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Harbor Freight Jacks?!? LoL..

badmix

badmix

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
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Location
West Virginia
I bought a Harbor Freight 3,000lb "lightweight racing" aluminum jack, I got a smoking deal on it at HF, it was org. 79.99 and ended up getting it for like 29.99. I used it exactly 3 times. It didnt make it a 4th.

I figured it was lightweight and cheap enough and should be able to get one corner of my Blazer up enough to change a tire. I wanted to check my brakes today, I havent checked them in along time (they are (1/2 worn BTW, lol)

I went around to each corner and jacked it up and removed wheel, checked brakes and put it back. It made to 3 of them, but not the 4th. lol. It wouldnt pump up any more. So, ill yank my hi-lift out sometime and check the last back brake.

No more cheap tools like this for me. This POS couldve given out at any time. Luckily it just didnt lift the truck. I knew they were cheap but figured it get a few uses out of it. oh well.

Off to get a 4-5 ton floor jack.
 
i've only been using HF stuff about 3 weeks, (just opened a store near my house) and so far i've had 3 tools fail. but i've found ways around it, like using a bolt and nut to fix the head back on my breaker bar. but i def wouldnt trust their stuff for something i'm gonna be crawling under. lol.
 
Firstly your never suppose to get under a car on a jack. Any jack can go out at any time regardless of make or model.

I have the same jack your speaking of and its been working great for 6 months. I lift up the entire ass of my cutlass with it by the rear all the time, no issue.

You got a dud, its as simple as that and it happens. If you were under the car when the jack went out aside from putting a jackstand under or taking one out its frankly totally your fault...
 
Stomis said:
Firstly your never suppose to get under a car on a jack. Any jack can go out at any time regardless of make or model.

I have the same jack your speaking of and its been working great for 6 months. I lift up the entire ass of my cutlass with it by the rear all the time, no issue.

You got a dud, its as simple as that and it happens. If you were under the car when the jack went out aside from putting a jackstand under or taking one out its frankly totally your fault...
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Ive seen and heard lots of people buy the US general jack from HF and never had problems with it, in fact they say its better than the craftsman
 
I have the 2 ton light weight racing jack from HF and it works awesome. I first bought the same jack you did and once I got it home and unpackaged I QUICKLY realized that the jack handle was too short and took lots of effort to jack up my rig (could've used a cheater bar but that's not my style) and the jack doesn't go as high as the one I was replacing so I opted to return it and buy the 2 ton jack which goes lower than the jack you have, goes higher than the jack you have, has about a foot longer handle, and the jack itself is also longer. I haven't been that happy about a jack in a long time. Also, the 2 ton jack has 4 wheels instead of the 3 like the 1 1/2 ton you bought.

This is the jack I bought. I had a 20% off coupon and also bought the jack when it was on sale so in total it cost me $110.00
http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-...t-low-profile-aluminum-racing-jack-92782.html
 
3 ton hein warner, does everything ive thrown at it for years, and is the same thing as a snapon without the red paint.
 
British Slave said:
Take the jack back and they will give you a new one. My BIL says that is why he does a lot of business with them, They always replace defective stuff.
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X2 take it back, they are cool when it comes to replacing things and besides they dont assemble your ratch in front or you when you take it for warranty..(sears) coff coff...
 
I have had there 3ton orange jacket stickers re gone lol for like 4yrs and want another hasent failed me.
 
can't remember the company that makes Snap On jacks, 15-20 years ago. My cousin has one and man is it awesome. You pay for it though, but when you use it every day, well it's what you need. I think mine has an AE, or something like that on it. Paid 180 for it years ago and works really well.
 
Like others have said take it back and swap it out. I've learned with HF stuff that generally if it works through the first project it'll last a looooong time. So go swap it out until you find one that isn't a dud.
I've had the regular old heavy all steel floor jack from HF for years. It was the first tool I bought besides sockets and wrenches when I first bought my truck and it has never let me down. Over the last year it's started to leak down a little but heck it's over 5 years old and it'll still hold the entire back end of my k10 up for 5 minutes without dropping.
 
Yep what everyone else has already said, take it back and get another...

Mine gets flat out abused, it's left out in the rain all the time... Neighbors borrow it... It's been the best floor jack I've owned and I've been threw a few...
 
Did the store manager helped you??? if not ask for the manager... i retunrned some stuff some time ago and i lost the receipt then the store manager came in the pictures he knew the parts were from the store and he gave me store credit...at least you dont the cash...
 
Went back, talked to Store Manager, no go. they are strict with their 90day, no receipt policy.
 
badmix said:
Went back, talked to Store Manager, no go. they are strict with their 90day, no receipt policy.
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Well that's the thing if you want to work with cheap HF stff, you gotta hold on to the reciepts.
I I don't because I don't think about going back, if it's a Dud I buy another, but if you feel it's not fair, just hold on to your reciepts, no questions asked they will replace it.
 
buy another one, return the old one with the new reciept...done
 
I have a 3 ton big heavy steel HF jack and its ok, dont like it as much as my old worn out texaco jack but whatever, it does what I need for now. The thing also took FOREVER to bleed all the air out. The hangle is also a POS, where it bolts together in the middle is really loose and creates alot of slack when pumping it up, I should weld that.

I should change the fluid again and bleed the air out of my texaco jack, that thing is an amazing peice of equipment.

When I start working FT again Im gonna get one of those Hein Warner jacks.
 
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