Not Another BS Review – Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

⚠️ WARNING ⛔️ this is a long read and a lot of information to take in. Grab Some coffee, a snack, start a load of laundry and then come back.

• Facility Tour
• Wireless Capabiities
• Warranty & Return Policy
• What is the cost?
• Weight?
  • https://www.shtfblog.com/harvest-right-freeze-dryer/
• Power Consumption?
• Where to buy for the best price
• Which size is right for me
• Used or New

Here are my experiences and observations with the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer (HR FD) first impressions. I have not personally used the freeze dryer at this stage and I am still in my research phase about ready to purchase.

Maybe you are on the fence about the purchase of this expensive machine or maybe your mind is set but you just have a few lingering questions or concerns.

First off go visit the BBB and look up the company. Take the time to read through the complaints and praise to familiarize yourself. I came across too many inflated reviews of this product on YouTube and bloggers about how amazing and great HR is while there are over 50 complaints on the BBB web site and many more grumblings across the Facebook HR FD groups of dissatisfied customers.

Begin by looking through the online owners manual. I am just floored by how many people online are asking questions with the answers easily found inside the owners manuals. Next write any remaining questions down so you can call and ask to talk to someone in the HR customer service or tech support. It was my experience that on four separate occasions the sales rep that I spoke with over the phone and in person wasn’t very helpful or knowledgeable. I was determined and therefore I managed to get all of my questions answered by the tech support and customer service department but mostly on my own. Let’s cut through the red tape and get to the bottom line.

Becoming Your Own Repair Technician

As a potential owner be prepared to perform repairs to the FD machine on your own. Harvest right offers telephone and email assistance to troubleshoot but that can take excessive amounts of time. HR doesn’t send repair manuals to owners and insists that they are the only ones to provide parts and repair services. There aren’t any technical electrical schematics, guides, parts list, or a safety tech specs section that would all be extremely helpful for consumers to follow and learn at home. There aren’t any replacement parts list in the owners manuals and I suspect this is because most repairs are supposed to be done through the tech support department over the phone, by email, or in person for locals.

Visiting the Manufacturer

Let me begin by saying that I toured the Harvest Right manufacturing facilities today and here are my observations.

The company has undergone increased demand for their product in the last two years. The increase in demand and their inability to expand to adequately meet this demand in combination with employee retention issues, overseas shipping delays, have lead to extended wait times for responses to phone calls, emails, and repair requests. Please be patient and understand the following.

#1. The best suggestion is to be proactive. So make sure to check user manuals and the Harvest Right website help section and if your question is still unanswered reach out to Harvest right directly.

During my visit today I was able to obtain a wide variety of sample food items and owners manuals to read through. I walked over to the tech support department which is also customer service and I was able to have all of my questions answered. I was thankful to see one of the machines stripped down that was being repaired. The system looks very straight forward and is plug and play consumer level repair ready. This means that very few of the electrical components require high level working electrical experience such as soldering or welding. Components are designed to be easily removed and replaced by the consumer.

#2. From what I saw there are roughly 8 customer service reps to take phone calls. So don’t be surprised if your call is routed to an automated answering service or if an email goes unanswered. These employees are helping customers in person, on the phone and by email. The company plans on transitioning to a larger building where they can grow and expand appropriately to handle the increase in customer service and tech support. However training of new employees will take time so be please be patient.

#3. Please note that the sales reps and customer service/tech employees are in separate buildings so they don’t interact with one another regularly, according to the sales rep I spoke with. To me this is an inefficient team collaboration. Sales reps should know what questions and issues customer service address on a daily basis. In my experience the sales rep I was talking with either didn’t understand or just outright refused to answer my questions.

#4. There are maybe a total of 30 employees in the customer service and tech support department and only 4 were working today (Saturday). So again be patient and understand that if you are experiencing an issue with your machine then being apart of a online group forum may give you faster answers to questions. Also refer to the owners manuals and guides.

#5. The employees say that they will not bring back the red or turquoise colors. 💔💔💔💔 a wish list item is that I would like to see an annual release for earth day or some other annual event with a limited release of a new color options and proceeds going to charity such as breast cancer awareness or ocean cleanup or clean energy development, etc.. The color option should be pre ordered and only happen once a year and have different color options each year. Or even better sell vinyl skins!

#6. Online inventory is not the same as what is available to walk in locals. So if you plan to go in person call ahead to check inventory for local pick up. For instances the online inventory showed no available samples in stock but they actually had them in stock for walk in customers. They also keep on hand freeze dryer machines for local customers that aren’t apart of the online inventory.

