Because RUPES is an actual manufacturer, and because we have a factory in the USA, we can be more flexible than other companies can be. With our new, 38,000 sq.ft., factory opening soon and full assembly of certain tools in the USA, we can be even more flexible. This program is away to express our flexibility in a way that benefits the customer. $85.00, flat-rate with shipping, for factory inspection and repair is a smoking good deal... and we are very happy to be able to offer it.
I don't understand the continual harping of "Because RUPES is an actual manufacturer...". Are you under the impression that Rupes is alone in this? If so, you may want to have a look at the Flex factory video as a reference. It is true that there are other polisher vendors that are NOT manufacturing their own polishers, but, as stated above, Rupes isn't alone in manufacturing their own polishers.
Your statement above is also self contradictory. The "....we have a factory in the USA", and the "..With our new, 38,000 sq.ft., factory opening soon and full assembly of certain tools in the USA..." are at odds with each other. You have the Cyclo factory now, but that is misleading as of this moment, because you are not manufacturing nay Rupes polishers there. According to you, your new factory will be opening soon, which confirms that your current factory is not building Rupes equipment. This is like Ford saying that they are an American car company, but their Transit vans are made in Turkey, so buying a van from Ford is not buying an American van.
Does the Cyclo factory that you do own service Rupes polishers as of right now? That is the real question. I have a PC 7424XP. It was made in China. I can get authorized service for it from a local shop. Do I really care that is was made in China? No. Were the polisher to be made in the US make a difference to me, or will it ensure better service when I bring it into my local shop? Strongly doubt it. Same goes for Makita. I have a Makita factory authorized service center less than a mile away, so if I had a PO5000C fail, repair facilities are 5-10 minutes away. There are in fact, 4 factory authorized Makita repair centers in my city. There are 3 Porter Cable factory authorized repair centers. There is even a Flex factory authorized repair center here in this city. If I owned a Rupes, I would have to send it away. And I live in Canada. so add to that the hassle of sending things over the border, in both directions.
Griot's Garage has its polishers made in China. They don't even attempt to hide this. They stand by their polishers with a lifetime warranty. Does this make Griot's Garage polishers in any way less usable or reliable? No. If the polishers fail, will Griot's Garage replace them? Yes, and from all reports do, and happily. Is this any better or worse than what any other manufacturer is doing, including Rupes? No. It may in fact, be pointed out that if a failure does occur, Griot's sends you a new polisher, while you have to pay Rupes for repairs after the 3 year warranty is up.
Am I bashing Rupes? I don't think I am. I can say that I am more than a little annoyed by the Rupes army, though. I don't believe that Rupes is the only vendor capable of making a good polisher, nor do I believe that they are the only solution to many polishing situations. There are a number of good polishers, and good polishing systems out there, and while Rupes is right in there with all of them, and at the top with a couple of others, it is one of many, not the only, solution. Flex makes good polishers, Rupes makes good polishers, Makita sells good polishers, Griots Garage sells good polishers, Porter Cable sells a good polisher, and so on. Does it matter to me where they are made? No. What matters is that the polishers work when I need to use them, and that they allow me to get the results that I want. Rupes does, but so do others.
