Oh the insanity... HF 6 ton stands $18
- Thread starter Danglerb
- Start date
You NEED to learn how to say NO ... 
PAToyota
Well-known member
Except that they look the same to me...
Harbor Freight:
OTC:
Paying ten times the money for the same thing?
[edit]Both the above were 6-ton units. The OTC showed a list of $54. There were OTC 12-tons of the same design for a list of $120. Not sure if the $180 ones are a different configuration. The only OTC ones I could find of a different design were these 20-ton behemoths for $400+ each:
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REFLEXX
Well-known member
NO THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!!
Clearly the HF have the benefit of the OSHA safety coating (AKA orange paint).
Clearly the HF have the benefit of the OSHA safety coating (AKA orange paint).
Except that they look the same to me...
Harbor Freight:
OTC:
Paying ten times the money for the same thing?
They're not quite the same, the casting appears to differ where the saddle meets the upright, and the profiles on the welded sides are different, but I take your point.
These, though, were the OTC ones I had in mind:
Rolled base, so ## times the surface area in contact with the ground, and a bit more meat to the joint.
Maybe I'm unfairly judging the HF ones, unlike those from OTC I haven't looked at a set in the metal, but the pigeon poo welding on their engine stands - which I have used - doesn't inspire confidence, and a 6 ton set of jack stands is doing a pretty safety critical job !
PAToyota
Well-known member
Ok, those certainly do look like a higher quality! Despite the minor differences, I'd almost guarantee that the other OTC stands are made in China as well as the HF ones.
I have a number of the 3-ton and 6-ton HF models that I've been using for years. No signs of failure in any of the welds so far. I have heard about the castings (the top part) failing and that is a bit harder to check for without testing equipment. I do check them over before using them (as any such tool should be checked - no matter where it comes from), don't overload them, and am very cautious about being under a vehicle when it is on jackstands.
I have a number of the 3-ton and 6-ton HF models that I've been using for years. No signs of failure in any of the welds so far. I have heard about the castings (the top part) failing and that is a bit harder to check for without testing equipment. I do check them over before using them (as any such tool should be checked - no matter where it comes from), don't overload them, and am very cautious about being under a vehicle when it is on jackstands.
I have to agree. I love Harbor Freight for what they are, a place to get cheapo stuff. You know, a great place for tie wraps, or an odd ball tool not used very often or even a light weight angle grinder, but I'm not getting under anything held up by HF stuff.
Get four for the front and four for the back. Or, train jacks http://www.macton.com/images/custom.jpg
4x 6 ton stands, 1x 3300 lb car, thats a safety factor of 15 to 1.
I guess you could magneflux the posts?
I thought a bit about having some posts made with the top machined to fit the lift points on my car instead of the cradle thing made for a structural point.
************
I am pretty sure the pad things are made by one of the polyurethane bushing outfits.
Prothane Urethane Jack Stand Pad
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ptp-19-1412
I guess you could magneflux the posts?
I thought a bit about having some posts made with the top machined to fit the lift points on my car instead of the cradle thing made for a structural point.
************
I am pretty sure the pad things are made by one of the polyurethane bushing outfits.
Prothane Urethane Jack Stand Pad
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ptp-19-1412
grillmasterp
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2007
- Messages
- 127
I may pick up some of those pads as well-
The HF jack stands are Pirate4x4 approved
The Only reason I have passed on the HF Jack stands is that
I already have a set of Craftsman 6-T stands (Paid $20/pr) &
I also bought two pairs of Chrome Michelin 6-Ton Stands for $11/pr from Sam's CLub
The HF jack stands are Pirate4x4 approved
The Only reason I have passed on the HF Jack stands is that
I already have a set of Craftsman 6-T stands (Paid $20/pr) &
I also bought two pairs of Chrome Michelin 6-Ton Stands for $11/pr from Sam's CLub
Motochris
Active member
I have yet to buy any zipties from HF that are worth a poop. Bend them sharp and they break. I finally gave up, and get them from Fastenal now.
timgr
Well-known member
Electronics surplus places always have good deals on bags of zip ties. You'll have to buy a bunch, but they are really surplus and really cheap.
Kaydon
Active member
I'll stick to cheap Craftsman jack stands.
chad s
Well-known member
I hate being under a car on jack stands. Im not sure I'd trust a pair of HF jack stands.
Jeeper
Well-known member
Why don't you all feel safe? I've never felt unsafe with a car on jack stands. Now that is only the front or the back on stands not completly up in the air. Short of a lift, it's the only way most of us can work under a car. Except my lifted jeep. I can drop the trans without on a jack stand.
