hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 479
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Post by hypodactylus on Mar 12, 2024 12:07:10 GMT -5
I see the other day on a rock site that Lortone is retiring out and is looking for a buyer for their company.. That is unfortunate. Seems like this doesn't usually go well, but hopefully a reasonable buyer picks them up (if true). |
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,368
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Post by rocknewb101 on Mar 13, 2024 10:31:01 GMT -5
I see the other day on a rock site that Lortone is retiring out and is looking for a buyer for their company..  I hope the buyer keeps up the reputation and doesn't turn the product to crap. |
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Mar 13, 2024 10:36:36 GMT -5
This is sad! Guess I need to stock up on Lortone parts! I really love my Lortones!
I know there are a lot of HP haters out there, but for someone like me they are the only company with an affordable rock saw above 12" with their 14" drop saw line. I plan on buying it at some point. It is the only rock saw bigger than 12" I can afford.
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hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 479
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Post by hypodactylus on Mar 13, 2024 20:04:09 GMT -5
It appears to be happening. I saw this on Reddit( link):  |
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Post by chris1956 on Mar 13, 2024 20:14:08 GMT -5
I hope someone picks up the business.
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Post by Son Of Beach on Mar 13, 2024 21:53:43 GMT -5
It appears to be happening. I saw this on Reddit( link): I feel like that changes the tumbling game/market a bit. I'm curious to see if anyone fills that demand. There are some great tumbler minds here... |
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Mar 14, 2024 15:00:25 GMT -5
This is a shame but at the same time I’m glad to hear they are looking forward to enjoying some retired and family years. I used to live just up the road from Lortone. Even thought it could’ve been a nice place to work but I ended up moving. Hope they find a buyer though it seems buyers of long established businesses usually don’t have the same love for them as the original owners. They end up changing things, and often not for the better. Thinking I should stock up on spare parts but everything is already so expensive, it’s hard to have an extra supply of anything on hand right now…
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john19
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2024
Posts: 12
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Post by john19 on Mar 14, 2024 23:23:42 GMT -5
Looks like China Park is introducing a line of tumblers that look suspiciously like the Lortone products. Where have I seen this before? Sad, can't imagine they'll be able to compete with Chinese labor & lack of regulation. They'll probably claim they "invented" them like the everclean. Just sad.
Im curious about your comment and am not sure who Im talking to, but pretty much all the small tumblers look the same. While on the outside ours look similar to Lortone, our drive system is completely different. We use brushless DC motors direct drive to eliminate the belts and pulleys. I never saw the same criticism for the Harbor Freight, Leegool and TumbleBee which are all chinese knock offs of the Lortone concept. As a kid I had a Lortone and I just remember having problems trying to get the belt tension just right so the motor will start without the belt slipping and not being too tight because the shaded pole motors dont have any torque. The comment about the Everclean.....yeah I did invent the Everclean working closely with my buddy Bill Moore. Right after we came out with ours then Barranca introduced their "Easyclean" but we were the "new guys" so how could we possibly have invented something new and ground breaking huh? Let me list all the new products that I developed over the last 15 years: The Everclean, The High Speed Sphere Machine, The Core Drills (CD1 and CD4), The 36 Drop Saw, The Shaping Machine, The CB8 and CB6 cabbing machines, The INT6 and INT8 intarsia machines, The TR Tumbler Rougher, The PT8 Production Trim Saw, and we also revived all the old HP saw designs with many improvements, we came out with a competitive line of table top saws based on the old Spartan designs that many people recognize as Lortone designs with significant improvements. Its our mission to introduce 1 million people to the lapidary arts, and developing new machines and helping educate people in the lapidary arts is critical to accomplishing that. When I see that we are the only manufacturer engaging in social media and developing new equipment and helping new lapidarists to be successful then its no surprise to me that these other manufacturers are failing. John Rowland (CEO Highland Park)  |
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john19
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2024
Posts: 12
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Post by john19 on Mar 14, 2024 23:27:24 GMT -5
Why do you think they have such large separation between the two barrels? Because we also offer a 3 x 1.5 lb barrel configuration |
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iamchris
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 722
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Post by iamchris on Mar 15, 2024 0:02:40 GMT -5
Why do you think they have such large separation between the two barrels? Because we also offer a 3 x 1.5 lb barrel configuration Welcome to the forum, and thank you for the response! I don't see this product on your site though. |
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Mar 15, 2024 10:11:46 GMT -5
