If I ever meet the guy that designed the key sequence in the Setpro for my Evenheat furnace, I think I may pop him one right in the beak. Why did it take me an hour to figure out my oven was ramping up at 2 degree's an hour??? Because he's an idiot, that's why...
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Setpro interface
- Thread starter tmickley
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fitzo
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Oh, I agree it's a PITA, Tracy. It couldn't be much more clumsy and aggravating. Up until this week, I had an older chip that didn't allow even the four user progs. They were kind enough to ship me a new chip free, though, so that made it a little better. Still, it seems designed by a sadist....
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The biggest trouble I had is the instructions SUCK! I finally figured out most of it on my own.
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hhahahah well i dont feel as bad now 2 days ago i was pissed off thinking i had busted the kiln somehow
then i looked at the program alittle closer and yep ramp speed 2 per hour just like you
butch
then i looked at the program alittle closer and yep ramp speed 2 per hour just like you
butch
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:thumbdn: Evenheat. I've had the one in my shop for over a year, and every damn time I want to do something with it, I have to pull out the lousy (LOUSY) instructions, and start all over:barf: . I think I almost have it almost down now almost. I should have taken Fitzo's advice and gotten the Paragon. This Evenheat thing has taken 8 years off of my life due to mental stress.
fitzo
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To start off, I want to say that, all told, the Evenheat does get the job done. Once you manage to get the damned thing programmed, it does what you've told it, and the temp near the blades is actually close to what you set (second probe, external pyrometer).
That said, it has it's flaws. The door sags on the cheapa$$ hinges connected to thin sheetmetal, necessitating two hands to close. The insulation is such that the exterior gets smoking hot when doing SS temps. Touch it and you burn. Sure, the Paragon gets hot, but not like this puppy. Recent purchasers have complained of stripped screws, dents, controllers barely hanging on the sheetmetal skin, etc.
The major aggravation, of course, is that ^%$@#^ SetPro. Many of us are just plain too old and too spoiled to want to mess with that POS to save a few bucks.
I BEGGED them to build me one with a RampmasterII and when I bought it (3 years ago), they were adamant that they wouldn't do that. I can't say how very jealous I am of those folks that have since bought them with the full-keypad controller.
Even last week, when I called about the chip, I queried about upgrading to the Rampmaster II. I got a song and dance like you wouldn't believe:
it wouldn't fit the enclosure
there are safety concerns for a user to self-install
liability issues
yadda yadda. Maybe it's just the lady at the front desk, and perhaps someone else would be more amenable.
For some reason they are seemingly still reluctant to sell these with the RampmasterII, and I just don't really understand that. They insist the SetPro is a just fine controller. They're not listening! Jeesh, offer it as an option, small company! Even GM will build you a car optioned like you want.
Rant off.
Thank you!
That said, it has it's flaws. The door sags on the cheapa$$ hinges connected to thin sheetmetal, necessitating two hands to close. The insulation is such that the exterior gets smoking hot when doing SS temps. Touch it and you burn. Sure, the Paragon gets hot, but not like this puppy. Recent purchasers have complained of stripped screws, dents, controllers barely hanging on the sheetmetal skin, etc.
The major aggravation, of course, is that ^%$@#^ SetPro. Many of us are just plain too old and too spoiled to want to mess with that POS to save a few bucks.
I BEGGED them to build me one with a RampmasterII and when I bought it (3 years ago), they were adamant that they wouldn't do that. I can't say how very jealous I am of those folks that have since bought them with the full-keypad controller. Even last week, when I called about the chip, I queried about upgrading to the Rampmaster II. I got a song and dance like you wouldn't believe:
it wouldn't fit the enclosure
there are safety concerns for a user to self-install
liability issues
yadda yadda. Maybe it's just the lady at the front desk, and perhaps someone else would be more amenable.
For some reason they are seemingly still reluctant to sell these with the RampmasterII, and I just don't really understand that. They insist the SetPro is a just fine controller. They're not listening! Jeesh, offer it as an option, small company! Even GM will build you a car optioned like you want.
Rant off.
Thank you! Fitzo, I am one of those who was fortunate enough to get the Rampmaster II. When I bought mine I made it clear that I would not accept a SetPro, and that may have swayed them. They hassled Tim Z. about it, and he pushed them so they agreed to do it. They charged me $100 extra and seemed shocked when I said fine. I really do not understand their reluctance to make this change, especially when the customer is willing to pay for the better controller. Since they charged me, there is no way they can be losing any money on the deal. In the long run, this kind of service is likely to hurt Evenheat.
fitzo
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I sure wish I'd'a known about TZ selling them back then. My forging teacher back in the late 80's, a very nice man. I'm glad he was able to prevail for you. Has to be magnitudes better than up arrow/down arrow/enter/repeat ad nauseaum.
