Highland Park Lapidary

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I have read every single comment on this video, and I will continue to read them all forever. My takeaway from reading them all is come complete lack of consistency, between machines that people have gotten, one person will get a saw with paint that flakes off, leaking oil, and something bent on it and another person will get a saw that they love and is 100% perfect and they have been running it for years without issues. They should all be perfect leaving the factory, and in place of that the company should be willing to prioritizes those issues and priority ship them new parts or a new machine in the case of it leaking. This should be how everyone does business.

[@Henry-405]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I agree. I never expect perfection from any human endeavor. I’m happily surprised when i get it though. It does happen. I do expect honesty, transparency, a manufacturer taking responsibility for any discrepancies, and a sincere desire to make things right. Without all those things, a company will never get my return business.

[@stanbogosian-mm8bs]

Thanks for doing a public service for all of us who buy products from these companies.

[@valeriereneeharper]

Just hearing “you are not allowed to call this number” is enough for me to run far far away from this company. That’s next level scammy

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Mind you, this was also before they gave me my money back, they blocked me at a time which I should have been able to contact them.

[@MrTurtleMontana]

My thoughts exactly! Blocking a customer's number and IP address is pretty messed up... especially before issuing a refund.

[@WorldofRockhounds]

My BIGGEST regret was....waiting till i was home to enjoy some tea to watch this. ☕️

[@davidmills1639]

First thing that came to mind was Subway and their “foot long” sandwich” fiasco

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha!

[@MrTurtleMontana]

Like taco bell and their meatless meat?

[@wendygerrish4964]

😢Well, this critique came in time before I stepped into it. Thankyou.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The important takeaway here is that they are used cars, sometimes there will be no other option for you but to buy it but know that you're rolling the dice with it and you might then need to fix things once it shows up.

[@Ikickrocks2]

Due to their customer service, we will NEVER EVER purchase another Highland Park machine. My husband bought the largest flat lap they had. No instructions included to help us assemble it together correctly, Our phone calls and emails never got any satisfactory answers to our questions, and after awhile we were totally ignored. We got tired of playing the commnication merry go round. This is after waiting months longer than we were told to expect delivery. The 18" slab saw we purchased has leaked oil since day one. They made us feel like we were the dummies. Thank you Jared for reassuring me that I'm not the only one that has had issues with this company.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It's pretty crazy to be honest, it's just some of the worst interactions I have ever seen, like if there were no screenshots I don't know if I would really believe it. It's worse than AI chat bots helping. I'm sorry to hear about your leaking saw, feel free to email me and I can offer some advice on how to fix it but it's not easy to do.

[@LezBeRockin73]

I thank you for airing your concerns and complaints for those of us that will be purchasing in the future. 🚫🙅🏻‍♀️ Highland Park

[@future_me_6067]

Lodging a complaint on the BBB website has worked wonders for me over the years to get money returned.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I will keep that in mind.

[@64puma64]

Yeah, but other than that Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play? I’ve had my own interaction with HP that was more odd than disastrous. I see your point about a misleading description on their website for your blade, but I have to ask does having a 19.5” blade compromise performance over a 20” blade? Does having .223” instead of .25” of sintered diamonds significantly affect blade longevity? Not trying to be a troll, just trying to get my own perspective on the situation. I appreciate what you do!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

How was your interaction with HP odd? Really, I think I could have just ran it but why? I thought I was getting a 20" saw blade since that what the product listing said and I wanted to return it since I can buy a blade that is a full 20". I should be able to do that without a giant fight.

[@64puma64]

I recently bought a tumbler (I know, I know) from them. It arrived with 0 instructions. They should at least let you know how to maintain it. I’ve had Lortone tumblers for 50 years. The HP is identical, so no mystery, but I thought it odd they’d ship one w/o a manual. I contacted customer service and they told me they were still developing the manual, but supplied me with a “draft.” I did notice that they recommend about 25% more grit per cycle than Lortone and any source I could find online.

[@AmbitiousAmmonite]

Thank you so very much for this video, Jared! I've been getting into looking for lapidary machines more and more over the last few months. HP will not be very high on my list of brands to feel confident in. I'd hate to spend my hard-earned money on something that could give me issues right away, so I thank you for providing us all with lots of great info and for helping this hobby grow!

[@sillyhumans]

At 12:01 I blew a snot I laughed so hard! Funniest thing I've seen all year! Also, thanks for the sage advice via helpful rant.

[@tinaG5369]

THANK YOU! I can not say enough about how helpful you are to us beginners. I will be deleting their website from my list. Take care and keep rocking! 🙏

[@Farkas1111]

I was planning on getting a HP 14" slab saw. I will look at other options now. Thank you much appreciated

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You might be happy with the one that you get, others have stated that the HP saw they got didn't have any issues, others have stated that they had more than one issue. It's always good to shop around.

[@t.j.nordhagen9372]

Sorry you had these problems. I purchased a 14" Hightone slab saw two years ago from HPL. Soon after purchasing it, I received an email advertising the same saw on sale for $150.00 less. I contacted HPL and brought this to their attention. They issued me a refund (store credit) which I used to buy additional mineral oil for my saw. I was not aware of any of these problems you've mentioned when I purchased my saw, and to date I've cut 100's of slabs (Montana agate) without any problems or leaks. I am not writing this to be contrary, just my honest experience. Enjoy your channel by the way!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

If you had a great experience with them, than that is fantastic and what everyone should have when you spend money with a company. You trade hours of your life for money and then you spend it with a company. You should be happy with what you got!

[@GaryCBenson007]

When I was employed as a carpenter, we had a saying, "A little putty, a little paint, makes a carpenter what he a'int." Highland Park machines look really good in photographs. But at the end of the day, just because they look good doesn't mean they 'is' good.

[@patriciabock4299]

First and foremost I am a business person. I have 52 years experience in business. The first rule in sales is the customer is always RIGHT. That is if you want to run a very successful business. When I order something I expect to get what I ordered, not some knockoff product that has been substituted. Accuracy with machines is very important to having them operate correctly. A part that is substandard will bring about substandard operation. Highland Park should have immediately corrected the problem with you including an apology of lax practice with not updating their listenings. Word of mouth is the best advertisement any business can have. Bad news spreads faster than good news and stops people from trusting a company when it comes to spending a lot of money on their products! I will not be doing business with this firm and I sure will avoid buying any of their products new or used! You have every right to air your grievance with what happened in your transaction with them! Thank you for sharing this information and making it painfully aware that they are not a customer friendly company!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Well said!

