# Beware of the Pulleys for Harbor Freight lathe #34706



## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I have had pulley breaking problems on the Reeves drive 34706 Harbor Freight lathe I use in Arizona. The latest one is the right drive pulley on the motor. I ordered and receive my new pulleys but it seem that the keyway is cut off location in one of them ( I suspect the left one since the right pulley had a keyway cut in the center of the boss for the set screw). The ribs of the pulleys mesh very well when you put them together off the shaft. But, when you put them both on the shaft with the key to align them, the ribs are off center and don't narrow down enough to run the lathe at high speed. They have to get to about 3/8" with the belt on the top and these start interfering with each other at 7/8". I suspect that is what caused the failure of the one that broke. To get the lathe running, I used the new right pulley with the left old pulley ( that one goes down to about 5/8").
I have been trying to get in touch with the parts people at Harbor Freight to explain this problem but they are hard to get on the line after waiting for 20 minutes or more and they hang up.


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## recycle1943 (Dec 16, 2013)

Jim - I went to the new Books are us store nearby and bought a brand new Websters Collegiate Dictionary and looked up junk tools. Under the listing for junk tools was a picture of the local Harbopr Freight store as a source for junk tools.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

That's not good.

My Delta iron bed has Reeve's pulleys and it has been giving me trouble, too. Unfortunately, there are no replacement pulleys available for it. The keyway on the movable pulley has worn to the point that the pulleys don't engage off of the lowest speed. I had to put a stop block under the speed lever to prevent it from going into that speed. I really need a new lathe but the price for something decent is holding me back.


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## Druid (Sep 30, 2010)

Hi Jim, sorry to hear about what appears to be a lack of quality control during their parts production. Perhaps you might get a more suitable response from Harbor Freight if you simply let them know that this pulley issue has been posted on Lumberjocks, and also let them know that there are currently 278,310 woodworkers who are members here. That's a lot of potential customers. 
But, based on the "customer service" that you are experiencing, I am certainly *NOT* going to consider one of these lathes as a future replacement.
I hope that you get a satisfactory solution from them soon.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

Sounds like Harbor Frt. has turned into a piece of CRAP…!!

I think I would get to corporate office and talk to people at the TOP… then unload your experiences on them… If they do NOT do something about it, Spread the word even MORE that they are CROOKS!

Too bad… I thought they were good… BUT, I haven't had a major problem to know…

Good Luck!


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## Druid (Sep 30, 2010)

Interesting to see over 300 views already, and this has been posted for less than 15 minutes. HF really needs to pay attention to your problem.
At this rate, I'll predict over 1,600 views by tomorrow morning.


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

Is this the pulley?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Central-Machinery-Harbor-Freight-12-in-3-4-HP-Wood-Laythe-34706-Spindle-Pulley-R/312499549962?epid=6018123593&hash=item48c26cb70a:g:ZCgAAOSwLoxa1W5m


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

HF could care less about his issue or customer service. It isn't part of their business model.

Buy cheap…sell low…replace as often as customer brings back item… Most will move on after a few replacements to a better tool. They made their money off the first sale to replace an item several times over and have an unlimited amount of customers looking for cheap at the door.

Best bet is to find replacement outside of HF. That lathe is the knock off of Grizzly G0842 model? Buy the replacement from them. Much better customer service and quality likely higher based on Grizzly requirements. Also Grizzly will answer your call and can talk with a person to make sure pulley will work based of dimensions you have. Big issue will be supply.

https://cdn0.grizzly.com/partslists/g0842_pl.pdf


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Jim - I went to the new Books are us store nearby and bought a brand new Websters Collegiate Dictionary and looked up junk tools. Under the listing for junk tools was a picture of the local Harbopr Freight store as a source for junk tools.
> 
> - recycle1943


I've seen other posts where folks have had issues with those pulleys that weren't on HF machines. Don't know why folks are so hard on HF. You have to be smart about what you buy there. They have their niche, like my 2 $9.99 angle grinders that I just keep a cutoff wheel and a flapper on that are 6 years old, hang on a hook and are always plugged in or my digital calipers that were $16 that gives me the same readout to 3 decimal points as the $175 Mitutoyo that the guy at my local machine shop has or a box of 100 nitrile gloves for $4.99. I also have tools from Bosch, Laguna and Delta that I would never buy at HF. You get what you pay for IMHO.


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## recycle1943 (Dec 16, 2013)

> Jim - I went to the new Books are us store nearby and bought a brand new Websters Collegiate Dictionary and looked up junk tools. Under the listing for junk tools was a picture of the local Harbopr Freight store as a source for junk tools.
> 
> - recycle1943
> 
> ...


