Harbor Freight Jack

buck12 · Dec 6, 2011

Has anyone purchased a Harbor Freight floor jack? They have a three ton Pittsburgh on sale for $79.99. I don't use a jack often but need my old one is leaking I generally don't buy Harbor Freight tools but I hate to pay $150 or $200 for an item that is seldom used.

kenmac · Dec 6, 2011

Bought 1 from NAPA 2 ton( 150.00 ) several yrs ago it was made in China & started leaking about 2 yrs ago. Bought 1 from HF 3 ton(80.00) 2 yrs ago ( made in China) still going strong

KennyG · Dec 6, 2011

I've had the 3 ton HF Pittsburgh jack for about 6 months. Works great (fingers crossed).

KYDan · Dec 6, 2011

I bought a 5 ton long reach floor jack from them and it crapped out after a couple of years of light use. It's sort of a crap shoot with their stuff. I have an impact wrench set that has been going strong for 10 years. I have some good luck and some bad luck with their merchandise.

Depmandog · Dec 11, 2011

My advice, never buy cheap tools when you life might depend on them (like a jack failing and crushing a body part).

I bought an el-cheapo 3 ton jack, it had enough guts to lift my F250 crew super duty during a tire change. But as I was trying to line up the stud holes, the jack failed. It started leaning and crumpled - ejected the jack smacking the back of the tire and rim while the truck slammed to the ground.

The LT tire/rim was pretty heavy, and with my back issues I had sat on the ground cross-legged and was using only my arms to lift the tire. Had I extended my legs - could have been crushed.

The truck was parked along side a road. (isn't ironic you never get a flat tire at home?) The road surface was only a few degrees off level....but with me pushing on the spare it was enough to cause failure.

So I decided right then - no el-cheapo jacks ever again.

Dean

scgargoyle · Dec 11, 2011

I never work on a jacked-up vehicle without jackstands- period. I also leave the jack in place in case the jackstand fails!

I bought a cheapie at Sam's ($60 or so) about ten years ago, and it's still going strong. My hydraulic engine hoist, however, goes through cylinders like crazy. I just keep buying a new cylinder every couple years.

tglass · Dec 11, 2011

buck12 said:
Has anyone purchased a Harbor Freight floor jack? They have a three ton Pittsburgh on sale for $79.99. I don't use a jack often but need my old one is leaking I generally don't buy Harbor Freight tools but I hate to pay $150 or $200 for an item that is seldom used.

Check Northern Tools when they have a sale. Jacks are usually extreemly cheap and a pretty good product. Mine have lasted quite a few years.

buck12 · Jan 2, 2012

I thought I should update this thread. I bought the Harbor Freight 3 ton jack (actually got it for Christmas). It appears to be a decent jack.

F250DSLPWR · Jan 2, 2012

I have several of the HF jacks and have had them for several years now, a couple bottle jacks, the aluminum racking floor jack and the farm and ranch hi lift jacks. I have not had any issues with any of them For safety, I never rely on just a jack alone in lifting and supporting anything while I am working on it. I always carry wood blocks in my truck and in the shop I use jack stands.

buck12 · Jan 2, 2012

F250DSLPWR said:
I have several of the HF jacks and have had them for several years now, a couple bottle jacks, the aluminum racking floor jack and the farm and ranch hi lift jacks. I have not had any issues with any of them For safety, I never rely on just a jack alone in lifting and supporting anything while I am working on it. I always carry wood blocks in my truck and in the shop I use jack stands.

I have a set of jack stands somewhere. All I ever use is wood blocks. Just gives me better feeling than the a jack stand.