Jack stands are fine, I think we all work under them. It is cheap jack stands that are the problem. I have heard numerous stories about the old sheetmetal jack stands breaking and pinning a person which often ends in death. The person gets trapped and dies from breathing difficulties or internal bleeding. There were two separate instances of this in my area. These particular jack stands are not sheet metal but they are HF so some are questioning their strength.
Grant
Grant
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
While the OTC and the HF stands may both be manufactured in China, If you examined the two, you would easily see differences. The OTC stands, I'll be, don't know, haven't seen them, are probably one or two gauges of steel heavier than the HF ones. I have four Snap-On 3 ton stands, made in China, but are much heavier steel than identical looking one in the auto parts places. The risers are probably somewhat better quality also, the look of the cast iron on my SO stands is quite nice, and even, compared to the cheapies I have looked at. Lastly, the welding is much better quality and more of it, than the cheap ones. You DO get a better stand when you pay more for them.
Charles
Charles
goodwrench
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2006
- Messages
- 173
I have some from northern that are like six tons with an extra locking mechanism, a pin that you slide through and double lock them. I feel feel that with six ton stands holding up what, at most, three tons of vehicle or less? That is a huge saftey factor, and with the heft of them they do not scare me. So being cheap is really mute when they are rated at so much higher than what they are holding. Now the cheaper two and three ton stands kinda make me wonder. And besides, any kind of stand is better than none..
later!! chris
later!! chris
jklingel
Well-known member
Do you guys ever make your own? I have a set of pipes w/in a pipe that I made and have been using for 30 years. I forget what the engineer told me the bearing load of them was, but it is way more than my one-ton truck. I am thinking of making another pair out of schedule 80 pipe for my loader (8000 lb) but I first need to check w/ an engineer or find the way to calc the bearing load of a pipe wall. I may be naive, but I feel comfy w/ these (I almost always have a "box" of some kind around under there, too, just in case..... I hate it when I have to bench press a truck...). I cringe when I see guys using cinder blocks. Wow! Talk about risky.... BTW: These probably cost more to make than to buy commercial ones, so look at it as a labor of love. Plastic tops look like a nice idea. j
Red Green
Well-known member
on most of my jackstands I have welded a steel plate on the bottom of the jackstand to spead out the load and reinforce
comp
Well-known member
going to get me more 4 sets works 
I have a couple of pairs of jack stands, but no Chinese ones.
I also have several chunks of a railroad tie that are about 12-14 inches long. I am going to be spending much time under the vehicle, I stack some of the blocks as a backup to the jack stands.
I also have several chunks of a railroad tie that are about 12-14 inches long. I am going to be spending much time under the vehicle, I stack some of the blocks as a backup to the jack stands.
Actually, they do, but the ones I've seen are made of concrete.
I figure the solid, treated blocks of wood under a car are pretty low-tech, but not much prone to failure.
johnny1290
Well-known member
After reading so many horror stories on the HAMB I can't *get* enough jackstands holding up a car I'm working beneath.
The wood sounds like great insurance.
The HF stands look fine, but then again I use minimum two forms of support.
And keep my cell phone in my pocket, just in case
The wood sounds like great insurance.
The HF stands look fine, but then again I use minimum two forms of support.
And keep my cell phone in my pocket, just in case
I gave the 6 ton stands a good look over in the store today. The iron post is a good inch thick or more, and generally the whole thing seems plenty husky for the rated load.
Minimum height, ie what you get if the post fails is about 16". I didn't buy them because sale price is through 12/22 (coupon) Saturday, and I may end up buying a jack that comes with stands by then.
Minimum height, ie what you get if the post fails is about 16". I didn't buy them because sale price is through 12/22 (coupon) Saturday, and I may end up buying a jack that comes with stands by then.
ovilla
Well-known member
I use cheap 6-ton stands from Pep Boys under my 914's (about 2100 lbs). Anyway, the best thing is simply that they are so tall that you never have to even extend them. I think that's where most of the accidents happen (when folks incorrectly extend them and then they later collapse).
rickairmedic
Well-known member
I always bring the floor jack back up snug under whatever end of the car I plan on being under . I figure at the least the Jack should keep things up long enough for me to roll out if I need to .
Rick
Rick
Yep, I do the same thing; most of the time I use ramps instead of jacking up the car ...
edl
Well-known member
and make sure you use 12 ton jack stands at 20" base height which cost a whopping $70 at hft anyway (and probably $40 when on sale and you have a coupon)!! :thumbsup: ed
With a 20" lift jack on the lift point of my car, I couldn't get a stand that high under a suspension point. Besides its kinda spooky to see a car 30" in the air on jack stands.
I am edging in the direction of the 6 ton combined with a set of ramps for the other end or instead depending on what I need to do.