Leupold Warranty on Binoculars

[HighPlainsHunter]

Around 10 years ago I purchased a set of Leupold Pinnacle 10x50 Boone and Crockett edition.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/477195-USA/Leupold_62530_10x50_Wind_River_Pinnacles.html

They were the best optics I had ever used and have been my go to pair ever since. I had one issue with eye caps about 6 years ago and they sent me a new set of caps at no charge.

Last season I started noticing the center hinge was getting a bit loose. Sometimes I would need to move the hinge a bit to get a good view and it really became a problem. I finally decided to send them in a couple of weeks ago and am curious to see if they repair or replace. And if they replace I am curious what I end up with as the pinnacle line is no longer made. https://www.leupold.com/binoculars/roof-prism-binoculars/products

I'm thinking if they replace I will end up with the Tioga 10x50 (most likely) or the pro guide 10x50 (less likely)

Anyone had an experience with binoculars sent in for repairs at Leupold? Did they replace? If so was it similar, better, worse, etc?

 

[packer58]

My guess would be they will tighten the hinge, give them a good leaning and send them back at no charge. Adjusting the hinge tension can easily be performed at home with a couple simple tools.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

My guess would be they will tighten the hinge, give them a good leaning and send them back at no charge. Adjusting the hinge tension can easily be performed at home with a couple simple tools.

I hope it is that simple and that I get those back since they are discontinued. It was not so much the tension on the hinge but play that had developed from the center pin which allowed to 2 barrels to be out of alignment if not held straight. I did not tear into it to see exactly what the hinge looks like but my guess was a plastic bushing inside had worn/failed over the years of abuse that allowed a little bit of wiggle in the hinge.

 

[packer58]

Ok, gotcha. That sounds like a different issue other than hinge tension.

 

[Slugz]

I would specify on the form you fill out when you send it in that you would like repair and not replacement. They tend to just send the newest model to replace vice fix.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

I would specify on the form you fill out when you send it in that you would like repair and not replacement. They tend to just send the newest model to replace vice fix.

I planned to do that, but the rubber on the outside of the binoculars was starting to show some age and developed hundreds of small cracks so I decided to check the box. I may regret it.

If I get my old ones back, that's cool, even with the rubber showing some age. The are good but not great optics and will certainly still work fine until they become the pair I keep in the truck.

If they choose to replace then it comes down to what I would get. I paid just under $400 10 years ago and the pinnacle line is discontinued. It appears there are 2 options. One being the Tioga HD which currently sells for around $350 +/- or the Guide HD which sells for around $550 +/-.

 

[mallardsx2]

Better send them in now if you want to have them back before deer season.

 

[JimP]

The pair that I sent in for repair were returned in less than 3 weeks. I also sent a scope into them to have it modified so that I could place a CDS dial onto it and it was back in 2 weeks.

 

[mallardsx2]

The pair that I sent in for repair were returned in less than 3 weeks. I also sent a scope into them to have it modified so that I could place a CDS dial onto it and it was back in 2 weeks.

You got a connection there?! lol

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

Better send them in now if you want to have them back before deer season.

I sent them in at the beginning of the month and on the 5th I received an e-mail saying it would be done in 25 days.

I have also heard of some long turnaround times at Leupold. Hopefully that won't be the case.

My biggest concern is that they are going to replace it with a lesser model. From what I can tell the Pinnacle was equivalent to the BX-3 line which has also been discontinued. So I will likely end up with a BX-2 or BX-4.

 

[JimP]

I would say that if you haven't received another pair by now that they are repairing the original pair that you sent in. I would say that if they replaced them you would have them already.

On my CDS dial and the modification to the scope they said 5-8 weeks, so a 2 week turn around was quite surprising. On my binoculars they just sent me a email saying that they had received them.

A lot is going to depend on the time of year. You send things to them at the start of birding or hunting seasons and it is going to take a while just because that is when everyone realizes that their optics need some work done to them.

 

[Hilltop]

I have heard of them sending out new replacements in the past that were an "upgrade" but never a downgrade. None of the optics companies can afford any negative publicity right now since it is so competitive of a market. I would be very surprised if you were sent any kind of downgrade.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

I received an e-mail with a tracking number. Guess I will know monday.

 

[hunter25]

It took a month but I got an exact replacement for my Cascades for a simple broken eyecup.
I dropped them but they replaced with no questions

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Horsenhike]

I sent in a range finder for fading readout a month ago.
Two weeks to reply. Out of warranty, 60% off a new one.
$200 later a new one was on the way.
Haven't seen it yet.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I used Leupold for years. The Wind River were my favorite. I damaged them and sent them in for repair and they said that the Wind River were no longer produced and they sent me the Mohave. These were junk! I called and didn?t get any help with asking them to upgrade to a better set.

I switched to Vortex Vipors and was much happier with the quality of the optics. The Vipors got damaged, I sent them in and got a new replacement set that were exactly the same. After a year or two I upgraded to Razors and purchased at spotter as well and love them both. The only better glass IMO is Zeiss but they are a bit out of my price range.

 

[HighPlainsHunter]

Well, UPS delivered the package. And inside a new pair of 10x50 BX-4 Pro Guide Binoculars.

 

[Hilltop]

Good to hear they are still taking care of people.

 

[xbeekeeper]

I know I should keep my trap closed,but reading about leupold warranty Isan,t there a point in time when a costumer should not take advantage of petty problems and think after 10 15 years of hard use it to buy new. send in hopping to get a new replacment for free would give me guilt. It would be nice to take my 2008 Ford f150 with 170k mile for renew cause it,s got dents and battle scars. Looking at EDDIE BAUER , people sending back hunting boots after years or rode hard put away wet see what happens.

 

[JimP]

When I sent in my 12 year old binoculars to Leupold I just expected a repair, they replaced them on their own without asking me if I wanted the old pair back unrepaired or a replacement pair.

That's what I call a warranty.

Granted there are those out there that will take advantage of a "Lifetime Warranty" but I don't believe that most will do that. I would of been happy just to get my old binoculars back, but when the new pair showed up I was even happier.