Mike Carter
Well-Known Member
In September of 2007 I purchased a multipurpose mill/drill/lathe from Harbor Frieght. This is a fairly heavy 360 lb machine running around $500. It has it’s drawbacks and it is not the best milling machine on the market by any stretch of the imagination but it works for milling slots in guards, turning end caps and general use. As a mill/drill/lathe it performs all functions OK but none of them great. In hindsight I would buy dedicated machinery if I had to do it over and I’m sure I will buy a better mill someday but this one has served me for 2 ½ years.
This machine has separate motors for the mill/drill head and the lathe. Late last year the milling motor quit working. I pulled the motor out and took it to a local shop that rebuilds electric motors. They quoted $350 to rebuild it. No thanks.
I decided to call Harbor Freight. The machine was out of warranty but I figured I should be able to order a part. I fully expected to go through a dozen phone menus and then eventually get to someone who had no idea what I was talking about. I called the 800 number on the front of the owners manual and to my surprise a very nice lady who spoke English answered the phone and she immediately looked up the correct part and quoted a price of $87.44 for a replacement motor including shipping! I received the motor in about 3 days.
Well, I had been putting the mill through some fairly heavy use lately and the motor crapped out again. I didn’t really want to put another $87 into this machine but I can’t swing $1800 for the mill I really want right now. So I call Harbor Freight again. This time I got a man on the phone who had a very heavy accent and I did have trouble understanding him. But, as before, he was very professional and courteous, and again surprised me by telling me he would send a replacement motor at no charge. He didn’t even ask me to send the old motor back.
Harbor Frieght does not have a reputation for selling the best tools. They have cheap prices on Chinese made tools and some are pretty good for the money. But the customer service is OUTSTANDING!
I just had to give credit and kudos to a company that still offers this kind of service which is truly a rarity in this day and age. Yes, the mill motor should last lasted longer than a couple of years and the replacement motor should have lasted longer than 3 months but at least they do stand behind what they sell.
This machine has separate motors for the mill/drill head and the lathe. Late last year the milling motor quit working. I pulled the motor out and took it to a local shop that rebuilds electric motors. They quoted $350 to rebuild it. No thanks.
I decided to call Harbor Freight. The machine was out of warranty but I figured I should be able to order a part. I fully expected to go through a dozen phone menus and then eventually get to someone who had no idea what I was talking about. I called the 800 number on the front of the owners manual and to my surprise a very nice lady who spoke English answered the phone and she immediately looked up the correct part and quoted a price of $87.44 for a replacement motor including shipping! I received the motor in about 3 days.
Well, I had been putting the mill through some fairly heavy use lately and the motor crapped out again. I didn’t really want to put another $87 into this machine but I can’t swing $1800 for the mill I really want right now. So I call Harbor Freight again. This time I got a man on the phone who had a very heavy accent and I did have trouble understanding him. But, as before, he was very professional and courteous, and again surprised me by telling me he would send a replacement motor at no charge. He didn’t even ask me to send the old motor back.
Harbor Frieght does not have a reputation for selling the best tools. They have cheap prices on Chinese made tools and some are pretty good for the money. But the customer service is OUTSTANDING!
I just had to give credit and kudos to a company that still offers this kind of service which is truly a rarity in this day and age. Yes, the mill motor should last lasted longer than a couple of years and the replacement motor should have lasted longer than 3 months but at least they do stand behind what they sell.
