Kits · warranty · gauge · not a load table

Farmers Friend warranty vs Bootstrap Farmer gauge

Growers comparing a Farmers Friend Haven or Guardian to a Bootstrap Farmer All-Metal or Essential kit keep landing on two different promises: a storm-damage parts discount versus a manufacturing-defect warranty, and 14-gauge bows versus 16-gauge (or 13-gauge) hoops. This page copies those sentences from live warranty and product pages. It does not invent a pound-per-square-foot rating, an EQIP payment, or a warranty year a vendor did not print.

Sources retrieved 28 September 2026, about 03:05 UTC (27 September 2026, America/Los_Angeles). Farmers Friend Storm Damage Warranty, satisfaction-guarantee, returns-and-exchanges, Haven, and Guardian pages, plus Bootstrap Farmer /pages/warranty-details.json and Shopify JSON for Round All-Metal, Essential Gothic, Essential Round, Gothic All-Metal, Premium Round, Premium Gothic, and 30′ Round were fetched live tonight (HTTP 200). Amazon mobile featured prices were copied the same night. Gaps stay an em dash.

Shape notes without a SKU race live on gothic vs Quonset. Caterpillar Classic / Gothic / Max versus Haven / Guardian is on caterpillar vs high tunnel. Winter 30-foot snow language is on Nor'Easter vs Bootstrap 30′ snow. Five-brand context is on Bootstrap vs Rimol vs FarmTek vs TVH vs Grower's Solution. The full index is on kits. Freight sentences stay on kit freight vs free shipping.

Two different warranties

Farmers Friend sells a Storm Damage Warranty on the tunnel steel. Bootstrap Farmer sells a limited warranty against manufacturing defects on All Metal kits. Those are not the same promise. A storm that bends a hoop is the kind of event Bootstrap lists under what is not covered.

Five years for caterpillar tunnels (Classic, Gothic, Max), ten years for high tunnels (Haven, Guardian). We cover the steel and components of the tunnel itself. We can't cover labor or crop loss, but we make sure the "bones" of your operation are restored at half the cost.

Source: Farmers Friend Storm Damage Warranty. Meta on that page: Every Farmers Friend high tunnel includes 5–10 years of Storm Damage Warranty. Get 50% off replacement parts and free shipping on approved claims. Approved claims: Approved claims get half-off pricing on the steel, hardware, and components needed to rebuild. No freight charges for warranty-approved replacement parts. Original owner only: coverage stays with the original owner and cannot be transferred if the tunnel is sold.

All Metal Kits have a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects. Not covered includes Products lost or damaged through natural disasters, fire, or accidents

Source: Bootstrap Farmer warranty details. Intro: Your Bootstrap Farmer equipment is built to last, but since life happens, we keep you covered with a limited warranty for some peace of mind. Greenhouse parts: A two-year warranty applies for the greenhouse connectors, couplings, winches, spring wire & channel purchased from BootstrapFarmer.com. Film: 4-year manufacturer's warranty on GH Plastic Clear 6 mil. Claim channel: Warranty valid only when purchased through BootstrapFarmer.com or our Amazon storefront.

Satisfaction-guarantee language on Farmers Friend is a separate, discretionary line — not a second storm term: If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, let us help you with a discretionary replacement, return or repair. (satisfaction guarantee). Returns: These items are non-returnable and non-refundable after they have left our facility. A $200 restocking/change fee applies for any changes or cancellations made after the time of checkout. (returns and exchanges). Bootstrap refund policy is not a kit-level restock table tonight.

Sourced comparison

Years, coverage, and steel numbers below are copied from the pages opened tonight. A blank cell means that vendor did not state the figure. Gauge is not a snow- or wind-load stamp.

Which kits, and what gauge

Haven and Guardian PDPs name 14-gauge bows and a 10-year storm sentence. Bootstrap All-Metal, Premium, and 30′ Round sit under the five-year manufacturing-defect line. Essential Gothic and Essential Round name hoop gauge and a 4-year film warranty; they are not named on the All Metal five-year sentence — that frame-warranty cell stays blank.

