I bought one of the hydraulic lift tables a couple of years ago. They sell two capacities, I got the stronger one.
I checked the reviews before I bought, and there was a lot of bad ones. Most all of them said a version of the same thing.
Worked a couple of times, then would not lift any more.
I needed one, so I bought one.
It did just what the others did. Lifted great about three times, then I could pump and pump, and it never even wiggled.
Made no sense whatsoever. No fluid leak, pump pedal felt normal, just no lift. I thought it might be an air bubble, so I held the release lever and pumped a few times. Released the lever, it lifted once. I let it down, would not lift again. But, I was suspicious. Something fixed it for one lift. I lay down on the floor, got a friend to work the pump and release lever. Suddenly it worked again. Good and strong. I got him to let the table back down, and saw it. The little control cable between the lever and the release on the pump has several bends and is cheap. Many times when you let go of the lever, it goes all the way back, but the cable in the sheath binds, and the actual release does not close.
I straightened the cable in places, oiled it, and it got better, but all I have to do is let the control lever on the handle snap back and that usually does it. Some times I have to do it a couple of times, or just reach down and move the release by hand.
Eventually it will either wear in and get better or quit completely and I will replace it.
Other than that, it has been flawless. I suspect that is the cause of all the bad reviews and defective units.
Many times places like that do not return defective stuff to the maker, just toss it. I think I may check with the manager and tell him if he tosses any lift tables because they are defective, I can use them for parts........
BTW, one of the best things I have bought there, of all things, is this:
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-inch-ceramic-paring-knife-98183.html
Its like all ceramic knives, brittle, so you have to use it with care, but I have two of the little ones, and they are razor sharp when you buy them. I use one for cutting roast beef, or steak when I'm eating, and even the toughest meat just falls apart.
After about a year of using one on paper plates to keep from dulling it, it finally started getting "dull". It actually got to about the point of a regular steak knife. I bought a second one, just as sharp out of the box as the first, and tried using a diamond hone to sharpen the first one.
I never got it as sharp as it was out of the box, but I did get it sharper. I think I need a finer grit, but I'm working on it.
