PSA - Harbor Freight jack stands - check them!

[Rob175]

I buy HF tools but know full well they are cheap and "disposable". That's exactly what I want for a singular special use or a one time use, but as a regularly used tool there's just no way. Good tools can last several lifetimes and can be passed down but HF tools not so much.

Would I trust HF tools with my "life".....NO! But I'd also never crawl under any car while supported by ANY jack stand, but that's just "chicken" me. If I need to work under the front or rear of a car I prefer to use a set of ramps (front or rear). But that's about it.

[thstone]

I have four of the 6-ton stands that are part of the recall. I only use these for quick tire changes.

For under the car work, I use a four-post lift which has mechanical/emergency stops. Then I place tall jack stands under the lift for the just-in-case backup scenario. And I still don't like being under there!

[Subman]

There are many things worth saving money on.

Safety isn't one of them.

[Geof3]

Just buy ESCO’s and be done with it. Worth every penny, it’s not worth a 3000lb bench press attempt to go cheap.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Geof3

Just buy ESCO’s and be done with it. Worth every penny, it’s not worth a 3000lb bench press attempt to go cheap.

This +1.





























































10 characters.

[tonythetiger]

Originally Posted by Geof3

Just buy ESCO’s and be done with it. Worth every penny, it’s not worth a 3000lb bench press attempt to go cheap.

DONE...no more messing around, these are really nice and not much more expensive. I can already tell that lining them up where they wont damage the bottom of the car is better too.

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by Starter986

This +1.

10 characters.

You and I are two of them, who are the other 8?


I returned 3 pairs to HF. The guy said that the mechanism does't always catch correctly, it's not that they break. Either way, it's unsettling.

I'm liking those ESCOs with the pin. No doubting that mechanism. Does anybody know where they're made?

[rick3000]

I like the Esco's a lot, and recommend them, but I do have to point out one thing about them and the 986. The lowest setting on the regular size is a bit high.

The lowest setting on the regular size is 13", they now make a shorty style where the lowest setting is 11". It's doable, but 13" pretty high for the 986 when you are lifting it one wheel at a time. Because the 986 frame is so rigid, I have had one whole side of the car in the air, with just one jack stand in the rear, which can be nerve-racking. This is why I now use 2-stage wooden cribs to get the wheels 6" or 12" off the ground before placing it on stands.

[Deserion]

Originally Posted by piper6909

Does anybody know where they're made?

From what I’ve read they were shipped off to China for production, some reviewers say the weld quality isn’t quite as good as in the past.