Buyer Beware

[Goldendog]

If you are in the market for a new hangar door, and are considering aHydroswing, please read on! At first glance, the company looks veryprofessional, with a nice looking web site that will impress you, but you’ll belucky if you ever receive your door, let alone get your money back.
We ordered a door for our new hangar house last January, and were told itwould take about 6 weeks to receive it once it went into production. Ourbuilder paid the total amount, including $2000 for installation the last part ofMarch in order to start production. We should have received the door andhydraulic parts (ordered from a separate vendor by Hydroswing) in sixweeks, according to Hydroswing.
When we hadn't gotten the door or hydraulic parts by June, we startedmaking phone calls to our sales manager, most of which were not returned.We expressed our concern that the company might be going out ofbusiness, but were told that production had been held up due to badweather in Mexico, where the door frame is manufactured. After morecorrespondence and excuses, we finally got the door frame in July, but westill have not received the hydraulic parts. All we have gotten are a lot ofexcuses, and frustration for our $15,000 (including the $2000 forinstallation, which of course never happened). Reports to the BetterBusiness Bureau and letters from our lawyer have only gotten us more lies.
In order to finish our house so we could move in, we found anothercompany that makes a hydraulic door. We, of course, had to pay foranother door, new mechanical engineering on our hangar, extra shipping toget it here quickly, and extra for installation in order to retrofit our dooropening to the new door.
This is a brief summery and does not include the frustration and details ofour hassles with this totally disreputable company! At this point, we feel wewill not be able to regain the money we have lost, so we decided to do whatwe can to keep this from happening to others in similar situations. Take ouradvise. Avoid the frustration and loss of time and money, and find anothercompany to supply your hangar door!

[cub builder]

Probably not much comfort to you, but Hydroswing has had a bit of a checkered past with deliveries and customer service. My neighbor chose a Schwiess Hydraulic door instead. Delivery was as promised. Had a problem with a hydraulic cylinder a couple of years down the road, which they promptly warrantied. Always ask about the reputation of a company before you put down your $$. For aviation related stuff, asking on forums like this works well as aviation is a small world, so bad reputations get around quickly.

Goldendog, thanks for posting so others may be forewarned.

-Cub builder

[Goldendog]

Probably not much comfort to you, but Hydroswing has had a bit of a checkered past with deliveries and customer service. My neighbor chose a Schwiess Hydraulic door instead. Delivery was as promised. Had a problem with a hydraulic cylinder a couple of years down the road, which they promptly warrantied. Always ask about the reputation of a company before you put down your $$. For aviation related stuff, asking on forums like this works well as aviation is a small world, so bad reputations get around quickly.

Goldendog, thanks for posting so others may be forewarned.

-Cub builder


That was my reason for posting. We also went with Schweiss Hydraulic door, and are very happy with it. They got our door to us in 2 weeks!

[Joe Elfar]

My neighbor bought a door from hydroswing mid 2015. He had all the same issues you've had. In January of this year hydroswing finally sent him a door frame but nothing else! no cylinders, no power pump, no nothing, just a damn door frame. They don't return his calls and haven't given him his money back.

He went ahead and bought one of those free standing hydraulic door from aero door and is fighting to get his money back from hydro swing door.

[Goldendog]

Our main reason for posting this thread is to hopefully keep others from making the same mistake we, and many others, have made. We hope many people will see this post!

[Wilfred]

I purchased a bi-fold door from Schweiss and it was delivered promptly. After a year or so the cables showed minor fraying and I called them and asked to purchase replacements. They immediately sent replacements, shipping pre-paid at no cost and volunteered to replace the door's pulleys with larger ones at no cost. Very reliable company.

[martymayes]

Too bad because Hydroswing was a good company (before bankruptcy) when they were in Cottonwood,MN

[Goldendog]

Yes, we had used them 12 years ago and were very happy with the door, so we ordered another. Unfortunately, it's not the same company now!

[1600vw]

If you are in the market for a new hangar door, and are considering aHydroswing, please read on! At first glance, the company looks veryprofessional, with a nice looking web site that will impress you, but you’ll belucky if you ever receive your door, let alone get your money back.
We ordered a door for our new hangar house last January, and were told itwould take about 6 weeks to receive it once it went into production. Ourbuilder paid the total amount, including $2000 for installation the last part ofMarch in order to start production. We should have received the door andhydraulic parts (ordered from a separate vendor by Hydroswing) in sixweeks, according to Hydroswing.
When we hadn't gotten the door or hydraulic parts by June, we startedmaking phone calls to our sales manager, most of which were not returned.We expressed our concern that the company might be going out ofbusiness, but were told that production had been held up due to badweather in Mexico, where the door frame is manufactured. After morecorrespondence and excuses, we finally got the door frame in July, but westill have not received the hydraulic parts. All we have gotten are a lot ofexcuses, and frustration for our $15,000 (including the $2000 forinstallation, which of course never happened). Reports to the BetterBusiness Bureau and letters from our lawyer have only gotten us more lies.
In order to finish our house so we could move in, we found anothercompany that makes a hydraulic door. We, of course, had to pay foranother door, new mechanical engineering on our hangar, extra shipping toget it here quickly, and extra for installation in order to retrofit our dooropening to the new door.
This is a brief summery and does not include the frustration and details ofour hassles with this totally disreputable company! At this point, we feel wewill not be able to regain the money we have lost, so we decided to do whatwe can to keep this from happening to others in similar situations. Take ouradvise. Avoid the frustration and loss of time and money, and find anothercompany to supply your hangar door!

I would have walked and shopped somewhere else when they said...We need this money to start production. That right there would have made me walk... You are looking to purchase a product from a company not help one start production....

[crusty old aviator]

I got my hydroswing, no problem! My compressor was down though when I put it together, and man was I dizzy after inflating it! Mine didn't have a door though...
5394

[1600vw]

I got my hydroswing, no problem! My compressor was down though when I put it together, and man was I dizzy after inflating it! Mine didn't have a door though...
5394


I guess this was meant as humor...I don't get it...Please explain how or what this has to do with a hangar door.

[Frank Giger]

They're both hydroswings!

I admit it, I laughed.

[Anymouse]

I got my hydroswing, no problem! My compressor was down though when I put it together, and man was I dizzy after inflating it! Mine didn't have a door though...
http://eaaforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5394&d=1457632647

Might be fun putting one of those in a hangar at a seaplane base. :D