I have found this to be a very common practice where companies have separate in store availability vs online availability. Some companies like Backcountry.com, what you see is what there is so if you go to their store front they are pulling the items straight from the shelves from the shipping warehouse.

#7. There are no plans to integrate a Bluetooth wireless feature that can send notifications to phones 💔💔😿💔

#8. HR stated that they don’t run seasonal sales such as for earth day or Labor Day However they do offer price matching!! They also offer refurbished machines but you need to ask to be put on a waiting list. Oddly enough right now the website shows a new year sale price.

#9. The lack of knowledge/willingness, professionalism, and appearance and demeanor all combined together leave me disappointed. For example I have now asked on three separate occasions to have information emailed to me. One employee sat down at a computer while I was there and said she was actively emailing me the requested material. However it wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I didn’t receive an email from her. Another employee outright refused to share that information with me and insisted I contact the employee who promised me the information. I feel that there is a lack of consistency and transparency.

#10. Tip: One customer suggests making multiple back to back telephone appointments when opening a repair ticket. The reason for this is so that on Monday when the problem is first discussed the issue may not be resolved so a follow up telephone appointment will be needed and they can sometimes be hard to make in the same week that the problem is being experienced and often times follow up questions are likely but have to wait a week or more for a response. So if you have an appointment made for Monday also make one for Tuesday and cancel it if not needed.

Customer Service

So today 2/14/2022 I reached out to customer service and ran into another giant brick wall. I asked a very simple straight forward question, what is the rated power draw for the impulse sealer? I was met with “I don’t know”, “5,000 watts,”, “a couple hundred watts” and finally “we can’t give out that information”. So the moral of this story is that Harvest Right is a company that is selling a product they know nothing about , doesn’t have a UL electric safety sticker showing it has met US electrical safety standards and they refuse to tell customers the name of the manufacturer that makes the impulse sealer for them.

Hard Wired- Wireless Capabilities

The HR FD has no wireless notification capability. This lack of technology integration definetly makes the machine feel outdated. I would also really like to see a room sensor that can track and log room temps and humidity especially coinciding with any logged error messages.

After talking with HR I learned that there is no wireless interfacing with this machine nor are there plans to do so. Having a wireless interface means that users could set up notifications to their phones, tablets, emails, and even directly to the HR website to be alerted to any errors, batch completions, supply update reminders, maintenance reminders, reorder materials etc.. The reason given was a bit vague and was related or blamed on possible power outages. So to clarify for everyone’s sake if there is a power outage the HR FD will not operate and this has nothing to do with WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee wireless technology. My $200 automated pet feeder to a $25.00 LED smart bulb all use this wireless technology, even my label maker is Bluetooth operated!

I would like to see a wireless notification interface but one that does not mean an app is needed. Integration with existing smart home apps such as google home and Amazon Alexa would be a much appreciated improvement. Also why aren’t there QR code’s in the user manual that link straight to the companies repair videos?

Warranty and Return Policies

Some credit card companies offer extended warranties and purchase protection on eligible purchases at No additional cost = FREE!! Check with your credit card company card Benefits and verify if this is available to you.

This is one of the most important considerations when purchasing a high price item. During my visit to the tech support department I was informed in greater detail of the extent of coverage of warranty and I recommend learning the extent of this warranty for yourself. Here is a preview of part of the return and warranty policies which are DIFFERENT policies.

Our Return Policy

Money Back Guarantee. Customers may cancel their orders, prior to shipment, for a refund less a 3% fee to cover the credit card charges incurred by Harvest Right.

Once the freeze dryer(s) ships, if it is within 30 days of ship date, customers may return their freeze dryers for a refund less shipping costs and less a restocking fee of 15%.

3-Year Limited Warranty

All sales of Harvest Right Freeze Dryers after February 1, 2019, are covered by this warranty.

Full One-Year Warranty only includes the U.S. continental 48 states
Warranty Period: For one year from original ship date.
Exclusion: Oil vacuum pump has 6 months warranty.
Harvest Right will be responsible for: Repair or, at our option, replace any part of this freeze dryer which proves to be defective in workmanship or material.
Consumer will be responsible for: Costs of service calls. Consumer may also be responsible for replacement parts caused by consumer misuse and neglect of product. See Normal Responsibilities of the Consumer below.

Limited 3-year warranty
Warranty Period: For the second and third year from the original ship date.
Harvest Right will be responsible for: Repair or, at our option, replace any part of the sealed refrigeration system (compressor, condenser, evaporator, tubing) which fails because of defective workmanship or material.
Consumer will be responsible for: Diagnostic charges for determining defects, and any costs for transportation and delivery of the appliance required because of service.

