tho.

If it doesn't get sorted, I will be too scared to fly my logos and will be part of a collection that will collect dust on the shelf which is a shame because the logo 600sx is my favourite out of all the helis I have.

[ElectricSheep]

Hey SRatha, I understand that there are a lot of heli pilots that don't participate on any forum(s), but I don't get why someone would not seek help (whether it's information or parts) when there are lots of people willing to help.

That would be like if I was injured and needed medical help, but was standing outside of a hospital -- refusing to go in. It costs nothing to join here/RR/RCG/etc. so I'm not sure what the barrier is.

Maybe if those 20 people in your area got an account here, and posted what they needed -- someone in that group could help someone else?

I know the part swap thread isn't a cure all, but it doesn't hurt to ask. (Don't ask = Don't get!)

Anyway, I hope the parts situation gets sorted too.

[1orange1]

I too feel your pain. My solution is to order two kits. Keep one in the box for parts when I crash. It gets me back in the air the next day and I order the parts used so they will be waiting for the next crash. It's not a perfect solution as you have to be able to afford two kits and my flying style changes based on my wait for fresh spares, but it works for me. Perhaps you will find it useful also. Hope that helps a little.

[Caveman5150]

Thanks for the support, and I realize we all suffer together as Logo owners.
I actually considered getting 2 kits, then looking at the price, realized the alternatives I could have for less & the absurdity of the whole thing & IT'S GONE.
The last straw was when I by-passed Bryan at RH, as mega-cool as he is, and called Mikado to ask wtf?

-I got a uppity, socially-inept, European RC-Nerd who basically told me to suck it up....LAST STRAW. bye bye
RH would have fired that guy, lucky he's over seas.

I sold it. Just can't take it anymore.
Bought a used RTF Good quality 500-FBL for less than the cost of the parts I bought from Mikado over the years.

Great helis, so long as you never crash one..
I admire your loyalty guys, but I'm not gonna follow-suit.

Take care gang.

[mkovalcson]

It does seem ironic for there to be better parts availability for a TDR than for a Logo.

One day I will probably have a 600SX, but I would really love it if Mikado was over this issue by then.

[maarset]

This issue seems to plague me twice a year. And I only think about switching brands twice a year. Saw a Synergy E5 fly this weekend. Very Nice bird. Heh


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