When I see that we are the only manufacturer engaging in social media and developing new equipment and helping new lapidarists to be successful then its no surprise to me that these other manufacturers are failing. John Rowland (CEO Highland Park) Welcome to the forum John! I've watched your blade alignment video so many times I feel like I know you  |
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,368
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Post by rocknewb101 on Mar 15, 2024 12:05:11 GMT -5
This is a shame but at the same time I’m glad to hear they are looking forward to enjoying some retired and family years. I used to live just up the road from Lortone. Even thought it could’ve been a nice place to work but I ended up moving. Hope they find a buyer though it seems buyers of long established businesses usually don’t have the same love for them as the original owners. They end up changing things, and often not for the better. Thinking I should stock up on spare parts but everything is already so expensive, it’s hard to have an extra supply of anything on hand right now… Agreed khara!! It's what we all ultimately aim for! No one better deny me my retirement lol. I thought about stocking up too, but I've been thinking of moving away from tumbling and focusing more on cutting and cabs. I may just use what I have and when it goes, it goes.... |
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titaniumkid
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 501
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Post by titaniumkid on Mar 15, 2024 16:52:49 GMT -5
For any Australians into rock tumbling and feeling at a loss because of the news, Aussie Sapphire makes its own tumblers and at a glance they look decent, but they are small. While hopefully Lortone continues in some suitable fashion, it's nice to know there are options, especially here where it feels like the options are generally more limited, even in good times. I was on the verge of selling up the house so I could panic buy parts, but I might hold back now  |
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john19
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2024
Posts: 12
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Post by john19 on Mar 15, 2024 20:33:19 GMT -5
Hi Tommy, I'm always glad to hear when our content is helping people. With our recently product released in tumbling machines, I am really interested to get lots of feedback and learn more about where we can be of service. John When I see that we are the only manufacturer engaging in social media and developing new equipment and helping new lapidarists to be successful then its no surprise to me that these other manufacturers are failing. John Rowland (CEO Highland Park) Welcome to the forum John! I've watched your blade alignment video so many times I feel like I know you |
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Post by MsAli on Mar 16, 2024 9:22:35 GMT -5
Welcome John & thank you for your responses.
Definitely helps us make informed decisions when purchasing equipment
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geoff59
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2022
Posts: 288
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Post by geoff59 on Mar 17, 2024 5:16:20 GMT -5
... something mass-produced in China will never match it... Sorry, but this is just not true anymore. Although there are a lot of cheap copycat products from China, there are also countless quality products coming from there as well. Why are so many US-based companies manufacturing in China? A big part of it is cheaper labour, but it's also because quality has improved tremendously over the years. Remember when "Made in Japan" used to be an insult about cheap products? Then Japan took over the high-quality electronics market. The same thing is happening with "Made in China". It's not the derogatory term it used to be. Chances are your computer and phone are made in China, or at least many of their components. I am old enough to remember those “Japan” days, yes. specific to HP tumblers: I purchased a new, twin 3 lb tumbler from HP last October. By January this past, the thing was dead, the bearings completely shot, the thing would no longer turn. This after oiling them with basic household oil, just like they were Lortone bearings. The tumbler came with no manual, and even though they keep promising an online manual is coming, last time I looked it still wasn’t there on their website. I haven’t yet more than make my initial claim, haven’t decided what to do, because really, I don’t want to run a tumbler that needs new bearings every 60-90 days. I could see they were wearing out within 2 months. Elsewhere I’ve seen the same issue mentioned by those who also have bought one. And I’ve seen multiple QC complaints made by those who have spent quite a bit more, buying some of their saws. Many of these problems with the saws are things IMO that should have been caught before they shipped the saw out. Granted not all of their saws are having issues, but Inthink enough are so that they have some issues to solve. Can he do it? I hope so frankly. Edit: I just looked on the HP website, STILL no manual for their tumbler. I recently bought a 10” saw, glad I sprung for the Raytech. |
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hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 479
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Post by hypodactylus on Mar 17, 2024 17:05:48 GMT -5
I have been running a Highland Park 3lb (single barrel) since October (after my Lortone 3A motor died). It has been great so far!
Every machine needs maintenance and sometimes fails. The Highland Park bearings look fundamentally the same as the Lortone 45C (which has also been running great for me).
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I hope the buyer keeps up the reputation and doesn't turn the product to crap. 
Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
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