[@_lak3rs_211]

Just a minor correction, the saying actually is “the customer is always right In matters of taste”. This has little effect on the rest of your comment and I generally agree with it, but I often see that statement misquoted and I feel the need to correct it because the customer isn’t always right

[@patriciabock4299]

@@_lak3rs_211 I do not know who first told you this quote. It may have morphed into what I use! The Customer no matter what is always right. If you practice that then you will have customers for life no matter what business you are in. I sold used furniture and appliances for several years and i always backed my sales with satisfaction. If an appliance failed to work I gave them their money back immediately. Did not matter why the appliance failed, did matter how my customer felt after the transaction. Only had to do that twice! with two different customers. You are selling a product make sure it works if not make sure the customer is happy even if it did not work!

[@AgateJeweler]

for anyone wondering they did claim highland parc from public domain and are pretty honest about it on podcasts

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

What podcast? I would like to hear it.

[@AgateJeweler]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding ep 9 of rock talk lapidary :)

[@danielkarczewski2467]

I understand your frustration with HP. MY 14 INCH SAW BLADE IS ONLY 13 3/4 INCHES.. When I received my 14 inch saw the motor was in a separate box. The bracket on the motor was bent, I had to straighten it out before I could mount it to the machine. If a person that could not figure that out they would be in a bind.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That sucks to hear, and you are 100% correct. They need to say those kinds of things on the product page that you need to put it together when you get it and if it does show up bent they should be sending parts out ASAP with someone like Fedex so you can use the machine quickly.

[@jonathanyoung7785]

Didn't HP give you a $1500 belt sander for free? If so, maybe you should return it after this video. I cannot see why you would want it in your shop at this point. In any event, I have 7 HP saws (2 trim saws and 5 slab saws), the HP bull wheel, the HP intarsia machine, the HP 8" cabbing machine, and a few of their tumblers. I do not share your experience about the quality or designs of their machines. They may not be perfectly designed, but for the most part, they have a ton of design improvements over older models from other manufacturers. I've had a few pars break that I thought should have lasted longer (thankfully nothing big). But I've used their machines for hundreds (probably thousands of hours), and they have been reliable and effective. HP has sent me a few replacement parts under warranty with no hassle whatsoever. I do wish they would make manuals, and their customer service can be clunky since the first person I talk to rarely seems to know the answer to anything. But on balance, I have been a satisfied customer. Finally, have you ever measured the HSP sintered saw blades that you like? I'm pretty sure that the HSP 10" blades are actually 250mm, so 9.84". In other words, it's not just HP that is using a near equivalent metric diameter for their blades. Seems to be the case for a lot of Chinese made blades. I've noticed it with 12" and 14" blades that I've bought from Kingsley North and elsewhere. No big deal though this this small difference in diameter has no impact as a practical matter, at least for my purposes.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm getting the feeling that you took this video a little personal. They did give me this wet belt sander, which, to be honest, is a pretty meh machine as it came out of the box and I had to fix a number of issues with it. I'm glad that you have been happy with the saws that you have, that's what I would hope for everyone. Let me ask you this, if 2 of those 7 saws you had showed up with a leak and poor powder coat paint that came off within a few weeks, would you be happy with those buys? Someone just left a comment stating that their 18" has leaked from day one. I only have one HSP blade which is rather well-used and it's 9 7/8" on it, just measured. So, let's say I'm in the wrong for the blade thing, they said I was getting _______ and if I'm not happy with it and I want to return it, which is fair should it be a month-long fight?

[@jonathanyoung7785]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I'm a fan on yours, Jared. I like your videos. I like your approach. You have an analytical and curious mind. You're a smart guy with a lot of skills. But declaring war on HP seems like a misguided waste of your time. Your anecdotes may be true, but so are mine. While my experiences are necessarily personal, I do not have any positive emotional feelings about HP that mirror your negative feelings. None of my HP saws have leaked. I would not be happy if they did. If they told me to patch a leaky saw with JB Weld, I would do it upon the condition that they agreed to fix the saw if it continued to leak after the JB Weld. In other words, I would try to work with them, not fight against them. I do have a 24" Barranca Diamond (MK Diamond sister company) slab saw that leaks oil in two spots, so no manufacturer is perfect. If they gave you the run around with a return that is wrong. And your general points about their customer service are not unfounded in my experience. But you clearly had an axe to grind with HP before the return fiasco, which is probably why you were so upset about the blade diameter thing in the first place. You saw the blade diameter as dishonesty, since you already suspected them of dishonesty. I tend to see it as sloppiness at worst, but more likely a genuine belief on their part that it doesn't really matter. I have a 24" HP segmented blade on one of my slab saws right now. The diameter is also slightly off, which I noticed when I got it. I have been cutting with it for a while and it's a fine blade. I cannot imagine how it would cut any differently if it were a fraction of an inch larger. What I do think is unfair is for you to take your anger about a return (however warranted that anger may be), combine it with some anecdotes about initial quality problems (however true those anecdotes may be), add in some design decisions that you don't like (even if you're right, and I'm not sure that you are always), and then just trash and mock the company and its products for a half hour. I am not an HP fanboy. I wanted to buy a bunch of equipment, and they were the only company that produced some types of machines (like the intarsia grinder, bull wheel, and high speed production trim saw). And they were the only company that did not have a 6-months waitlist at the time for some of the other machines. I also own Diamond Pacific, Lortone, and Covington equipment. All fine companies, even if Covington makes some very poorly designed tumblers, and I did have an initial quality issue with my DP Genie. HP is a mixed bag, like most companies. But it does have some clear strengths in my opinion. It produces many different types of equipment, has competitive prices with free shipping (Covington charged me $170 to ship me a 2-wheel 8" grinder a few years ago), makes innovative design decisions, has a large number of replacement parts in stock which are reasonably priced, and bases many of its models on tried and true designs. It also has weaknesses. Those include spotty customer service, some issues with initial quality (not pervasive in my experience), what some see as them wrongfully copying others' designs (all totally legal, and always with numerous design changes, so this doesn't bother me), made in China, lack of manuals, and a rush to get new models to market without working out all the bugs. But despite it not being a perfect company, I still recommend their equipment. Here's why: My first slab saw was the HP Hightone 14. I had no idea how to use a slab saw when I got it, and the saw took a lot of abuse as I learned many things the hard (and expensive) way. I must have dished 3 or 4 blades before getting good at securing rocks in the vise, preventing blade deflection, blade care and maintenance, etc. I had a rock slip, bend a 14" blade almost in half as the carriage kept advancing with the blade seized up in the kerf, eventually tripping the thermal protection on the motor. After I managed to get the bent blade off the saw, I found that the carriage rails were still tight and straight, the carriage only had a tiny bit of play between the bearings and rails, which I tightened up, the arbor shaft was not bent, the arbor bearings were not loose, and neither the autofeed screw nor feed nut were stripped. The slipped rock caused an extreme amount of stress on nearly every moving part in the saw, and all I had to do was replace the blade and get back to cutting. To me, that showed excellent quality. I went on to use my first 14" HP slab saw for many hundreds of hours of cutting. After about two years of heavy use and lots of user error, the pillow block arbor bearings needed replaced. This was a fairly easy job since HP made a great design decision that allows fine adjustments to the alignment of the arbor bearings. Using a dial indicator attached to the carriage and the fine adjustment set screws, I was quickly able to get the arbor shaft perpendicular to the rails within +/- 0.01" at the front and back edge of a 14" blade. Other than changing the arbor bearings once, I have replaced the arbor blade flange a few times (again, my fault for running rocks into it), one or two $2 bearing on the carriage, a $20 or so brass feed nut, and two $2 or $3 brass bushings on the ends of the autofeed screw. I bet I have cut at least 1000 slabs with the saw, and the only parts that i have replaced were damaged due to user error, or they were basically cheap wear parts. Not only has the saw been an absolute workhorse, but when everything is adjusted and aligned correctly (which is easier than on the old Lortone models), it can cut slabs that have an honest 600 to 1200 grit finish. Indeed, the saw is so precise that I can use ultra-thin 0.048" kerf 14" blades without immediately dishing them. That is only possible with nearly perfect arbor alignment, straight tight rails, and no slop in the carriage. I have had similar experiences with my other HP equipment. Once I take care of any small initial quality issues, their machines straight up work, over and over and over again, while needing few replacement parts other than wear parts. I am just once voice among many, but I do have over 10 pieces of HP equipment. My HP equipment is not poor quality and is not poorly designed. Their customer service can be frustrating, but it's not always terrible. In short, few things in life are black and white, including HP as a company or the quality of their equipment and designs.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

