Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,931  
The 4 drawer Series 2 'tech' cart is going on sale for $100 this week-end at the parking lot sale. $50 off.. 3 in. 4 Drawer Tech Cart
Thank you bud! Got it, the side shelf and the free 25' tape. The 20% off works in the side shelf IMG_20180420_172901078_HDR.jpeg
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,932  
Nice..
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,933  
Yeah I got the 500lb (didn't have 1000lb in stock) and I'm happy with it. Very useful.

That 1/2 ton lift table has saved me so many chiropractor visits- I even dragged it into the house and used it to move our old Sony CRT High-def TV [weighs >200#, and is too bulky to get my arms around it] from the LR to the BR and up onto the dresser.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,934  
High Lift Jack

Anyone have this? Mixed reviews on HF site as usual. It's either this or Northern Tools.

I need to lift a large barn door up about three feet and reattach hinges.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,935  
I have one of the US originals that this is a copy of. Sold a second one.

They work as expected, suitable for jacking under the axle of a tractor that is much higher than a car axle, for example. Or stretching fence wire.
Long ago I used to use mine to lift the back of my Willys Wagon by its trailer hitch if I were high-centered in deep ruts, then give the car a shove and let it fall several inches to the side onto undisturbed ground.

However ...

The American ones can be deadly.

1) They don't have any resistance to tipping to the side, front, back. Don't attempt to use it before you have a good plan to stabilize the load as it goes up.

2) My experience was the mechanism can do unexpected things including dropping the load suddenly as you try to jack it back down. The pins are just pushed in by springs, not by any fail-save engineering. So if there is some rust or obstacle in one of the holes the pin won't go in securely, and as you raise the handle for the next bite, down goes the load. I cleaned up one and got it a little more reliable, sold the other one as-is with a strong warning. New, or the HF clone, will be better in this respect but they still have the design weakness that there's nothing to guarantee that the pins get fully engaged on each stroke.

3) There are some modes where the handle can fly up unexpectedly - at risk of knocking your teeth out.

Last time I used mine was to tip a rotary mower up to pressure wash it. Jacking it back down, it missed a tooth and fell all the way. I was at a cautious distance, no harm done.


These are the appropriate tool for some tasks but with much caution that it is doing what you think it is doing.

I don't think where you buy it makes much difference.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,936  
I have one of the US originals that this is a copy of. Sold a second one.

They work as expected, suitable for jacking under the axle of a tractor that is much higher than a car axle, for example. Or stretching fence wire.
Long ago I used to use mine to lift the back of my Willys Wagon by its trailer hitch if I were high-centered in deep ruts, then give the car a shove and let it fall several inches to the side onto undisturbed ground.

However ...

The American ones can be deadly.

1) They don't have any resistance to tipping to the side, front, back. Don't attempt to use it before you have a good plan to stabilize the load as it goes up.

2) My experience was the mechanism can do unexpected things including dropping the load suddenly as you try to jack it back down. The pins are just pushed in by springs, not by any fail-save engineering. So if there is some rust or obstacle in one of the holes the pin won't go in securely, and as you raise the handle for the next bite, down goes the load. I cleaned up one and got it a little more reliable, sold the other one as-is with a strong warning. New, or the HF clone, will be better in this respect but they still have the design weakness that there's nothing to guarantee that the pins get fully engaged on each stroke.

3) There are some modes where the handle can fly up unexpectedly - at risk of knocking your teeth out.

Last time I used mine was to tip a rotary mower up to pressure wash it. Jacking it back down, it missed a tooth and fell all the way. I was at a cautious distance, no harm done.


These are the appropriate tool for some tasks but with much caution that it is doing what you think it is doing.

I don't think where you buy it makes much difference.
Hi Lift Jacks...

I'm a Jeeper, a rock crawler. I carry a high end "Hi Lift" brand jack on my roll cage... I've used it, and I don't like it.... But I carry it because there are times when it's flat out the only tool for the job.

Any day that your pulling out a Hi Lift is a really bad day. Off-road folks use it as a last resort tool only. They kill people, they hurt people, they damage vehicles and equipment. But, I would not go into the rocks without it, because when things go totally sideways on you.... You may need it. Bad.

Always fear the thing. It's waiting to to damage at every move it motion. It will bite you, and it will do it suddenly and with little or no warning.

Rock Crawler, out.Screenshot_20180421-032828.jpegIMG_20170908_182521383_HDR.jpeg
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,937  
For me, I decided I was better off buying the original US made Hi-Lift jack than the Chinese version. I've seen too many accidents and thought the US one would be a step ahead on quality. It only cost me a few dollars more and I feel safer. Likely, I'm not and treat these jacks with the extreme care noted above. When lowering, be prepared for an out of control ratcheting descent and flailing handle. I always keep one hand on the top of the jack and the other on the handle when lowering and am ready to cut and run if need be. My neighbor's father had his jaw broken in multiple places with one.

One thing I have learned is to lube as the instructions state. A lubed jack done as they suggest works a whole lot better and I think safer than a dry one.


Here is the original US made Hi-Lift jack instruction manual.
View attachment Hi-Lift jak instructions.pdf
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,938  
The 4 drawer Series 2 'tech' cart is going on sale for $100 this week-end at the parking lot sale. $50 off.. 3 in. 4 Drawer Tech Cart

Bought one of these with a $99 coupon for work a few years ago. The wheels would get squeaky and hard to push but we put a lot of miles on it. Great tool cart for the money.

Thank you bud! Got it, the side shelf and the free 25' tape. The 20% off works in the side shelf View attachment 549873

Was looking for the 20% coupon. Had to click on the black April 20-22 tab.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,939  
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #8,940  
High Lift Jack

Anyone have this? Mixed reviews on HF site as usual. It's either this or Northern Tools.

I need to lift a large barn door up about three feet and reattach hinges.
You might want to consider a scissors jack like the type they use for RV's. They are really slow to raise and lower but a lot safer.
 

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