# Nikon Rangefinder



## Mattyv97 (Mar 30, 2009)

*Nikon*

I have had my Nikon Prostaff Range Finder for 2 years and havent had any problems with it at all. i would recommend them to anyone who was looking for any kind of optics. 
I am not blaming you or anything but the Range Finder had to get moisture in it some how. whether it was stored in damp place or you put it away wet or something. i mean moisture in a range finder just doesnt come from no where. moisture comes from damp, wet places so it had to get it from someplace...


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## pronghornproduction (Oct 27, 2007)

I have had problems with the same rangefinder and got the same crappy cust. service........I would not recommend nikon to anyone.


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## hoytshooter03 (Oct 28, 2003)

I have a Nikon 550 Rifle Hunter. The angle compensator model.

I love it.. Had it two seasons now with no issues.
:thumbs_up


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

Mattyv97 said:


> I am not blaming you or anything but the Range Finder had to get moisture in it some how. whether it was stored in damp place or you put it away wet or something. i mean moisture in a range finder just doesnt come from no where. moisture comes from damp, wet places so it had to get it from someplace...


There can be bad seals or seals that can go bad in any scope/rangefinder. Have had it happen in scopes myself. Sucks it happened. Two years is too soon, but if the warranty is expired...


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## ohiobucks (Dec 27, 2004)

My friend had the same rangefinder and it quit reading out past 25 yards or so. He sent it back in for repair, and they told him the same thing, $170.00 to fix it. He owns a Bushnell now.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

Why do so many people expect out of warranty electronics to be repaired for free? Every other company out there would do the exact same thing.


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## Mattyv97 (Mar 30, 2009)

WabbitSwayer said:


> There can be bad seals or seals that can go bad in any scope/rangefinder. Have had it happen in scopes myself. Sucks it happened. Two years is too soon, but if the warranty is expired...


i understand what your saying, i agree with you but like i said the moisture had to come from somewhere? it doesnt just appear...


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## Steve in KC (Dec 17, 2008)

WabbitSwayer said:


> There can be bad seals or seals that can go bad in any scope/rangefinder. Have had it happen in scopes myself. Sucks it happened. Two years is too soon, but if the warranty is expired...


I agree. Same thing with cell phones. There's a moisture indicator on your battery that turns pink when your phone has been exposed to a moist environment. If this thing is pink, it will void your warranty when you take it in to the store to have it fixed for any reason.

Having your phone in it's case, on the sink counter during a shower is enough to get it to turn pink.


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## viperarcher (Jul 6, 2007)

I have the nikon archers choice range finder and it has worked awsome! The customer service also has been awsome to me! you can't blame a company if your the one that has not takin proper care of the product!


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## ID_Cuda (Mar 22, 2009)

IBOHUNT said:


> I HAD and Nikon 440 laser rangfinder for the last 2 years. Went to use this fall and noticed all the lenses had condensation on them. This unit has never been in the rain or abused. So I called Nikon, they said send it in. After their review, they wanted $168.50 for repair. I immediately called them and said "what the f#$k" We're sorry that item is no longer warrantied. In which I told them to keep their junk, I'll spend the $40 extra and get a Bushnell. I could understand their charge if this unit had been to hell and back, but it has truly been babied. Oh well, thanks for letting me rant.
> Dennis L:thumbs_do


Out of curiosity, what should Nikon have done? Think about it.


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## camoman73 (Jul 7, 2007)

That is bull. Sorry you got treated that way. Push the issue, and push again theyll eventualy take care of you. Moisture?? What do they expect your using it for hunting. I mean if youre washing it in the kitchen sink then yeah its your fault, but who hasnt got most everything the own a lil wet when hunting?


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## Dugga Boy (Apr 21, 2003)

Sorry to hear about that problem but especially as soon as the warranty time expires, one have to accept the "terms and conditions". 

Since 2003 I'm using the Nikon 400 (predecessor of the 440) without any trouble. It still even works with the first battery.

By the way, a lot of my buddies around who used a Bushnell, went to a Nikon just because of the problem of moisture creeping into the housing.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Nikon.