@@jonathanyoung7785 I don't really agree with how you framed this, I'm not declaring war on HP. I'm pointing out their major shortcomings and the fact that they have left many people high and dry who purchased from them. I would encourage you to read some of the other comments people have left here. I'm happy for you if you got good machines from them but they all don't go that way and when it comes to leaks it easy to test and 100% of machines that are new should not leak, end of story. Do you want your new car to leak oil and gas on the ground? Do you want your new roof to leak water on winter night? There needs to be some quality standards. I would like to address this thing you said. "What I do think is unfair is for you to take your anger about a return (however warranted that anger may be), combine it with some anecdotes about initial quality problems (however true those anecdotes may be), add in some design decisions that you don't like (even if you're right, and I'm not sure that you are always), and then just trash and mock the company and its products for a half hour." You are not correct here. I spoke directly about the poor design of the wet belt sander that I own, I discussed the intarsia machine which while I don't own it I have seen it in person, I have friends who have it, and have direct knowledge of it and how it has flaws, I spoke to the leaks which John admits and many many people talk about which is not an anecdote. Yes, I did mock them and I did talk down them, that might right to do so. I hope that people read your comment here as it is well written and I believe you and people should hear both sides. My opinion is that you measure a company by how the worst cases are handled, not by the number of times they did the thing they said they would do.

[@SissyMchill1]

@@jonathanyoung7785you sound like someone invested in this company! No one is going to read your book, in this comment section! Comments like yours makes You look like your from this company you sound invested in the company. Majority of people do not go into such a long detailed comment over a review! Your comments come off as very suspect. I appreciate Jared’s review. And am glad he’s being honest. I honestly couldn’t imagine telling a customer I’m to busy to deal with this rn! “I’m flying” seriously Wth. Not a company I’d like to deal with!

[@MsMindBender]

My husband is a retired Naval chief Electrical engineer, he can definitely confirm the DC debacle. Anyone who buys those will probably be apart of a future lawsuit for faulty equipment

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

DC motors have a place but that place is not on large continuous speed lapidary machines.

[@revhermes41]

Well I guess I'll be one of the guinea pigs. My first ever rock tumbler is in shipping. Bought it based on a Michigan Rocks review. Wish me luck or tell me to return it unopened. 😮

[@margosaunders5705]

Thanks, Jared, for your transparency and the intestinal fortitude to tell our world about your experiences with this company. I had considered buying from them, and had an uneasy feeling about it, and therefore held off. I have trusted your opinions on purchases in the past, and they worked out well for me. I am so glad that I saw this and you corroborated my misgivings. Kudo's to you!

[@jonathancameron8431]

I get this is more than a rant, I appreciate the PSA. So many online purchases, even beyond lapidary, I have learned to search thru fine print in description to verify diementions and that title and description match, take the extra step to convert metric measurements to ensure accuracy. I get that on you blade it wasnt printed on the photos. Question I have, is a 3/8 variance a universal practice among other blade manufacturers?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Good question, I did reach out to other blade manufactures and ask them if they would go and measure their 20" blades for me and all of them got back to me rather quickly with images and messages stating that they are in fact 20" or even a little more in some cases. One said the blade is like 20 1/8th". To be honest, it felt stupid to even ask, kind of like calling a hardware store and asking if the 6' ladder they sell is actually 6'. The main thing here is that they are selling metric 500mm saw blades as stand blades, and then fought me over it for like a month. $300 is nothing to sneeze at, but can you imagine how they act for bigger ticket items?

[@jonathancameron8431]

@CurrentlyRockhounding That's why you are the Man, that little extra leg work/effort. Appreciate the response and all the info you put out there.

[@michaelhill9738]

​@CurrentlyRockhounding I was thinking the same thing as this fella. I mean, a 2x4 is really only 1.5" x 3.5" after all. And you may not know this, but a lot of camera lenses are not what they are advertised... say.... a 100mm lens might actually be 90mm. These misrepresented measurements aren't as unusual as one might think. Thank you for checking with other blade manufacturers, your question to them was a legit question with answers that ended up supporting your point of view.

[@sandmaker]

Thanks for not being afraid to share your experience. I know nothing obout higland, but i will do my due diligence if i need something. Most of all my equipment was bought from mexicans on this side of the border. There are no name and were made one at a time. At a machine shop They all have lasted 20 years so far. Never had to call them because for the first year they called me once a month to see how things were going. I'll keep my eyes open to what is hoing on. Thanks for your voice!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I get that people don't like hearing things like this but I feel like I was rather fair in my assessment.