Retailer Warranty, Extended Warranty, & Purchase Protection

When Purchasing a FD through a local retailer like Home Depot it is important to first read through the online warranty and return policy. I was surprised to see that Home Depot has a 90 day return policy. Other online retailers strictly adhere to the Harvest Right company policy including the restocking fee.

Some credit cards offer purchase protection. I suggest reading through your credit card benefits and looking at your policy closely. I learned that I have purchase protection policy on my credit card which protects any accidental damages such as if I accidentally drop my FD but it does not cover damages made by a third party such as FedEx dropping the freeze dryer in shipping. I also have an extended purchase warranty that gives me an additional 1 year warranty on top of the existing manufacturing warranty for a total of 4 years of warranty coverage.

A return policy is different than say a 1 year warranty policy. Businesses such like Best Buy offer a 14 day return policy while Home Depot offers a 30 day return policy. I have even found some companies have extended me a 1 year return policy simply because I had the original proof of purchase and the item was still unopened in the original packaging.

A warranty policy means that a manufacturer guarantees that the product that has been purchased is free from defect and will work under normal use for at least 1 year. If for whatever reason the item does not perform as expected within that 1 year then consumers can reach out for repair or replacement of the item for like kind and value. the manufacturer is 100% in control in this phase and it it is up to their discretion weather they try and make a repair or offer to take back the item and send a replacement. It is very uncommon for a business to offer a full refund once the consumer has moved beyond the initial 30 day return policy grace period.

I have had great success with most companies like 3M sending me free parts when I needed new spray nozzles for an aerosol can and they had upgraded to a different nozzle. OXO sent me a free replacement thermometer probe even though my food thermometer was years outside of its warranty. I had a kitchen scale that stopped working and that company sent me a free replacement despite being years outside of the warranty. Zamp solar gave us a free case for our solar panel even after being years outside of our warranty. ARB sent me a new switch mount for my vehicle mounted air compressor free and they never asked about purchase dates or warranties. I also have an ARB fridge and the customer service was willing to send me an entirely new motherboard for free and again zero focus on warranty and 100% focused on customer satisfaction and just genuinely concerned for getting their product up and running again. Hampton bay customer service sent me replacement wireless ceiling fan modules and remotes when mine stopped working and I was just barely outside the warranty. So to date I have Not had to use my American Express extended warranty coverage.

PRO TIP: Always keep your proof of purchase, paper clip or staple it to the owners manual of whatever it is you buy and then file that away into a filing cabinet.

Cost & Power Consumption

When ordering a FD it automatically comes with the green premier oil pump and this price is included in the price of the FD. The premier pump is not taxed. However if upgrading to the oil free scroll pump expect this to be an additional cost and taxed separately, unless purchasing from a sales tax exempt state.

There is the upfront cost of the machine and I discovered that my local ace hardware sells the small for $100 less than the HR listed sale price and the medium for $2,695 and Tractor Supply in store price is $2,495. Then there is the usage cost for electricity, storage containers like Mylar or canning jars. There are accessories that will likely be needed to be purchased and supplies to maintain the oil pump. All of this is easy to sift through and find. Let’s talk about the long term costs that is on all of our minds.

It is a common belief that this machine will drastically increase the cost of your home electric bill. It is important to note that people living in areas with high environmental humidity levels are going to have longer freeze drying processing times and thus have a higher electric usage per batch cost. Those living in lower humidity environments may experience shorter freeze drying times and lower electric costs.

The small and medium reportedly have an average amp pull of 9-11 Amps with a max draw of 16 amps. The below is a cost analysis that was done in 2018, prior to the machines modified upgrades. This is the only independent information I could readily find unrelated to the HR website. Click the graph below to see the original full article.

I was able to learn that the small unit is actually more expensive to run vs the medium size. In the grand scheme of things the electricity cost is roughly $2.00 per batch of food. Check with your power bill and plan to determine your cost of use.

Where to Buy for the best Price

Harvest right has a 30 day return window with a 3% credit card fee and a 15% restocking fee and the consumer pays the return shipping. now looking beyond all of this HR will price match and throw in a free item such as silicone tray liners on top of the already free mylar kit. However you may have to wait upwards of 8-12 weeks for receive the FD.

Local stores such as IFA, Tractor Supply, Cal-Ranch, ace hardware and other such agriculture and feed stores are best known for having the HR FD in stock. Tractor Supply offers the best sale price on a medium for $2,495 but this price is only available for in store purchase.

Home Depot offers a 90 day return window or if purchased with their in house credit card a full 1 year return window. However you still wait the normal 8-12 weeks to be shipped the FD.