I ordered mine through Sheffield, who were about as worthless as hooters on a boar hog. Then I argued with Evenheat directly, to no avail.
More and more people are showing up with the RampmasterII, so maybe the stubborn boneheads will change their minds. Maybe not, too.
Just speaks volumes, though, that anyone ordering a new Evenheat should oughta go through Tim! Thanks, Fox!
I ordered mine through Sheffield, who were about as worthless as hooters on a boar hog. Then I argued with Evenheat directly, to no avail.
More and more people are showing up with the RampmasterII, so maybe the stubborn boneheads will change their minds. Maybe not, too.
Just speaks volumes, though, that anyone ordering a new Evenheat should oughta go through Tim! Thanks, Fox!
Guy's, Just buy a Para, and be done with it. I've been using one for a lot of years, with very good results, and they're easy to deal with. Mike http://home.earthlink.net/~michaellovett/
fitzo
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I agree about the furnace, Mike. I've had an analog control model since 1984/5. It's been a pretty good furnace.
I'll not belabor you with the explanation, but I was justifiably angry with them around the time I wanted a second furnace, and bought an Evenheat instead. I will leave it at saying I think it appropriate to keep schematics of their products (Paragon) for longer than 16 years.
Except for the lack of digital controls, I still prefer my Paragon. My wife has been also using it daily to anneal glass. I recommend them whenever someone has the extra money. There IS a substantial price difference.
I'll not belabor you with the explanation, but I was justifiably angry with them around the time I wanted a second furnace, and bought an Evenheat instead. I will leave it at saying I think it appropriate to keep schematics of their products (Paragon) for longer than 16 years.
Except for the lack of digital controls, I still prefer my Paragon. My wife has been also using it daily to anneal glass. I recommend them whenever someone has the extra money. There IS a substantial price difference.
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Mine came with the controller hanging off the body--screw missing. Dents in the back end on both sides--don't know if this is bad packing or part of the design. Tim Z was great, but Evenheat builds its furnaces pretty flimsy.
John
John
Gotta step in because this is only going one way - and there is another side to the story. I carry my kiln back and forth to shows and it's sturdy enough to take that - which wouldn't be done with most. The door hinges are flimsy but haven't give me any problems. Evenheat doesn't give me any grief at all about the RampMaster special order, which only adds a little to the price and both my wife and I use the Set-Pro without difficulty (though I may sell this one off and get one with a RampMaster for easier demos). None of my customers have complained of shipping damage, dents or loose screws. The only complaint I've had was one kiln built with a Rampmaster and shipped with SetPro instructions. Evenheat fixed that promptly.
This is a company trying to build a decent quality machine - to perform a wide range of tasks, for a specific market whose needs change very fast. They accomplish this at VERY reasonable cost and will bend over backwards for customer service and to make something right if it isn't.
My 2 cents. :thumbup:
Rob!
This is a company trying to build a decent quality machine - to perform a wide range of tasks, for a specific market whose needs change very fast. They accomplish this at VERY reasonable cost and will bend over backwards for customer service and to make something right if it isn't.
My 2 cents. :thumbup:
Rob!
fitzo
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I'd like to ask this favor of you, Rob: how about asking them about how I can convert to a RampmasterII? You most likely can speak with different people than me. I have stated I'm spoiled; I had a laboratory with almost a million $$ of scientific equipment, and am used to hightech controls. Sincerely, I find the SetPro an aggravating step back for me. I hate scrolling through menus with up and down arrows and an Enter button. That's just me; others mileage will certainly vary. I may be a lot happier now that I can save programs. Equally sincerely, 3 years ago they flat out refused to build one with the Rampmaster (once again, maybe that was a more personal judgement by the person I spoke with). Obviously they have since changed their policies. That's good for their business, and I applaud their decision. Thanks for any help!
The door on my furnace sags, and when I yank a hot blade out I can't close it back up readily with my free hand. It hangs open an inch and heat pours out over the controller box until I can get the blade quenched. To be fair, a lot of people don't like the dropdown door of a Paragon, and having to reach over that hot door to get at the blade. Different strokes.
On a very positive note, I've drilled several holes in the Evenheat and measured temps with an external probe. The temp distribution around that chamber is better than in the smaller chamber of my Paragon.