[@sandmaker]

@CurrentlyRockhounding you were

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

Thank you for this video and expressing your opinion based off your experience. It is super important for people to accurately represent their products. Would anyone be ok with buying something advertised as one thing but sold as another? No!!!! Just like folks who bought a vehicle sold with a locking differential only to find when attempting to engage the feature as sold are presented with a notification that said feature would be a part of a future software upgrade. It's just shady and underhanded IMO. When John gets a leak in the roof of his brand new house do they send him some caulking cause it's really an easy fix for the homeowner to do on their brand new house?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Well said.

[@dgough88]

Purchase my Lapidary needs from Kingsley north. Great customer service.. we have a Highland Park 20” in the lapidary club I belong to, it’s constantly breaking down. 😤

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Kingsley North really goes above and beyond. That's a shame about the saw, please let me know if I can help in any way.

[@Raven_Claw-g9b]

Very telling, thanks for sharing. This information is priceless for anyone who is looking to get into the lapidary arts. You just saved a lot of people some money and headaches, my friend.

[@iknownuffing5442]

Just getting into lapidary. I needs me sum Lowland Park Lapidary macheens.

[@JensensAdventures]

I really appreciate this video as I was considering making a couple purchases from them, based on what you have shown us, I think I will be doing some research into other companies and their products. I completely agree with you on all this, I would be fuming as well, thanks again and take care!

[@peterchesko9537]

We try to accent the positive yet... I had Highland Park tools 40 years ago. Well made quality. Whenever I buy a new tool or need to replace something I look for the best. I love Diamond Pacific; 3 machines. I love Ultra Tec; V-5 ! And not so long ago got a Hi Tech Diamond saw. All fabulous tools with great customer support. Sorry to hear about your frustrations but thanks for your candor.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Oh for sure, the old Highland Park company made some great machines for sure.

[@waltergutherie9935]

Thank you, Jared. I have been collecting rocks for awhile and started looking to buy some lapidary equipment. I will now shun Highland Park.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

For some machines, like a cab machine there are plenty of options on the market but others the only option is an HP machine which I hope changes some day but the important takeaway here should be that if you buy something from them, you might be happy with it or you might get a broken machine that the company will not want to repair and you will find yourself doing it yourself which might be something a consumer just has to come to terms with.

[@Mike-br8vb]

Damn!! I will not comment here. I can say that I've been purchasing from Kingsley North, and the quality and shipping have been Phenomenal! Many valid points were made. Mike's Lapidary Machine's is sounding pretty good right now! I love your no Bull💩 reviews and transparency, Jared. "Stay gold ponyboy"

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I gotta give credit to Kingsley, the people over there are salt of the earth good people, and I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone who could say otherwise.

[@frandentel9572]

I’m so glad you post about your experiences, you are my source for good information. I’m in the market for a 10 inch slab saw and was looking into getting one from HP. I won’t buy the HP now since I am a novice and wouldn’t be able to troubleshoot a saw if it had issues. I located a Lortone which is the same as the one you are so happy with but at $1000 it seems pretty pricey for (lightly used) refurbished. I have also considered buying a new saw from Covington, sounds like most people are pretty happy with them. Which would you purchase between the refurbished Lortone and the new Covington? The auto feed on the Covington would probably be something that I would use. Thanks again for all you do to promote our hobby!

[@meanstreet1545]

We own two of their saws, the 16” slab and the 10” trim saw. The slab saw we’ve owned for almost three years and the trim saw for about a year and a half. Personally haven’t had any problems and am completely happy with them both. With that said we also purchased their ever clean system for our 16 inch and it did leak from the get go, had to watch a KZbin video on what was causing the issue. There was a factory casting issues inside the main body that I had to use JB weld to fix. No further issues, that was definitely crap to have to deal with on a brand new unit. Sorry you’ve been going through so much headache!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm of the opinion that nothing should ever leak coming from the factory, it's easy to check for and it should be checked.

[@meanstreet1545]

You are 100% correct! That was pretty frustrating for sure, they were aware of the issues in the castings because they were the ones that made the video on how to fix the leak. Having to use JB weld on a brand new product was pretty irritating! Hopefully they’ve fixed that issue by now?

[@WyomingMountaineersLapidary]

The problem is found is that over time the JB Weld will crack, chip and again, leak

[@miketufts9765]

🍻, I had a similar experience with a major Flint knapping Tool Supply Company, not enough to go home and start making every tool they sell, but making mine better, coming up with new designs, sending them out to fellow Flintknappers to test well before selling them, that company is for profit not for the knapper

[@MsMindBender]

Their rock polisher is like a back in the day washing machine. It's ridiculous we are in 2025, not 1970

[@Henry-405]

I bought an HP 14” slab saw last year and have been reasonably happy with it so purchased their intarsia machine and it seems to be well built. Other than that ridiculous bottle. Mine came with the 180 grit disc thankfully. I should have quit while i was ahead. I ordered the WBS and the platen accessory. I received the platen fairly quickly but the WBS was out of stock so after a month of waiting I contacted them for an update on when to expect it. They said I’d already received it and provided a link saying so. Trouble was that link was for the platen accessory. Which i explained. They said “no. That’s the WBS”. Went band forth many times. Getting frustrated, i logged off and tried again the next night. Same thing. Next night - same thing. Argh. I kind of lost it then and sent a ranting email to HP and they responded that they had figured it out and it was the platen I received. Not the WBS. 🙄 Duh. So where’s my WBS? So I finally get the WBS and it doesn’t work properly. The belt randomly shifts to the right or left contacting the shroud. I send them 3-4 videos of what’s happening and they send me links to their KZbin videos that do not address the issue. They send me two different parts that have nothing to do with the problem. Sorry. This is getting too long. I could go on but finally after 4 months after receiving it it’s working properly. I got the impression no one there actually knows the machines. They just sell them. Sidenote: the 1” bolt that holds the knuckle for the belt tensioning assembly has the same dimensional issue as your 20” blade. It or the hole it fits in have about a 1/8” size difference. I think the slop that created was the main cause of my issues. After all that i find i hardly ever use the damn thing.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad the saw and intarsia machines worked out well for you. What you just described with the wet beltsander is maddening.

[@michaellordi9578]

Good job calling them out. Too many companies are pulling this crap these days. Don’t accept it!