The operative sentence is " you get what you pay for " 
I guess are many HF satisfied customers - I'm not one because I prefer to not even shop there. I would prefer a Sears made in China or Taiwan tool knowing I have some recourse should it fail


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> The operative sentence is " you get what you pay for "
> I guess are many HF satisfied customers - I m not one because I prefer to not even shop there. I would prefer a Sears made in China or Taiwan tool knowing I have some recourse should it fail
> 
> - recycle1943


Not disagreeing with you at all nor am I trying to be argumentative. They sell inexpensive tools. I just don't buy anything from them expensive enough to want recourse on. If after 6 years my grinder dies I throw it away and get another, or buy another set of calipers if i lose them, nor do I need recourse on nitrile gloves. Just a different way of looking at it.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

The pulleys from a Jet JWL-1236 can also be made to work; See this thread:

 PSA for HF 34706 Lathe Owners.

Cheers,
Brad

PS: The 'Brad' in that thread is NOT me


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

> Jim - I went to the new Books are us store nearby and bought a brand new Websters Collegiate Dictionary and looked up junk tools. Under the listing for junk tools was a picture of the local Harbopr Freight store as a source for junk tools.
> 
> - recycle1943
> 
> ...


Lowes won't exchange the broken crapsman stuff I have and no more sears in the area. The three mac ratchets that I have that are broken can't do anything with them as there are no trucks in my area anymore. I guess that blows the you get what you pay for out of the water on those. The harbor freight braker bar that sheared off at the head( it took a 6' cheater bar to brake) simple exchange at store the last bar clamp I broke easy exchange and a gift card for my trouble. When sears was open they limited the number of items you could exchange per day to 5. Before you knock a place on how they operate you should try shopping there first.

OP that seems a common issue with those style pulleys. Out of all the used lathes and auction lathes I have looked at with those style pulleys I have only seen a couple that was in working order. Even though the rest of the machine is in great looking condition.


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## recycle1943 (Dec 16, 2013)

> Lowes won t exchange the broken crapsman stuff I have and no more sears in the area. The three mac ratchets that I have that are broken can t do anything with them as there are no trucks in my area anymore. I guess that blows the you get what you pay for out of the water on those. The harbor freight braker bar that sheared off at the head( it took a 6 cheater bar to brake) simple exchange at store the last bar clamp I broke easy exchange and a gift card for my trouble. When sears was open they limited the number of items you could exchange per day to 5. Before you knock a place on how they operate you should try shopping there first.
> 
> OP that seems a common issue with those style pulleys. Out of all the used lathes and auction lathes I have looked at with those style pulleys I have only seen a couple that was in working order. Even though the rest of the machine is in great looking condition.
> 
> - diverlloyd


it took a 6' cheater bar to break it. And then you want it replaced because you miss-used it ? I wouldn't have enough nerve to abuse a tool and then want it warranteed when it breaks. WOW


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

My HF lathe like that one is working fine, and is now about 4 years old. That means I have enjoyed it for about $45/yr currently, roughly equivalent cost to just three bottles of wine.

A lathe is a machine that spins a chunk pf wood. Its nice that the centers align, but for the most part, any precision attained comes from the way the user holds and applies the cutting tools. In Colonial times there were fabulous pieces of lathe-work made routinely with foot-operated lathes. (There are countless videos and instructions on how to make your own.) Getting all fussed up about modern lathes that are high-tech and super pricey is a curiosity of life today.

It is a logical plan to try out the alternate parts supply options, given above.

.

.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Maybe some other pulleys from another source would work Jim. Yours are WAY off.


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## BalsaWood (Mar 25, 2015)

Funny you mention Harbor Freight lathe since last week my cousin returned his benchtop lathe. He said it was usable but below average in quality and didn't keep tolerances well. He ordered a JET and is waiting for it to come in.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Bruce. That is the pulley for the spindle and I had to replace it too earlier this year. That one is $35 and the one from Harbor Freight is $13

Hi Brad, I have found that HF parts fit Jet lathes, but have not tried Jet parts on the HF lathe. I had sent some HF parts to an LJ buddy in Croatia for a M900 lathe from Australia and they fit.

Hi Dick. I have had 2 Crapsman lathes made in China and they were nothing but trouble. The Reeves drive had to be freed up at least 2 time a year and I had to turn the armature down .012" to keep it from rubbing on the field. That was real treat pulling that motor out of the casting.

