I bought a GeoMax Zoom 80 robot in 2015. It's been working almost flawlessly since then, even though I've never had it serviced. I began to wonder if I'm causing damage by letting it go so long without lubrication, even though I don't normally work in dusty environments, so I contacted a (former?) GeoMax dealer I've worked with in the past for advice (I'm not naming the company just in case anything I was told is confidential). The response I got was that GeoMax has pulled out of the U.S. market, and that Leica is handling service for existing hardware in Georgia.
Although I'm not in the market for a new gun, I was disappointed to learn that GeoMax is leaving/has left the U.S. IMO, the Zoom robots are/were the best value out there, delivering Leica performance without Leica prices, at least for the kind of work I do. FWIW, a brief search didn't turn up any formal announcement of a decision to leave the U.S.
Part of the dealer's response was a suggestion to leave well enough alone, and that opening an instrument that's working well only invites trouble.
Anyone here know how long the factory lubrication of a solid robot can be expected to last?
Anyone here know how long the factory lubrication of a solid robot can be expected to last?
Until recently we had a 2006 model Lieca robot in regular use, never serviced, with no problems. When we sent it in the service tech demurred to open it, saying that after so long it was best just to leave it be, unless we were prepared to go in for several thousand dollars worth of work. Since it's value was far less than that we accepted the advise.
I agree with the Rep's. We had a Leica gun that went in for service they could never get it sealed right after that.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Typing class 9th grade!
Full disclosure: I work for a licensed dealer for some of the products mentioned in this post and others, trying to be as vague as possible, absolutely not a solicitation for business.
All the manufacturers we work with recommend having your total station, robotic or otherwise, serviced yearly. Regular checks for firmware are also recommended.
Roughly speaking half our customers follow that advice. That breaks down along construction/survey use cases with construction customers servicing more regularly than survey customers. This makes sense when you consider the workload a robotic total station carries staking out all day versus running a traverse with some location in a survey capacity.
Can an instrument run longer than a year and operate properly without a clean, check and calibration? Of course it can. Can it be multiple years? Sure.
Can delayed maintenance increase wear and tear on the motors and potentially shorten their lifespan? Also, yes. Can small problems be noticed and addressed during regular service to avoid bigger problems? For sure.
Best case scenario is a combination of “if it ain’t broke…” and getting away with the bare minimum of care for your gear. Worst case scenario? First question on the witness stand, “When was the equipment you used last serviced?” Checkmate.
Look at it this way, it’s a $20-$30-thousand-dollar investment that you are likely using as the primary tool to make a living. Service and maintain as you see fit.
And for the love of whatever you love, throw out those janky old legs! Old legs, crummy bipods and worn down pole tips spoil more traverse closures than lack of instrument maintenance ever will.
Be safe, have fun.
@cvt “When was the equipment you used last serviced?”
If that question, I would say we service it every evening when we bring back to office.
the more relevant question for equipment is 'how accurate is your instrument, when did you last calibrate it, and what checks did you make to ensure the accuracy'.
we have both leica and geomax
throw out those janky old legs! Old legs, crummy bipods and worn down pole tips spoil more traverse closures than lack of instrument maintenance ever will.
Yea Verily!
I'd add tribrachs to that list. Cheap (usually chinese) tribrachs detract from precision on day one. Even the best wear out in time.
Update: the dealer told me that Leica will decline service to any GeoMax that's out of warranty. He referred me to a reliable third-party shop in Florida.
I was told that this was due to logistics. They lost a ton of containers coming over seas, as well as delays, tariffs, and component shortages and they couldn't work through it to resolve well enough. The Carlson rebrand of the Zoom95 is safe because it's a different supply chain and will remain as is. I was told this by my Carlson dealer.
How does one lose a ton of containers? Was it theft, or shipwrecks, it something else?
I got some clarification from my Carlson dealer: they lost a lot of money on the fees for containers coming over, not lost containers! I apologize for my misinterpretation.
@norman-oklahoma I entered the surveying world with a toolmaking background, so chasing the odd "thou" here and there is what I am used to. I also did some work in the turbo department at MAN Diesel when I lived in Germany. There, I was told about the minerals that the Chinese are unable to put into the metal because they just don't have access to it. I agree 100% with the advice to not trust Chinese tribrachs. The metallic composition just isn't there. I've seen the results on the dial indicator. They move more than the genuine Leica tribrachs........and they don't return to where they should be.
From personal experience, I also do not use Chinese 360 degree prisms for close up work. I find that if you get close enough, the EDM will partially read "through" the prism, whereas with a genuine Leica 360 it will not. Chinese prisms with the copper backing have served me well though. My little ball prisms are Chinese, but I stick with genuine Leica for my circular prisms.
I've had zero luck with Chinese batteries.