Which jack from Harbor Freight? 3000lb Aluminum jack

[michakaveli]

I'm in the market for a new jack. My current, Roush Racing speed jack that I bought at Sams a few years ago has been leaking oil, and finally no longer functional.

After some searching online, appears no one makes a jack that doesn't leak, but overall consensus is that the HF units aren't too bad, especially with the warranty.

3000 Lb. Capacity Lightweight Aluminum Racing Jack
or
Rapid Pump® 3000 Lb. Capacity Lightweight Aluminum Racing Jack, Silver

There is a 20% coupon floating around on the 'net...

I am looking for a lightweight jack if possible, something that can get under my lowered Mercedes and use it for my Taurus and Corolla. I'd like the jack to be solid and last, if that's possible now-a-days. Which one would you guys go with?

 

[Hiball]

I'm in the market for a new jack. My current, Roush Racing speed jack that I bought at Sams a few years ago has been leaking oil, and finally no longer functional.

After some searching online, appears no one makes a jack that doesn't leak, but overall consensus is that the HF units aren't too bad, especially with the warranty.

3000 Lb. Capacity Lightweight Aluminum Racing Jack
or
Rapid Pump® 3000 Lb. Capacity Lightweight Aluminum Racing Jack, Silver

There is a 20% coupon floating around on the 'net...

I am looking for a lightweight jack if possible, something that can get under my lowered Mercedes and use it for my Taurus and Corolla. I'd like the jack to be solid and last, if that's possible now-a-days. Which one would you guys go with?

I would venture to say you can fix your current jack for a couple bucks, barring there isnt any metal parts broke. Where is it leaking?

After some searching online, appears no one makes a jack that doesn't leak,

There are plenty of Jacks that use High Quality Seals that will give you 25+ years of service without spilling a drop, There just not available at HF.

 

[Davefr]

I've seen those alum. HF jacks and they look like toys. Why does it have to be lightweight? Will you be carrying it around from site to site?

My floor jack lives within the perimeter of my garage/driveway so it doesn't matter what it weighs.

I just bought a 3T Arcan from Costco for <$90. The reviews are very high and it has a dual pump and low profile. So far it's been great but probably weighs close to 80 lbs.

P.S. Leaking floor jacks can usually be fixed if you can get a new seal kit from the manufacturer.

 

[Hiball]

P.S. Leaking floor jacks can usually be fixed if you can get a new seal kit from the manufacturer.

Manufacturers dont normally offer rebuild kits for import jacks, Theres just not enough revenue in it. Id venture to say the only seal kit he would need would be the $7 Metric Oring kit from HF. I can occasionally, on the Bigger HF jacks source Rebuild kits but its like pulling teeth, Its much easier to have people Mic the pieces and go from there.

 

[Davefr]

Manufacturers dont normally offer rebuild kits for import jacks, Theres just not enough revenue in it. Id venture to say the only seal kit he would need would be the $7 Metric Oring kit from HF. I can occasionally, on the Bigger HF jacks source Rebuild kits but its like pulling teeth, Its much easier to have people Mic the pieces and go from there.

I actually bought a HF O-ring kit and they're terrible quality. The Chinese can't seem to make reliable rubber/plastic compounds. Maybe that's why a lot of these Chinese jacks are leakers.

Maybe he should skip the HF kit and go to a hardware store or industrial distributer to match up the O-rings he needs.

 

[Hiball]

I actually bought a HF O-ring kit and they're terrible quality. The Chinese can't seem to make reliable rubber/plastic compounds. Maybe that's why a lot of these Chinese jacks are leakers.

Maybe he should skip the HF kit and go to a hardware store or industrial distributer to match up the O-rings he needs.

Hmm.. I havent seen any problems with the Blue boxed HF Metric Orings. There is a difference in Oring Quality regarding a ones that are Certified etc, But the tolerance level in Those Jacks isnt that tight by anymeans. I think the majority of the problems arise when someone doesnt know how to read a Mic and tries to stick a SAE Oring where it calls for a Metric or Vice-Versa. Another Problem is that Most of those Imported Jacks use a Oring inside a sleeve for the Ram cup and they are by all means not the best sealing surfaces and too much oil bypasses and the Tank nut Oring cant keep up.

 

[q miester]

I have had the rapid pump for several yearsand have used the **** out of it, works great and doesnt leak. I also have a sears 6k aluminum jack for the truck it works well also

 

[michakaveli]

I really don't know where it's leaking from, I was concerned with rebuilding it, but maybe I should consider it. After thumbing online, appears this is common.

I was looking for a lighter jack that would be easier to move around, etc... The one I currently have it probably 50 or so pounds. Convenience really.

But now you guys have me fired up about rebuilding it. Overall I really like the jack and suits my needs well.

 

[michakaveli]

These are pix of the jack I have... (not my exact jack, but a new one in the box I found on the 'net)

 

[tonydanzah]

How are the durability of these quick pump jacks? The style that claims the pad will hit whatever you put it under in one or two pumps.

 

[michakaveli]

How are the durability of these quick pump jacks? The style that claims the pad will hit whatever you put it under in one or two pumps.

It will. The jack I like very very much, hence my change of mind to rebuild it. But I think I will jump on that HF unit to have as a backup/spare.

 

[yiranhu]

I have a HF orange 3T service jack that served me for what I need (occasional car fixing). I also have the 3K lb aluminum jack from them... that also worked well... It just works a lot harder to lift a car and can't lift as high as the service jack. But I use that more than I do the service jack cuz it's so much lighter. I often need to move the jack out onto the drive way and the garage floor is such that I need to lift the ******** the ground at several locations.

