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Dang man that sucks!! Hope they get you squared away with a new arm soon!
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Fourth Arrow Camera Arm Review
- Thread starter bowhunter15
- Start date
Dang man that sucks!! Hope they get you squared away with a new arm soon!
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That sucks man and concerns me because I just worked a bunch of OT to get ahead enough to by the standard arm not the carbon (not sure which one you ordered). I am expecting to receive mine this Wednesday so hopefully I will not have the same issue. However as frustrating as this issue is they are a new company and do not yet have a global level reputation. However with that said it seems like some of the guys have had good experiences so it may be the case where everyone and their mother is buying camera arms and the company may be just having a hiccup or two managing it. Give them a few more days to at least make it right. Also, make sure that your credit card company is not the one responsible for the delay. Several companies issue refunds right away but it is visa, mastercard, etc. that is the actually hold up. Good luck and keep us posted.
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They are definitely green and lack the fundamental systems and manpower to run the business smoothly. A defective product return/replacement should take 1-2 business days to process plus shipping. Not two weeks.
I still believe it's a top of the line product. You just need to be patient with everything other than order fulfillment at this time.
I still believe it's a top of the line product. You just need to be patient with everything other than order fulfillment at this time.
Not good to hear... 
I agree with you. The hunting industry is saturated with alot of products from big name companies who have worked out alot of the flaws you speak of. The little guys like Fourth Arrow came out with a really innovative redesign of a camera arm which looks great especially for us minimalist. I get your frustration I am dealing with the same issues with my Obsession bow. I needed new cable rollers because they were chewing through my cables (of course it would happen 4 weeks out from deer season)
called the company as it was a defective part which they already new about, they tell me to call the dealer which lives 1hr 45mins away. He orders it for me. Well me being impatient called the next day with the story I am leaving for a hunt next week and need the item. Obsession says sure we will send them direct to you. Funny how things change. I called the dealer and told him I would also take the rollers when they come in for spares. Obsession is a prime example of how offering a product with a million options for customization and an a sub par manufacturing/assembly line can cause a world of grief for the consumer. In short for those that don't know but Obsession when they hit the market stated lead time for a bow build was 4 weeks which later it turned into months for most. Moral of this is you have newer industry companies who want to compete with the already big dogs who are trying to come up with the most innovative and cutting edge products. They don't spend years researching quality and demand. They dabble in all areas of the sale but don't ever fully develop the perfect picture. That comes with time and this is just one example.
Alot of these smaller companies could dominate the market with some of these products because they are tinkers like most of us here. The big box companies just find the guy with the idea and buy it. Like i said give them a chance they will figure it out. If you must just email them your experience which may provoke a change in the way the company does things for the future. The little guys are like us just trying to make a living but sometimes they need a little perspective help. BTW I am not knocking on Fourth Arrow or Obsession by any means they both have cutting edge products out there. I just know from my own experience that sometimes the effort is put all in on the product and sometimes the service gets lost just because the want for the product was in high demand. Just a little perspective IMHO.
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I got my replacement arm today. I haven't put it all together yet, but the issue has been resolved. No refund on shipping yet, but Im happy regardless. What a badass lightweight arm! I can't wait to stealth strip it and get it in the woods.
Glad they somewhat fixed the issue and your happy!! I got mine today according to the wife. I can't wait till I get out of work to play with it.
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- Sep 28, 2014
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Saaaaweettt! Looking forward to your review!
Yeah me too! I got the standard arm due to budget issues and the camera head. But it should still pack pretty decent might not be as cool as those carbon fiber ones
So I got to unbox my arm today with the fluid head. Its built solid and have no play in the joints. Now the problem is the screw for the quick release plate will not thread into my camera. It will thread at an angle and not seat all the way. It looks like there screw is 3/8 definitely not 1/4. Im not crazy either lol because my camera threads right on my vanguard mounts. Tried the screw on the plate with the fourtharrow plate and it fits but the. The plate will not slide into the mount. So emailed the company but may just end up ordering a replacement screw that will seat into the plate properly. Small details like this should not be an issue but its not a game breaker.
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616.581.0993 is Calvins number. Email is a little suspect. Not all my correspondances were hitting their inbox per our discussions.
So I got an email from Calvin today and it was a quick process. He is sending a new screw out. Quick and fast customer service. Thanks Bass for the number. Now if Obsession would stop playing games and send out the part I ordered and the dealer ordered we would be golden.
New screw came in and fits like a glove. Very happy
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- Sep 28, 2014
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I finally got this arm hunt ready and stealth stripped. I love it. A few trailing comments.
