Harbor freight jackstands, UNSAFE!!!!!!!!!

Rickf1985 · August 10, 2016, 07:07 PM

Do NOT buy these 6 ton jackstands!!!!! I just had one give out due to a cheesy damn piece of sheet metal that is supposed to hold the the center post of the stand from moving forward or back. Pulled on a wrench which pulled the coach over and it let go!!! Thank God I had the wheels on and boards under the wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a link to the stand in question, they sell them under several part numbers but they are all the same. Their whole line is built the same so buyer beware! I will never again trust their garbage for supporting a load.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-steel-jack-stands-61197.html

Notice the angle of the post in the first two pictures, I will tell you that it kicked the holding gear out and dropped the load also.

Here you will see the little piece of metal the broke out, that is the palm of my glove it is sitting in. Compare to the one sitting next to it and you can see where it belongs. Note the quality of the weld in addition to the small size of the piece.

EldoradoBill · August 10, 2016, 07:48 PM

here's a link to what I use for jack stands, yes they are pricey but I'd rather be alive https://www.amazon.com/Esco-ESC10436-Fork-Lift-Jack/dp/B0049G9D0Y If you need increased height set them on 4x4 or 6x6 block cribbed

Bill

Rickf1985 · August 10, 2016, 08:24 PM

I have some almost exactly like them, I built them out of heavy wall pipe. I was actually trying to find them for this job but they are buried somewhere. Need to make more of them. Can make them quick and easy out of square tube stock used for trailer hitches. I use 5/8 hitch pins for the height setting pins and holes.

fasteddie313 · August 10, 2016, 09:05 PM

That is crazy!!

I almost bought one of those aluminum jacks at HF in detroit, one of the guys was giving me a hard time about looking at a jack before buying it, inspecting it, he was such a prick I told him to put my stuff back and walked out..

circleD · August 10, 2016, 10:32 PM

I have some of those and I don't feel completely safe when using them. I might sell them to recoup some of my money. Glad you're ok Rick and that you had a safety built in.

TerryH · August 11, 2016, 01:05 AM

Good that you are able to post this, Rick, as opposed to having to resize your clothes.
Assume they are the typical 'offshore manufactured crap' that we all have to be careful of.

87Itasca · August 11, 2016, 08:52 AM

I don't trust much of anything from HF. Mostly made of Chineseum. A friend calls them "Harry Homeowner" tools.

I bought a steering wheel puller kit from them several years ago for $25 (as it was $20 to rent one from Advance) and it worked the couple times I have used it, but all the bolts in the kit have started turning to dust!

They all have this whitish haze on them, and when you put any load on the threads, they strip completely.

What kind of metal disintegrates in the open air, with no rust on it?

legomybago · August 11, 2016, 09:58 AM

I have found a couple items I like from HF, the moving blankets for laying on underneath a rig in the driveway, and their orange ratchet straps. Both have served me well. And I have a 20 ton bottle jack. Other than that, the rest as far as I am concerned is $hit. That's the only place you can buy sandpaper and watch the sand come off the paper as you use it...

Glad you didn't put ALL your faith in those stands Rick.

Rickf1985 · August 11, 2016, 11:22 AM

There are actually websites now where people have tested HF tools and such and make recommendations on what to buy and what not to buy. I have not looked to see where the stands rate.

beaverman · August 11, 2016, 07:23 PM

Man that would have left a mark !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

glad your ok bud !

TerryH · August 11, 2016, 08:20 PM

Quote from: circleD on August 10, 2016, 10:32 PM
I have some of those and I don't feel completely safe when using them. I might sell them to recoup some of my money. Glad you're ok Rick and that you had a safety built in.

Hope you sell them to someone with a much lighter vehicle.
Just checked mine, also 6 ton rating. the section on Rick's that let go is part of the stand itself on mine. Bent up and then welded on the sides during manufacture. However, looking at it, that's not a hell of a lot of material should something let go.
In future, and I usually do, I'll use two stands per side, lower the jack so the stands support the weight, and then jack up again to where the jack is just taking the weight. Two jack stands and the jack. I'm not terribly fast moving, but I hope it's enough.
GREAT heads up, Rick.

BrianB · August 12, 2016, 09:29 AM

6x6 PT wood blocks are much more reliable in my opinion.

