I see only complaints :(

That's what I though, too, until I received a warranty replacement for my FR735XT. The display backlight looks very different and I get at least 50% better battery life. The buttons also feel different.

Fair enough. I would imagine that during the life of a device, the manufacturer might substitute different parts, for reasons of cost or reliability. It's possible that VA3s manufactured at different times do have different vibration thingies. I sort-of assumed that devices from the same production run would be nearly identical but, because of the way products are distributed and stocked, I suppose it is possible that devices purchased at the same time actually have different components.

Having said all that, it's very difficult to express the intensity of vibration without making actual measurements. What one person describes as "intense" vibration might be "virtually undetectable" by another.

The vivoactive has the capability to have a stong vibration. The "move" vibration is very strong and noticeable. Why can't they just make that an option for notifications? Seems silly.

I’ve tried many different watchfaces
Both On my Fenix 3 and now my VA3
Most are simply to cluttered and unreadable
I’ve finally found one I really love. It’s a copy of a standard SUUNTO Watchface
It’s called “Sun”
And it’s amazing in MHOciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1323944.jpg

to the OP -- my VA3 alarm vibration wakes me up. i also notice it starts weak and gets stronger.

Hopefully you are right, but the vibration of the first one I had didn't even felt it. The vibration for the move reminder was a little stronger, but the one for hitting a goal or alarm was a total joke. As I was saying earlier, maybe I'm just used to the Ionic's vibration.
If even the second one has a weak vibration, I will have to set 2 or 3 alarms in a row, one minute apart...

I would be slightly surprised if the vibration intensity varied all that much from one unit to another -- these things are mass-produced, after all. Of course, it isn't impossible. I certainly have complaints about my VA3, and about Garmin in general; but I still have it -- for now -- because I find it useful despite the irritations, and I don't think I would get anything superior for the price.

This is definitely an issue. My first one had an almost imperceptible vibration. I returned it and the new one is "normal". By "normal" I mean I can generally feel alarms and alerts. Remember, this is a relatively small unit, so one shouldn’t expect a jarring yank on the arm. And while I haven’t tried the alarm as a wake up call, I certainly don’t think I'd trust it to get me up for an important event.

Jonbike

This thread is interesting. When I first read the reviews for the VA3, I was worried that the vibration would be terribly weak, but it turns out my copy vibrated just as much as the VF-HR that I returned for the non-replaceable band. Mine vibrates enough that if I were to use it for an alarm, it would likely wake me up.
I would be willing to bet it is an assembly flaw, or damage during shipping where the little vibrator inside has come free of the watch case. If I were you I would return it for an exchange, or have it serviced.

For the most part, I think our VA3s have very low profit margins, so there isn't a lot of incentive for support and upgrades. The higher-end devices likely have quite a lot more effort put forth as they are the flagship models with a great deal of margin.

I ordered one of those highly rated Chinese knock-offs for $40 to play with to see how it compares with the VA3. Mostly I got it for my little guy, but really am curious to see how it compares. I doubt it is near the quality of the VA3.

Specific to the alarm vibration, I have had 3 different VA3’s and all have been what I describe as weak. Some notifications definitely have a stronger vibration so it seems software related.

If it is a software issue, hopefully more people will complain about it, making Garmin solve the problem. I haven't seen an official response for this problem (for me it's a problem, the alarm future is critical for me) from someone at Garmin.