I just wish the HF web site would work. Calling on the phone cost me 40 minutes today and I never got through to a real person yet.
I call HF tools "unfinished" tools because if you make some improvements to their designs, you can get them to work pretty good. For this one, I think I will cut an new keyway in the left pulley to make the pulleys perfectly centered for a long life of the parts. I'll bet I can do that before I get a good part from China!

Cheers,Jim


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

Jim,

If one costs $35 and the one that didn't LAST costs $13…. I wonder why…

Could it be that the $35 one is better quality and will last longer?


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## recycle1943 (Dec 16, 2013)

Jim, Since I retired I have come to realize that if I want to play (make saw dust) I'm going to have to pay. Either I make quality tool purchases or buy the lessor and buy it two or three times just to keep going.
I was wondering how much breakdown you have with the school machinery ? Pretty sure they aren't overloaded with HF lathes. 
Granted, there are many 'off brand' mechanical tools available to us and some of them are better than others and a few may actually last a lifetime but it all goes right back to 'you get what you pay for' 
some old guy once said " ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances"


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Joe. That spindle pulley for $35 is a harbor freight part…just being sold at a profit by someone.

Hi Dick. We have Delta midi lathes( plain belt drive) and Jet 12" lathes ( Reeves Drive) The kids destroy parts on both of them. Last season we had to replace the spindle pulley on the Jet. I must say that the Harbor Freight lathe is designed better for maintenance than the Jet and a whole lot better than a Crapsman.. The pulleys are almost exactly the same on the HF and Jet and they interchange. The spindle pulley broke on the left side. We assembled it but did not check to see if they had interference like this HF one does. If I break that pulley again, I'll check it more closely now that I see how this HF one lines up. When you cannot get power are either end of the spectrum, you know you have pulley trouble..

Cheers, Jim


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

I bought our youngest daughter one of those HF lathes 4 years ago and I bought me one about 2.5 years ago, and we're going to get another one this week.

Both lathes have been worked turning legs, spindles and finals pretty much on a daily basis. We've had no problems with either lathe. We do regular maintenance on them keeping them cleaned inside and out and dropping a dab of oil here and there, and they both look as good as a new one.

We looked at the pulleys today and they looked as new as they did when we bought the lathes. Neither of us tun bowls and I don't know whether that would make any difference or not.

Mine has a copy attachment on it so I may do a review on it soon.

It's been an interesting threat though and I hope the OP gets his fixed. I can't image one of my lathes not working, ouchy.


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## recycle1943 (Dec 16, 2013)

That's my point Jim, no HF lathes. Probably no HF anything in a school environment. Too many hands, too many opportunities to break thru abuse.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

> Hi Joe. That spindle pulley for $35 is a harbor freight part…just being sold at a profit by someone.
> - Jim Jakosh


*OUCH!!*


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

That's exactly why I got rid of mine. The pulleys were misaligned, and when I tried to adjust them, they shattered like glass. Besides, I don't like Reeves drives. Even the most heavy duty ones will wear out.
I'd rather have an EVS any day of the week.

Sorry to hear of your problems. Hope you find a solution.

Maybe buy a Powermatic or a Jet?


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

How do you order parts for a machine from Harbor Freight?

I prowled their website and couldn't hit on the right search terms, or the useful links for parts. 
Thank you for any guidance.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

The website for Harbor freight is useless for ordering anything. You have to call them at 1 800 444 3353( I know that by heart having called ti so many times) and I had 5 margaritas and 2 beers tonight!!

I got through yesterday and they are sending me an RA for the 2 left pulleys and sending me a new right and left one. If they mis-align, I will broach a new keyway in the left one to make them perfect.

I was concerned at the current status of the lathe so I took some photos of it in use today. The motor pulleys only close down to 5/8" and if I turn up the speed past 7, the belt billows loose and I get no more speed out of it. I'm going to try to contact their tech department tomorrow to see if they have a site where i can send these photos. If they were aligned, that machine would last a very long time without failure. Here is what it looks like in motion:
The motor pulley only closes to 5/8" 








The belt goes slack as you call for moer speed


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## annis (Mar 1, 2019)

Well this thread is pretty current so I'll have my say. You can compare Deltas and Jets all week long but the simple fact is they are all made in China or Taiwan, or Bangladesh, Mexico or anywhere in the world. These places *manufacture* an Item to the requirements and specs of the Distributer in the US. Crappy product? Blame the distributor don't blame the maker, he's just following orders. Don't be mislead by distributors who say there products are manufactured in the USA. Most likely they were *assembled* in the US from parts made in other countries. The good ole German company "Bosch"? Their products are made in other countries.!