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 10:00 AM

I fully agree on the blocks but do you realize how many blocks it takes to crib up a rear end? Plus by the time you get all that cribbing in there then you have no room to work on what you needed to get to. One of my jobs was a heavy equipment mover and rigger so we regularly had to jack up and move pieces of equipment the size of a couple Winnebagos and weighing 50-60 TONs! Our main supports were blocks of hardwood. Some of those blocks of wood were older than me! How many of you OLDER guys have ever used those old mechanical locomotive jacks? Working with that kind of stuff you learn a great respect for safety. And I still have all ten fingers.

Well, a couple are a little bent. W%

Elandan2 · August 12, 2016, 12:46 PM

I have caused those "locomotive jacks" to be brought out on occasion!

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 04:52 PM

I got a call from a representative of Harbor Freight since I also sent them an email. Amazing, they told me that they have NO record of anything like this happening so they are not going to worry about it. And by the way, my stands are out of warranty so I am out of luck. I told him "No problem, I am just going to give the pictures to the Consumer Affairs people, Consumer Reports so they can do their own safety inspection on them, and my lawyer. As he started to apologize I hung up on him. The said lawyer is actually a friend of mine and lives for this kind of stuff. I could never afford to hire him! I had no intention of doing anything with it but this guys flippant attitude was just off the charts. NOW they have a record of something like this happening, WITH pictures. What are you going to do? wait for the next time when someone dies? Screw them!

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 04:59 PM

Rick, this ought to bring back memories then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPN40td9xik

TerryH · August 12, 2016, 07:44 PM

Should you happen to hear from HF again, maybe send them your photos and a list of the various sites you belong to. And a count of others that belong to those sites. And a sample of what you are going to post to each site to warn people of the potential injuries that may result from HF products.
One complaint - BFD. One customer with a legitimate complaint, who is willing to pass the problem on to thousands, and each of those who read it have friends, etc., heads should roll. Far better that they withdraw an obviously defective and dangerous item from their shelf
Ideally, contact everyone who has purchased the item to - minimally - let them know of the danger when using this item.
Yeah.
Right.

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 07:50 PM

I sent them the pictures. I also looked at the three ton and 12 ton stands and they are built exactly the same, just different sizes. I asked why they have four different 6 ton jack stands listed all for the same price with all different part numbers. Two are listed as heavy duty and two are listed as standard duty, all the same stand. He told me there is such a demand that they have to source them from different makers. I pointed out that there must be a lot of companies in China named Pittsburgh since they all have the same name. No comment from him on that one.

TerryH · August 12, 2016, 08:03 PM

And, of course,
Pittsburg
wasn't a spelling mistake on your part. i??

Rickf1985 · August 12, 2016, 08:42 PM

It was and it is fissed, Thanks fer pointin' it out.

TerryH · August 12, 2016, 09:15 PM

Canuck. What can I say? Assumed it was what we saw years ago - Made in Usa (City in Japan?).

EldoradoBill · August 13, 2016, 05:16 PM

Yuasa makes batteries, and the name was, you guessed it, coined to confuse the "made in Japan" naysayers

Bill

Surfinhurf · August 15, 2016, 09:44 AM

Rick, you got me thinking about what I use for jack stands. I got them from my dad and have used them for 30+ years. I have no idea what the capacity is, any guesses?

I have used them many times under the Winnie, but I always stack wood blocks under the axle. "Belt and Suspenders"

HURF

Rickf1985 · August 15, 2016, 10:34 AM

Rough guess, the 1 1/2 x 8 could mean 1 1/2 ton by 8" high but if they are more than 8" high then that idea is out the window. Being all cast iron they are good stands but not much footprint. They were great for holding things up that were steady but they do not have any lateral stability. We used them when rigging machinery that had multiple sections that had to be put together since they were good at minor height adjustments. I would not use them as a primary stand but as you say you also use blocks.

lemortede · August 15, 2016, 11:22 AM

I am always SUPER paranoid when ever I jack up the Winne. Not only do I use jack stands, but I also have some 4x4's cut into 3 foot lengths (from another project) that I stack under the axle. It sends up creating a 12" wide platform. There ends up being a small space between the stacked 4x4's and the bottom of the axle but will stop the bago from crushing me hopefully. I also place some 12 ton bottle jacks on the corners of the end I am working on. They are snug against the frame but are not lifting. Yes, its redundant, but I don't have a spare me.... I have seen what even having a car fall on you can do....something this big and I am dead.