FLIR stops servicing older outdoor units

[Explorer]

My FLIR thermal imager does not show the correct date/time anymore and I have been told it is due to an internal battery that needs to be replaced by FLIR. 

Apparently, the external batteries (4 AA’s) used to power the unit does not power the clock (a poor design).

 

When I reached out to them to service the unit (even though the unit is out of warranty and I was planning to pay), they replied that they won’t be doing any servicing/maintaining of older units (that are out of warranty).   

The FLIR representative told me that in early 2020 they decided to stop supporting/servicing many of the older instruments targeted to outdoor customers.

 

Thus, for those of us who bought these expensive instruments, we won’t get any FLIR service or maintenance support.

 

This was a business decision and they appear to be throwing past customers under the bus.

 

I will not be buying any FLIR products anymore.  Buyer beware of their poor customer support.

 

See the link below, where they announced this decision to reduce the outdoor consumer product offering. 

 

It does not state the new service policy, but I got that via email. See quote below:

 

"At the start of 2020, FLIR had made the business decision to stop supporting certain products in the OTS line. Unfortunately as this unit would be out of warranty if purchased in 2016 we don't have the resources to service the unit. FLIR will honor all warranties on discontinued items'." 

 

https://www.flir.com/news-center/home--outdoor/flir-outdoor-product-notification/

[BlackRockBigfoot]

Wow. 

 

That's a load of crap.  I guess that, since they are getting out of the civilian thermal field, they have no qualms about burning that bridge.  Your unit is only 4 years old and they refuse to help you.  I have been thinking about getting rid of my Flir Scout and getting a Pulsar.  This is kind of cementing that decision. 

 

By the way, there are independent thermal repair companies out there.  May be worth looking into.

 

https://infraredcameras.com/thermal-camera-repair/

[hiflier]

According to the link FLIR will continue to sell and service the Scout line of imagers. That would include the TK Scout line even down to the lowly Scout and Ocean monoculars:

 

FLIR Outdoor thermal handheld products FLIR will continue to sell include:

• Scout family
• Scion series
• LS series
• Breach

FLIR Outdoor products to be discontinued pending inventory depletion:

• All thermal bi-oculars and thermal monoculars except for the products detailed above
• All night vision and thermal riflescopes and clip-on systems
• All night vision multi-purpose systems and goggles
• Laser systems
• All outdoor and tactical accessories

All in all though, BRB, I have been kind of impressed with Pulsar's capabilities as expensive as they are. I really doubt I would invest in one just for that reason. My Scout TK Ocean is really all I need. Of course I probably will keep saying that until I look through a $3,000-$5,000 unit  

Edited September 3, 2020 by hiflier

[BlackRockBigfoot]

Yeah, but just because they are servicing the Scout for now, doesn't mean that they will still be in a couple of years.

 

I could see them suspending support for a piece of electronics that was 20 years old, but something that was purchased new 4 years ago?  Doesn't fill me with a sense of confidence about FLIR.

[hiflier]

For now at least the Scout works just fine. A servicing to replace the internal battery is probably in its future at some point. Supposed to lat for two years but I'm thinking that's with frequent charging and/or heavy use (same thing?). So far, though, the battery hasn't been an issue. Not defending FLIR's move here but companies, no matter what they manufacture, do discontinue items. Pulsar has units they have discontinued products but may still service them? There is a member here who has one that is no longer available. Happens all the time. But you're right, halting service options on products is dicey.

 

Been trying to figure out why FLIR is discontinuing what was listed in the link. Moving more into law enforcement and military was the reason they gave.

[norseman]

Good to know

[Kiwakwe]

I've been hesitant to buy Flir due to the internal, non replaceable battery a la apple. Annoying as hell, WHY?? How difficult could it be to build an access door. Bailing on the consumer is par for today's customer non-service--the clincher that flir won't get my dime, I'm sure they care.....  I like the build, CR123 batts and imager on the Leupold LTO-Tracker 2 HD but no video, which, granted, isn't proof but it's nice to have the ability to share the event. One can hold a camera to the viewer lens, I've seen videos of that and it's an ok quality but surely not ideal.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Kiwakwe
typo

[Explorer]

When you buy a car or any expensive hi-tech machinery, you expect it to be serviced even after warranty is over.

 

My FLIR instrument is not a toy.  I paid over $9 K for it and it is a complex hi-tech instrument. 

 

Had I paid only a few hundred dollars, I would not care.