DB


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## IBOHUNT (Jan 29, 2003)

*Maybe posting experiences isn't the best idea*

For every action there's an opposite and equal reaction. After reading the responses, I can assume 1. I'm a careless hapless idiot. 2. What do I expect for service after paying a large chunck of money for a product, perfection.
Well to reply, could've it been bad seals, maybe. This product has never seen rain, water or the like, only temp changes. What do I expect when I pay for a product, a quality product from a company that stands behind their product. Ever have a limb, cam failure from a Mathews? Yes, they send the product immediately without cost to me. Do I expect this same service from a $20 item, no, but from a $240 rangefinder from a company like Nikon, yes. In my line of work the "customer is always right", all I'm asking is doesn't this apply to other companies as well.


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## M.Magis (Oct 2, 2003)

IBOHUNT said:


> For every action there's an opposite and equal reaction. After reading the responses, I can assume 1. I'm a careless hapless idiot. 2. What do I expect for service after paying a large chunck of money for a product, perfection.
> Well to reply, could've it been bad seals, maybe. This product has never seen rain, water or the like, only temp changes. What do I expect when I pay for a product, a quality product from a company that stands behind their product. Ever have a limb, cam failure from a Mathews? Yes, they send the product immediately without cost to me. Do I expect this same service from a $20 item, no, but from a $240 rangefinder from a company like Nikon, yes. In my line of work the "customer is always right", all I'm asking is doesn't this apply to other companies as well.


Okay, one more time, real simple: What does "out of warranty" mean to you? This shouldn't be hard. Good luck with your search for a rangefinder with a lifetime warranty.


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## Tx Trapper (Feb 25, 2009)

IBOHunt, I fully see where you are coming from. If this happened to most of the posters they would be feeling the same. Keep hounding them, they will do something.:59:


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## paulrueda (Aug 10, 2009)

IBOhunt I agree with you. I would be pissed if that happened to me If they won't do something then go get a Bushnell ARC. I would stop buying thier products. If this happened with a 240 dollar Item how do they handle a 1200 dollar scope? I am in the customer service buisness and I agree that if you have a happy consumer they will keep coming back but if you have an unhappy customer the damage word of mouth can do is devistating.


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## uncleted327 (Feb 29, 2008)

I have the 440 for years now, still works perfect and is still on the original batteries. You can't expect to buy the bottom of the line unit from any company and have them warranty it for life, get off the soap box and upgrade already.


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## Jose Boudreaux (Oct 18, 2003)

I will NOT buy water resistant models.....

My waterproof 800 fell on the ground one winter right before Christmas while hunting near a creek. I never realized it and did not find it till February and after about 5" of rain. Picked it up and it never missed a beat :smile:


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## Mattyv97 (Mar 30, 2009)

*wow*



Jose Boudreaux said:


> I will NOT buy water resistant models.....
> 
> My waterproof 800 fell on the ground one winter right before Christmas while hunting near a creek. I never realized it and did not find it till February and after about 5" of rain. Picked it up and it never missed a beat :smile:


dam now thats waterproof. i would have never thought the water would have been getting in there after that. thats why i buy nikon


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## AdamX3 (Apr 10, 2009)

*Nikon 440*

I bought one of these when I was a freshman in high school from one of my buddies....that would of been the year 2000. He won it at a wild game dinner and it was brand new in the box when I bought it. I have put mine through the ringer and it has never once failed me. I bow hunt almost everyday of the season and that thing is always around my neck, tucked under my arm, I feel naked without it...come to think of it, I damn near abuse the thing. Believe it or not, but it still has the original battery in it( reads 1/4 charge) You probably got a dud...


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## mohntr (Oct 10, 2009)

i agree these comp. think they have us by the you know what for gosh sake were huntin wit em so there "warranties need to be a whole heck of alot better specially for the price they charge


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## Va bowhunter (Aug 24, 2006)

Be careful with the bushnell arc. I purchased the chuck adams back in late to take on a western hunting trip did not work half the time or gave me incorrect readings. My father and another guy have the standard black arc model and constantly have trouble getting readings many times having to take the battery out and reset the thing to get it to work.


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## bucksnortinted (Aug 24, 2006)

i like my 440 range finders,i can see better out of them than i could my bushy
450 sports and they range better also


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## cleggy (Aug 26, 2006)

Spend the money on a Leica CRF and be done with it. Or a Swarovski. In optics; you get what you pay for. And for any hunting optic, waterproof is not optional, it's required. Water resistant won't cut it.


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## munsonRN (Sep 18, 2009)

*The customer is NOT always right*

The statement that "the customer is always right" is a joke and absolutely false. Until you have worked in a retail environment you can't say that.

I used to work at an electronics retailer. MANY customers would come back to the store years later and expect to return a "defective" product that had clearly been abused. They are obviously not right in that scenario even though they stated that "the customer is always right". 

