Harbor Freight Jack Stand Recall

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by vash

time to buy better ones. from Pelican maybe. or Hein Warners?

Not exactly what I was expecting

I had to add jackstands to the search window to find them.

[vash]

hahaha....

WERNER. dude.

[vash]

i'm throwing mine out today. my truck is heavy.

[berettafan]

Lift it! I can change my oil without so much as a 2x10 under the tire. I too have less space than most under a vehicle.

[David]

I quit using ratchet stands many years ago. I only use pin types.

[vash]

just to be clear. safety first.

I always slide the tires I removed under the car with me, and I leave my floor jack in place just jacked up taut.

i'm not dying under a car. not by crushing anyways. heart attack..mebbe.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

How can the pawl disengage? Is it a ratchet mechanism and not a pin thru a hole ? I've never looked at one.

People don't let the pawl come to a full rest. It's easy to do. While raising the car follow the jack up as you go lifting the post to a new 'click' with each couple of pumps. This actually ensures that the jack will be in the proper place when the car is lowered onto the post saddle.

But, folks don't make sure that the pawl dropped in solid. Once it begins to fall it won't catch the one below — too fast and violent of a fall.

Then there's the shifting/twisting thing. I can imagine all the doofuses that use these on asphalt, dirt and unlevel concrete.

HF should put a sign in the door, "Stupid, don't come here," but then the place would be empty.

I don't care where you buy jacks stands, they are made in China. Even Grainger sells a set for $77 and it says right there on the page, "Country of Origin - China."

The USA made ones get close to 2 bill$/pr. and go way up from there.
Some are hybrids being assembled in the US using "globally sourced parts."

YMMV

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by vash

time to buy better ones. from Pelican maybe. or Hein Warners?

Most sellers say "Country of origin - varies" for the 3-ton Jacks.
That tells you a lot, eh?

[RWebb]

you're saying the Esco's are made in China?


I guess I'm lucky since my jack stands are so old China didn't export steel then...

[RWebb]

The defect is attributed to aging tooling at the factory that produced the jack stands...

-R&T article

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Neilk

Not exactly what I was expecting

They both support some pretty heavy loads...

(and now you know why I'm single)

[Noah930]

I have a pair of those Hein Werner ones. Made in the USA. They are still a rachet design. I think they were around $80 for a pair. That was maybe 5 or 6 years ago.

[Kraftwerk]

I have a pair of ratchet stands.. very similar to these, but maybe 20 yrs old. One has a wiggy ratchet - works fine if you only use it in the lowest setting (!)

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by David

I quit using ratchet stands many years ago. I only use pin types.

Yep. The last time we had this discussion, I tossed all of my ratchet stands and bought Esco stands from Pelican.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Yep. The last time we had this discussion, I tossed all of my ratchet stands and bought Esco stands from Pelican.

Just looked at those. Hell for stout, and look very safe. Around $350 for a set of four with both posts, but how much is a hospital stay or a funeral?

https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/ShopCart/TOOL/POR_TOOL_ESCOjs-detail.htm

I'm too old to crawl under these days, so go to the Ford store for Mustang service...but sure wish I'd seen these 40 years ago...

[vash]

i thought it was a great deal till i read it was the price for EACH. still not bad i suppose.

[Arizona_928]

Pelican should carry the 5 ton models. I would buy a pair here over using other yahoos.

[RWebb]

I like a defense in depth...

[VINMAN]

[mattdavis11]

I'm not sure what jack stands have been supporting my Camry for the last year on dirt, but they are not the Harbor Freight stands I have used for the last 20 years.