***UPDATE***Just got off the phone with #harvestright (HR). In March of 2025, I purchased the WiFi adapter for $75.00. This would allow me to monitor the machine from my mobile app AND allow HR to see "logs" w/o me having to send via email. Turns out it's not working and they don't know why. I confirmed that this machine has a 1 year warranty and that both the drain valve and vacuum hose HAD to be replaced, 9 months after the warranty expired--costing me $180.00. The $1700 oil-free pump malfunctioned in Sept of 2025 and had to be replaced--$400 for refurbished premier pump. In the lifetime of this machine, the mT have only dropped below 500 once and today I was told that mT should be less than 500. Since 12-24, multiple emails to tech support, ALL regarding vacuum issues, with "logs" attached, and not one technical support person ever addressed this issue, until now.
Have you added up all the money I have spent since my initial investment of >$4000?
***WARNING--LONG POST***
In May of 2023, I purchased a medium Harvest Right freeze dryer (FD) and paid $1700 extra for the oil-free pump. #harvestright
In 2024 I had to replace the cheap and malfunctioning vacuum hose, along with the malfunctioning drain valve. In Sept of 2025, my $1700 oil-free pump bit the dust and Harvest Right suggested a refurbished premier pump, that came with a 1 yr warranty--so I was told.
Less than 4 months later (just last week) I was getting error messages "unable to achieve vacuum". Several attempts to resolve the issue myself, I reached out to #harvestright for technical support. Of course it had to fall on a Saturday and all I could get was A.I. Monday morning I called and was able to speak with a human, who sent me 2 videos on "maintaining" the pump and scheduled an in person tech support for the following day, Tuesday. The video instructed me to clean the demister and allow at least 48 hrs for it to dry before reinstalling it-- MEANING--it wouldn't be ready until Wednesday to reinstall.
50 minutes before the "scheduled" tech support phone call, I received another email, this time with 2 more You-Tube links to watch, regarding taking the side and top off the FD--prior to the phone call. Never once asked how "pump maintenance" went, or what I discovered during that process. I informed her that there was no way I could watch the 2 videos AND remove the top and side, without help, and definitely not before the scheduled phone call.
Now I get a phone call from Bryant who doesn't seem to be hearing anything I am saying and is insisting it is a FD issue and not a pump issue. At this point, I had already purchased a new demister and was waiting for it's arrival. Bryant never asked about the pump, again, because as he stated "he was convinced it was not the pump." I am left to assume that all the work I did on the pump was now a waste of time.
Saturday the new demister arrived and I was able to get help taking the "under warranty" pump apart and cleaning it. I ran, what now would be my 5th vacuum test. mT dropped to 901 and never went lower; however, I decided to do a run anyway of fruit that I had tried to do the weekend prior. I started the run on Monday (2/9) afternoon and by 0700 hrs this morning, mT was 536 and she was already into "extra dry time".
My only question at this juncture is why did I not get to <600 mT during the vacuum test and yet, was able to get there with food in it???
Here's what I want to say to #harvestright--LISTEN to your customer! Know your customer! Get behind your product; identify the ongoing issues and FIX them! Stop treating us like idiots! Provide COMPLETE, timely and accurate information.
I bought the WiFi adapter in 2025 (from Harvest Right) that allows my FD to be connected to the internet. They could have seen the logs without me having to download them and sending them via email. No one ever said a word about that. My account and machine are registered with them. I have jumped thru all their hoops and they have thousands of my dollars. Why do I have to beg for help and answers?
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