[@mwilson14]

I signed up for a sweepstakes for Highland Park Lapidary and I started getting emails half a dozen times a day, so I had to block their emails. Their spamming turns me off from doing any business with them.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

They are known for sending tons of spam out.

[@r.fusterman1660]

Yet another valuable PSA from Jared. Kudos for venting in your signature, no-punches-pulled, informative style. HiPark can legitimately claim to be industry leaders. If only in evasion and dirty dealing. Seems to be the new business model. Deliberate, knowing, and systematic sale of crummy products and services. Make it all but impossible for disgruntled consumer to obtain redress. Keep money when consumer realized it's just not worth the fight and gives up.

[@WorldofRockhounds]

I feel like he was still pulling his punches. 😅

[@seananderson5850]

FYI, the LEDs are causing rolling shutter on the video. You can really notice it @14:30

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah, I would love to get some different overhead lights in the future. One thing at a time. There are a few things I can do to fix it a bit but sometimes it still shows up.

[@frankiekendall8366]

Thank you Jared!! It's important to stand up to companies who keep taking just a little more advantage of people all the time!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you for being here and watching and from reading the comments here I'm not the only one with issues with them.

[@frankiekendall8366]

@CurrentlyRockhounding 💙

[@frankiekendall8366]

@CurrentlyRockhounding, I saw you many years ago in Quartzsite, AZ. I just kinda hung back and took in how thirsty you were for knowledge. It was great to see. Jared, one of the things I like about you is that you seem very non-judgemental.

[@elizabethlewis3509]

I see Highland Park Lapidary is NOT a member of BBB ..For me, that is a red flag🚩. When I look at their website I see their reviews have a 4.8 which is puzzling. 🤔 Thank you for your honest review so I don't make that mistake.

[@davidmills1639]

It’s nice to see you this winter without heavy gloves and a coat in your shop, but miss that glass of beverage 🥃

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I do like the heat! :)

[@gator83261]

Agree!

[@bobhenderson7077]

I am new to lapidary however I have run across companies like this in my 62years. I believe they knew exactly what they were doing. This is bait and switch in order to get rid of product that was not being ordered.. Thank-you very much for letting me know about H.P. business practices. I have not as yet done any business with them, and never will.

[@vernontafte1718]

I purchased a 16 inch saw blade isn’t 16 I purchased the wet sander which my belts are slapping. They don’t work right it is messy. And my saw is leaking at the bottom. Great video I don’t understand why they put out stuff like this.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That sounds really rough, I have worked on dialing in my wet belt sander and got it working pretty well. I can help you with the belt slapping, we might need to jump on zoom or you might have to send me a video but I'm pretty confident I can help you get that issue solved. As for the leaking saw, JB weld is a bandaid on a bullet hole, it's just going to fail and leak again, the only forever fix is to find the leak, grind off all the paint around the leak, weld it, and attempt to repaint with a color that kind of matches.

[@vernontafte1718]

@ thank you very much. It’s a little early right now and cold out as you know.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

@@vernontafte1718 No rush, this is a standing offer to help.

[@vernontafte1718]

@ thank you very much. I appreciate that.

[@Michael-cj4qx]

I've made 2+ purchases a month from HPL for the last 2 years . Machines , parts , accessories and rocks. I've had transactions I complained about a few times. HPL has made good on my problems so far , in a customers always right manner. The vast majority of my purchases have been totally satisfactory. I enjoy your content Jared and I enjoy doing business with HPL.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Good! I'm glad you had a good experience buying from them, and that's precisely the experience that everyone should have.

[@AgeofAnderson]

Damb! I didn't know this was a cooking channel. Thanks for the heads-up.

[@superscottorama]

Thanks for the heads up. I've never bought anything from them but now i definitely will not be!

[@pokerdealer2003]

Good on you making a video about it, this stuff to often is just allowed to keep happening, the Mineral Community is small I hope they get there act together.

[@RockandLap]

I’m also an EE. I questioned the use of DC in a continuous application the moment I heard (HP was doing it). Yes, It’s possible… but I didn’t think the market has had brushless variable dc motors that withstood 24x7 operation (ie continuous) that’s needed, for example, tumblers. But I’ll check.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

If you ever want to have a recorded Zoom call with me where we discuss the topic, I would love to do that.

[@ezraevans1755]

its not only misleading its unsafe. A lot of old saws can get damaged or even rip apart with the wrong blade sizes. Can effect the RPM. Best wishes

[@charlenecastaldo3602]

That thanks for the warning, Jared! Thanks for having all your ducks in a row.

[@TheIdeanator]

as someone who works in manufacturing, that entire response is bullshit. if you can measure the error with a tape measure, their process is garbage or they're lying.

[@markkolmorgan7728]

I'm saying this as a friend, You are very detail oriented and OCD to a fault. Me, too! No big deal. I once read a book, possibly "eastern gem trails" but possibly some other mining or geology book, and the opening chapter details what an unusual character is needed to make a good miner, obstinate, ornery, stubborn, able to ignore pain and discomfort for hours with minimal gains, etc. Yes, they got you. But you're arguing over millimeters, with the same type of personalities. I'm on your side in this, but you can put that boulder down anytime and anywhere you want. Just some insites from a fellow "angry rock guy".

[@bobs-rocks]

Thank you, Jared, I have been looking at them. After looking at the evidence you showed, I would not have taken one of their machines if they had sent it to me free of charge. To me, a company that doesn't take responsibility for their products and provide proper customer service does not deserve the support of the lapidary community!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I agree with you. I want them to be better and I hope that can take this as an opportunity to resolve these issues, hopefully they will get in the comments here and the people who have expressed that they are having an issue with a broken machine they will reach out to and fix all these problems.

[@bhutjolokia6990]

I turned my Harbor Freight tile saw into an intarsia machine with a couple pieces of plastic and a flat lap disk. It works awesome. They definitely should be in agreement that people are getting screwed because they lack quality control and don't want to own their accountability. I got a slant cabber from Hi-Tech with an issue and it was resolved that same day and i did have to wait for the new onr but was no issue.👻🌶🤘😎♾️

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You make a very good point here. No one and no company is perfect, but they at least helped you out and that's what matters.