Evenheat was very nice to me this week when I called about not having "user" presets. I called on a Friday I think and 3 days later I had a newest version chip free of charge. That's good support.
As with any piece of equipment, different people will have different perspectives based on their experience. Some people don't like some features and some have had complaints about the manufacture. That's typical of any piece of gear. I clearly stated I had complaints about Paragon, too.
Would I recommend Evenheat to someone? Sure! I'd try to be as honest as I have tried to be here, and explain both the things I like and those I didn't. Informed decisions are always the best, neh? And, absolutely, the pricing makes it VERY attractive. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
BTW, at one point early on in my work life I ran a $50k vacuum furnace that we measured temp with optical pyrometers and had gas quenching. Now that was the cat's behind. Except for the manual control, of course....
The door on my furnace sags, and when I yank a hot blade out I can't close it back up readily with my free hand. It hangs open an inch and heat pours out over the controller box until I can get the blade quenched. To be fair, a lot of people don't like the dropdown door of a Paragon, and having to reach over that hot door to get at the blade. Different strokes.
On a very positive note, I've drilled several holes in the Evenheat and measured temps with an external probe. The temp distribution around that chamber is better than in the smaller chamber of my Paragon.
Evenheat was very nice to me this week when I called about not having "user" presets. I called on a Friday I think and 3 days later I had a newest version chip free of charge. That's good support.
As with any piece of equipment, different people will have different perspectives based on their experience. Some people don't like some features and some have had complaints about the manufacture. That's typical of any piece of gear. I clearly stated I had complaints about Paragon, too.
Would I recommend Evenheat to someone? Sure! I'd try to be as honest as I have tried to be here, and explain both the things I like and those I didn't. Informed decisions are always the best, neh? And, absolutely, the pricing makes it VERY attractive. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
BTW, at one point early on in my work life I ran a $50k vacuum furnace that we measured temp with optical pyrometers and had gas quenching. Now that was the cat's behind. Except for the manual control, of course....
aawwww geeee, we've been pretty hard on they guys at Evenheat haven't we???
Yup. The controller key sequence is horrible. Period. When I bought mine, I compared Paragon and Evenheat. I didn't like the drop down door as Mike mentions. The Evenheat seemed to be the better bargain at the time. The Evenheat does what it is supposed to and does it OK I guess -- once you get past the controller. It didn't occur to me the programming steps would be so retarded or I'd have gone with Paragon. I wouldn't spend $300 now to change to a more intuitive controller, but I'd spend a $100!
Now to be clear, I understand a different controller isn't going to do much more than the Setpro, if anything. The Setpro does everything that is needed for a knife maker. It just makes it difficult to program. I bet if I used it every day it would be easier....naw it wouldn't, it would still suck. I think Evenheat makes a fairly priced furnace. They just need to change the controller to a more intuitive interface. In fact, when I was researching my purchase, most comments in the forums at the time leaned toward the Evenheat as having a better consistency to temps through out the entire heating chamber vs Paragon. This was important to me and still is. The outside gets hot. I've learned not to touch that. I did get burned on that darn brass latch the other day though. One of these days I'll learn metal gets hot and smarts when you touch it.
I didn't have any quality control or construction issues with mine so I can't speak to that, apparently others can how ever and that means something.
Rob, I am proud of you that stuck up for them. It WAS getting pretty one sided. ignore the first sentence, I was just having some fun with you....From your sig line it seems you are in the business. I'm sorry your Ox got gored on this thread. I don't think anyone wanted that or to hurt Evenheat as a company but if the Setpro controller is obtuse and confusing, they should know about it before they get hurt by loss of sales....
Yup. The controller key sequence is horrible. Period. When I bought mine, I compared Paragon and Evenheat. I didn't like the drop down door as Mike mentions. The Evenheat seemed to be the better bargain at the time. The Evenheat does what it is supposed to and does it OK I guess -- once you get past the controller. It didn't occur to me the programming steps would be so retarded or I'd have gone with Paragon. I wouldn't spend $300 now to change to a more intuitive controller, but I'd spend a $100!
Now to be clear, I understand a different controller isn't going to do much more than the Setpro, if anything. The Setpro does everything that is needed for a knife maker. It just makes it difficult to program. I bet if I used it every day it would be easier....naw it wouldn't, it would still suck. I think Evenheat makes a fairly priced furnace. They just need to change the controller to a more intuitive interface. In fact, when I was researching my purchase, most comments in the forums at the time leaned toward the Evenheat as having a better consistency to temps through out the entire heating chamber vs Paragon. This was important to me and still is. The outside gets hot. I've learned not to touch that. I did get burned on that darn brass latch the other day though. One of these days I'll learn metal gets hot and smarts when you touch it.
