Failed junk from China

[reader2580]

I had two Chinese made items fail on me this weekend.

The first was a Harbor Freight 25" breaker bar with chrome peeling off end of handle. (I didn't notice peeling chrome on end of handle when I bought it yesterday.) The chrome is peeling in large pieces and I ended up with a chrome sliver in my hand. I couldn't wait to order an American made one and I don't know any local retailers selling an American made one.

The second is a Torin Big Red two ton floor jack I bought over the winter. I only use it for my riding mower, but it failed today and no longer stays up. I am not aware of anybody making this size floor jack in the USA today. Not sure what to do about floor jack since I need one and none are made in the USA that I know of.

 

[T45]

warantee those suckers ...

and then search ebay for used or NOS tools that don't skimp on quality

 

[reader2580]

warantee those suckers ...

and then search ebay for used or NOS tools that don't skimp on quality

The floor jack I bought is much smaller than a standard two or three ton model. Would I have any luck finding one of those made in the USA even in used? Someone on CL is selling a used one with a 1982 date on it and even 35 years they were made in Taiwan.

I guess I could get a Hein-Warner, but they are much larger than the Torin I have. There are rumors that they switched from Made in USA to Assembled in USA. Why pay a premium to buy Chinese parts put together in the USA?

A local hydraulics shop will rebuild floor jacks if they can get parts. I'll have to call them to see what they charge.

 

[Mustang1167]

Hein Werner makes a 2 ton jack that is "assembled in the USA", and a 3 ton that says it's made in the USA.

 

[manwithtools]

Click bait.....

You bought a Chinese tool yesterday and can't wait to buy an American made one today? Me thinks you should have bought the American one to begin with.

 

[finn]

Your local hydraulic shop will charge more to rebuild your imported jack than the cost of a new one.

That is, if they can get parts.

That's the quandary we're in. We want inexpensive goods, so that's what we buy, but they are poorly made and have a short life.

My grandfather would have used a couple of cement blocks and 2"x6" to make a ramp, or fashioned a lever from a cedar pole, if his bumper jack didn't work.

Actually, he would have never had a rider in the first place.

 

[6PTsocket]

Hein Werner makes a 2 ton jack that is "assembled in the USA", and a 3 ton that says it's made in the USA.

I was just on the Hein Werner site. It now says made in USA, but Chinese jack manufacturer Shinn Fu owns the company. I seriously doubt there is any difference between the 2 and 3 ton as far as parts origin. What they have said is " Made in USA from foreign and domestic parts". Almost anything you buy that has a percentage of US made parts in it can claim to be made in USA. Domestic cars are full of foreign made parts. I have an older 2 ton HW that was made before Shinn Fu bought the company.


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[T45]

Investing in a $300 jack--10x one of those box store junkers--obviously needs to sharpen the pencil

 

[6PTsocket]

The floor jack I bought is much smaller than a standard two or three ton model. Would I have any luck finding one of those made in the USA even in used? Someone on CL is selling a used one with a 1982 date on it and even 35 years they were made in Taiwan.

I guess I could get a Hein-Warner, but they are much larger than the Torin I have. There are rumors that they switched from Made in USA to Assembled in USA. Why pay a premium to buy Chinese parts put together in the USA?

A local hydraulics shop will rebuild floor jacks if they can get parts. I'll have to call them to see what they charge.

I once spoke to customer support at ShinFu, the people that own, Omega, Hein Werner and a lot of other brands. She said that some of their brands like the two I just mentioned, are supported with rebuild parts and their discount store brands are considered throw aways, with very little parts support. You can only get a new handle or fill plug for their low end bottle jacks. Torin is another big Chinese jack manufacturer and I fear that their popular Big Red line is probably a throw away. You can save time and check directly with Torin. I have a Torin 20 ton Big Red bottle jack on my shop press. If it goes I will get something better. While US made is nice, it is often out of my price range or unavailable. Not all Chinese stuff is junk, but most people buy their low end product in a discount store because it is a "bargain" and are disappointed when it fails. Even with Chinese stuff, to some extent, you get what you pay for. I just bought a Shin Fu made lawn tractor lift branded as Cub Cadet. I am hoping for the best.

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[7avalon7]

I really do not want to start a debate here, but here are my thoughts.

