Customer Reviews

Barska Anchormaster 36x80mm Brass Refractor Telescope Telescopew/ Mahogany Floor Tripod

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although this is a nice furniture piece and the telescope itself has good power, we encountered many problems with our scope which the manufacturer has ignored and refuses to correct. Firstly, the telescope was filled with manufacturing debris inside. These debris are clearly visible through the viewfinder. We have used air to try and dislodge any debris, but many are inaccessible and can unfortunately be seen at some focal lengths. Secondly one of the bolts to secure the tripod together just did not fit. The bolt itself was the same length as the others but due to the poor fitting of the wooden components did not work on one of the legs. Thirdly, the lens cap has a felt material on the inside that was obviously attached with an adhesive and peeled away after removing the cap a few times. No manual or setup instructions were included and after 3 months the manufacturer has refused to offer any assistance. Nice scope, but only if you buy one without issues.

The wood, optics, and brass are nicely machined and look great. The optics work as anticipated. However, the assembly was poor. The front brass piece is held on with one tiny screw and the wood tube is just a bit too small in diameter resulting in the front piece slipping off just far enough to put it out of focus every time its used. I had to "jury rig" a repair to make the dimeter of the tube bigger and drill a new hole in the brass for a second screw. At this price one shouldn't have to do the manufacturer's work for them. If this is the quality control on all Barska scopes I'd be wary of spending hundreds for their bigger scopes on-line.

Very mediocre quality. I expect a lot better when spending nearly $1000. Fittings poorly machined so they don't mate together well. "Mahogany" tripod is a cheap painted wood. Overall appears to be something outsourced to Asian manufacture.

So, we were really excited to get this item, but when it finally arrived and we opened it, we realized that it has either been used, or at the very least previously opened. The item was not attached to the packaging, and instead was just loose in the box, and the plastic zip ties that would have attached the item to the packaging were cut and in the bottom of the box as well. The item's handle is scratched. This does not affect the working of the magnifying glass, however. Pretty annoyed, tho, for Amazon to sell us a used item and charge us a "new" price.


Best,
Catherine