I didn't have any quality control or construction issues with mine so I can't speak to that, apparently others can how ever and that means something.
Rob, I am proud of you that stuck up for them. It WAS getting pretty one sided. ignore the first sentence, I was just having some fun with you....From your sig line it seems you are in the business. I'm sorry your Ox got gored on this thread. I don't think anyone wanted that or to hurt Evenheat as a company but if the Setpro controller is obtuse and confusing, they should know about it before they get hurt by loss of sales....
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tmickley said:
I've got a new Evenheat (from Tim Z., not Rob -- I promised to buy it from him first) and don't have enough experience to have an opinion. However I think it would be a very good idea if someone with contacts at Evenheat got them to read this thread. They deserve to know what impression they're making on customers.
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wouldnt it be nice to have a computer port on the side
that way if you wanted to you could run it with your computer you could
just a thought
butch
btw i have an evenheat kiln
that way if you wanted to you could run it with your computer you could
just a thought
butch
btw i have an evenheat kiln
A few comments regarding this thread topic. We (Evenheat) are currently offering the Knife Ovens with the RampMaster II (RM2)controllers without all the B.S. of getting on your knees to beg for it. At one time the Set-Pro was it period, no questions, no consideration, no chance. That was a bad move on our part.
Some reasons for this include trying to streamline production and stocking, punch and stock one panel not two sort of thing. Also we were catching some grief that RM2 had too many options, too many buttons, too much cost. So, in jumps the simple 3 button control as the exclusive control.
I personally like the RM2 because it has the numerical keypad. It also has dedicated keys to retrieve programs. The Set-Pro's up and down arrows can take a while to get to where you're going. In the overall they both program the same as they ask for the data in the same manner.
So far as manuals go, you think the Set-Pro manual is difficult, wait until you see the RM2 manual. If we could wave the magic wand on just one thing, this would be it. Why so difficult to understand? Starting point I suppose. What do you explain first? Second? Does the "concept" of the control need to be explained or is that a gimmee? The list goes on. One thing we have done is include an "easy reference" sheet with each manual. You've seen these things. Sorta like press this, press this, press and you're going. They don't teach you damn thing about the equipment but they do have a place in the scheme of things.
BTW, the RM2 does allow a connection to a PC via our KISS software/hardware package.
So far as damaged goods, we've had our share of UPS damage. The control panels took the worst of it. We have added an "Insta Pak" system within the last year which has helped. Insta Pak is that spray in foam that takes the shape of the product. So far, it's working well. If you get freight damage let us know, don't just settle for it. I don't ever remember fighting someone over freight damage.
Hope this info helps. We do listen, we do change and we do reserve the right to occasionally stick our heads............well, you know where.
If you have any specific questions give us a call or an email at info@evenheat-kiln.com.
Best regards,
Mike Kelly
Evenheat Kiln
Some reasons for this include trying to streamline production and stocking, punch and stock one panel not two sort of thing. Also we were catching some grief that RM2 had too many options, too many buttons, too much cost. So, in jumps the simple 3 button control as the exclusive control.
I personally like the RM2 because it has the numerical keypad. It also has dedicated keys to retrieve programs. The Set-Pro's up and down arrows can take a while to get to where you're going. In the overall they both program the same as they ask for the data in the same manner.
So far as manuals go, you think the Set-Pro manual is difficult, wait until you see the RM2 manual. If we could wave the magic wand on just one thing, this would be it. Why so difficult to understand? Starting point I suppose. What do you explain first? Second? Does the "concept" of the control need to be explained or is that a gimmee? The list goes on. One thing we have done is include an "easy reference" sheet with each manual. You've seen these things. Sorta like press this, press this, press and you're going. They don't teach you damn thing about the equipment but they do have a place in the scheme of things.
BTW, the RM2 does allow a connection to a PC via our KISS software/hardware package.
So far as damaged goods, we've had our share of UPS damage. The control panels took the worst of it. We have added an "Insta Pak" system within the last year which has helped. Insta Pak is that spray in foam that takes the shape of the product. So far, it's working well. If you get freight damage let us know, don't just settle for it. I don't ever remember fighting someone over freight damage.
Hope this info helps. We do listen, we do change and we do reserve the right to occasionally stick our heads............well, you know where.
If you have any specific questions give us a call or an email at info@evenheat-kiln.com.
Best regards,
Mike Kelly
Evenheat Kiln