IMHO it is not about "made in China" vs "made in USA". It is about item *** that cost $5 instead of $50. The issue here is do you want to pay $5 or $50 for item ***?

Can China make a good product? Absolutely, but it will not cost $5. On the other hand, can US make a failed junk for $5. Absolutely!

Not all made in US is great, not all made in China is failed junk. And vice versa.

 

[6PTsocket]

I really do not want to start a debate here, but here is my thoughts.

IMHO it is not about "made in China" vs "made in USA". It is about item *** that cost $5 instead of $50. The issue here is do you want to pay $5 or $50 for item ***?

Can China make a good product? Absolutely, but it will not cost $5. On the other hand, can US make a failed junk for $5. Absolutely!

Not all made in US is great, not all made in China is failed junk. And vice versa.

I totally agree. Most people's experience with Chinese stuff are products in discount stores that spec.the stuff to be made at the lowest possible price. It is really hard to make generalizations. They are the same Chinese that make the computers and phones we all use. They have some issues with metalurgy but they are rapidly improving. The biggest steel building and the biggest dam are in China. I judge quality on a case by case basis, regardless of COO.

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[anndel]

I was just on the Hein Werner site. It now says made in USA, but Chinese jack manufacturer Shinn Fu owns the company. I seriously doubt there is any difference between the 2 and 3 ton as far as parts origin. What they have said is " Made in USA from foreign and domestic parts". Almost anything you buy that has a percentage of US made parts in it can claim to be made in USA. Domestic cars are full of foreign made parts. I have an older 2 ton HW that was made before Shinn Fu bought the company.


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Shinn Fu is a Taiwanese company. Taiwan and China are 2 different countries.

 

[jonesg]

The second is a Torin Big Red two ton floor jack I bought over the winter. I only use it for my riding mower, but it failed today and no longer stays up.

All it needs is a rubber type (neoprene?) O ring.

 

[reader2580]

Click bait.....

You bought a Chinese tool yesterday and can't wait to buy an American made one today? Me thinks you should have bought the American one to begin with.

I bought the Chinese breaker bar because I don't know a retailer locally that sells an American made one. I needed to change the blades on my mower this weekend so I can mow the grass since I will be gone for until the 5th. My grass was already quite tall. The current blades are so bad the lawn almost looked worse after cutting than before.

I didn't want to wait a few days to a week to order an American made breaker bar.

As it turns out even a 25" breaker bar wasn't enough. I ended up jacking the whole mower up so I could get my Makita impact in there to remove the bolts. Somebody probably used an impact to tighten them.

 

[Oldgloryfirearms]

This has less to do with buying China tools and more to do with buying cheap tools

 

[reader2580]

I have no plans to try to fix the current jack. The jack says it has a 1 year guarantee and I am sure Menards will take it back.

My comment on a rebuild would be to find a used jack Made in the USA and have it rebuilt at the local hydraulic shop. I think it will be hard to find a small one like I bought that is Made in the USA even used. Even 35 years ago they were making them in Taiwan already.

A jack should last more than a dozen uses lifting a 1,400 pound riding mower.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Trolley jack buyers, unite!

 

[reader2580]

I like to buy American whenever I can, but it isn't always possible or practical. The price differential is sometimes so great I have to get the Chinese product because I simply can't afford the American product. There are almost no floor jacks Made in the USA. I bought the Chinese one because I didn't have the $275 for the American made one and didn't want to wait a week either.

Quite often I can't find a Made in the USA version of an item locally so I have to buy Chinese if I need it now. I will order an American made product if I don't need it right away.

I was able to get an American made 3/4" to 1/2" adapter at Menards last night. It was probably the last one they'll ever have at that store since Apex probably isn't going to make any more Masterforce tools in the USA for Menards. (Menards web site has a note about issues sourcing the item.)

 

[KnurledNut]

Try some of the industrial supply houses for Proto, SK, Williams, Wright.

 

[laser3kw]

The second is a Torin Big Red two ton floor jack

but they say their floor jacks beat Snap on (which are made in China also)

 

[toolenthusiast]

Taiwan and China are 2 different countries.

Not exactly...

