Aliens recalled yet?

[111]

I noticed a few days ago that there was a lot of speculation on a recall of some aliens on some other climber boards. Anyone have any more info about that? Have they issued a recall yet? In general, it seems to me that the problems have just sprung up in the last year. True? Are my aliens stamped "0304" ok? I( love the little things and don't want to stop using them, but the rumors and photos are getting me curious...

[RuMR]

go to spray...its all there...REI and Mgear have pulled all of the stock...

[hemp22]

this response from mountain gear shows the test results that they got:

www.mountaingear.com/aliens

it was also just posted on RC.com

[crazyjizzy]

I would imagine that CCH will be out of buisness within six months. Building climbing protection is a buisness, and I do not think that CCH is ran as a buisness on either the production floor, or the head office.

[EWolfe]

But, even if that is true (which I doubt), Aliens will remain.

 

The patented internal spring is too good to die.

 

 

{STFU RuMR}

[Gary_Yngve]

Some nontrivial subset of recent aliens are bad, as indicated by the recent pull tests. Hopefully we'll receive an announcement soon on the cause of failure, what batches/years are affected, and what steps will be taken to prevent this from happening in the future. But it obviously takes time to figure this stuff out.

[JosephH]

Some nontrivial subset of recent aliens are bad, as indicated by the recent pull tests. Hopefully we'll receive an announcement soon on the cause of failure, what batches/years are affected, and what steps will be taken to prevent this from happening in the future. But it obviously takes time to figure this stuff out.

 

I wish I had high hopes for being able to identify "batches/years" affected but my real suspicion is that as a craft/artisan shop that just cranked some out when they had the material and gumption that records simply don't exist as one would assume for a normal manufacturing operation. I also suspect the culture is one where these problems aren't a "unique" or "isolated" affair but a cultural one that is fairly systemic and simply cycled high enough in 2005 to be publicly exposed. I hope that isn't the case, but I for one will be bounce testing all years, all sizes, in both regular and hybrids. Hopefully CCH will now revamp it's operations to institue more formal QC standards and processes.

[corvallisclimb]

ooo i lucked out with that full set of hybrids from mountaingear 2 weeks ago hehehe

[dbb]

ooo i lucked out with that full set of hybrids from mountaingear 2 weeks ago hehehe

 

yes, "out" seems to be the optimal word.

[olyclimber]

I notice backcountrygear (very limited stock) and ems.com are still selling aliens (there are probably other places, I haven't looked further).

[catbirdseat]

Ever worked at a small business that is instituting a recall? I have. Believe me, it isn't fun.

[olyclimber]

Without an "official" word from Dave of CCH or the Consumer Products Safety Commission, I'm not sure we can know that one taking place.

[larrythellama]

cams do make the climber, climbing does.

[archenemy]

cams do make the climber, climbing does.

[sexual_chocolate]

...but I for one will be bounce testing all years, all sizes, in both regular and hybrids.

 

 

Do you really think "bounce testing" is a strict enough procedure to assure the integrity of a cam? I highly doubt it.

 

I've always been nervous about the integrity of brazed stem connections. I wonder if any other manufacturer has had brazing failure....

Edited January 12, 2006 by sexual_chocolate

[Gary_Yngve]

Is that the same sort of connection on WC Zeros or Superlight Rocks?

[rockgirl77]

Does anyone know if REI is accepting returns on recently purchased Aliens? I received the gold one for Christmas and the tags are still on...

[JosephH]

A formal recall is in the works and I suspect it will be announced fairly soon. CCH is new to the process, though, so it will probably take at least a couple of days for them to get up to speed...

[mattp]

I sure hope they can convince me that the problem is limited to more recent productions 'cause I really like my Aliens.

[minx]

I love my aliens and will continue to use them (although i'm going to check the numbers on mine). we bought a couple of zero cams a couple summers back. those seem just as good. i've liked them. they place as easily as the aliens and have similar flexibility and range. seems like a good alternative.

[JosephH]

Here is some initial information about [potentially] defective Aliens that can be visually identified by an atypical marking. This information has been conveyed/confirmed by several retailers, affects cams beyond the orange, but is not yet positively related to the incident that kicked off all this most recent round of discussion...

 

=========================================================

From RC.com

=========================================================

 

"I don't think they are saying the dimples are in the braze, but just below the bulb on the solid metal piece that the axle passes through. Correct me if I'm wrong."

 

This would appear to be the only photo of a possible "defect dimple" (at the base of the bulb, not on the wire/brazing) available at the moment and it comes from the "Recall" thread.

 

[sexual_chocolate]

I would never trust my life to a product with an unknown production methodology and a history of failure.

 

Here we have a product where TWO production failures (brazing failure is an assumption of production failure, and will continue as such until evidence suggests otherwise), and no(?) public statement?

 

I can't say I have any confidence (as of now) in their product, and cannot trust my life with them.

[mattp]

I gotta say they always DID look and feel a bit home-made. But I like them never-the-less and I hope they can get straightened out.

[archenemy]

I have a defect dimple.

[dbb]

rockgirl77- the RC.com threads discuss this but REI is accepting returns on Aliens right now, no questions asked, for any bought or manufactured in 2005. you can tell what month/year the alien was made by looking at the under side of the trigger. It is stamped there.