Buy from a Local supplier like Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or Tractor Supply to avoid the cost of return shipping. Ask about the stores return Policy surrounding the Freeze Dryer. IFA said that they have a zero return policy with the HR FD.

Weight

I was concerned with the weight of these machines. Online owners were saying that the small FD weighs 195lbs but the HR website says it weighs 62lbs. Eric and I were able to lift up both the medium and the small from a waist height level. We are confident that we can lift this together from the floor onto a table or stand and get it down into the basement using a dolly and the both of us helping guide it down the stairs. Please note that the white and black models are aluminum casing and this makes them lighter weight vs the stainless steel which is heavier.

These should be placed on a wheeled cart so that regular maintenance such as vacuuming out the condenser and interior of the machine is easier to perform.

Which size?

So if you have a full time food garden, a large farm, large family, or are using this to make 60lbs of dog food then hands down the size large is what you will want. Some people have reported buying both a large and a size medium. I however have no food gardens at this time so I am mainly looking at the size small vs medium.

• Standard home cookie sheet 13” x 18” 234sq in
• Baking dish 13” x 9” 117sq in

• Small trays 7” x 13.25”
  • 91sq in x 3= 273sq in
• Medium trays 7” x 18”
  • 135sq in x 4 = 540 sq in

Pieces of food need to be 1/2 in x 3/4” or smaller in thickness in order to freeze dry. A good test is to use a cookie sheet and find the surface area (L x W) or baking pan (13 x 9) and slice up a zucchini and lay out the pieces on the cookie sheet without overlapping any of the pieces. Food that is overlapped will cause longer freeze dry time but ultimately overlapping food will preserve larger quantities in one cycle. Using the surface area of the cookie sheet or baking pan now compare that to the surface area of the small and medium HR FD. This will help you determine just how much food can be processed in one batch.

A lot of input and feedback I received from HR FD owners is that with the medium they were able to quickly build up their long term emergency food reserves but then the use of the freeze dryer just dwindles down to maybe weekly or monthly use after that initial honeymoon phase.

Which Vacuum Pump?

For the size medium and small freeze dryer there are two pump options.

Freeze Dryer Groups

When joining online group forum communities any experiences, opinions, or observations that are seen as undesirable or unfavorable towards the group topic can result in automatically being banned. This is of course completely subjective to the group members and moderators own subjective bias and not related to harvest right whatsoever.

Joining an online chat forum or group can help new owners glean useful tips and tricks by using the internal group search bar to look up trouble shooting or recipes. For instance one tip I contributed to a group post is to keep a meat mallet on hand. Also use silicone or parchment tray liners to prevent freeze thaw warping of the trays and for easier food removal. This is all extremely important if say a batch experiences an error code mid cycle and the food is frozen then use a meat mallet to break apart any food like soups, grated, cheese, milk, etc.. that are stuck together and put into freezer bags instead of allowing it to fully thaw and throwing it away

The Facebook group Bettys harvest right freeze dry group was both a waste of time and extremely hostile. I posted my experience and observations from my tour of the HR facilities such as I have also given here and I was instantly banned from the group but not before it’s members attempted to terrorize me and berate me. While I was a member I noticed that I was offering more answers to group posts than I was learning or gaining from this particular group. For me it was most useful to use the online and physical owners manuals and guides.

To Buy New or Used?

When buying a new HR FD it comes with a 1 year full warranty and a limited 2 year additional warranty. Buying new also means there is typically a sales tax, unless ordering from a tax exempt state. When buying a used machine the warranty is voided and there isn’t a sales tax to pay.

Outside of warranty and needing tech services will cost $45.00 per phone call and this doesn’t guarantee that the repair will be resolved in the one phone call. Again HR doesn’t offer a repair manual or a parts list. So here is hoping no one needs to make repairs or maintenance after the limited 3 year warranty.

Conclusion

This machine is extremely expensive with zero modern creature comforts such as wireless notification and interface. HR really should be using a Torx head screws because the Allen head strips out too easily. Also there are known defects with the water shut off valve easily corroding before 1 year of use.

Consumers have to perform 100% of repairs and often time this can only be accomplished by arranging telephone and email appointments that are often times more than a week out in scheduling. No repair manuals or diagrams are provided to consumers. The worst part is trying to obtain simple information from the Harvest Right tech support such as the National mandated safety regulated UL electrical specifications of the FD or impulse sealer which is met with “We don’t know” and “we aren’t allowed to give out that information”.

With a whopping starting price of over $2,300 for the smallest model I am begrudgingly moving forward with my purchase fully aware of all the red flags that this company shows.