[@Charley_Buehner]

Had one disaster order from them a couple years ago - in fairness, the gal on the phone was cordial, friendly, and reasonably helpful, and they ~did~ eventually make everything right, although it was probably close to a YEAR before it was all said and done. Best I can assume is that communication within their organization is pretty much non-existent, and follow-through is even worse. When Kate did her video with them a few months ago, I thought it was hopeful and promising that maybe they were improving some of their issues. Sadly, I fear that's not the case. Ironic though, for the fiasco of dealing with a thousand dollar backorder, the thing that truly angered me was their constant popup that "some fake person from some random state just bought some random product that's probably out of stock" and no matter how much you kill that stupid window, it KEEPS POPPING BACK UP. There is a noticeable shortage of F-bombs in your video, so I'll reciprocate by keeping 'em out of here, too, however, we ALL know, "they're there!" 😀

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I also watched Kate's video and it seemed like they were starting to turn a new leaf with everything they said they were going to do but that seems to not really be the case. Their website is powered by shopify and the fake sales pop up thing is a feature of that selling platform, really it's very silly, they use your IP address to generate them I think so it looks like people around you are buying things. It reminds me of those old internet ads where they want you to click a banner to meet a hot single person near you.

[@janedeaux8828]

Please please dont let yourself get bullied into taking this down!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

There is nothing on the planet which could be said to me or given to me that get me to remove this.

[@MrUinverse]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Karma

[@amyrichcreek]

Oh man, the amount of times I laughed in the best way possible! Bravo for voicing your concerns so that others might avoid the same issues. While I don't agree with a comment above stating that the customer is always right, I also don't believe you can state that you're doing good business when an obvious problem is presented to you, and you look the other way...and on more than one occasion. It's concerning behavior. Your request wasn't unreasonable. At all. Their loss. And just wait...if this is how they continue to treat paying customers, they'll reap it before long. 🤷‍♀️ Word of mouth absolutely still means something. Thanks for sharing.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The customer is not always right, but in this case, I think I am. If I was told I was getting _______ and got ______ instead, just let me return the stupid thing! Good things come to good people and when bad things happen those good people should point it out and warn others.

[@amyrichcreek]

@CurrentlyRockhounding Agreed.

[@MsMindBender]

They also sent me they wrong part for my 24 Slab saw, that was not for mine even though they specifically said was for the U model 24. Sorry for the hard time. They are burning their Bread & Butter

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Were you ever able to get the correct part? What was it like returning it?

[@WyomingMountaineersLapidary]

Dude, you really need to get ahold of me. First, I believe i have information that will concrete your experiences. Second, I went through similar problems so my research went a different direction and I learned the where, who, and what. Third, due to my degrees and experiences it seems that 80% of the HP purchasers call me for the tech support, no manuals is a huge problem so the solution is to get a person with no knowledge write them(sorry if I stepped on a toe but I have seen the manuals and they are written in left field). Fourth and finally, I can sell you that same exact blade (but wouldn't recommend it ) for $18.00. Same manufacturer, same tolerances, same bat channel, same bat time. You won't believe where my supplier is located, it will make your ribs hurt.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I will reach out to you via facebook to chat.

[@MyRockyStart]

I have purchased Highland Park, mostly tumbler stuff and have been very happy. I bought a 10” saw and am waiting for that to ship, hopefully I will be just as happy. Lorie has always been responsive and answered every call. I do find it frustrating that you have to dig for information or instructions on their products with some information only able to get in an email from Lorie when it should in the box or on the website. It is probably an issue with many items like saw blades when advertised as inch but manufactured in metric, I have encountered this many times with Amazon.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I hope you are just as happy with the saw as you have been with your tumblers. That's the goal here, after all!

[@MyRockyStart]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I hope so, it’s more money than I have spent on my hobbies for quite some time and I don’t have it to waste. I hope they refund your money, it should have been done promptly, I don’t like inconsistency in customer service or chasing instructions down. I did have a small hiccup with the tumbler, the idler and drive shaft bushings appeared to be lubricated from the factory with a little white grease squished out onto the rod. Not having instructions and being new I started using it. After a couple of weeks use I noted black crumbles under the rod at the bushing, whatever was used had gone dry or never made it into the bushing, on disassembly I fond the bushing dry and the rod ends marked with rings. I was able to clean everything up and lube the bushings, everything seems good to go and is running fine. I get that the lack of lubricant may be my fault since there is information out there that they should be lubricated. Customer service is sending me a spare set of bushings. I also had to sand and polish one of the lid nut saddles, the one on the motor cover was polished but not the one on the other side. So a couple of minor things but at the moment I feel they are taking care of me, I’ll let you know on the saw when I get it, it may be March when I get it. I’ll definitely be measuring the blade, I bought a spare blade from Amazon for my tile saw to get by and encountered the same issue you have with under size. I’d love to learn more from you and I live out in Utah if you’re needing something.

[@Debbie4729]

Thank you for this.Not what I wanted to hear,but I am in the market for a saw blade also,after a new one from "China" I think, blew out on me after a few stones of work. I have been on the search for an MK diamond agate cutter,but I have heard that they don't make them anymore,so I am adrift,looking for another solution.I bought a chinese sewing machine that is a riot.After many hours and days to try to get that dumb thing fixed,we sent it back.We never got a dime back for it.Caveat emptor is still a thing,centuries after the term was coined,I guess.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

MK Diamond went out of business a little over a year ago. They were not even making those agate cutters blades, they were importing them from a company in South Korea and as I understand it someone new is starting to import those blades, but they are not for sale yet. You are very correct, everything must be checked these days.

[@kzbay1685]

It's not difficult to print in their description, the actual exact size.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

For this, blade that could have easily resolved the issue for me by not fighting me for weeks and weeks on the return and then fighting me on the refund. You are correct, they could have also changed their website when they knew things ages ago.

[@kzbay1685]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Ego and business don't mix well, and this John guy seems to be an ego king. It's should be easy to see you'll make more money by pleasing customers instead of shunning them.

[@laurie-anncrawford9071]

Oh Gosh. Thank you so much for the warning. I think blocking incoming calls from you would be the final straw. Frankly, I don't even care if you did show your anger. That is beyond, way beyond, what any decent company would do.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I surely did get upset more than once while making this video and over the month of fighting with them. They really did everything they could to delay / keep my money and not issue the refund, which is just wild to me.

[@brutusb1858]

I have a few rocks currently in transit from Highland Park. Hoping for a good experience. With that said, I would be pissed off as well in your situation. I'm buying a new cab machine, and going with Kingsley North. I have an old Highland Park cab machine that's shitting the bed now, but its been put through its paces, and has ALOT of hours on it, so that's acceptable. The saw attached to the machine has ALWAYS leaked though. Thank you for bringing up the DC motor situation, I didnt know that. I've seen many others online say that the new Highland Park products suck as well, so after seeing this video, Im done with them. I trust you more than them.