1.) If you keep the shoulder adjuster tool attached to the arm, I recommend you use the shoulder to hold the tool in place during transport. Simply lay the tool on its side on the base, unloosen the shoulder by hand, secure the shoulder to the tool, and retighten by hand.
2.) The shoulder tool is overkill and the primary source of noise for the entire setup when I went through my annual risk assessment. I'm going to use a couple simple coated pegs to replace the tool. Both weigh less than the tool. One primary, one backup.
3.) I'm using the boat buck but with a coated hook attachment. Hook the latch to the boat buckle and lock tight. Works great
1.) If you keep the shoulder adjuster tool attached to the arm, I recommend you use the shoulder to hold the tool in place during transport. Simply lay the tool on its side on the base, unloosen the shoulder by hand, secure the shoulder to the tool, and retighten by hand.
2.) The shoulder tool is overkill and the primary source of noise for the entire setup when I went through my annual risk assessment. I'm going to use a couple simple coated pegs to replace the tool. Both weigh less than the tool. One primary, one backup.
3.) I'm using the boat buck but with a coated hook attachment. Hook the latch to the boat buckle and lock tight. Works great
I have only filmed a few times from my saddle as I am new to the filming game. I don't necessarily think its hard to film in the saddle it is just more of a challenge because filming just adds to the list of things before making the shot. I personally setup my camera arm about knee to waist height on my right side as I am a right handed shooter. Most trees I hunt the arm will swing around both ways capturing a shot. I am learning to follow the deer and anticipate where the shot will take place which helps to eliminate alot of the moving so then I can watch the screen and be ready for the shot without having to worry.
d_rek
Well-Known Member
Interesting you guys are expressing frustration with Fourth Arrow customer service. I'm sure it's a bootstrapped operation, and is not Calvin's primary source of income (he also runs a marketing firm, a real estate business, films and markets Michigan Whitetail Pursuit, and now Fourth Arrow). I suspect there probably isn't even a proper CS department for Fourth Arrow - just a handful of guys making a product they had a need for (they do film their own stuff, duh).
You have every right to be frustrated though. You bought a product and expected it to perform as advertised. And when it didn't you did the logical thing that every person who has shelled out their hard earned cash for something has done - tried to resolve the issue. They're good people, but I'd stay on them and let them know if they are going to market and produce these products they need either better quality control or better customer service. Good luck.
You have every right to be frustrated though. You bought a product and expected it to perform as advertised. And when it didn't you did the logical thing that every person who has shelled out their hard earned cash for something has done - tried to resolve the issue. They're good people, but I'd stay on them and let them know if they are going to market and produce these products they need either better quality control or better customer service. Good luck.
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Small update on my mods to this arm now that I have a few hunts in the books.
As many know, I'm using a tiny OCB to tighten the arm to the tree quickly and quietly. However, I'm often setting up around limbs and the girth hitched loops weren't providing the necessary flexibility to adjust the position of the OCB on the tree. So I added feed loops to the base.
This works really well and the stealth strips keep things whisper quiet. Note that feeding through the top portion of the base doesn't work as it compromises the stability of the base.
Like many, I love the shoulder leveling system on this arm. It is simply amazing. But I hated the included tool. It was bulky, heavy, didn't transport overly well, and was the remaining source of unplanned noise during setup.
I've since moved to a stealth stripped Allen key tethered to the arm with D loop fed through the top hole, and tied to hole in the middle bracket. It's a fraction of the weight, compact, and whisper quiet.
It stores securely out of the way during transport using a stealth strip "pillow"
As many know, I'm using a tiny OCB to tighten the arm to the tree quickly and quietly. However, I'm often setting up around limbs and the girth hitched loops weren't providing the necessary flexibility to adjust the position of the OCB on the tree. So I added feed loops to the base.
This works really well and the stealth strips keep things whisper quiet. Note that feeding through the top portion of the base doesn't work as it compromises the stability of the base.
Like many, I love the shoulder leveling system on this arm. It is simply amazing. But I hated the included tool. It was bulky, heavy, didn't transport overly well, and was the remaining source of unplanned noise during setup.
I've since moved to a stealth stripped Allen key tethered to the arm with D loop fed through the top hole, and tied to hole in the middle bracket. It's a fraction of the weight, compact, and whisper quiet.
It stores securely out of the way during transport using a stealth strip "pillow"
Last edited:
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Nice mods. I'll have to look into the Allen key swap. The feed loops look interesting. I haven't had a need for them yet, but if I do, I will come back to the idea.
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- Sep 28, 2014
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- 3,096
I want to machine a better feed loop system out of aluminum this winter. It will essentially be integrated into the posts and the strap will sit closer to the middle bracket.
I already had an issue this season on a spruce. Hence the mod