I would try to rebuild that jack of yours using the orings from HF or some other place. If you fix it and get some more use out of it why not?

 

[sprint7]

I have both of the jacks that you asked about. I use them every weekend at the race track. 90% of the guys I race against have one of these jacks. We all get them for the same reason. They are light and cheap. I use the second one you listed because it has a higher lift and the smaller one does quite go high enough. One thing to consider is most of the cars we are lifting only weight about 1400 total.
If weight is important then you will not find a better jack for the money.

 

[hammergodthor]

I've had this jack for about 3 years, the release is a little touchy. Overall its solid, but heavy.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94629

 

[trailwart]

I've had this jack for about 3 years, the release is a little touchy. Overall its solid, but heavy.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94629

same jack i have, i paid about 55 bucks on sale with 20% coupon. have never had any issues or leaks, but it does have a very touchy release as you said. in fact i just used it the other day to insatll my upper kitchen cabinets by myself, worked great.

 

[alamerang]

I got the regular pump jack that you are talking about when they had them for $59 with the 20% coupon. Works great and is really light. Its held up well for me and doesn't leak. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't lift very high. If weight is not an issue, I'd spend a few more bucks and get the steel 2 ton low profile jack since it lifts about 5 inches higher.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=67022

 

[Stinger]

When I tested both of them at the store I found them both to take the same amount of pumps to get to the top. One went slightly higher but otherwise they seemed identical. I took home the blue one. You can now get it for $59 with the coupon that comes in all the car magazines and it's worked great for the 2 years I've owned it...I've even overloaded it by lifting my diesel F250 and it didn't hurt it.

 

[michakaveli]

Thanks all for the feedback. I picked up the $59.00 special this evening and will be testing it out later this week/weekend.

Back to my Roush "speed" jack. I love it, and want to bring it back to life... Does anyone have any clue what o-ring kit(s) I need? I've ran many searches through Google, only to run into the same complaint(s) as I have with the unit leaking.

Thanks!!!

 

[hammergodthor]

same jack i have, i paid about 55 bucks on sale with 20% coupon. have never had any issues or leaks, but it does have a very touchy release as you said. in fact i just used it the other day to insatll my upper kitchen cabinets by myself, worked great.

I got the regular pump jack that you are talking about when they had them for $59 with the 20% coupon. Works great and is really light. Its held up well for me and doesn't leak. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't lift very high. If weight is not an issue, I'd spend a few more bucks and get the steel 2 ton low profile jack since it lifts about 5 inches higher.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=67022

I think I paid about $60 on sale. Too bad prices always go up!

 

[Hiball]

Thanks all for the feedback. I picked up the $59.00 special this evening and will be testing it out later this week/weekend.

Back to my Roush "speed" jack. I love it, and want to bring it back to life... Does anyone have any clue what o-ring kit(s) I need? I've ran many searches through Google, only to run into the same complaint(s) as I have with the unit leaking.

Thanks!!!

Invest in a Micrometer, It doesnt neccesarily have to be the a expensive one. You want to get the ID measurement (Shaft) and the Thickness of the Oring.

 

[michakaveli]

Invest in a Micrometer, It doesnt neccesarily have to be the a expensive one. You want to get the ID measurement (Shaft) and the Thickness of the Oring.

Thanks!

Any recommendation on where to purchase a good quality o-ring from? I'm thinknig MCMaster Carr, but those come in packs of 10 usually.

 

[Hiball]

Thanks!

Any recommendation on where to purchase a good quality o-ring from? I'm thinknig MCMaster Carr, but those come in packs of 10 usually.

The oring kits at HF are fine for Hydraulic Jacks, But if you want to get them somewhere else here is the info, Material = Buna, Durometer 70 and Yes you can get them at Mcmaster Carr and they will have 4 different available probably Unrated, Food ad Drug, Ansi and i cant remember the 4th. Good Luck.

 

[michakaveli]

I ended up stepping up to the big boy jack, the 4000lb unit. The price with the 20% coupon brough it down to a price difficult to pass up. I looked online at the local retailer, including Sears to see if there was anything else avaialble, that in size was a little larger. Most of what is available appears to be the exact same jack, just re-branded. The 3000lb unit I bought the other jack just appeared to be a little small for my liking, and I wanted a similar in lifting height to the Roush that I plan on rebuilding. I'll be trying this one out this weekend. If it *****, I'll post about it.

Rapid Pump® 4000 Lb. Capacity Lightweight Low Profile Aluminum Racing Jack

 

[Crizzle]

Hmmm. I may have to consider that 4000lb jack from HF. I had been looking at this jack/jackstands combo online:

http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?ed...-_-google-_-ewbbase-_-Home&CAWELAID=407206021

Anyone know the COO on the Wilmar? I'm guessing China since the jack looks so much like so many others out there.

 

[michakaveli]

Hmmm. I may have to consider that 4000lb jack from HF. I had been looking at this jack/jackstands combo online:

http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?ed...-_-google-_-ewbbase-_-Home&CAWELAID=407206021

Anyone know the COO on the Wilmar? I'm guessing China since the jack looks so much like so many others out there.

That jack look just like the $59.99 unit I initially purchased, so unless those stands are worth the difference in price, that's not a great deal.

It appears that the same couple jacks are simply being re-branded for other retailers/venders, etc....

Torin Aluminum Race Jack Stands — 3-Ton, Model# T43004

 

[Crizzle]

That's what I thought.

 

[michakaveli]

Used the 4000lb. jack I bought from HF this past weekend. I like it A LOT. Would recommend.