[@WyomingMountaineersLapidary]

Contact me about your old cab machine, I have rebuilt a ton of them and by far, the original HP machines are far better with fewer problems.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

A few people have left comments about getting shortened, I have not ordered rocks from them but I do suggest you put it on a scale and double check.

[@SpaceJules]

Bahahaha!🤣🤣🤣 I've been at that level of mad. I had to watch this twice! That was a mouthful!🤣

[@Betty-RockBetty]

Definitely sad to hear this and I’d be returning that blade too. I have their 10 inch trim saw but I’m not sponsored by anyone. That’s probably obvious. 😂 I just got to the LP lapidary part 😂

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Exactly, you don't want a 9" blade for your 10" saw.

[@ShowmeMOrocks]

I know I'm just beating a dead horse but ill add my two cents as well. The only thing I have purchased from HP was some rock that I got from two of there weekly auctions. After the invoice came, two weeks after the auction took place, I was sent the wrong invoice. I contacted them by email and after not receiving a reply sent a second. It was nearly a month before everything was corrected and I was able to get the correct invoice. It baffles me that they cant get a task as simple as an invoice emailed to someone correctly. I don't think I would dare purchasing anything of higher value.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That must be massively frustrating. Thank you for sharing.

[@RussPrestwick]

Solid grievance. Editing showed this was more than a rant. Feats of strength?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Accurate.

[@RickSmith-kp3sy]

Well Jared, I bought both my 10" slab saw and 8" flat lap from Hi-Tech Diamond based on your and multiple other youtube channels recommendations. And now that I reflect on it, I haven't seen anyone, and I do mean anyone recommend HP with the exception of one channel who's recently entered into a pretty sweet deal with HP involving quite a bit of free new equipment and rough and finished rock. I believe I may be unsubscribed from it in the near future based on your information tonight. They've become a total shill for HP. I really enjoyed the channel before. 😕 Thanks for your PSA.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The Hi-Tech machines are pretty good for what they are. I love my little flat lap. When it comes to HP some of their machines are great, I'm sure and some are not, some 18" saws leak and some do not, heck someone just left a comment saying from day one their saw leaks and that's the problem with all of this you don't know what you will be getting.

[@WyomingMountaineersLapidary]

When it comes to karma, all that praise for rocks and equipment may be well paid for now but the praise will soon end and the frustration will begin.

[@NickAcker2019]

I had a feeling you would come out swinging after a recent endorsement. Lapidary machines are quite expensive and should be built like construction tools. Customer service is crucial for business growth. I'm sure HP is watching this. I'm curious to how they'll respond....

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

This has nothing to do with who they endorse, and has been a pot slowly boiling for many years. They are very expensive and when we are talking about machines that range from $1200-$10000 I expect at least Harbor Freight levels of quality, not below that. I hope they respond by getting new customer service reps, and going through their emails and comments here from people who have leaking machines and offering to send them new ones.

[@gator83261]

Bring back Saturday Night Specials imho, I miss the clinking of ice in the tumbler, it was a cue to chill and relax lol.

[@TomLarose-m7c]

So far the only experience i have is buying rough rock from HP. Satisfied but its not a machine. Lol. I am actually waiting to purchase my first machine on tuesday and it is a Kingsley North 6 inch cabber. Ive heard nothing but terrific things from them and when i stopped by Kingsley last summer they were extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. Keep the vids coming.

[@WorldofRockhounds]

I have cabbing other machines but I've been eyeballing their Kingleys Cabber 8 but with Nova Wheels to make some upgrades. It looks like such a clean machine.

[@TomLarose-m7c]

@WorldofRockhounds i agree everyone that ive talked to that doesnt make their own machines says Kingsleys are nice. I'm just starting and limited space so I'm going with a 6 inch machine. I can always go bigger down the road. Or even some point I'd love to make my own equipment but that'll be a while

[@brysonalden5414]

I'm new to this activity, and just beginning to tool up. I appreciate your sharing your experiences with this company, and will not be purchasing anything from them. Clearly they believe negative customer experiences like yours won't get around. Wrong!

[@janedeaux8828]

I bought my big saw from them new and they harassed me with follow up calls for 6 months after endless attempts to make them stop. Never again. I have had problems with it but id never engage in contact with them again. Im glad you felt you could tell your story.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

6 months is wild. Has the saw been good? Which one did you buy?

[@janedeaux8828]

The 14" and the machine itself works but the vice is very poorly designed (at least the one from 2020 when i bought). I had to make a lot of modifications. With hindsight Id buy a different one.

[@ragnarocks9121]

Gotcha, don’t buy Highland Park. I bought a saw blade from them and it took about 2 weeks just for them to start shipping it, and it was in stock.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

If they are that busy, then they can hire people. I bought this saw blade in November 2024, I got it at the beginning of December, and it took like a month almost for me to rip my money back out of their hands.

[@sovereignviper90]

Unfortunately, companies that do this need that unpolite get your ass chewed out call from customers for anything to be done.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You are correct.

[@MsMindBender]

No not with BBB, make a complaint with FTC, Federal Trade Commission, if they mislead their products to the public, thats false & or misleading & others are on file with similar, & likewise complains they will take action. They did it ro me with 1970s Malawi Agates, and i asked for a return , & they wanted to give me an in-store credit....No thanks

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You might be right about the FTC. Highland Park did that to you? They really do everything possible to not issue a return.

[@MsMindBender]

Their stuff is old designs, outdated,no talent behind anything they do. It's truely sad. We, the hands on Rock community need to design our own equipment, and much greater affordability entry point.

[@WyomingMountaineersLapidary]

Actually, very easy to do.

[@ocklawahaboyrocks]

That 36" drop saw... I watched their video on it and cracked up when I saw they use ratchet straps to clamp the rock in. Seriously?!?! Have a 36" blade turning and one little slip of the strap is a potential crash.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I do think I have seen that and it's not how I would do it.

[@cliffmiller1021]

Well put, I'd say it was very constructive, quite informative on how to undo such a poor attempt at running a business. Do what you say you are doing or going to do, straightforward. I admit I laughed when you said if they were the last lapidary company you would quit, as if you aren't skilled enough to make the tools yourself for yourself. Not saying it wouldn't be a challenge, but you change bits on your blade, fabricate grinding belts. One should get what they pay for and not have to do extra work to get a new item to work.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Your words "Do what you say you are doing or going to do, straightforward." are words to live by. Ha, yeah I wouldn't really quit, I would just make the things myself but I was pissed off.