Don't mean to offend anyone just my two sense.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Annis. That is so true. But some quality is lacking in these pulleys!

cheers, Jim


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

Looks like you're making progress!

Those Margaritas sound GOOD! All is not lost! .... chased by BEER?!


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## annis (Mar 1, 2019)

> Hi Annis. That is so true. But some quality is lacking in these pulleys!
> 
> cheers, Jim
> 
> - Jim Jakosh


Jim, The HF that failed on looked exactly like the old pre-VS Jets. I can imagine that it was made on the same assembly line. One difference though. HF, in order to make a profit requested cheaper parts. Hence, the Jets last for years and the identical looking HF belts break after a short while( about 6 months in my case) Ever tried to remove the pulley shaft in an HF lathe? Mine was frozen and so was a smaller HF lathe whose belt also broke!
I still shop HF quite a bit but now only for the smaller stuff I can afford to replace


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Joe. I slept until 9:00 this morning and missed morning coffee in the club house. Good party.

Hi Annis.I would never buy a HF lathe for at home, but we needed one here in the Az shop and it was cheap at a garage sale…I got a big maple burl with it for free and made a clock with it last year. I think it would last a long time if those pulleys would align. I only take it to "7" on the range lever because it loosens the belt after that as show above. I'm waiting for replacements to see if they are the same way.

Cheers, JIm


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

> .... I only take it to "7" on the range lever because it loosens the belt after that as show above. I m waiting for replacements to see if they are the same way.
> Cheers, JIm
> - Jim Jakosh


I remain happy with mine, but I am a simple, non-technical, turner, and could be happy with only few speeds as far was i know.

BUT, a question comes to mind here: 
If the key issue is a loose belt, wouldn't it be possible to work around that some through use of a slightly shorter belt?

Thanks for feedback on this.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Jim. The issue is that the pulleys do not mesh and will soon cause one of them to fail because of the impact when changing speeds. A shorter belt cannot be installed but if it were, there would still be a limited speed range because the motor belt pulleys cannot respond to the spindle belt pulleys when the get real wide because they cannot mesh all the way into each other.

Cheers., Jim


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Well the new pulleys came and the keyways are lined up. I installed them today and have a shot of them on the lathe below. The old ones will be broached out to align at home and then I'll have a spare set.

Cheers, Jim


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## rossemo (Sep 26, 2019)

I have this model lathe, but it is probably 10-15 years old. Somehow my pulleys have lasted this long, but after opening up to replace a shredded belt last night, I realized that I'm dealing with both motor pulleys and spindle pulleys that are chipping and deteriorating, and are in need of replacement.

This is my first time doing any pulley replacement, and I'm wondering if anyone has had to replace their spindle pulleys, and if so, how in the world did you get the old ones off of the shaft? I've removed the outer retaining ring and set screws, but now I'm a little puzzled on what else I need to do to release them. Am I missing something? I noticed another post mentioning pulleys that were frozen to the shaft, and I'm hoping that this isn't the case with mine.

I'll be trying to order new pulleys from HF, and I'm also thinking of casting my own as well, possibly using an Al-CU alloy.

Also, this is my first post on LumberJocks, and let me say that I am thrilled to find this site. Thanks to everyone for all of your thoughtful input in all of the forums!


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Ross. I had to replace both sets. Try some PB blaster or a penetrant on the shaft to get it to move. My lathe is in Casa Grande and I see you are in Phoenix. Maybe we can meet for coffee and talk lathes next year when I come down.

Cheers, Jim


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

> Jim - I went to the new Books are us store nearby and bought a brand new Websters Collegiate Dictionary and looked up junk tools. Under the listing for junk tools was a picture of the local Harbopr Freight store as a source for junk tools.
> 
> - recycle1943


 LMAO bad, bad Dick

Jim I can't help with the parts, or the JUNK lathe, but if you call the regular customer service number, and ask them a technical question, if they even say ummmmmm, ask right away, isn't this the tech desk… I've always had them transfer me directly to a person.

Been over a year since I've done that, and it is entirely possible everyone in the Universe knows that, except you??? If that is the case you may have to wait. It always gave me the impression the tech people were always standing around, and had their phone off the hook, and the customer service people yelled pick up yer (*^&*((% phone.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Steve. I have talked to HF customer service many times and I did tell their technical people about the keyways being off. Their replacement parts are really cheap compared to other brands and their parts do fit other brands. As a matter of fact, I bought a set of their pulleys for a guy in Croatia for a lathe sold out of Australia because they would not ship to Croatia. The HF pulleys fit his lathe perfectly ( probably made in the same factory). I have also used HF spring sand retainers on the Jet lathes at school. I call HF tools, unfinished tools because with a little tweaking you can make them run pretty good.

