Any experience with an Atlas SnowShoe Authorized Repair center? (2024)

Expensive?

Long Wait?

Finally after 18 years the polymer heal strap on one of the shoes got brittle and cracked. Fortunate the strap stayed on but the retainer hook is on the very last hole of what is left of the strap..

If your snowshoes are 18 years old and the material became brittle then it seems quite likely that you might experience similar problem in other parts of the snowshoe that uses the same type of material (perhaps just on the other snowshoe.) While I generally prefer to repair things rather than throw the away I think at some point you need to evaluate if it is really worth fixing and what is the risk if, for example, you experienced another failure on the trail? If it can be remediated with a simple field repair then perhaps trying to repair is the way to go, but if the failure on the trail is non-trivial then maybe a new pair of snowshoes is the right choice to make.

I don't have Atlas snowshoes - I have Tubbs and I had to repair them once when I accidentally ripped out a rivet when stepping over a fallen tree. I contacted Tubbs, sent them a picture and they sent me a few rivets which I used to repair myself as I did not want to send my snowshoes for a fix that I deemed pretty simple.

iAmKrzys said:

If your snowshoes are 18 years old and the material became brittle then it seems quite likely that you might experience similar problem in other parts of the snowshoe that uses the same type of material (perhaps just on the other snowshoe.) While I generally prefer to repair things rather than throw the away I think at some point you need to evaluate if it is really worth fixing and what is the risk if, for example, you experienced another failure on the trail? If it can be remediated with a simple field repair then perhaps trying to repair is the way to go, but if the failure on the trail is non-trivial then maybe a new pair of snowshoes is the right choice to make.

I don't have Atlas snowshoes - I have Tubbs and I had to repair them once when I accidentally ripped out a rivet when stepping over a fallen tree. I contacted Tubbs, sent them a picture and they sent me a few rivets which I used to repair myself as I did not want to send my snowshoes for a fix that I deemed pretty simple.

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Its good general advice but they have been closely inspected just like everything else. For instance, last night I found Nimh batteries with leaking seals. As an aside, I noticed some minor fraying on the deck fabric after a couple years of use and protected the areas with duct tape. It paid off wonderfully.

As for the Authorized Repair Center, I sent them a photo and they are sending me 2 replacement heal straps and special screws with wide shallow round heads. Once I get them they asked me to send them a check for $30. I do have to carefully drill out a rivet without melting anything. And then use one of the screws.

He said to not use a rivet gun unless it was hydraulic....thats the reason for the screws.

From the repair center owner:
Tubbs and Atlas went out of business years ago. K2 bought both brands.
He is flooded with business because snowshoes are in short supply.
He is having trouble getting molded parts and he is sure thats the situation faced by Tubbs and Atlas.

jniehof said:

Which repair center did you work with? I have a heel strap that broke off and needs replacing and was dragging my feet because I didn't want to pay to ship the whole thing. If they can send parts for me to do it at home, that makes my life a lot happier.

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I was on the phone with Tubbs last week and was told they do not ship parts. In fact they have out-sourced all repair to two independent shops. Too bad cause all I needed was a deck mounting piece of plastic. Oh well.

So I improvised and used some aluminum flashing to form a strap held in place with small bolt and nut. Went for a short tramp in the fluff today and it held up very well.

I love my Tubbs but as an earlier poster mentioned, plastic eventually gasses-out and becomes brittle. We'll see how much longer these vintage Tubbs last.

jniehof said:

Which repair center did you work with? I have a heel strap that broke off and needs replacing and was dragging my feet because I didn't want to pay to ship the whole thing. If they can send parts for me to do it at home, that makes my life a lot happier.

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K & D Tent & Awning
1131 Milwaukee Ave
South Milwaukee, WI 53172-2012
414-764-8820
[emailprotected]

Heres what worked best. Email him a clear photo of the problem. Include your phone number. Ask for quote. He will call you back and give advice and if possible ship parts.

When drilling out a rivet you cant afford to use a dull bit and get the rivet hot or it will melt any plastic and make the repair even worse. Otherwise a hydraulic gun and appropriate tool/die is needed to make sure the crimp is uniform 360 degrees or the plastic will tear.

Remix said:

K & D Tent & Awning
1131 Milwaukee Ave
South Milwaukee, WI 53172-2012
414-764-8820
[emailprotected]

Heres what worked best. Email him a clear photo of the problem. Include your phone number. Ask for quote. He will call you back and give advice and if possible ship parts.

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I talked to him, described the issue I had and he said he'd send me a part. He never did. My repeated text messages were ignored.

He did say that due to Covid his hours of operation were greatly reduced.

