I seem to have a problem with screws stripping with Framework stuff… I’ve never had this problem with other manufacturers; not sure why this is such a problem with Framework…
Anyway, I got a new bottom cover for my Framework 16 because I’ve taken the midplate off enough times to strip the top right screw and wanted one without anything stripped. Upon transferring the speakers over to the new bottom cover, I had barely tightened one of the screws and it immediately stripped. So I decided to go looking for a slightly lager replacement screw, and ended up finding that the motherboard screws are slightly larger than the speaker screws. They threaded in nicely and the larger head wasn’t a problem for the speakers. Actually, they fit in tightly enough that it makes me think that the threads were cut too large for the original speaker screws making them prone to strip.
I would have just returned the bottom cover and gotten a new one under the 30 day warranty, however this was actually the second bottom cover I received and didn’t want to wait any longer. The first one came with the same screw pre-stripped! Removing the screw from the case the first time, without ever having tightened it myself, resulted in the screw just spinning, requiring upward pressure to remove it.
So I just thought I’d share my experience with this… Thanks for listening.
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FWIW, I had the same experience. I ordered a new bottom case because the fit of the 3 piece trackpad area is not good, so it was scratching the paint on the inside edge of the bottom cover. My replacement cover I purchased had pre-striped speaker screw areas. I also let it go since the midplate would hold everything in.
I cut framework a_lot of slack because I like their mission, but I think I’d have a hard time recommending them.
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I had thought about that too; the midplate would just hold it in place. However in my case I was replacing it already because of a stripped screw, so getting a stripped screw on a new one was a bit maddening.
As do I, and I’ll continue to buy their stuff, however if no one complains about the problems then they’ll likely never get fixed. So really I’m hoping that someone out there at Framework is listening and trying to find ways to fix these problems. Framework is literally the only laptop manufacturer where you can order any part you need at a reasonable price and have it delivered in 2 business days. Yeah you might be able to order things from other manufacturers but you’ll likely run into either absurd prices (such as motherboards that cost more than a new laptop), unavailability of parts, or parts that are backordered into oblivion.
On that note I probably run into more issues than the average person just because I’ve purchased so much from Framework. I have… I’ll just say too many framework laptops and a bunch of extra parts lying around.
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I received my first FW16 and the SSD screw was stripped from the factory. Ended up with a whole new FW16 and lo and behold the same issue. Either someone is very heavy handed/using an incorrectly adjusted torque tool at the factory or the materials are not up to the job.
I like you ended up keeping the replacement as I just wanted to get on with using the laptop and dealing with support at that time was a nightmare. For now the screw is in with the midplate retaining it but it’s far from ideal. I may yet tap it to the next size up or helicoil it.
I told support about the stripped threads in the second laptop and they didn’t seem to care, not even an offer to replace it or discount on a future motherboard replacement.
I’m hoping that with all the complaints about stripped threads FW will take note and improve designs/quality control but we won’t know until we get more posts like these.
Given that I was able to get the motherboard screws to be snug in the speaker holes when the original screws would strip when barely tightening them, I suspect that either the speaker screws are smaller than they should be, or the holes were drilled/tapped to a diameter larger than what they should be for that size screw. The magnesium alloy that the bottom cover is made out of is probably fine for the torque that is supposed to be applied for these screws, i.e. not much.
The only time I’ve really contacted support was to return things outright within the 30 day window. For instance I recently returned two Core Ultra boards because they had a problem where they would just shut off randomly about 10 seconds after turning them on; they were brand new and I didn’t feel like trying to troubleshoot it, and being that it happened on both I had a feeling that it was a platform issue, and so I just returned them. Otherwise I’m fortunate enough to be able to just buy replacements for things even if I’m technically still within the warranty window; for me it’s not worth going back and forth for potentially weeks to get a replacement for a $100 part when I can just pay for it and have it in a couple days. That’s only happened once or twice though so it’s not that big of a deal. Also, this bottom cover issue is the only time I’ve had to immediately return something due to a defect.