OT Repairing harbor freights drill press.

Yep .I Know I'll get replys saying,YOU GET WHAT YA PAY FOR.BUTTTTTTTTTTT the story goes like this. Went to harbor freight to get a drill press (FLOOR MODEL 3/4 hpto use in drilling track plates for our crawler. Used it to make roller sleves,etc, The pully kept comming loose, My son re-tightened it and didn't over do it. The last time it came loose and the lock nut along with a piece of the shaft housing came with it. We purchased an extended warranty policy when we bought it. Called the store where we bought it from said they would order a new press and to bring the other one back. HOWEVER, It would be 3 weeks before a new one would come in, and we would be called when the new one came in. Well 3 weeks went by, NOTHING so we called em back and they said we could get our money back(was a cash sale.) If we ordered the repair part it would be a cost to us. My son told em that we had an extended warranty and shouldn't have to pay for any part. NO DEAL, Still insistant we would have to pay for the part. I was P.O to say the least, so I called corporation and they said the part would be shipped with in a week to 10 days at NO CHARGE.Got it today ON TIME but we were without a drill press for about a month. Took it apart and replaced the part sent, which was MUCH HEAVIER and a lot stronger.Time spent to tear it down and replace the shaft was about 1-1/2 hrs.The splined shaft is so soft that when we used a 3 jawed puller to remove the belt pulley, the end of the shaft scored some, Had to re file the splines to get the new assembly back on. It works good now, but what a hassel. Has any one went through this type of problem with H.F? Sure will make me re-think on where to buy. DONE RANTING. LOU

I ordered a couple things and didn't get them. Emails back and forth and got a claim ticket to sign for one item. Sent it in and called/asked about the second. Oops......... got another claim... 6 months later, got one of the items.
Not really their fault except for the slow response.

Dave

I bought a lift for my motorcycles. It had a leak on the pump. There was no problem to return it, and they had another in stock. It was a big pain you know where to re pack this thing and return it. I am surprised they didn't have another drill press in stock. Like you said you get what you pay for. The lift works good, and puts my motorcycle where I can work on it. It sure is tempting to see their low prices. Where else can you puy a 4 in grinder for under 15.00. Glad you are badk in business. If I was looking for a drill press I would check out craigs list next time, Stan

Dave, If we returned it that would be aprox 200 miles round trip so we opted for a repair part
instead. What pizzes me off the most is why dont the stores have a direct link to corporate offices,so if a customer comes in with a defective part,(if out of warranty) the store could do the ordering for the customer, who could pre-pay the part and have it shipped(in a timely manner)right to their home,instead of waiting and waiting with no response from the store where the item was purchased. When I was parts mgr for Sears, thats what the policy was. Customer satisfaction came first.If there was any delay, we would notify the customer who could exchange/or money back.
Maybe thats to far in the past. Any way we got it fixed. LOU

37Chief. H.F (that store where we purchased it from) didn't have another one in stock ,so thats why the delay of 3 weeks. I;m sure other stores had one, and could have had it shipped from another store to where we bought it. Still over 200 miles away. Wouldn't have had to wait the 3 weeks for a replacement. The part we ordered was only $2.60, So they could have sent it in 7-10days.like they finally did.No 200 miles involved for us. LOU

must be the store you are going to the one in Appleton Wi. will bend over back wards to help. with the warrenty they will replace it with no trouble

I sorta zoned out when you got past the part where they said they would refund your purchase price. When you've got a broken tool, and they offer to make you whole, TAKE IT!

Harbor Freight stuff is pretty much for the folks who want something to put in their shop, but don't actually plan to use it! And there are a lot of people like that.

I bought a set of nice looking drill bits there last summer.It took about two minutes to dull one drilling a hole in 1/4 plate.I put a bit in the vise and bent it over 90 degrees with a hammer.

I bought their pneumatic floor scraper. Worked fine but didn't do the "off purpose use" I wanted. No problem, they gave me a gift card for the puchase price and I'm happy.

All I will buy at HF is stuff like shop rags, wire brushes, magnets, etc.. Nothing that has wires, bearings, or anything that actually has to work.. It has been close to a years since I have been to an HF store..

Those drill bits either bend or they are so brittle hard that they snap.