Repair parts for harbor freight tools

Hello.
My husband bought a gas powered cut off saw from harbor freight. Needless to say the thing isn't working. My husband seems to think it is the coil. Well when I contacted harbor freight, they told me they don't have the part in stock, and they would have to order it...but it will take 6 TO 8 WEEKS!!!! because the part has to be ordered and then shipped and it has to pass through customs before it gets here....My husband doesn't have 6 to 8 weeks to wait, we have a small business to run. Also when I checked on the web to see if there was anyone out there who could possibly carry replacement parts for the saw...NO LUCK.
Any suggestions or help?

Welcome to the Forum rkaurschill !

Sorry you're having difficulty with a new product, but, this is the place to get help, IF it's available !!

Though I don't have a recommendation for you personally, hopefully someone else will chip in and help.

Have a good Day !
S.W.

The delay you see is correct, you have to wait for the part to be sent from China / Asia. That were most all parts come from now a days.

If you are cutting a lot of pipe, wood or plastic I heavily recommend getting an affordable horizontal band saw. Does it have to be gas to be powered remotely?

rkaurschill welcome to the forum


I think you should return the saw and get a replacement new saw. When people buy a product - the product should work, that's what people pay money for. So, let your husband go back to that shop/company and not leave without a working, new saw.

rkaurschill,
I’ll have to go along with Jeffie on this one, hopefully HF has a reasonable return policy, but, I did sorta look into the two companies involved. In your case, this is just “beating a dead dog”, but, possibly someone else may take notice.

1. Harbor Freight: Is a Mail Order company only. No storefront, and from what I can see in their online catalog, no replacement parts for their products, other than like Cut-Off Wheels and expendables like that. I found a couple Phone #’s
Phone Order. 805-388-3000. Customer Service. 805-388-2000, if it helps, and I see that they’re not even Toll Free ! So, you’re sorta at the mercy of HF, and in every case of the need for replacement parts, they are going to have to act as an intermeadery, thus, a long wait for the fix. Not uncommon among Mail Order firms.

2. Chicago Electric: I’m not sure if this company exists !!!
No phones, No URL (website) domestic or forign, they appear to deal only with resailers, and seem not to have any physical facility, in the US anyway! I’ve seen their products from time to time, but I can’t find anywhere, where you could actually contact them, and find somewhere you could get the parts you need, directly! I think I’m correct in assuming you have a Chicago Electric Saw 98089-2VGA, since it is the only one that HF sells according to their Website.

If you had chosen Sears/Craftsman, Black & Decker, or even Mikita, who have fully stocked repair and replacement parts facilities right here in the US, I don’t think you would have had to go through this.

I know this seems like I’m “rubbing your nose” in it, but, your situation is not uncommon, and this is just to reinforce the need for some investigation on anyone’s part, before they buy something online.
I sincerely hope you can resolve this to your satisfaction.

Have a good Day !
S.W.

PS Edit:
I did find several references to Chicago Electric, but, not for their Tool Products line.

Post edited by: SWHouston, at: 2008/08/19 16:56

Even Craftsman stuff now is mostly made in Asia.

The company Harbor Freight does have some store fronts. There is one by me in Allentown. I use it to pick up disposable tools only for once and done jobs.

Chicago Electric has been around for years. They primarily make low quality welders and other goods. I don't know how you got that it was Chic Elec from the post? I'm guessing you looked it up from Har Freight site.

It's difficult to get parts from Chic Electric too even though they are US. There equipment is also known for once and done jobs. But if it was Chicago Electric I don't understand why the part has to pass through customs?

Post edited by: jmborchers, at: 2008/08/19 23:01

HF does have retail outlets and they are excellent at replacing some of the items that have lifetime guarantees. They replaced some sockets after 25 years of use!! . A gas engine should be easy to repair even using parts from other gas power saws. HF sells at a much lower price than other stores and in some cases you get what you pay for!! If it is for a biz i'd buy a high quality tool or even Sears as they do have a local stores where you can sometimes get parts. For home use or occasional use HF is a good buy, just think of the tool as being rented and if lasts more than a few months you are ahead..Unfortunately the imports from China and India are often defective as shipped due to poor or non-existent QC.. seems a pity when there are US workers unemployed and we keep buying shoddy goods made overseas..the challenge is now to find anything made in the US.

SORRY, but I have to reply to this..I know its been a while since this post was made, but Harbor Freight is not an online only company..Here where we live they have stores everywhere....locally. This is the first time we have had any problems with anything we have bought from them.