Menu
Your Cart

Harvest Right Freeze Dryers FAQ

WHAT PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?

Freeze dryers must be paid by bank transfer.  Unfortunately, we currently do not offer credit cards, Paypal, or layby options for these high-value items.

If you are pre-ordering you do not need to pay in full to hold a unit.  We ask for a holding deposit only which is generally non-refundable.  Once we confirm that units are in our warehouse and ready to ship we will need the balance of payment made within 3 days.

Once we issue your invoice, we are unable to show any payments on this invoice.  We can issue a final paid in full receipt if required on request.

DO I NEED AN ACCOUNT TO PLACE AN ORDER?

Please create an account in our store and include your residential address.  Freeze dryers are delivered to the nearest freight depot unless your delivery address is a business in an area zoned commercial (where there are generally other businesses).  Our courier does not deem home-based or rural properties as businesses for delivery purposes (the rationale being that a special service is required to deliver pallets to areas where such deliveries are not normally made).  We will amend the delivery address on the invoice if your address is residential.

Shipping in Australia is via TNT.  Freeze dryers are shipped on small pallets and if you have a residential delivery address the units are delivered to the nearest depot.  You will need a van, open-backed ute, or trailer for collection. 

Note that home-based businesses or rural-based businesses are not eligible for business delivery.  A business address for our courier is in an area zoned commercial and generally with forklift unloading facilities.

Pick up from our warehouse in South Kempsey can be arranged on request.  You may be able to find your own courier that will deliver to a residential address.  Please email us all paperwork required for such collections at least 24 hours in advance.

We ship freeze dryers internationally.  Generally, this is done via airfreight.  Airfreight rates are only valid for 30 days so for preorders we can provide indicative quotes only with the rate to be confirmed closer to the product ETA.  For quotes please provide us with the delivery address.  Note that airfreight terms are DAP so you are responsible for local GST/taxes/duties etc.

For preorder items, we provide an estimate of when we expect the goods to be here but this is approximate only.  Once we have shipping information we update your order with the container number so you can monitor its progress.  Unfortunately, we are unable to foresee shipping delays and we do not refund when shipments are delayed.

Once goods are in our warehouse we will notify you so you can make arrangements to make your final payment.  Transit times from our warehouse depending on the final destination.  We will update your order with courier tracking if you are using our courier service.

 

WHICH FREEZE DRYER UNITS ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY?

The 240V models are only available in medium and large. The small is not available in 240V and there is no plan in the near future for this model to be made in 240V. Note that there is no easy way to adapt the 110V version as it differs in both voltage and HZ. The medium and large models are available in black powder coated metal or stainless steel. The stainless steel version is heavier. The medium unit comes with 4 trays; the large version comes with 5. In general we find that the large version is more popular than the medium. If you have a smaller amount of food than is optimal you can still run the large with a smaller load but the converse, a larger load, cannot be successfully processed in a medium. All units have a recommended maximum amount of food you can process at a time. Exceeding this load can cause excessive moisture to build up inside the unit and ultimately get into your pump thereby causing damage.

The Premier Pump is the pump that comes standard with any freeze dryer purchase. It uses oil but rarely needs to have the oil changed or filtered. The pump has a gas ballast feature that makes it so water does not stay in the oil. Because of this, the oil in the pump will be pristine and clear, even after 30 or more batches. You simply won’t need to change the oil until you have run 20 or more batches. You can’t just use any vacuum pump oil in it: it needs to be a premium oil. Harvest Right recommends Robinair Premium High Vacuum Pump Oil or JB Industries Black Gold Vacuum Pump Oil. It runs at 52 decibels. You can optionally upgrade to the Oil-Free Pump. It is supplied in addition to the premium pump that comes standard. The Oil-Free pump can be used with any size freeze dryer. It is quiet, fast, and easy to use. These pumps do not require oil changes and do not require regular user maintenance. It is the most maintenance-free pump available. The Oil-Free pump runs at 62 decibels. When deciding which pump to purchase, the most important question to ask is how much maintenance are you willing to do. While filtering the oil is relatively simple, some people would rather not have to spend the time or effort it takes. The Premier Pump is a great idea for anyone that doesn’t mind doing some oil maintenance or wants the quietest pump. The Oil-Free pump is perfect for the person that wants almost zero maintenance. Note that the oil-free pump does require a change of seals/ bearings on average every 2 years (depending on usage). As this is not generally a job that can be done at home the pump will be out of action during this time.

A 1-year warranty applies (6 months on the vacuum pump). Warranty eligibility will be determined by Harvest Right and honoured by Ozfarmer Australia where the claim is deemed to be caused by a manufacturing fault. User error is specifically excluded and the freeze dryer comes with comprehensive instructions. Support videos are available online. Note that this is a very high-quality item and warranty claims are minimal. Spare parts can be shipped to fix the vast majority of issues. In the event of a technical issue in the first instance, this needs to be lodged directly with Harvest Right via their online technical support. This helps to support any warranty claims and speeds up the resolution of issues. (The Harvest Right website also provides a comprehensive guide of troubleshooting steps for commonly encountered issues). Note that the warranty only applies to the original purchaser and is not transferrable if the unit is sold.

Due to high demand at Harvest Right, manufacturing lead times are around 12 weeks.  We order full container loads at a time and if we don't have stock on hand you are able to preorder from the next shipment.  Please refer to the item description for an estimate of the current ETA on the unit you are interested in.    Note that our listings may show items in stock so that preorders can be placed but you need to refer to the item title to confirm if goods are actually available.

Please refer to our item descriptions for all the information about the units we have available. If you don't see the info you are seeking please contact us so we can contact the manufacturer if necessary. Due to the high value of the units, we prefer to have correspondence documented in writing to avoid any misunderstandings.

The following table shows the maximum amp draw for the components of a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. This is based on the 240V model. Medium FD Shelf: 3.697amps Refrigeration 3.5amps Pump: 4.2 amps Total: 11.397 amps Large FD Shelf: 6.027amps Refrigeration: 3.5amps Pump: 4.2amps = Total13.72amp