 

I don't trust this company anymore.  Something went wrong in how they run their business if they are ignoring customers of their high end equipment.

 

I think some of their technology is not competitive anymore and they are burning thru cash.  Thus, they are cutting service and maintenance (labor cost cutting).

 

Today, I think the FLIR brand is driven more by marketing than by actual performance.

 

I was out in WA last week with other field researchers and 3 of them had Pulsars and these units had much better capability/performance than my FLIR and were much cheaper (granted my unit was from 2016 and these new Pulsars were purchased 1-2 years ago).

 

Hiflier, does have a point, will Pulsar continue supporting these units in the future?  Don't know.

But it won't matter if the price continues to drop.

 

I will continue using my unit (which works fine except the date/time stamp) until it stops working. 

[hiflier]

13 minutes ago, Kiwakwe said:

I've been hesitant to buy Flir due to the internal, non replaceable battery a la apple

 

Hear you on that, K, but but I looked around and got the FLIR with video for the same price as the Leupold. Since I haven't looked at them much, does the Leupold capture images?

[Kiwakwe]

56 minutes ago, hiflier said:

 

Hear you on that, K, but but I looked around and got the FLIR with video for the same price as the Leupold. Since I haven't looked at them much, does the Leupold capture images?

No, it doesn't. Maybe when flir tips out, the new versions will.

[BlackRockBigfoot]

1 hour ago, Explorer said:

When you buy a car or any expensive hi-tech machinery, you expect it to be serviced even after warranty is over.

 

My FLIR instrument is not a toy.  I paid over $9 K for it and it is a complex hi-tech instrument. 

 

Had I paid only a few hundred dollars, I would not care.

 

I don't trust this company anymore.  Something went wrong in how they run their business if they are ignoring customers of their high end equipment.

 

I think some of their technology is not competitive anymore and they are burning thru cash.  Thus, they are cutting service and maintenance (labor cost cutting).

 

Today, I think the FLIR brand is driven more by marketing than by actual performance.

 

I was out in WA last week with other field researchers and 3 of them had Pulsars and these units had much better capability/performance than my FLIR and were much cheaper (granted my unit was from 2016 and these new Pulsars were purchased 1-2 years ago).

 

Hiflier, does have a point, will Pulsar continue supporting these units in the future?  Don't know.

But it won't matter if the price continues to drop.

 

I will continue using my unit (which works fine except the date/time stamp) until it stops working. 

Wait.  You have a NINE THOUSAND DOLLAR FLIR that is only 4 years old...and they won't service it.  

 

I would be enraged

 

[wiiawiwb]

I think Pulsar does an excellent job focusing on the recreational user.  I spent a lot less than $3,000 and find the quality of the video to be just what I need. Here is a video I took of two chipmunks. I wanted to capture them on video to use as a benchmark knowing how tiny they are. If you can clearly see them, you should be able to clearly see a sasquatch, even if it's only a hand (which is significantly larger than a chipmunk).  The two chipmunks can be seen at the beginning of the video. At about 1:03 I recorded a chipmunk a distance away running down a tree. The second video is another chipmunk running up a tree.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbca0qjPIFY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLtaIbiS9qM

 

 

1 hour ago, Explorer said:

When you buy a car or any expensive hi-tech machinery, you expect it to be serviced even after warranty is over.

 

My FLIR instrument is not a toy.  I paid over $9 K for it and it is a complex hi-tech instrument. 

 

Had I paid only a few hundred dollars, I would not care.

 

Sorry to hear that Explorer especially at that price.  That's ridiculous especially given they are the leading name in the industry.

Edited September 4, 2020 by wiiawiwb

[NorthWind]

You would think someone would come up with a DIY service video and throw it up on YouTube or even the web somewhere. I looked, but couldn't find any. I mean really. How hard could it be to replace a battery?

[BlackRockBigfoot]

@wiiawiwb

I have asked you this before, but what model is that?  If I remember correctly, you said that it was discontinued.

 

 

[hiflier]

3 minutes ago, NorthWind said:

You would think someone would come up with a DIY service video and throw it up on YouTube or even the web somewhere. I looked, but couldn't find any. I mean really. How hard could it be to replace a battery?

 

I know, huh.... Oh sure, completely disassemble a laptop? Right. But replace a FLIR TK battery? Nuh-uh. Got a buddy who's an electronics whiz, though, so maybe that video isn't too far off.