Clarke plastics quality??

[dcreel]

Just got our white 84-85 Tecate tank in the mail yesterday from Clarke. I was excited as was the wife. It looked awesome until we unwrapped it. The wife worked at a small plastic place here in Kansas that made lawnmower gas tanks, they wouldn't have shipped this POS. There are voids (holes, craters) in 6 or 7 different places all over the tank. The edges look like somebody's kid took a pocket knife to the edges of the tank. There are spots on the underside of the tank where they melted plastic balls on the underside to fill holes you will see arrows on the pics.

There are 2 spots on the underside of the tank that look to be paper thin and you can see light through them from the inside of the tank.

This has got me sick, this is what's wrong with the world. If somebody at a business of mine let this piece of poo get shipped to someone who paid $240 for it.. they would be looking for a new job.

On to the pics..

Here are the paper thin spots (circled) from the underside of the tank. The arrows are pointing to the melted plastics to cover thin spots.




Same 2 spots from inside of the tank, see the light?? Clarke apparently doesn't.



These are pics of just random holes and gouges all over the tank. Who's 9 year old kid made this tank???






This is what the underside of the tank near the front of the tank. Is that tape?? Again, WTF?!



Unhappy would be putting it mildly..

The first one of these I saw looked bad. Someone else on the site said they got one that looked good. I was hoping they would do better than this. As long as Clarke has been around, I figured they got to where they are for selling good products not this trash.

[aldochina]

sorry about that experiance, hopefully they will make it right!! I agree100% that thing should have been thrown in the scrap pile for a re melt!! Now you gotta dick around with shipping it back and all that. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[trikes4life]

Wow i have never seen a clarke Tank like this. I have always been greatly satisfied with there tanks. This one must of some how slipped by quality control. For sure keep us up dated.

[D-dub]

Thats fricken unbelievable!!

[Jeepermc]

Mine has alot of the same defects although to a much lesser extent than Dougs. I'm gonna attempt to run mine. It's not perfect though... MIne even has a spot (smaller) right above the petcock like Doug's. Apparently I got the good one.....

[cr480r]

thats completely unacceptable... I can understand a few imperfections, but that spot above the petcock and the daylight spots is a definate deal breaker. Not many things worse than having the excitement of recieving a package quickly turn sour. What a let down. I've had some poor buying experiences lately as well... Aparently Clarke quality control isnt any better than durablue..

[Mosh]

Maybe if you calmly call them and explain that it needs some refinement and you would like a different one?

I have talked to some of them guys in person and they seem really polite.

I agree it does need some work, to say the least. From the looks of it, I would guess that water droplets got in the mold, causing the voids that you have in the finish.
If they ran a few hundred of them, they may use water to clean the molds and did not let them dry enough before the next one was blown. Either way let them know before they blow out another few hundred that end up that way.

[SonicTronics]

Yeah the holes definitely seem like moisture. We do injection molding where I work, and you have to make sure it's perfectly dry. Judging by the fact that others have had the same issues as you to a lesser extent, I would tend to believe that yours was one of the first ones shot in the day, before everything was heated properly and thoroughly. The fact that others have the same problems though suggests not enough nozzle pressure because of the incomplete filling, along with possibly a mold itself that needs reworking based on the thin areas allowing daylight in. I cannot believe they would allow that to pass, especially at that price.

[beets442]

+1 not enough heat. Too much mold release spray can cause thin spots. They should replace it for you.

[dcreel]

E-mail sent to Clarke. We will see what they do about it. I told them I would like another white tank, but if they can't send me one in better shape than the one they sent me.. I want my money back. I have a feeling this is going to be a long drawn out mess.

[Dirtcrasher]

If you bought it direct from Clarke, it should have been a "blem". I too would call them and offer to send pics. Although they are kind enough to still make ATC and other plastics, I'm certain they want a happy customer.

If you bought it elsewhere, you got a blem and it is what it is and IDK if Clarke would be so understanding as they sell blems cheap (rather then scraping/melting them) and it wasn't purchased direct from them. It sounds like you bought it direct though...........

[dcreel]

Yeah, I bought it direct from Clarke because I thought I would get a better product than if I bought it from one of the sellers on Ebay who sell them for about $20 cheapers. lol.. I replied to my order confirmation e-mail from Clarke, and added the pics I took.

I thought about asking them to refund me $100 and I'll take it as a blem, but those 2 thin spots on the bottom of the tank worry me as to whether it would leak or not. They sell factory 2nd's (blems) on their site.

[trikes4life]

SonicTronics is right, i have also worked for injection mold company. Its diffidently a moisture issue. maybe first piece, QC should of scrapped it though.

[dcreel]

Well, I got an answer to my e-mail...

"Doug

Please return the tank for a refund..This is just what they look like.
On the outside of the box please write:

Send to us at the address on the invoice

Clarke mfg co."

Apparently they all look like sh!t...

[ironchop]

that must be a new thing...both my older Clarke tanks look great and had no issues like yours....I call BS or either they got REAL sloppy with the injection molding process as of late and either way, ain`t worth what you paid for it.

glad to hear you get a refund but unhappy they seem so apathetic about their own product