ChrisB said:

I talked to him, described the issue I had and he said he'd send me a part. He never did. My repeated text messages were ignored.

He did say that due to Covid his hours of operation were greatly reduced.

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Well I hope I have a better experience than you. Basically he is sending me 2 heel straps and nuts/screws/washers on trust that I will send him a $30 check upon receipt.

He is listed as an Atlas ARC not sure about Tubbs. Of course there is another ARC listed for Atlas in Oregon.

Remix said:

Well I hope I have a better experience than you. Basically he is sending me 2 heel straps and nuts/screws/washers on trust that I will send him a $30 check upon receipt....

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That was basically the same conversation I had with him!! I hope he follows through for you.

I was noodling around the MSR website and was amazed to see EVERY model of their snowshoes is "out of stock!" Are we facing a Covid snowshoe shortage??

ChrisB said:

That was basically the same conversation I had with him!! I hope he follows through for you.

I was noodling around the MSR website and was amazed to see EVERY model of their snowshoes is "out of stock!" Are we facing a Covid snowshoe shortage??

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Apparently.

"Inventory Update

Like many manufacturers, we’re experiencing unavoidable disruptions to our supply chain coupled with increased demand for our best-in-class outdoor gear from folks looking for new socially distanced adventures. Unfortunately, that’s left some of our most popular products out of stock, which we’re genuinely bummed about. We’re doing everything we can to keep production moving, but some supply issues are simply beyond our control."

ChrisB said:

That was basically the same conversation I had with him!! I hope he follows through for you.

I was noodling around the MSR website and was amazed to see EVERY model of their snowshoes is "out of stock!" Are we facing a Covid snowshoe shortage??

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IMHO, yes. My guess is retailers didnt stock up with lots of inventory in case they were stuck with it and probably didnt have the cash to load up on much inventory even if they wanted to. Manufacturers also didnt want warehouses full.

Labonville's in Gorham had some nice looking wooden shoes for 20% off this week.

JoshandBaron said:

Apparently.

"Inventory Update

Like many manufacturers, we’re experiencing unavoidable disruptions to our supply chain coupled with increased demand for our best-in-class outdoor gear from folks looking for new socially distanced adventures. Unfortunately, that’s left some of our most popular products out of stock, which we’re genuinely bummed about. We’re doing everything we can to keep production moving, but some supply issues are simply beyond our control."

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Yup. One of the downsides of a global supply chain is a problem “there” causes a disruption here. Even if 90% of parts are sourced domestically.

Remix said:

Well I hope I have a better experience than you. Basically he is sending me 2 heel straps and nuts/screws/washers on trust that I will send him a $30 check upon receipt.

He is listed as an Atlas ARC not sure about Tubbs. Of course there is another ARC listed for Atlas in Oregon.

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I don't know how these heel straps look like or how they are mounted but I bet you can buy some generic synthetic straps (probably 1/2 inch would be strong enough) and some screws / washers / rivets to fix this yourself. It will just take some more effort & care.

iAmKrzys said:

I don't know how these heel straps look like or how they are mounted but I bet you can buy some generic synthetic straps (probably 1/2 inch would be strong enough) and some screws / washers / rivets to fix this yourself. It will just take some more effort & care.

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A dog collar would probably work.

Remix said:

K & D Tent & Awning
1131 Milwaukee Ave
South Milwaukee, WI 53172-2012
414-764-8820
[emailprotected]

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That's the same outfit that replaced the bindings on my old Atlas 833's. I can't remember exactly what broke, but I sent the a picture and they recommended replacing the entire binding/suspension on both shoes. They had already been relegated to spare/loaner/stomping pee-paths-in-the-yard-for-the-dog status but the cost was reasonable and I think it only took a few weeks. Granted, that was a few years ago and we weren't dealing with COVID-related shortages and shipping delays. They did a nice job.

iAmKrzys said:

If your snowshoes are 18 years old and the material became brittle then it seems quite likely that you might experience similar problem in other parts of the snowshoe that uses the same type of material (perhaps just on the other snowshoe.) While I generally prefer to repair things rather than throw the away I think at some point you need to evaluate if it is really worth fixing and what is the risk if, for example, you experienced another failure on the trail? If it can be remediated with a simple field repair then perhaps trying to repair is the way to go, but if the failure on the trail is non-trivial then maybe a new pair of snowshoes is the right choice to make.

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By coincidence, my 17 year old Atlas 1025 snowshoes just had a similar failure on one of the urethane straps between the crampon and binding straps. There doesn't seem to be any damage that may have caused the failure and the material is still flexible. I noticed the failure as I was attaching them to my boots at a trailhead. Time for a new pair, maybe they will outlast me this time.