Here is an interesting read.
http://customerservicezone.com/faq/customeralwaysright.htm

This is just plain good...
http://positivesharing.com/2006/07/why-the-customer-is-always-right-results-in-bad-customer-service/


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## johnno (Apr 11, 2006)

I have had my 440 for about 5 years and its still going strong..it performs when others such as Leopold give up....why didn't you just put it in the sun for a while and let it dry out...cheers..:darkbeer:


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## Deserthuntr (Nov 23, 2008)

*Nikon 440*

Have used the Nikon 440 now for 4 years and it is serving me fine, it still has its original battery but has to be replaced soon. If a company sells a product with a 1 or 2 year guarentee then they are liable to repair that product within that time frame. If the guarentee expires then it is the owner of the product's liability to pay for the repair of that product. Must Nikon now keep on repairing their products after the guarentee has expired without charging? That is redicilous.


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## Ogredude43 (Jun 11, 2006)

*just a thought*

seems to me like the complaint is that it is almost the price of a new one to repair the unit not the fact that a price had to be paid. It looks like this has gone way beyond the scope of the original complaint guys!


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## IBOHUNT (Jan 29, 2003)

*Thanks Ogredude*

Finally someoone understands the point, I never wanted it fixed for free! I understand the warranty is gone, but to pay damn near the original price to get this fixed is, to me, absurd. I think we can bury this topic for now.


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## Slippy Field (Nov 4, 2005)

I guess the real slap in the face is that you can get one brand new for $168 these days. rebuilds you can get for $110.

My lovely bride broke a $120 camera and and they wanted $90 to fix it, I told them where to stick it.


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## boarman1 (Jul 20, 2008)

The bad part is they probaly only have $45 dollars in them to have them made and then want to charge you that to fix them. I have had nothing but good luck out of my Nikon rangefinders so now I know if something happens to them to just put them in the Trash .


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## k'em-n-g'em (Feb 10, 2007)

ohiobucks said:


> My friend had the same rangefinder and it quit reading out past 25 yards or so. He sent it back in for repair, and they told him the same thing, $170.00 to fix it. He owns a Bushnell now.


all he had to do is press and hold both buttons and it would have reset this model, Unfortnately this is a common procedure on 440's but at least its not broke. If he still got it i will take it off of his hands :smile:

BTW love mine, dropped it out of the tree this year and its still is perfect


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## SEOBowhntr (May 13, 2005)

M.Magis said:


> Okay, one more time, real simple: What does "out of warranty" mean to you? This shouldn't be hard. Good luck with your search for a rangefinder with a lifetime warranty.


BRUNTON ECHO???? I have one, and it's a decent unit. Might look them up.......:noidea:


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## Dthbyhoyt (Dec 4, 2004)

Have had my Nikon 440 for several years , 2002 I beleive I bought it , still works just likethe day I got it and still on the factory battery ..I did just order a pair of the Archer's Choice range finder , it is on it way now ... might sell the 440 ...


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## Octabird (Feb 20, 2009)

My question would have been to them:

OK warranty is gone. You want almost as much as the cost of a new one to fix mine, which obviously "failed", IMO. 
Why in the world would they not have wanted to keep you as a customer and offer you a decent discount to be able to buy a new one??

I didn't think IBO was out of line in thinking, that they would and should do anything they can to keep him as a customer, but sounds like they said its broke and out of warranty now pay up sucka!

Not good CS on Nikon! IBO I'd call them until I get an answer that makes sense.

Maybe the CS person you talked to was having an "off" day. Humans do tend to be human at times!

Good luck with whatever you decide.


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

IBOHUNT said:


> Finally someoone understands the point, I never wanted it fixed for free! I understand the warranty is gone, but to pay damn near the original price to get this fixed is, to me, absurd. I think we can bury this topic for now.


Most electronic products are not worth paying the price to have them fixed. I have had game systems, computers, phones,etc. crap out on me shortly after the warranty. So does that mean that Sony, Nintendo, etc all have piss poor customer service because the cost of repair is near the cost of new? We live in a disposable society. As much as I fight it, it is what it is.


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## viperarcher (Jul 6, 2007)

I love my Nikon archers choice rangefinder!


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## mttc08 (Feb 21, 2005)

viperarcher said:


> I love my Nikon archers choice rangefinder!


ditto


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## Gates (Feb 24, 2007)

Nikon CS is pure crap.