 

[reader2580]

This has less to do with buying China tools and more to do with buying cheap tools

Would I have been better off with an expensive Chinese made breaker bar? I looked for a USA made one locally without any luck.

I didn't see any difference between the Chinese 2 ton trolley jacks so yes I looked at price. If anyone knows of a Made in the USA 2 ton trolley jack I will buy it as long as the price isn't totally sky high like $300 or less.

 

[reader2580]

Try some of the industrial supply houses for Proto, SK, Williams, Wright.

This falls into the whole practical thing. Most supply houses are way overpriced for retail customers. American tools are already expensive enough without paying twice as much at a supply house.

Had I planned ahead and realized I would need a breaker bar to change my mower blades I would have ordered one online.

 

[mowkep]

I've got some Craftsman sockets with peeling chrome, a Cornwell ratchet with peeling chrome etc,etc....unfortunately sub par tooling can be made anywhere at any price. It is not unreasonable to expect a tool to perform the duties it was intended to do...or is it?

 

[7avalon7]

Would I have been better off with an expensive Chinese made breaker bar? I looked for a USA made one locally without any luck.

If I am buying a breaker bar, I would buy Gearwrench or Tekton. Plenty of review here for both brands, so you can decide which are better for ya.

My current 1/2 drive breaker bar is $3.5 Taiwan made from Oreilly sale (I regret not buying more). I think it is ~17 inch in length. It is heavier and feels beefier than my trusty US made Craftsman, and I like the handle better.

I was going to put this one in my car for side-of-the-road lug nuts duty, but instead I am retiring the CF. Will this Taiwan made will be better than US made breaker bar in the long run? Who knows, but I am very happy so far - been working on my car suspension using this in the past several weeks. I am not a pro btw.

 

[HanShotFirst]

I had two Chinese made items fail on me this weekend.

The first was a Harbor Freight 25" breaker bar with chrome peeling off end of handle. (I didn't notice peeling chrome on end of handle when I bought it yesterday.) The chrome is peeling in large pieces and I ended up with a chrome sliver in my hand. I couldn't wait to order an American made one and I don't know any local retailers selling an American made one.

The second is a Torin Big Red two ton floor jack I bought over the winter. I only use it for my riding mower, but it failed today and no longer stays up. I am not aware of anybody making this size floor jack in the USA today. Not sure what to do about floor jack since I need one and none are made in the USA that I know of.

Understand that even with the best of makers, CHIT can happen. Chrome can be great from the factory, stay that way for a month or so, and then bubble; if the prep work wasn't done right. I've seen this happen on most anything you can imagine that can be chrome plated. It's not necessarily a "Chinese failure", but just a failure.

As much as I'd like to criticize Pittsburgh tools, I have found their chrome quality to be straight up top notch...really quite amazing they can do so good at such a low price...that near-slave labor is doing a good job.

 

[Socket Pounder]

Someday we'll be buying our bullets and tanks from China and they will have won.

 

[WittHay]

I use a OTC 1502 2 ton floor jack made in Japan, really good jack. If I had to repace it I probably would go to a Napa 2 ton roadside jack. Both were priced around $250 to $300 can

Edit: To me these 2 ton jacks are small, If the Op is referring to those tiny 2 ton jacks that sell for $30 to $40, can those jacks actually lift anything?

 

[ddawg16]

I've only had one HF tool fail. Considering what I paid for it? And how much I used it before it failed? It paid for itself.

 

[kctyphoon]

Title should read "I had $45 worth of tools fail on me". one was like that when I left the store, and it has a lifetime no questions asked warranty. The other needs an o ring..

I have one of those $25 jacks. It's probably 10 years old and it's still fine.. not sure I'd call peeling chrome a failure though. If your not gonna replace it for free, wrap some electrical tape around the handle and move on..

I love threads like these. Didn't wanna spend a lot of money in the first place,(which is fine), and then two of the probably 200 imported tools you own had an issue. One easily rectified. Granted - it shouldn't be like that, I agree. But it's a $15 breaker bar that's pumped out by the thousands. All the chromed HF stuff I have is fine. Their breaker bars are actually regarded as one of their better offerings.

 

[ajchien]

Weaver and US jack are two USA hydraulic jack companies.

 

[bcradio]

Title should read "I had $45 worth of tools fail on me". one was like that when I left the store, and it has a lifetime no questions asked warranty. The other needs an o ring..

