Harbor freight 4"x 6" bandsaw motor problems

Sorry...didn't mean to get anyone ticked off at the issue of bandsaws or tools or whatever. Perhaps it's like SAR said...something about there being no room to cut wider pieces of steel :D Or maybe he didn't say that at all!!! So my bad! I'm not just saying this because I have never used a Harbor Freight tool, because I have!

I have had a blast cabinet (which gun hose and gloves cracked) not long after i bought it. A 1x30 belt grinder that was somewhat sloppy. An angle grinder (that worked fine) and other things that were mass produced in some warehouse in taiwan or china that there was no quality control over! Yes I can say all this because I am chinese and do think that a lot of the stuff that comes from my own damn country, is CRAP. You get what you pay for I suppose. $150.00 is i guess what you pay for when $$ is an issue and I suppose if you need to cut out a blade then it's either that or use a hacksaw that would take you a week. So I guess my whole arguement is kinda dumb I suppose as one can only buy what they can afford. My apologies to you AcridSaint if I have offended you in any way. :D

I also say this because Marcus (flatgrinder) also had another HF motor crap out on him (or maybe it was someone else :D) can't remember.

In the end, i'm just trying to save someone some $$ and buy the best product they can afford at the time.

Regards,

Pohan Leu

PS. Bitchin Knives SAR!!! :)
 
Didn't mean to come off as offended, because I'm not. I understand that folks aren't all going to see the HF bandsaw as the best thing since sliced bread. I get a bit upset when it looks like people are giving advice off the cuff without any experience to back it up. I should have used my tact and restraint and I apologize to the thread for sullying it.
 
I failed to read this thread till now ,but, I can tell you what is wrong with the saws motor. The contacts that open after the motor starts spining to drop the starting capacitor out of the circuit are not opening. If you remove the outside cover from the motor you will see a set of contacts that are around the shaft on a deal that has springs and operates like a centrifugal clutch. Check to see that it pops in and out. Sometimes the springs need to be cut down a bit to get them to pop open when it spins up. If you have ever listened to a cap start motor as it spins down you will hear these contacts close and the motors whir sound changes
 
Thank you all for all your great advice! :thumbup:

I actually exchanged it yesterday without any hassles and now have a new one. I realized that the original one I bought must have been used -as it was missing a few bolts, cotter pins, bolts on the motor were loose and paint was faded.

The new one is flawless, fresh paint, all bolts are tight. Looks and smells new. I bolted it together, all the parts were there and I used it for 2 hours straight this morning profiling blanks (the motor didn't even get warm) -cutting 1/4" thick CPM 154.

It's an excellent piece of machinery for the money. I love it! :D
 
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