Best or Freedom?

Commercial tracks.
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Watch-out-for-that-frog
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Watch-out-for-that-frog »

I think it looks total pro! Grest idea the price is good for what you get.

We allow the boys to graphite before their heat no graphite in the finals. So they have a feel of "pitting" with their cars.
Smooth Sailing,
Karlton
Former Pack Master of Pinewood Disaster
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Panzer
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Panzer »

Watch-out-for-that-frog

How did things go with the new track and the first derby with it?
Many of us have had their fingers crossed after all the trails and tribulations you have endured that your patients would be rewarded in the end.
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Watch-out-for-that-frog
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Watch-out-for-that-frog »

We are VERY HAPPY! The quality is excatly as advertised in fact at the event this weekend the councle invited us to do a Scout MALL event in Feb! That will be great for scouting and that is why we got the track.

So to sum it up would I buy a another from them......... YES.

Just a bad time for them and they made good despite loosing money on the deal. They could have just sent the money back and we would have gone away mad but whole. BUT they went the EXTRA MILE and made us very happy.
Smooth Sailing,
Karlton
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gpraceman
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by gpraceman »

Watch-out-for-that-frog wrote:I thought about that but that makes transport a problem in a van unless you flip the case over. Our pack has to move this around ALOT over stairs and storrage just as easy to grab 4 guys and 4 boys I am going to add 4 handles. ;) Make those Cubs grow!
You can get casters that will lock the wheels with the flip of a lever. Being able to roll it instead of carry it the whole distance will save some backs, especially of the 30 and 40 somethings.
Randy Lisano
Romans 5:8

Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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Watch-out-for-that-frog
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Watch-out-for-that-frog »

So true I found some that will work great.
Smooth Sailing,
Karlton
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Bad Brad Racing
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Bad Brad Racing »

Track sections were delivered today. I have not see them yet due to being at work but I will check them out tonight. Frog, sounds like you were pleased with your track once it arrived. I'm sure that I will be to. Can't wait to get home tonight and see it. I feel like a kid at Christmas.
Bad Brad Racing
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Bad Brad Racing »

Opened all the boxes and inventoried them. Appears all parts came. Very impressive. Much heavier than I thought. there are a few scratches on some of the track pieces but I don't think this is a problem. I have not had time to assemble it yet but hope to do so this weekend. I will post how the assembly went when I complete it.
Gary Piantedosi
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Gary Piantedosi »

OK guys, my turn to respond. I've been in the derby track business for over sixteen years. I have been in the Marine business for twenty seven years. I have never had supply issues like I have had this summer. I have been doing business with the same aluminum extruder for over twenty five years. What seemed to me as loyalty and a long business relationship turned into the mistake of having all of my eggs in one basket. For that I am paying a price. It is costing me dearly in peoples perception of my integrity.

My extruder was purchased about five years ago by their largest customer, a heat-sink manufacturer. The future could not have looked brighter. The plant was full of new presses and new equipment. As a major account we were getting more free Red Sox tickets than we could use. We have only recently learned `the rest of the story'. It turns out that the Chinese took a big step into the heat sink market a little over a year ago. My extruder was in trouble and unbeknownst to us almost closed their doors in July. We were told that some of the management turnover we saw was retirement and just people moving. It turned out the bank was inserting their own people. These new people were not on the same page as the sales force, and we were only being talked to by the sales force. We ran so much material last year we wore out a number of dies. All those dies were provided free. We run blanket purchase orders with release schedules. We specified our releases beginning in July were to be off of a new die. My extruder wasted a month arguing internally over whether they were going to charge us for the die. Sales said no way, management said yes. When this was revealed to us in August we said forget the die charge, we'll pay it, just run our material. It hasn't gotten any easier. I called the former CFO and finally learned what was going on behind the scenes.

In August we sent out requests for quotes to dozens of extruders across the country. Given the volume of our orders they could not be more excited to do business with us. It takes a little time to ramp up but we have two additional extruders who are just now coming on line. We will certainly be prepared for this season. The really good news is that both of these new extruders have the in house capacity to offer anodizing. Although anodizing is not an inexpensive premium our purchasing volume allows us to offer it at what we hope is a competitive price. Please go to our website to learn more about the advantages of anodizing.

I certainly apologize to people who felt I misled them over this summer. It was never my intention. I was working off of incomplete and inaccurate information and tried to do the best job I could. Thanks for your patience.

Take care,

Gary
Gary Piantedosi
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pinewoodderbytrack.com
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Stan Pope
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Stan Pope »

Thank you for the update, Gary.

Hope you can hold / recapture (whichever is now correct) your position as THE Premier Maker of pinewood derby tracks.
Stan
"If it's not for the boys, it's for the birds!"
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Watch-out-for-that-frog
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Watch-out-for-that-frog »

Had you said that in the first place the orders would have remaind and this thread would have been mutch shorter. That said I AM 100000000000% HAPPY with the quality of the product. IF EVER you have anyone who wants to know how you stand behind your product have them call me 818 279 1049. YOU WENT WAY beyond with your shipping. THANK YOU!

I am sorry you paid so much to get it to us in time for a derby. BUT YOU DID! That is very BIG in my book. :D

THANK YOU!!!!!
Smooth Sailing,
Karlton
Former Pack Master of Pinewood Disaster
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dave4him
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by dave4him »

Gary Piantedosi said:
It is costing me dearly in peoples perception of my integrity.
I appreciate the response Mr. Piantedosi. It is always better to clear the air, even if no one is at fault. I hope that your business problems will smooth out for you....and keep on making those tracks :!:

I talked to your receptionist the other day about my order. She was very helpful and friendly. She even helped me pronounce your name!
pi - An'- te - dosi
:mrgreen:
David L. Barnes
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nosam116
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by nosam116 »

We purchased a Best and it's working great for us.
Each day is a good race day!
bthere
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by bthere »

I just wanted to let everyone know that we ordered a Freedom Track from Piantedosi in mid-October. We had an "exhibition" race scheduled for November 19. The track showed up, packed very nicely. We spent a few hours doing the initial assembly and had the track up and working with our new MicroWizard K2 system. The track looks great and runs consistently well on all lanes.

We had a very nice race on Saturday to on the new track and everyone was impressed. The new kids got an eyeful of what the PWD was about and the returning Scouts had a great time showing off their 2005 cars.

I have helped start up 3 different packs and, when the funds are available, have purchased a Piantedosi track for each. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either the aluminum or wood tracks from Piantedosi, and have recommended to others in our area.

By the way, I'm not affiliated with Piantedosi, I just like quality craftsmanship.

Brad
Always trying to learn, always hoping to teach.
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michael4262
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by michael4262 »

Ordered an aluminum 4 lane Freedom track on Oct 4th .... unfortunately didn't hear anything from Piantadosi regarding their supplier problems until I read this forum a couple of weeks ago ..... I'm a little disappointed in the lack of comunication regarding turn-around time and the prioritization of orders .... Spoke with them on the phone and have been promised that the beginning of December at the latest would be the ship date .... Unfortunately, my credit card was charged on October 4th. :| ....Oh well, I know the product has been a good one in the past and can only hope that the track is actually shipped next week.


- Mike
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Re: Best or Freedom?

Post by Pack 187 »

I ordered a 4 lane aluminum Freedom Track back on Sept 28. I was told prior to ordering that the delivery time was about 4 weeks. I am still waiting to get an update on the status of my order. Two emails went out last week and have not been answered. Another one went out today. I think I'll be calling them tomorrow. Our Derby isn't until January so we are not in any big rush. I just like to see products delivered when promised.

Kevin
Kevin
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