Customer Reviews

Grabber DMP125-10 Deckmaster Hidden Deck Bracket System Brown Powder Coat Brackets with 1-1/4" Deck Screws & 1" Joist Screws 10 Pack

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

 

 

I recently purchased 1 contractors pack and 3 individual packs of the undermount decking product called Deckmaster. I have installed them on my new deck and am hoping that they work well. I did not know of the problems until after it was too late to change my mind.

I have the following complaints about the product...

1) The quality of the product in the individual box is inferior to the quality of the product in the contractor box. Even though the boxes indicate they are the same, in actuality they are not the same. The metal used for the rails is different and the screws are different, both inferior, in the individual box. To me this is dishonest at best but leans towards outright deceit. If I had only purchased the individual box I would have been cursing the product during the entire installation because the screws are terrible.

2) The screws are not long enough. I ended up replacing ALL of the decking screws because the kept stripping out the deck, even though I had the clutch on my drill set to a very low setting. There was only 1/4" to 1/2" penetrating into the decking and it was not, and is not, satisfactory. It cost me an extra $100 to replace the screws and if I had it to do over again I would not use the product for this reason alone. I would love to ask for a rebate but I know that request would fall on deaf ears.

3) The methodology outlined in the instructions does not produce a satisfactory amount of available screw holes where the rails meet. The instructions should indicate that the rails need to overlap a bit.

4) The front and/or back edge of the deck also needs to have the rails attached if the decking is to be adequately attached. The instructions and website should reflect this.

5) Two screws is not enough to hold down the decking. I used 3 screws at every joist in order to ensure that there was adequate staying power. The kit should contain enough screws for this and the instructions should indicate this.

Overall, I believe that the product will work well but only because of the modifications that I made with the longer screws and the additional number of screws used. However, I am disappointed by the dishonesty displayed in the quality differences between the same product (contractor pack vs individual pack), and I am beyond irritated that I had to replace the screws.

I'm sorry to see that other customers have had trouble obtaining this product. I ordered direct from the maker four years ago. This is a great system for fastening decking from below. I have used it to build a walkway with synthetic planks. I've also used it to install pressure-treated decking on my dock. I did research other systems but didn't buy/try them - this looked to me like the best bet for a secure install. Both structures have held up well. It certainly is true that decking looks better and lasts longer when you don't punch holes in it during installation! I greatly exceeded the item's spec by using it to build removable sections of decking so I can pull the dock in for storage each Fall. These parts sit outdoors all year, are exposed to the lake all summer, and are the sole support holding the decking sections together. The screws they include in the kits (two different styles) are great for the application. After 4 years on/in the lake these sections (I bought the 'galvy') don't look too pretty but they continue to work great.

Slow shipping, received finally, but wrong item that was powder-coated instead of galvanized that I ordered. This was not all, 20 of them are not fully coated. After spoke and emailed to ANTOnline, I was directed to manufacturer. the manufacturer directed me back to ANTOnline for more info. Called ANTOnline towice, followed with no action. It has been two months and is too cold to work outside now. It has been my headache.

What I ordered was originally lost, but a second attempt arrived. It was not what I thought I was ordering. What was supposed to be galvanized was powder-coated brown. When I sent a request to return the item, I received a timely response, but nothing stated about the misrepresentation of the item being sold. Without being sure I would be reimbursed for shipping "to" and/or "from", I've decided to let it go and try to use the item in my project.