My Faro Buying Mistakes: A 4-Step Checklist to Avoid Costly Errors

Who This Checklist Is For

If you're responsible for specifying or buying a Faro laser tracker, portable CMM arm, or any industrial metrology tool — and you haven’t done it more than three times — this list is for you. I’ve managed industrial measurement tool orders for about two years now, and in that time, I’ve personally made (and documented) four significant mistakes, totaling roughly $5,600 in wasted budget and delays. This checklist is what I’ve built to stop my team from repeating my errors.

The 4-Step Pre-Buy Checklist (Do These Before You Get a Quote)

Step 1: Stop Googling. Start Budgeting.

I assumed searching for “faro support” or “laser tracker faro price” would give me a clear number. It doesn’t. What you get are landing pages with “Contact us for a quote.”

Here’s the mistake I made: I asked for a price on a Faro Vantage laser tracker without having a budget for the full system. The base unit was one thing, but the software licenses, training kits, and calibration are separate line items.

What to do instead:

• Define your measurement needs first (max range, accuracy required, environment).
• Set a total system budget, not a “single unit” budget. Add 20% for accessories and training.
• If you’re comparing a Faro Vantage and a Faro Vantage S, know that the S has extended range — which costs more. Don’t just compare base prices.

I didn't do this. I called our rep and said, “I want to buy a laser tracker,” and his first question was, “What’s your budget?” I had no answer. That lost me negotiating power immediately.

Step 2: Don’t Trust the First Quote. Ask for the “What Else” List.

Once you get a quote for a Faro CMM arm or laser tracker, ask: “What else do I need that isn’t on this quote?”

The vendor who lists all fees upfront — even if the total looks higher — usually costs less in the end. I learned this the hard way when I ordered a Faro Gage and assumed the quoted price included the standard caliper and arm. It didn’t. The probe package was an extra $1,200. (I assumed “same specifications” meant identical results across vendors. Didn’t verify. Turned out each had slightly different interpretations of “accessories included.”)

Here’s what’s often excluded from a first quote:

• Calibration certificate (if you need a NIST-traceable one, ask)
• Transport case
• Training software licenses (Faros’ CAM2 software is powerful, but it’s a separate buy)
• Extended warranty or service plan

Create a checklist item: “Request a complete bill of materials for your specific measurement task. If the rep hesitates, ask them to detail the ‘enabling accessories’ for the measurement you described.”

Step 3: Verify the Calibration Chain (This One Cost Me $1,400)

This is the step almost everyone overlooks. I ordered a Faro Vantage in September 2023 and assumed the unit would arrive calibrated. It did — but the calibration was expired by 3 months. The unit sat on my shelf for 6 weeks while I tried to figure out who to call for a re-cert.

We didn’t have a formal process for verifying calibration before acceptance. Cost us when the unit was down and we had to ship it to the Faro service center. The mistake affected a $1,400 expedited calibration fee plus a 2-week delay.

Check this before you sign the delivery receipt:

• Ask for the calibration expiry date written into the quote.
• If it’s more than 3 months old from the time of quote, demand a fresh calibration before shipment.
• If you use it in a regulated environment (like aerospace), you’ll need a certified calibration procedure — not just a traceable one. Confirm this.

I’ve learned to ask “what’s NOT included” before “what’s the price.” The calibration service plan is one of those things.

Step 4: Check for Hidden “Training” and “Support” Tiers

The final mistake: I bought a Faro CMM arm and thought “Faro support” meant I could call anyone. It doesn’t. There are support tiers.

We bought the basic support plan, but we needed advanced technical support for a custom measurement fixture. That required a case-by-case fee. The result: two $890 emergency support calls in one quarter.

Honestly, I'm not sure why the support tiers aren’t more transparent upfront. My best guess is that they expect most users to not need advanced help — but in our experience, if you’re doing any kind of custom measurement programming, you will.

What to do:

• Ask for the support plan pricing before you buy. Not the unit price — the support price.
• If you’re in a remote area, check if on-site support is available. Many service centers (like Faro service in South America) are few and far between.
• If you need urgent support, ask about the response time of the “expedited” tier. If they can’t promise a 4-hour response, it’s not “expedited” in my book.

Common Errors I Still See (Even in My Own Team)

Even with this checklist, mistakes happen. Here are two I still catch:

• Assuming one calibration fits all tools. Your RF spectrum analyzer and your Faro tracker have different calibration cycles. Don’t sync them.
• Thinking a 6-inch digital caliper is the same as a CMM arm. They’re not. I’ve seen people try to use a digital caliper 6 inch to validate a part that requires 0.001 mm accuracy. That caliper is fine for rough checks, but it’s not a substitute for a laser tracker.

Also, if you’re wondering “which Fluke multimeter to buy” — that’s a different conversation. Don’t mix up test tools with measurement tools.

Quick Reference: My Pre-Order Checklist

1. Define the measurement job (range, accuracy, environment).
2. Set a total system budget (unit + accessories + training + first year calibration).
3. Get a complete bill of materials (ask for the “what else” list).
4. Confirm calibration chain (expiry date, NIST traceable if needed).
5. Clarify support tier and response time.

That list is what I use before every significant order. Does it prevent every mistake? No. But in the past 18 months, using this checklist, we’ve caught 11 potential errors — the biggest being a $3,200 order that would have gone to the wrong calibration lab.

Prices as of January 2025. Always verify current Faro pricing and support plans directly with your rep.