Unscrewed: Finding Replacement Screws for Palm Tungsten T3 (Jerz’s Literacy Weblog)
A few weeks ago, I was comparing PDA’s with Josh Sasmor (a Seton Hill math professor), when Josh noticed that one of the four tiny screws on the lower body of my Tungsten T3 was missing. I forgot to bring the charger home one weekend, and took the following week off, so my PDA’s batteries died and I didn’t use it for more than a week. When I picked it up again, I noticed that now, three of the four tiny screws were missing.
I hit the Internet, and found that I am not alone. Palm does not sell replacement screws, and in fact will not replace them at all unless you send in your PDA for servicing — which costs $125, plus shipping and the time you have to spend without a PDA — and that you might get somebody else’s used PDA back instead of yours. A few posters in online forums mentioned finding replacements in out of the way places, so I was hopeful (though Finn never replied to my e-mail). One online poster said a railroad hobbyist eyeballed the screw, said “Looks like a #80,” opened up a drawer, and presto — problem solved.
After checking Wal-Mart, Lowe’s (a hardware chain), three eyeglass stores, two jewelry stores and a Radio Shack, I was feeling pretty discouraged. The culture here in Pennsylvania is small-town friendly, so I didn’t get the idea people were blowing me off; but nobody had a drawer full of odd screws, and nobody knew how to get in touch with a supplier who might stock such parts. “The parts I’m supposed to need just arrive from the warehouse,” said one employee.
Today I was in downtown Greensburg, and found screws that fit at Bortz Hardware. They had about twenty in a little drawer; The part number: 0-80X 1/8, flat head Phillips, 64084. I bought seven. When I told employee Peggy Felton about the Tungsten problem, she looked in her drawer and said, “I’ll order more.”
Update, June 25 (photo added): The replacement screw, on the right, sticks out ever so slightly on the downslope edge, but it seems to fit tightly.
If you’re looking for replacement Tungsten T3 screws, you might want to give Bortz Hardware a call at 724 834 3770. (I have no financial stake in the transaction… I’m just hoping I might be of some service to somebody whom Google throws my way.)
According to the chatter on user forums and an online petition, Palm’s position is that the screws were lost due to user error, and thus the replacement is not covered by warranty. Many unhappy consumers note that they have owned countless electronic devices with tiny screws that do not need to be tightened regularly, and feel it is a design flaw.
Oh… the price Bortz Hardware charged for the screws? Eighteen cents each. That sure beats $125.
Post was last modified on 2 Jul 2020 2:26 pm
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Thanks for the help.
RE...Grey flip cover...
Try using black leather dye for shoes.
Then black shoe polish
Looks much better than Grey
Also, I highly recommend a leather case "Micro Leather Phone Case" No. 305748 from Brookstone Company $12.50 Great fit and a great buy.
http://www.brookstone.com
Thanks! Found you on Google right away, and am ordering Carmine's screws (have also dropped an inquiry to Palm support and signed the petition). My guess, FWIW, is that they've got an overly excitable lawyer who thinks if they supply screws it's admitting the design flaw, and exposes them to a class action suit or recall. Of course, sending a couple screws as needed would probably be cheaper than said laywer's opinion, and avert any class action suit anyway....
My grey leather flip cover just broke as well. I really prefer it over a hard cover case. Thanks
Thanks for the advice about the 'screw problem.' Does anyone know where I could find a new grey leather flip cover for my T3? The original has broken and a replacement apparently can't be ordered from Palmone. Palm says that the original covers only ship with a new T3.
I'm glad I could help by giving you the space to share what you learned, Peter. Thanks.
I did some research on "thread locker" products to prevent the screws from loosening. The Loctite brand "medium strength blue threadlocker" seems the best suited for this. I picked it up at Lowe's for about $5. I applied it with a toothpick. The super glue products and the heavy duty strength products might not ever let the screws out again even if needed for repair. I'm hoping this will work since I don't like the idea of checking them weekly. I think Carmen even warns against overtightening since it can strip the threads. I bough a few extra screws from Carmen just in case.
Thanks for this forum, Dennis.
Thanks for the replacement screws, Carmen.
Pete
thank you for this advice - fantastic and so pleased it came up straight away on Google.
Sam
Does anyone know more about using Loctite or a similar product to help prevent the screws from falling out?
I know this must be a very common problem. I have owned my T3 for less than 3 months and the same 2 scews have fallen out twice already. The first time I was lucky enough to find them in my pocket. Here is Palm most recent response, which is to contact other companies to supply the parts:
Dear Peter:
Thank you for contacting palmOne Technical Support. This is Giovanni and I will be supporting you with your issue. I understand that you have missing screws on the handheld.
I understand that you lost some screws on the handheld. With regard to this issue, I suggest that you logon to this URL http://www.overstock.com or http://www.pdaparts.com and purchase some screws.
We hope this issue has been resolved to your satisfaction. A Customer Satisfaction Survey will be emailed to you very shortly. Please take time to provide us with your feedback about this support experience, as it will help us in our on-going effort to continually improve our services.
If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again. You can also find troubleshooting articles and frequently asked questions at:
http://kb.palmone.com
To learn more about palmOne handhelds, please visit our support web site at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/support/
Thank you for choosing palmOne.
Sincerely,
Giovanni