I have one of those $25 jacks. It's probably 10 years old and it's still fine.. not sure I'd call peeling chrome a failure though. If your not gonna replace it for free, wrap some electrical tape around the handle and move on..

I love threads like these. Didn't wanna spend a lot of money in the first place,(which is fine), and then two of the probably 200 imported tools you own had an issue. One easily rectified. Granted - it shouldn't be like that, I agree. But it's a $15 breaker bar that's pumped out by the thousands. All the chromed HF stuff I have is fine. Their breaker bars are actually regarded as one of their better offerings.

Agree

 

[reader2580]

I use a OTC 1502 2 ton floor jack made in Japan, really good jack. If I had to repace it I probably would go to a Napa 2 ton roadside jack. Both were priced around $250 to $300 can

Edit: To me these 2 ton jacks are small, If the Op is referring to those tiny 2 ton jacks that sell for $30 to $40, can those jacks actually lift anything?

Yes, I bought one of those small two ton jacks. It works (worked) perfectly to lift my 1,400 pound mower. I would never use it to lift a car.

A full size floor jack would not be as handy to use for my mower.

 

[reader2580]

Title should read "I had $45 worth of tools fail on me". one was like that when I left the store, and it has a lifetime no questions asked warranty. The other needs an o ring..

Why should I need to replace the o-ring in a jack that is six months old and used a dozen or two times? That would be like driving a new car a few thousand miles and having to pull the motor or transmission to replace a seal.

I would prefer to get something decent that I would have to worry about breaking again. I just don't know where to get a decent trolley jack. They all seem to be made in China. I would rather not go to a full size floor jack for this, but it might be my only choice.

 

[1982fxr]

I was just on the Hein Werner site. It now says made in USA, but Chinese jack manufacturer Shinn Fu owns the company. I seriously doubt there is any difference between the 2 and 3 ton as far as parts origin. What they have said is " Made in USA from foreign and domestic parts". Almost anything you buy that has a percentage of US made parts in it can claim to be made in USA. Domestic cars are full of foreign made parts. I have an older 2 ton HW that was made before Shinn Fu bought the company.


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You are wrong on the USA claim. Or just misunderstanding it.

 

[WittHay]

Yes, I bought one of those small two ton jacks. It works (worked) perfectly to lift my 1,400 pound mower. I would never use it to lift a car.

A full size floor jack would not be as handy to use for my mower.

I understand that the small jack would be handy for a lawn mower, atv or gator

I did a quick look at my Canadian Tire website, a different brand painted blue sells for $40 can. The drawback is that there is a lot of negative reviews. One guy complained that the jack started leaking after 2 uses.

My guess is that there are small European jacks for lifting Smart cars, Fiats, Minis and the like

 

[6PTsocket]

Yes, I bought one of those small two ton jacks. It works (worked) perfectly to lift my 1,400 pound mower. I would never use it to lift a car.

A full size floor jack would not be as handy to use for my mower.

It is not as cheap but they have a riding mower jack. Unfortunately I had to return the one I bought. The pump was junk out of the box. I just bought a much better one elsewhere with almost double the weight capacity and 2" more lift. Their hydraulics seem to be total garbage.

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[zendriver]

After all of the hub-bubb over those breaker bars, I had to "break" down, a few weeks ago and get one - on sale of sources. I think $12

Finish looks fine, but the shaft is visibly crooked, easily noticeable, because of it's length. It looks like the bar was forged from uncoiled steel rod, but was probably not.

I'll see how it goes.

 

[finn]

Not exactly...

China thinks they are the same.

Taiwan doesn't agree.

 

[zendriver]

I've got some Craftsman sockets with peeling chrome, a Cornwell ratchet with peeling chrome etc,etc....unfortunately sub par tooling can be made anywhere at any price. It is not unreasonable to expect a tool to perform the duties it was intended to do...or is it?

I have a Snap On ratchet with peeling chrome. Granted it's old, but it started peeling 25 years ago. Sub-par? Not as far as I am concerned. It's been a good tool otherwise.

Is it possible, that in the real world, this just happens sometimes, when companies make products by the millions?

Chrome plating is not a fool-proof process anyway.