Waiting on Brakesmart?, read this

[EB]

For those of you waiting on a Brakesmart, read this, I haven't seen anything posted about it. Was on the Brakesmart website. http://www.brakesmart.net/

Hope the wait isn't to long, it's the best one out there.

 

[klenger]

I think that statment has been on their website for several months. They probably just change the date every month. Hope they get their act together. I've been waiting for almost two years for the RGT/Boost module.

 

[jwduke]

I think that has been there for a while..... I wanted one back in June, and had to settle for a Jordon Ultima. The Jordon is almost as good.

 

[EB]

Sorry bout that. I just noticed it.

 

[WestTN]

I'm curious. If the Brakesmart isn't being delivered yet, how can you know the Jordan is 'almost as good'?

I have been unable to find any kind of fault with my Prodigy in around 20,000 towing miles. I think, since it has no faults, it must be as good or better than anything else.

 

[RDelissen]

just upgraded from the Tekonsha Voyager to their Prodigy and am quite happy with it

If the Brakesmart would've been available I might have gone that way ... but that doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon and towing duties go on :-laf

 

[SnoKing]

They did build some and people think that they are the best, then the parts supplier skipped out on them. They are trying to source parts from someone else to resume building the unit. SNOKING

 

[klenger]

I've had one for almost 2 years.

 

[Sled Dog]

Called Brakesmart today to get on there waiting list. They said there were hundreds on the list. When I asked, How many hundreds? The reply was, "Almost a Thousand"!!

They also said that they have been saying Product will be ready in 6 weeks and have been saying that for 6 weeks.

They don't know when any will be ready.

 

[10-9jc]

Unfortunate

Too bad that they can't deliver. I had also come to

the conclusion that the BrakeSmart was the best controller

out there . . . . but

then the "delays" began, and went on and on and . . .



The company's credibility is suffering. [Has suffered]

Have to wonder,

If you have one now, and it breaks (no pun intended),

do they have a replacement for you . . . or are you just

out of luck?



When something is supposed to be "the best", you assume

the "whole package" will meet - or come close to - that expectation.

Don't think I would buy one now if they became available tomorrow.

JC

 

[ChrisTucker]

people have had them break and steve does have some reserved units in inventory but they are for replacement units only. When there was problems, the new unit was mailed out FREE before the broken unit was returned. Now that is good service. And NO, he will not sell the reserved units, I asked.

I believe the demand for the controller was too much for the original builder/suppliers which led to mutiple waiting periods. I guess no one figured it would be as good as it is.

 

[JJW_ND]

Just a comparison....

We converted two of our transport trailers to hydraulic disk and put Brakesmarts in the two primary tow trucks. The total package was such a change from the Prodigy/electric drum brakes setup it was hard to know where to give all the credit. You simply never had to adjust the brake controller again. Unbelievable braking with disks BTW.



These two trailers see about 20K miles in 10 weeks with lots of gravel, pavement mixed driving with a loaded trailer weight of 14K and empty around 7K. Lots of long days which causes the speeds to get up there. These are govt trucks with might not see the same TLC we treat our personal trucks. Run hard work trucks!!! Our trucks are all single wheel one ton, diesels with 6sp.



One day the oil cooler fails on my truck and I get a backup to keep going. The backup has a Prodigy controller (the best we had used prior to the brakesmart). I had to constently adjust the controller. While the braking effort was pretty good, you knew you had a trailer behind. With he Brakesmart, the braking effort is so connected it is hard to seperate the truck from the trailer.



No inertia or time delay controller can duplicate what a direct connection to the brake hydraulic pressure does for interpretaing the brake action.



We are getting several replacement trucks this winter that we can hopefully put brakesmarts in.



jjw

ND

 

[Robin]

IMHO the Jordan is by far the best controller available. It is NOT an inertia device. It can be adjusted so that the trailer brakes come on before the truck brakes, at the same time or later, or however the user wants. The amount of brake application and the rate of application are adjustable. No other controller can do this.

 

[jwduke]

I'm curious. If the Brakesmart isn't being delivered yet, how can you know the Jordan is 'almost as good'?

I have been unable to find any kind of fault with my Prodigy in around 20,000 towing miles. I think, since it has no faults, it must be as good or better than anything else.

Talk to Klenger & Rusty, I think they have owned both... ... .

 

[Ross]

A Brakesmart is only good if you can get one. Kind of like 1. 40/gal gas. The price is right, I just can't find any. . My Brakesmart failed, and they have been "promising" me one for over a year. I had to go to something else. It's a great product (probably the best), but the company has serious problems with their supply chain and their manufacturing quality. I know of several that puked after about a month... . They, like me, are waiting..... I finally went to another controller. I got tired of calling them and having the same guy in Ft. Worth tell me the same story... . "what was your name again? address? Oh yeah, your on the list... . We'll get one out to you..... B. S.

