sactorick
having dreams about rocks
gemfield
Member since October 2017
Posts: 67 
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Post by sactorick on Aug 17, 2018 6:38:06 GMT -5
Hi, I'm still pretty new and am now looking to get a good saw to slab rocks we collect on field trips. I am looking at the Highland Park slab saws (14 inch) as the price is lower than many others and it seems to be a decent machine. I read some negative comments about it being made in China but are there people here that own and use one? I'd like to hear some input from HP slab saw owners on how they like the machine and would they buy it again if they had the chance to do it it over.
I need a saw to slab rocks we collect on field trips. I also want to buy one new and ready to use rather than look for a used one to rebuild. The HP is affordable but then you get what you pay for too. Any hands-on information with these machines that you can share with me?
Thank you!
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 17, 2018 10:26:48 GMT -5
I don't own one and will not own one. When they brought saws to the Quartzsite pow wow I had an opportunity to look at a demo and the vice carriage was sloppier than you would expect in a 50 year old well used saw. A local who buys, rebuilds and sells saws, mostly the original HP saws, tells me he bought one in an estate and it was trash. Richardsons rock ranch used to buy them, Casey told me they took them apart and replaced the "garbage parts" with good quality stuff and they worked in his production shop. They quit buying them when they tried to return a completely useless one and had zero response.
With these guys you get way less than you pay for, a hobbyist who doesn't mind investing a lot of time and some money into fixing it before even using it the first time may save a couple bucks, if you don't count the value of your time.
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Post by manofglass on Aug 17, 2018 11:02:38 GMT -5
I don’t think your going to save any money
Buying from China right now just go to
Harbor Freight and buy a 10” saw that is what
I use it will make a 3-1/2” cut
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Aug 17, 2018 12:56:10 GMT -5
I've heard great things about the new HP saws.
I've heard of some stumbles the company has had, but the general consensus is that the company is improving & the machines are well designed & built.
Lynn
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Post by taylor on Aug 17, 2018 20:02:28 GMT -5
We bought a new 10" in February. Cuts well. Motor seemed to be getting way too hot. We called, they shipped new motor next day, no problem. New motor running without issue. After about four months of use, we're happy. Don't have enough hours on the saw to discuss reliability.
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Post by taylor on Aug 17, 2018 22:26:15 GMT -5
I realized after my last response that this subject probably deserves a more detailed response. We replaced a very old Highland Park 10" saw with a new 10" HP saw. We are also running an ancient 18" Highland Park, an older Lortone 18", and a 6" Rock Rascal. We had the old 10" HP in service about eight years. My husband who does 99% of our cutting had expected to dislike the new vise. He really likes the new vise because the rough doesn't slip and it is convenient to use. The new saw leaves next to no saw marks and the cuts are true. It is so smooth. The feed rate seems a little fast, but the cuts are great. One annoyance about this saw was the oil splash on the front plastic. This was easily remedied with a squeeze clip and a 1" x 3" scrap of metal to redirect the oil. Love the automatic stop on this machine. The reduced amount of oil mist has been a huge benefit. Much less oil every where around the saw. We haven't changed the oil yet, but it looks like it will be less fuss than the old saw. The motor issue was solved quickly and the customer service rep was super nice. Motor mount and tension was easy. Every part fits together like it should. One of the benefits of new is pulling it out of the box, plug it in, add oil, and cut. When we decide to replace the 18" saws we are likely to go with Highland Park again. Its kind of like comparing a 1950 Cadillac to a 2018 Ford. Which one do you want to drive every day? Hope it helps to hear first hand from someone actually using the saw.
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sactorick
having dreams about rocks
gemfield
Member since October 2017
Posts: 67
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Post by sactorick on Aug 18, 2018 7:09:48 GMT -5
I realized after my last response that this subject probably deserves a more detailed response. We replaced a very old Highland Park 10" saw with a new 10" HP saw. We are also running an ancient 18" Highland Park, an older Lortone 18", and a 6" Rock Rascal. We had the old 10" HP in service about eight years. My husband who does 99% of our cutting had expected to dislike the new vise. He really likes the new vise because the rough doesn't slip and it is convenient to use. The new saw leaves next to no saw marks and the cuts are true. It is so smooth. The feed rate seems a little fast, but the cuts are great. One annoyance about this saw was the oil splash on the front plastic. This was easily remedied with a squeeze clip and a 1" x 3" scrap of metal to redirect the oil. Love the automatic stop on this machine. The reduced amount of oil mist has been a huge benefit. Much less oil every where around the saw. We haven't changed the oil yet, but it looks like it will be less fuss than the old saw. The motor issue was solved quickly and the customer service rep was super nice. Motor mount and tension was easy. Every part fits together like it should. One of the benefits of new is pulling it out of the box, plug it in, add oil, and cut. When we decide to replace the 18" saws we are likely to go with Highland Park again. Its kind of like comparing a 1950 Cadillac to a 2018 Ford. Which one do you want to drive every day? Hope it helps to hear first hand from someone actually using the saw. Thank you Ann, that does help a lot. Though you've only had the HP for a few months, you seem to have a lot of experience with slab saws and I value your input. You mention the feed rate seems kind of fast. I guess that means there's no way to adjust the speed. However, it doesn't seem to be a problem and I think the Lortones cut at the same speed if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, I appreciate your input Ann. You've been very helpful. Rick |
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Aug 18, 2018 11:32:26 GMT -5
My HP 10's are 60 years old (made in US) and still tight and perfect with the usual cleaning and oiling maintenance. They do what they are supposed to do and have not in the past 10 years needed repair. MK blades in both. I love'em.