Cheers,, Jim


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

I had the 34706 lathe for 7 years. I learned to turn with it, and made hundreds of spindle, bowl, and hollow form projects with it. Didnt have pulley issues but the new owner of it will at some point. You can trash HF stuff if you want, but for the $180 I paid for it new (with coupon), it's probably the best value tool I have had or seen anywhere. Sure some things had to be fixed/improved, and if someone wants to spend $700 or more vs a few hours of their time, that's ok. I figured if I threw it away at some point it was worth it to learn on and determine if I liked turning.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi OSU55 I get a lot done on the one in Az, too.But I have put 3 set of pullets on it in 3 years. I change speed all the time while using and really give it a workout. It was $100 used and good value for me.

I had to free up the reeves drive pulleys twice a year on that Craftsman 1538 I had in Michigan. They would freeze on the shaft and I lost speed control.

cheers, Jim


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## rossemo (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm sure you all can easily believe this, but I received the replacement left spindle pulley, but the right pulley has been on backorder with HF since September, with no end in sight. They courteously provided the following helpful message:

As of today, we are still unable to provide an estimated ship date at this time. We do not have a ship date from the factory. Your action is now required within 34 days to continue with this order. If you still want the item(s) and are willing to wait indefinitely, please call Customer service at 1-800-444-3353. If we do not hear from you and we have not shipped by 12/12/2019, the item(s) will be cancelled and removed from your order.

I've had no luck finding another source for these pulleys, so if anyone has any ideas, or knows of a similar part that can be made to work, I'm all ears. Until then, my lathe will remain a quiet shelf for its own disassembled guts.

If you don't have a source, do you know if these pulleys mirror each other, or if the right and left side have any differences that would keep me from being able to use the right to cast an identical one for the left side?


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi Ross. That a bummer. Once I ordered 3 pulleys for the motor 2 left and one right and they shipped me 2 right and one left. It took 3 weeks to get the three of then and then it tool a few days to get the replacement to make 2 pair of them and I had to send the one back.

I'm not by my HF lathe but I know the motor pulleys are different- one has a set screw to lock it in place and the other one floats. I think the spindle pulley have one that floats and one that is pushed against the snap ring on the end of the shaft. the thing that you have to watch is that if you you had 2 left pulleys and put them on the keyed shaft, I don't think they would mesh to get to the closed position for low speed. I take it you have a 34706 lathe with the Reeves drive??

I would call again and try to get a different rep. when I ordered those 3 pulleys, the guy i talked to said they ere on back order and would take 3 weeks to get them. Then ,when I did the exchange, I asked the guy I talked to about the back order on these pulleys and he said they were never on back order.

I looked on E bay but I could not find any of those pulleys on there to help you.

Cheers, Jim


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

For those bad mouthing HF, what better tools to lend? I had a buddy I felt I owed, so when he asked to borrow a grinder, rather than lend him my variable speed Milwaukee, I bought an HF unit and "lent" him it, not expecting it back.

Side note, I knew him to toss tolls from four story roofs onto the grass so he didn't have to make more than one trip down the ladder (don't blame him on that).


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## rossemo (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm not bad-mouthing HF in general. They have been a great source for affordable and sometimes durable tools when my budget is a concern. I am bad-mouthing their unwillingness to keep these pulleys in stock or have a reasonable plan to get more, since they are well aware that they fail often and are constructed of poor quality materials. You're right about them being the best tools to lend. Hopefully you don't owe any more favors, but if so, it sounds like you have a good plan in place to keep your good tools safe.


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## rossemo (Sep 26, 2019)

To update this topic, I got the 3D printed model and related files for the spindle pulley a couple of weeks ago, and HF also finally shipped the replacement pulley that had been on backorder since at least September. As I mentioned previously, I plan on casting an aluminum alloy replacement (or now, a spare) from the 3D printed model. If anyone else would like to try this route, send me a message and I'll forward you the files for 3d printing a model pulley.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

So, you will be sand casting a pulley that is made from a plastic model made on a 3d printer? Will it have a keyway in it or do you have to bore and cut the keyway after it is cast? I made some sand castings and they usually need to have draft on them for removal. Can you make one without any draft on it?

Cheers, Jim


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

In the grand scheme of things… wouldn't it be a lot easier (and possibly cheaper) to just buy one from Jet? How much is it going to cost to print, produce a mold, cast and then machine one?

Cheers,
Brad


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