I had a Nikon Coolpix I bought just for a hunt. Picked up the the most padded case I could find. Had it on my side belt the whole time. Never banged it up. Two weeks after purchase screen was cracked and clouded out. I never banged it on anything and think freezing temps may have done it. Don't get off mountain till after four weeks into it. I take it back to Best Buy. They do nothing and say ship it to Nikon. Give Nikon a note and tell them same story, thinking they are going to say camera abuse, even though not a scratch on it. Sure enough, about $100 bill to fix. Never, ever, ever will I buy Nikon or Best Buy. Bought 2 cameras and a scope that could have been Nikon's, since.

If they would have even given me cost on a new one, probably $60, I would have eaten it and been OK, but not with Best Buy, they can stuff it. Won't even say how much money I have spent there on kids games and electronics. As evil as Walmart is, I could have taken it back a year later.

Rant over.


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## Mattyv97 (Mar 30, 2009)

*nikon*

thats sucks, but ive never had a problem with any of my nikon optics. i dont know though i keep my digital camera in my truck year round and ive never had a problem and it gets cold here in buffalo


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## bowhunter685 (Aug 22, 2004)

*nikon*

I dont like my nikon 550 range finder.....



I LOVE IT!


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## ncoutdoorsman (Jan 24, 2009)

I understand where IBO is coming from.

Do we ALL not buy products with some expectation that it will last? I doubt any of us would buy a rangefinder that says on the box "Unit will completely fail after 2 years so enjoy it while it lasts!" :wink:

With a warranty or without, we still expect the company we trusted to back us up on getting it right again.

I believe Nikon should have said something like "We're sorry you're experiencing problems with the unit. If you send it in, we can have it repaired for a $30 fee plus shipping since its out of warranty." 

I don't expect things for free either, especially on items out of warranty, but HELP,...IS expected. And $170 repair charge is not help, its an insult.


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## DXTBIKER (Feb 15, 2009)

I have a nikon 440 that I have had for over 5 years, never any problems. I replaced the battery once. I hope I get 5 more out of it


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## keb73 (Oct 15, 2003)

I hate to hear that.It's a shame because after much research I have found their rangefinders to be the most accurate and consistent..

I hope my 600 don't fail in the near future..Nothing worse than bad CS from a company..


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## NY MOpro (Dec 8, 2009)

I had a hard time with Nikon also. In my opinion, their customer service is garbage. I got a Leupold RX2 and have been using it for 2 years in the rain, snow, sleet and everything else mother nature wants to throw at us. Not a single problem with it yet. It actually has a mode selector so it can be set for various hunting conditions, such as rain, and fog. I have seen other rangefinders perform inaccurately under those circumstances. Definatly shop around though. Good Luck!


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## s_ribs (Nov 6, 2008)

Man, bummer about your experience. Especially frustrating when it's a product failure from a company like Nikon. I buy names like that because I expect to not have issues!


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## Hippokrates (Sep 18, 2006)

I just love that saying " you get what you pay for" I paid for a WEATHERPROOF Leica 1200 rangefinder. Wasnt cheap but id dont have to baby it in the woods when im hunting. I saw someone posted something along the lines of " of course its gonna get wet /moist/damp(not sure which he used but still) when you go hunting.... Well then dude get a waterproof one then already....


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## tutone500 (Feb 19, 2009)

I had a Leica and it broke, they replaced it no questions asked. My 440 just stop working and now that i see it will cost that much to fix I guess ill junk. Should of kept the Leica


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## MoNofletch (Jul 28, 2003)

I thought Nikon was top 'o the line?


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## MedHawk (Jan 16, 2008)

I have a Pro Staff 550 and have had it 2 seasons, and I have had it out in bad weather conditions without a second thought. Once home I do leave it out of the case for a day before putting it away. I also keep a gel pack in the case. I would recomend you try customer service again, go higher then the first person, give them a song and dance, loyal cust, always used their product bla, bla, bla............ounce of kindness can go a long way.


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## Tim/OH (Apr 3, 2004)

I've been using my nikon 440 for about 3-4yrs without any problems(fingers are cross)...

Sorry to hear about the problems ur having...like someone mention before talk to someone higher in charge and see what happens.



Tim


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## SCFox (Dec 11, 2005)

I would have been PO'd also. I don't recall the OP stating that the electronics went bad, but the optics failed. If the optics failed, Nikon should have stood behind their product!


SCFox


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