JACK M Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) Three of my trailers have on board batteries. (Like most travel trailers) I buy those twenty dollar solar panels from HF and hook them up when parked. (I haven't priced one in a couple of years, but I paid $20 then and one of mine has a crack from being dropped so I will be going there soon). Often a trailer will sit for months without being used. (my tow rigs charge the batteries when hooked up) I am always happy when I back up to one of these trailers and the electric jack still works. The most common failures are the jacks loosing ground to the trailer frame. (a result of the liquid sunshine in the NW). I doubt if I would depend on using their hand tools on a daily basis, but yes, they do offer some items of fair quality. Edited April 17, 2018 by JACK M (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 2 hours ago, joe_padavano said: I find that the biggest critics of Harbor Freight are the people who have never bought anything from them. Do they sell crap? Yeah, some of it. On the other hand, much of their product line is perfectly fine. I've got a very heavy duty transmission jack that I bought from HF over ten years ago for $150 that is still working great. Replaced the ram on my engine hoist with an air-over-hydraulic one from HF and I love it. Their walnut shell blasting media (made in US, no less!) did a better job than the expensive walnut shell media I got from a brand name supplier. The list goes on. If you lose sleep at night about the safety of their jacks, don't buy them. The rest of us are just fine. FYI, the incorrectly used jack that started this thread wasn't even bought at Harbor Freight! That jack was made in China... same wimpy thing as HF sells.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 4 hours ago, c49er said: That jack was made in China... same wimpy thing as HF sells.. Newsflash: most of the stuff you think is "quality" ( like NAPA) is also made in China, likely from the same vendor. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Chinese jacks, and even bedroom sets, are dangerous. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-books-20140831-story.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 On mine it's not even the piston that is leaking, it's this part in the picture. I'll take it apart, see if i can find the correct seal to use easily, and if not junk the whole thing. What would be in there? A hydraulic cup type seal like in a clutch master cylinder? Or just something like an O-ring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 the stuff leaking out looks GROSS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 (edited) Up north here we have Princess Auto rather than HF. More than likely the same company. I do not want to depend on a tool or machine that is the equivalent to Russian roulette for operating reliability. Rather than buying their off shore winches I put a Warren 4,000 on my open trailer and a 2,000 what they also sell on my enclosed . No worries now if I will have to push a car in at the end of the day. Edited April 18, 2018 by Joe in Canada (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 5 hours ago, joe_padavano said: Newsflash: most of the stuff you think is "quality" ( like NAPA) is also made in China, likely from the same vendor. 95% of what Americans buy is Chinese except animals and some vegetables Everyone please buy more Chinese. Good for you pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 18 hours ago, mike6024 said: On mine it's not even the piston that is leaking, it's this part in the picture. I'll take it apart, see if i can find the correct seal to use easily, and if not junk the whole thing. What would be in there? A hydraulic cup type seal like in a clutch master cylinder? Or just something like an O-ring? I would think O-ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 I just realised I have had one of these cheap jacks for 25+ years. It works alright but is not so stable laterally if the floor is not flat. The only real problem with it is it doesn't stay up. I always use stands so that is not a problem. I also always put a block of wood on the top cup (I use 100 x 50) to reduce the chance of steel on steel slip. Its rating is 2 tonne, but I don't think it is good for much more than a tonne. Jacking that much requires a bit of force on the handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 My 2 cents for my fellow Canadians. I purchased a 3 ton Motomaster floor jack from Canadian tire on sale a couple years ago and couldn't be happier. It's a low profile quick pump, lifts effortlessly and fast! No complaints and I don't know why I waited so long to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Chinese products only get you 80% there. Be safe out there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 I avoid buying anything from China if I can help it. I absolutely refuse to buy any hydraulic implement from there. Since I couldn't find a new US made jack, I bought a used one. It's big and ugly but it works great. It's maybe 40 years old and shows no signs of leaks. I just have no idea what brand it is. I paid less than I would have paid for a new Chinese one with a 1/4 of the capacity. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 I had a Sears 2 1/2 ton. The first time I used it on a smooth and level concrete floor it tipped. Something had bent and 1 wheel was up in the air with no load on it. Lifting the rear of 1967 wagon with a set of golf clubs in the back use to much weight for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Since we're talking about jacks and jack stand safety... if you are buying jacks stands these days you might want to re-weld them. Almost all brands/models are two pieces of stamped steel joined with, get this... a spot welded butt joint. That shouldn't even be a thing (and I likely just made up that term). If you look at your stands you'll see what I mean. I had a set of 3 tons holding my modern sedan up and I took a break for the night. Being the paranoid type that I am, I had another set of jack stands positioned next to the jack stands but at a slightly lower level (obviously you can't get them tight up against the frame). When I went under the car that morning I noticed that the secondary set of jack stands was now tight against the frame. One of the other jack stands had split right at that spot welded butt joint. I've attached a picture and circled the area I'm talking about... the joint runs all the way up the stand under the sticker... same for the other side. Mine had 4 spot welds. I threw them in the garbage, bought 5 ton jack stands, took the stickers off (the one that warns against modifying the jack stand) and had them re-welded with a true continuous butt weld. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Makes me glad I usually use wood jack stands! Dad made me the first set 35 years ago. I need to make some more. They are made like one builds a floor in a typical platform built house. 1 x 4 (or whatever you have) about 15" long, enough to be 12"+ wide (act as the "ceiling sheetrock), 2 x 4 as the floor joists, at least three, the more the merrier, and then more 1 x 4s for the "floor". For taller ones, you can use 2 x 6 as the "floor" joists. For best safety, also nail a "rim board" across both ends, cutting a hand hole so you can pick them up and carry them. Most of my 2 x 4 ones do not have the ends (rim board) and some have half height "rim boards". Stack three or four high if needed! Cars do not slide off of them. And on a similar note, we needed to hold up a heavy "Buffalo" like vehicle and we built jack stands out of 3/4" plywood. About a foot and a half wide and 4 feet long sheets glued and screwed together to a height of one to two feet. Talk about a heavy jack stand! Almost took a forklift to move them. We also made ramps by cutting progressively shorter plywood pieces, glued and screwed. Yes, we used brand name 50 ton hydraulic rams to actually lift the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 The other thing with jack stands such as those above is the lateral stability is sometimes poor because the ratcheted shaft is much narrower than the slot it runs in. You can rock the car sideways - a bit frightening if you are under there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 On 4/18/2018 at 10:32 PM, Bleach said: I bought a used one. My first choice is a quality used product every time if I can find it. My Walker jack was built about 1967. For the ecologist that is great. Most of the carbon byproducts of manufacture and shipping were incinerated during atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1970's. How will the affects of a new one be neutralized? Bernie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Whenever I am working under a car, I always place it on jack stands, of course. I also have an additional jack stand that I keep near me, so in case the car falls, the additional jack stand will prevent the car from crushing me. As I move around, I move the jack stand with me. I'd rather be safe than sorry. As a retired Firefighter, I have responded to calls of people trapped under cars. Sometimes it's not pretty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 3 hours ago, 46 woodie said: I'd rather be safe than sorry I'm with 46 woodie.....chinese, american or where ever the manufacturer is from, I just can't come to grips with trusting anything man made or mechanical. That's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I look at it this way - ifyou use good tools and good parts you generly come out ahead and will be safe under or driving the car. Use junk in either case and you will pay for it eventually. Think about what you are doing and be safe. Simple bottom line that usually works. You wouldn't buy a cheap diamond for your wife why buy a cheap tool for yourself. They are one in the same in a lot of ways. Both work towards your well being. Have fun Dave S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Summershandy said: I'm with 46 woodie.....chinese, american or where ever the manufacturer is from, I just can't come to grips with trusting anything man made or mechanical. That's just me. So you always bring a parachute on commercial flights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 1 hour ago, joe_padavano said: So you always bring a parachute on commercial flights? You might as well. You can't trust visual inspections anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 5 hours ago, Summershandy said: I'm with 46 woodie.....chinese, american or where ever the manufacturer is from, I just can't come to grips with trusting anything man made or mechanical. That's just me. What about the brakes in your "modern heap"? This would lead to great paranoia whenever you were in a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Summershandy Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 OK guys I get it....flying, driving, walking, shaving, I meant more on being under 2 tons of metal, by myself trusting only minimal support. I don't use 2 floor jacks but 4. Less odds of failing or getting crushed. If all 4 fail then my bad. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) 19 hours ago, SC38DLS said: You wouldn't buy a cheap diamond for your wife why buy a cheap tool for yourself. Interesting comparison. Were you alone or sitting with a bunch of guys having coffee when you thought that? Bernie (planning to buy a new Rotary lift to go with the Snap On scissors lift) and smiling Edited April 21, 2018 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 All by myself sitting in the library/tv room in my favorite chair. ! Dave S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 I've seen enough floor jacks fail to not rely on them to hold stuff up without some other mechanism that takes over when one fails. Usually they slowly leak, but I have had them (even brand names) just pop a seal and drop the load. No telling what my employees had been using it for before I used it..... What rating, just keep pumping till something moves.... Now where can I get in on a cheap diamond? Which of the four Cs do I go low to get it cheap? But honey, everyone is wearing brown diamonds this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 I told my Wife to look close. The diamond was intricately carved to a replica of a mosquito knee join. She knows I put quality before quantity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 35 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said: I told my Wife to look close. The diamond was intricately carved to a replica of a mosquito knee join. She knows I put quality before quantity. Did you buy miniature tools or a compact car? Big diamonds can be quality diamonds. I’ll ask your wife how she liked the new diamond she got for her birthday that you posted a picture of on the forum. I can come up with a pic. Now that that’s solved back to original subject. Dave S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxops Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 My '56 Cadillac weights 5,800 pounds...no way I'm sticking my head under there without jackstands, and chocks on the tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Wow. So now a thread complaining about a "dangerous" jack (that was not used properly) and that then morphed into a b*tchfest about Harbor Freight (which wasn't even the source of the original jack) has again morphed into a thread about using jacks without jackstands??? Wow..... For the record, getting under a car supported only by a jack (any jack) without stands is evolution in action. Why does this even need to be mentioned? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 On 4/16/2018 at 1:06 PM, mike6024 said: http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDisplay.cfm?lookup=HEIHW93642 I just bought the 2 Ton Hein Warner, which supposedly is the Walker jack design. Only $299 with shipping. $235 +$64 shipping Total: $235.37 Shipped via: FEDEX FEDEX GROUND (special charges included) 99.0 Shipping: $64.16 Sales Tax: $0.00 Order Total: $299.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 (edited) On 20/04/2018 at 8:47 AM, 60FlatTop said: My first choice is a quality used product every time if I can find it. My Walker jack was built about 1967. For the ecologist that is great. Most of the carbon byproducts of manufacture and shipping were incinerated during atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1970's. How will the affects of a new one be neutralized? Bernie Me son is a nuclear operator up here. One of the fellows where he works came to the cafeteria for a coffee and forgot to turn off his Geiger counter from when he last used it. It went off when he came to the table taking a reading. Everyone checked themselves thinking someone was hot but they were all ok. Found the chairs were made in China from recycled material that should never have been used. True story. Edited April 22, 2018 by Joe in Canada (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted sweet Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 assembled in the usa??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 You guys going to drag this out for five or more pages? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Yes "assembled." Apparently they say the 3-Ton is "Made in the USA" but the 2-Ton is only "assembled." Made in the USA has has legal standard : 75% of all parts must be made here. So the 2-ton has dropped below that standard. It used to be, not that long ago, that they (all Hein-Warner) were "made in USA." Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 The new jack arrived today. Hein-Warner 2 ton $235 + $64 shipping (100 pounds) = $299 total http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDisplay.cfm?lookup=HEIHW93642 There are differences in construction compared to the cheap Chinese products. The arm on this looks to be cast iron. It is heavier. This 2 ton is bigger and heavier than my old 3 ton Sears Chinese model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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