 

[OTRPU]

Too bad that they can't deliver. I had also come to

the conclusion that the BrakeSmart was the best controller

out there . . . . but

then the "delays" began, and went on and on and . . .



The company's credibility is suffering. [Has suffered]

Have to wonder,

If you have one now, and it breaks (no pun intended),

do they have a replacement for you . . . or are you just

out of luck?



When something is supposed to be "the best", you assume

the "whole package" will meet - or come close to - that expectation.

Don't think I would buy one now if they became available tomorrow.

JC

_____________________



I've hauled for several years, several different controllers. Cried my eyes out when antilock brakeing set aside truely proportional hydraulic controllers. The time delay ones, the early pendulum ones, I hauled jerking across this country. Installed my Prodigy and thought I was in seventh heaven. THEN I heard about BrakeSmart. I now carry Prodigy for my spare. This is not a convenience with me it's my job. Maybe I'd be considered an anal kind of person. I also carry a spare starter, spare alternator. . . even have a spare automatic transmission/torque convertor in a coffin ratchet strapped atop my fuel tank. I'm one of a handful that have actually had a BrakeSmart failure. Some that have the unit almost didn't believe me. Knowing my situation Steve overnighted me a replacement down the road a ways. Prodigy harness and bracket mount still in situ I just kept rollin till I ran into my replacement BrakeSmart. Even BrakeSmart didn't believe me at first, till they got my unit back. People, I came very close to driving down to Texas to have BrakeSmart check out my install to ensure it was correct. I'd had two DOCS, (besides the installer), in two different states check my install out to be certain the problem wasn't on my end. If you haul like I do you won't believe the BrakeSmart difference. If you don't. . . maybe you don't need it. The product is good as gold. . . the company stands behind the product. The man will be rich when he gets his problems solved. I imagine he's working night and day to make it happen. After better than a year of fulltime haulin with BrakeSmart it would be worth double to me. But honestly, I don't want it doing functions that I need to watch fulltime. The Panic Button needs to be easily accessible, to me that means low, right. I don't wanna be lookin down to see temps. Better I keep my eyes on the road. JMHO

A more than very satisfied customer.



Steve J

 

[rubberneck]

Pretty much what ORTPU said. I also had a failure with my first brakesmart. A new one was sent out pronto. that was before the shortage. These things are the best thing since sliced bread. I have installed 4 of them and everybody thinks im a total dork about how much i brag about the unit, until they tow their trailer for the 1st time. Everytime, i get a call that goes something like holy s***, that thing works great. I truly hope they get their supply issues worked out, this is too good of a product to go away. I also would easily pay double for one, and i dont tow for a living, but i do tow a 14K 5 er and a 35ft gooseneck.

 

[mpwalker]

Brakesmart

I have had my Brakesmart installed now for over a year and believe me it is worth waiting for. When I first ordered mine over a year ago there was also a statement about them being on back order, and I waited about two months for mine, what we were told then was that one of the suppliers were waiting for parts and as the company received the completed units they would be sent out based on the date of order by the customer. In a phone call to them early on was told it could be six months or more, it only took two maybe because a lot of people cancelled thier order because they did not want to wait that long. If you can wait for it do so you will not be sorry by far the best controller I have ever used and that is from an "old guy".

 

[mpwalker]

During the year I have had mine installed had a problem with the display, called Steve and he had a new one to me in two days(in my hand). By the way the unit worked fine without the display a credit to the controller.

 

[EB]

Since I started this thread,I'll chime in now. I have had my Brakesmart for over 250k miles now, (that is logbook miles, actual miles towing) and I have never had a problem. That is a lot of cycles of getting on and off the brakes. I thought I was having a problem with it one time, kept telling me I had a wiring problem. I cked wires and lights everywhere, thought it was lying to me, turns out I had a broken magnet. It was right.

I also carry my Prodogy behind my seat for a spare. While the Prodogy is a good controller, for people that tow all the time or a lot, Brakesmart is really what you need. I'll be getting a new trailer next year with electric over hydraulic brakes and won't need to change a thing. Just hook up and go.

The place I got mine had been trying to get me to use one and finally said to come by and let them put one in and try it for a week, no charge. They would put my old Prodogy back in if I didn't think it was worth the money. I paid him the third day. He is building my new trailer and told me he would buy the Brakesmart back anytime for what I paid for it. He also has a waiting list for them when they become available. I have tried most all the controllers including the ones that people say is just as good as Brakesmart, there is really no comparison. If you haven't tried it, you really don't know. Here's hoping Brakesmart can get its act together, there are many more customers out there waiting.