Turntable ?replace Kato or buy the Walthers (or something else)

[voldemort]

I installed a kato turntable about 6 months ago.  It worked reasonably well.  It stopped working (likely from some scenery work I was messing up).  I took it apart and decided that since its under warranty, I should just mail it to them and get them to repair it.  It came back with a note "item has had a repair done by non-Kato service".  And they wouldn't fix it.

I have many of the special tracks that you can buy to exit the turntable.  The turntable is now a centerpiece of my layout.  I need to replace it

The easiest installation is to buy a new Kato.  The look doesn't bother me too much.  Its a bit short for my longer steamers. 

I've read some other people having problems with the Kato's stopping working.

I have also been looking at the Walthers 130' turntable online.  I don't know much about them

I do want a remote control turnout.

Any advice on what choice would be best for me?  Thoughts on the reliability of both brands?

Thank you

[mplsjct]

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=50397.0

Recent discussion on turntables

[peteski]

Question: Since you already took the Kato TT apart, then Kato obviously noticed that, can't you take it apart again and fix it yourself?

[voldemort]

I'd love to fix it myself.  I don't know if I can.  It will rotate at least one direction, but the indexing 'pin' that comes out isn't moving and the rotation doesn't stop when I release the lever on the control.  Hopefully tomorrow I can mess with it some more

[delamaize]

... I took it apart and decided that since its under warranty, I should just mail it to them and get them to repair it.  It came back with a note "item has had a repair done by non-Kato service".  And they wouldn't fix it....

This is why you don't take things apart that are under warranty. I don't know any company that will honor a Warranty if it was tinkered with before being sent in.

That being said, It's broken, so trying to fix it isn't going to make things worse. See if you find a exploded diagram and compare that to what you got, and see if their is something out of place or broken/worn.

If you can't fix it, then I'd just go with another Kato table, given that you already have everything set up for that table.

[JMaurer1]

As pointed out, "broken" is a binary condition (it works or it doesn't). Since it doesn't work now, take it apart and see what you may find. Worst case is you can't fix it and you have parts for the replacement.

[TimF]

I'd recommend you buy the german made from Fleischmann...

[voldemort]

Thanks everyone.  I'm an idiot.  I followed your advice, took it apart, figured out what the problem was and fixed it.  I think what maybe made me stupid was the note back from Kato saying it was non-repairable.  Still fiddling with keeping it from hanging up at a couple spots where the rails on the bridge hit the junction between two 3-railed sections, but I'll figure that out


Sorry for not thinking the problem through

[peteski]

Thanks everyone.   I followed your advice, took it apart, figured out what the problem was and fixed it.  I think what maybe made me stupid was the note back from Kato saying it was non-repairable. 

Kato returned it to you untouched not because they couldn't repair it, but because the decided that someone futzed around with it. The clearly stated that in their reply to you: It came back with a note "item has had a repair done by non-Kato service".  I don't think any company will do any warranty repairs after a non-authorized "repairman" tried to "fix" the item. Most (likely all) warranties clearly state that.

I'm glad to hear you made progress on the repairs.

[Frank Amato]

Thanks everyone.  I'm an idiot.  I followed your advice, took it apart, figured out what the problem was and fixed it.

Way to stick with it and track down the issue.  Lots of chances to learn in this hobby!

  Frank