That's why our Haven High Tunnel is crafted with industry-leading 14-gauge metal in both the bows and posts. Haven also prints an unmatched 10-year storm damage warranty and Bow Diameter 1 ⅜” outside diameter

Source: Farmers Friend Haven. “Industry-leading 14-gauge” is vendor copy. Displayed list tonight $3,348 — length unlabeled on that PDP; do not treat it as every length. Zipper end wall add-on $349.

And just like the Haven, all Guardian bows are made with our strongest 14-gauge steel which is 40% thicker than standard 17-gauge bows. Guardian also prints our unmatched 10-year storm damage warranty and Bow Diameter 1 5/8"

Source: Farmers Friend Guardian. “40% thicker than standard 17-gauge bows” is vendor copy, not a test we ran. Displayed list tonight $4,758 — length unlabeled. DIY end wall add-on $247. Side walls: 6.5-ft vertical side walls

The hoops are made from USA sourced 16 gauge steel with a clear coating on galvanized pipes. Our 16 gauge hoop material is heavier duty than store-bought top rail (.065”).

Source: Bootstrap Farmer Round All-Metal. 30′ Round: Heavy-duty 13 gauge hoops and ground posts Heavier 16 gauge hip and base, braces, and endwall components (hoop-house-30ft). Essential Gothic: All USA-made and fabricated galvanized 16-gauge (0.065") hoops, ridgepole and purlins with clear coating on pipes (essential-gothic-high-tunnel). Hoop outside diameter is not stated on those PDPs tonight.

Premium Gothic repeats the same 16-gauge / 18-gauge hat-channel sentences as Premium Round (premium-gothic-all-metal-high-tunnel-kit). Essential Round hoop line: All USA-made and fabricated galvanized 16-gauge (0.065") hoops and ridgepole with clear coating on pipes (round-high-tunnel-essential-kit). Gothic All-Metal: Heavy-duty 16 gauge hoops, ground posts, and end wall components Heavier 18 gauge hip and base braces.

EQIP: structure, not a vendor warranty

A four-year lifespan is assumed; repair and replacement during that period are at the producer’s cost.

Source: USDA NRCS Pennsylvania — Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops. A four-year producer-cost lifespan is not a Farmers Friend 10-year storm term and not a Bootstrap five-year defect term. No payment dollar on that page.

Vendor warranties are private contracts. This site does not invent an EQIP dollar. Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.

FAQ

How long is the Farmers Friend high-tunnel warranty?

The Storm Damage Warranty page tonight: ten years for Haven and Guardian high tunnels, five years for Classic, Gothic, and Max caterpillar tunnels. Approved claims get 50% off replacement parts and free shipping. The warranty covers steel and components, not labor or crop loss, and stays with the original owner. That is vendor copy, not an EQIP payment.

How long is the Bootstrap Farmer high-tunnel warranty?

The warranty-details page tonight: “All Metal Kits have a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects.” Greenhouse parts (connectors, couplings, winches, spring wire and channel) are two years. Clear 6-mil film is a 4-year manufacturer’s warranty. Natural disasters, fire, and accidents are listed under what is not covered. Essential Gothic and Essential Round are not named on that five-year All Metal line — the gap stays an em dash.

Is 14-gauge stronger than 16-gauge?

A smaller gauge number is thicker steel in the sheet-metal convention those pages use. Haven and Guardian name 14-gauge bows; Bootstrap’s 14′/20′ All-Metal and Essential kits name 16-gauge (0.065″) hoops; the 30′ Round All-Metal names 13-gauge hoops. Guardian’s “40% thicker than standard 17-gauge bows” is vendor copy. None of those pages state a snow- or wind-load PSF. Do not treat gauge as a stamped rating.

Does a longer warranty mean EQIP will pay more?

No. The Pennsylvania NRCS seasonal high tunnel page puts a four-year lifespan on the producer: repair and replacement during that period are at the producer’s cost. Vendor warranties are private contracts. This site does not invent an EQIP dollar. Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.

Can I return a Farmers Friend high tunnel?

The returns page tonight: Caterpillar and high tunnels are non-returnable and non-refundable after they have left the facility. A $200 restocking or change fee applies for changes or cancellations after checkout. Other products have a 90-day return window. Satisfaction guarantee language is a discretionary replacement, return, or repair — not a second 10-year storm term.

Tunnel Spec does not sell kits or write EQIP contracts. Rules vary; call your county NRCS office.