[@bobsprague3363]

Nice product review. Its good to hear about a bad company

[@nickitoff9629]

I understand your pain! Thank you for the review. I've had good experiences with Covington.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I have only purchased like two small items from Covington and I had a difficult to describe issues so I called them and within 5 minutes I was talking to one of the machine engineers there and they answered my questions and helped me out.

[@krrockabillyrebel]

Maybe they think it's like lumber, a 2x4 is not 2" by 4"🤔

[@just-one-more-rock]

CHEAT...SCAM. Is that the word you were looking for? Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm huge on customer service and taking care of people. They could have the best equipment in the world, and have bad customer service and I wouldn't buy from them ever. I just started hearing about how the company is not very good from a friend that has their saw. Good luck with getting help now 😆. You tell em' Jared 👊...butt that hurt 😂.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

What is so crazy is that it doesn't have to be this way at all, they know what they are doing and are happy with it, which is completely crazy.

[@just-one-more-rock]

@CurrentlyRockhounding You're right. Customer service is a choice. The flip side of what I said earlier, is that a company can make only decent equipment but great customer service and they've got me. Hey, Harbor Freight is an example. Low cost, not greatest equipment made in China like most things we can afford, but customer service that makes it so I'm not afraid if the product breaks. They'll take care of me...or that's at least my experience.

[@rockfishdad]

Yikes - glad I haven't bought from them on anything significant, (and good to know they aren't the same company as 40 years ago. I wasn't aware at all.) I'll stick with Kingsley North...I've had decent experience with them so far on a number of purchases, including my lapidary 6" setup, and saw oil.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Kingsley has been nothing but great in all of my interactions with them.

[@silverback5033]

😀😀, Jarred you seem to be a little bit miffed by that company. I must admit I have only had communication with them once and I still have not received the info I asked for re shipping cost on a part I was chasing after several emails back and forward.

[@1968capnkman]

Dispute the charges and DEMAND your $ back.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

My mistake was buying from them with a debit card and not a credit card that I could dispute the changes, that was my fault.

[@RaymondMosier-cp6pn]

They blocked you bro. That's funny as heck!!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It's a bit shocking to be honest.

[@mikedodge3910]

Wow, you might as well buy a 20in blade on Temu. That is completely unacceptable.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

At least it would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

[@Kotikylänkivet]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding i Once bought thin slab saw blade from Temu. It was not that thin what they said. But i got my money back and i kept that blade too.

[@Harkart59]

If you get that zoom call scheduled, be sure to wear that wig! I love it when someone has a legitimate complaint and the company thinks they can just screw people over. Apparently they don't care about quality or customer satisfaction. The two most vital parts to any successful business. RIP Highland Park Sub Par Lapidary

[@WorldofRockhounds]

Yes. The wig is a must 🤌

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

This return process took so freaking long that I had time to think about a skit, buy a wig, learn how to rotoscope myself into a video twice using my editing software and still had a few weeks to burn. The wig will make future returns I'm sure.

[@SissyMchill1]

I appreciate this video so very much. Harbor Freight will at least let you walk the tools back in if you’re not happy with it. So companies that do this crap,IMO are just out for money and do not care about the people that purchase from them! This could’ve handled this much better. With him saying he wants millions of people people to get into lapidary, all I hear is I want more money. Between your video and comments section, I’ve leaned I need to weigh and measure everything I buy online. To all using the 2X4’s as an example I must say stores have it posted that they aren’t true sized. Well at least they do in my state! Not sure who approved that nonsense it’s scamming the public!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I know Harbor Freight has a checkered past but you are correct, at the very least, you can just bring things back to them with ease. Millions of more customers for sure. People don't need to take my word for it, the comments here and elsewhere speak volumes.

[@SissyMchill1]

@ I am so very grateful for your account. Tbh I’m very annoyed with how they handled your situation. Glad you shared this experience with your viewers. We are on the same page with buy American. Companies that do this is why so many go to places where their products are not from America, such as Harbor freight. Honestly it’s a bad look and this company will fold if they continue with this kind of customer service. I hope you Keep up with videos that inform your base. Especially helpful for those of us just learning how to use lapidary equipment. Thank you 😊

[@RaymondMosier-cp6pn]

Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner we have.....😂

[@rachaelb9164]

New lapidary equipment is way overpriced. I’d rather buy an older one and rebuild it or make my own. The mechanics of any lapidary stuff is basically a spinning motor, some pulleys, and a surface or blade. Call it lapidary and they charge 10x any other tool. I’m honestly looking at using a Shopsmith which has a variable speed motor and converting it to suit lapidary needs. For as much as this stuff costs, I expect that it’s ready to run out of the box. Also the problem is there’s less and less companies that make equipment so we’re stuck with whoever is there.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I also expect it to run out of the box! That is a very fair and reasonable expectation.

[@akessler2596]

My vintage 20" HP saw is a good machine, I sure won't be buying a new one, and definitely not their blades either now, I guess.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The old HP machines before they were taken over are pretty dang good.

[@Lapidary_Vix]

True my old highland park was made in CA USA 1979 and i love it would not buy a new one

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Those old machines area amazing.

[@LauraS_6886]

Because of your videos,, will never buy Highland Park!!! Love your review videos!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@bunk9991]

I had a lousy experience with Highland Park in that I purchased a pound of rough rock that was supposed to be Crown of Silver Psilomelane. I even emailed before I bought to find out if it was what I was looking for and was assured it was. Crown of Silver is a well known mine that produces a hard crystalized botryoidal type that is used as gem quality stone. Well I received a dendridic, useless type that is not of gem quality. They knew what I was looking for and deliberately bait and switched me!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Did you get a refund from them? What was that like?

[@bunk9991]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I did get a refund but it cost me shipping and while that is enough, their misrepresenting of a product, like I wasnt going to notice, is reprehensible. I wont buy from them again. I made the mistake of doing this twice because I didnt remember where I bought the first piece. I never asked for a refund on the first one because I thought it was my fault because I wasnt sure if this was the Crown of Silver that I was expecting. The second purchase pissed me off so much that I didnt ask to refund I just sent it back with a note saying this isnt CoS and I got a refund. I think you have not only a reasonable point, but they ought make it right the injustice you have suffered. Good for you for taking on a big corporation. I hope you get justice.

[@tott3457]

Wow so sad!!! I watched a video from a KZbin channel that promoted this company. One thing I noticed was the possible chips on one inch Square rocks That doesn’t seem precise!!! I will make future decisions on purchasing with a more informed approach!