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Post by taylor on Aug 18, 2018 14:21:13 GMT -5
I realized after my last response that this subject probably deserves a more detailed response. We replaced a very old Highland Park 10" saw with a new 10" HP saw. We are also running an ancient 18" Highland Park, an older Lortone 18", and a 6" Rock Rascal. We had the old 10" HP in service about eight years. My husband who does 99% of our cutting had expected to dislike the new vise. He really likes the new vise because the rough doesn't slip and it is convenient to use. The new saw leaves next to no saw marks and the cuts are true. It is so smooth. The feed rate seems a little fast, but the cuts are great. One annoyance about this saw was the oil splash on the front plastic. This was easily remedied with a squeeze clip and a 1" x 3" scrap of metal to redirect the oil. Love the automatic stop on this machine. The reduced amount of oil mist has been a huge benefit. Much less oil every where around the saw. We haven't changed the oil yet, but it looks like it will be less fuss than the old saw. The motor issue was solved quickly and the customer service rep was super nice. Motor mount and tension was easy. Every part fits together like it should. One of the benefits of new is pulling it out of the box, plug it in, add oil, and cut. When we decide to replace the 18" saws we are likely to go with Highland Park again. Its kind of like comparing a 1950 Cadillac to a 2018 Ford. Which one do you want to drive every day? Hope it helps to hear first hand from someone actually using the saw. Thank you Ann, that does help a lot. Though you've only had the HP for a few months, you seem to have a lot of experience with slab saws and I value your input. You mention the feed rate seems kind of fast. I guess that means there's no way to adjust the speed. However, it doesn't seem to be a problem and I think the Lortones cut at the same speed if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, I appreciate your input Ann. You've been very helpful. Rick Glad to offer constructive input. We are not nearly as experienced as many others here, but I think the new HP deserves a fair review. I mention the feed rate because it probably means that a cheap blade won't work well. The difference between the economy blades and the 303 class blades on the old saw was a gaping chasm. That first 303 was a real eye opener. We haven't bought an economy blade since. Those old HPs were fantastic saws and if you can get one that has had proper care, its a great saw. We aren't expecting this saw to outlast us, but we do expect it to function well for a number of years. |
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Post by stardiamond on Sept 4, 2018 18:47:09 GMT -5
I don't want to deal with fixing the clutch now on my 16" Covington. I am trying to decide between the 10 and 12 inch saws. The cost difference isn't much but the blades for the 12 are more expensive. I only want to cut small Montana agates. Any compelling reason to buy the 12?
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Post by grumpybill on Sept 5, 2018 7:43:30 GMT -5
stardiamond The decision should be simple. How often do you anticipate cutting anything larger than 3 1/2"? Is the extra 1" worth the added expense?
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Post by roy on Sept 5, 2018 10:25:45 GMT -5
if you want a good saw buy your self a lortone 14" very good saw i bought one 3 years ago to cut some smaller slabs for my weekly auctions and it has kept up with production nicely !
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Post by Rockoonz on Sept 5, 2018 20:27:01 GMT -5
if you want a good saw buy your self a lortone 14" very good saw i bought one 3 years ago to cut some smaller slabs for my weekly auctions and it has kept up with production nicely ! The NW Federation bought 2 of them for the rockhound retreat and feedback has been positive. |
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Post by stardiamond on Sept 5, 2018 20:39:44 GMT -5
In 2007, my wife said I should get myself a slab saw. It came down to a Lortone Panther or the 16" Covington combo. I did some research and decided on the Covington. I had no info on the clutch issues and there were some concerns about the panther fast cutting speed. The Covington sat in the box until 2014 when I retired. The good news is that I got a very good price in 2007 and except for the clutch issues the saw is in great shape and lightly used. Covington sent me a replacement clutch. The only slabbing need I have now is small Montana nodules. I think I can cut everything I want to with a 10" saw.
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