HF 2 ton low pro jack = OTC clone?

[shampoop]

So i was browsing for jack stands and discovered this. My orange HF 2 ton low profile jack that I love so much appears to be either an OTC ripoff, or maybe even made by OTC. I mean they look EXACTLY the same other than color. And it would definitely explain why the HF one is so awesome.

This is the HF one I have. It's cheaper on sale
http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...ton-low-profile-floor-service-jack-67022.html

Links to the OTC one.
http://www.otctools.com/products/2_ton_super_low_profile_jack
http://www2.otctools.com/otctools.com/newcatalog/products/10-08.pdf

 

[mrholeshot]

They do look very similar. The Stinger line is imported

 

[bart1]

I also have that HF. It's been great for a year or so. I think I paid $60 or less?

 

[shampoop]

I also have that HF. It's been great for a year or so. I think I paid $60 or less?

I think i paid $80. It may have been on sale, or that may have been the old regular price and $60 may have been possible with coupons.

 

[oldtools]

So i was browsing for jack stands and discovered this. My orange HF 2 ton low profile jack that I love so much appears to be either an OTC ripoff, or maybe even made by OTC. I mean they look EXACTLY the same other than color. And it would definitely explain why the HF one is so awesome.

This is the HF one I have. It's cheaper on sale
http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...ton-low-profile-floor-service-jack-67022.html

Links to the OTC one.
http://www.otctools.com/products/2_ton_super_low_profile_jack
http://www2.otctools.com/otctools.com/newcatalog/products/10-08.pdf

Maybe some Chinese company make them for both HF and OTC.

 

[mrholeshot]

Is it a quick pump jack or just keep pumping jack. The reason I ask is I need a jack that works old school to where it is low effort. Most of my quick pump jacks require quite a bit of pressure in a hard lift. Using my wheelchair on one of those can be quite difficult at times even at my size. I get in no hurry so I don't mind a few more strokes, lol

 

[bart1]

Is it a quick pump jack or just keep pumping jack. The reason I ask is I need a jack that works old school to where it is low effort. Most of my quick pump jacks require quite a bit of pressure in a hard lift. Using my wheelchair on one of those can be quite difficult at times even at my size. I get in no hurry so I don't mind a few more strokes, lol

Old style. Many pumps to get it up.

I have acually never had any of the quick pump ones, but my cars are low, so that doesn't matter much for me now.

 

[shampoop]

yea it's the oldschool style easy effort.

The quickpumps are really nice when you're using them at your job for a living. But for home use there's no point unless you have lots of trucks you work on it would be a nice luxury.

The deciding factor when i got the jack was when i went into the store and just looked at and played with all of them. You can tell right off the bat that it's a good jack and most of the other ones are POS's.

 

[jessemac]

i have a hf regular floor jack orange with the big metal wheels in front and lifting the car in the air isn't a problem it's lowering it back down quickly that i don't like i just always assumed it's a cheap jack thing that the more expencive ones are more precise do you guys think this is true?

 

[shampoop]

i have a hf regular floor jack orange with the big metal wheels in front and lifting the car in the air isn't a problem it's lowering it back down quickly that i don't like i just always assumed it's a cheap jack thing that the more expencive ones are more precise do you guys think this is true?

I had trouble lowering cars slowly the first time or two i used mine. It's just sensitive. Lot's of jacks are. I got used to it very quickly and haven't had any problems with control since. If you have very weak hands, wrists, or arms, you may have trouble lowering cars slowly. You just need to be careful and use both hands.

 

[Hiball]

No... the HF jack is not a OTC clone, The only thing they have in common is the Hydraulic Unit Design/Frame. Its whats inside that counts in regards to the type of seals used in both the Pump and Main Ram.

EDIT: After reviewing the Exploded view diagram of 2 ton OTC jack it also uses a ORing on Main Ram, This is not the best design so it appears they are trying to cash in on there Brand Name awareness. The best seal to use is a Poly U-cup and normally in the Past the Higher end Imports (Norco, OTC) used this type. Also in the Past OTC used to have a Lifetime warranty on some of there floor jacks, I cant seem to find any evidence of this practice anymore.

 

[madamd]

the thread title should have been "OTC 1552 = HF clone?"

the OTC 1552 was just released this November 2010... check out the oTC newsletter...

 

[madamd]

No... the HF jack is not a OTC clone, The only thing they have in common is the Hydraulic Unit Design/Frame. Its whats inside that counts in regards to the type of seals used in both the Pump and Main Ram.

EDIT: After reviewing the Exploded view diagram of 2 ton OTC jack it also uses a ORing on Main Ram, This is not the best design so it appears they are trying to cash in on there Brand Name awareness. The best seal to use is a Poly U-cup and normally in the Past the Higher end Imports (Norco, OTC) used this type. Also in the Past OTC used to have a Lifetime warranty on some of there floor jacks, I cant seem to find any evidence of this practice anymore.

which models has this "poly u-cup?" do you have a picture of what it looks like? what about the HW models? are they poly u cup ?

 

[Hiball]

which models has this "poly u-cup?" do you have a picture of what it looks like? what about the HW models? are they poly u cup ?

Yes.. The First pic is the Oring/Poly Shell set up that frequents the Lower Priced IMports.

Same seal seperated off the Ram

The Last picture is your Typical Ucup that your Quality Jacks use including Hw

Loaded UCUP

Just for Reference here is a Leather seal that is used by your Older Quality jacks, They have been known to last upwards to 40 years with NO service required.

 

[madamd]

HiBall,

Thanks for the pics. I am glad I bought my 93642. Since you know much about jacks, I have only used my HW 1-2 in the past 2-3 years... is there anything i can do to keep the seals wet inside? or it does not matter? will the top part of the seal dry out since it is not soaked in the oil? I purchased the HW because i wanted a long lasting jack...

thanks

Yes.. The First pic is the Oring/Poly Shell set up that frequents the Lower Priced IMports.

Same seal seperated off the Ram

The Last picture is your Typical Ucup that your Quality Jacks use including Hw

Loaded UCUP

Just for Reference here is a Leather seal that is used by your Older Quality jacks, They have been known to last upwards to 40 years with NO service required.

 

[Hiball]

HiBall,

Thanks for the pics. I am glad I bought my 93642. Since you know much about jacks, I have only used my HW 1-2 in the past 2-3 years... is there anything i can do to keep the seals wet inside? or it does not matter? will the top part of the seal dry out since it is not soaked in the oil? I purchased the HW because i wanted a long lasting jack...

thanks

It wouldnt hurt your jack to use it a bit more often, Even if you just Raise your vehicle just to cycle the Jack. Any seal regardless if its Buna-N or Poly-U loses its sealing characteristics when they harden. The thing about Poly is that when it hardens its gets very brittle and then Cracks etc.. The things about it is even if you only use your jack Once a Year you are still gonna get anywhere from 10-15 years use (On average) and More if its used more often. I really wouldnt worry about it too much but if you have the free time just cycle it.

 

[SM Racing]

Can you convert on of the China jacks to the Cup style with a little machine work?

 

[Hiball]

Can you convert on of the China jacks to the Cup style with a little machine work?

Yes.. I convert all of my Imports that come into my shop.

 

[SM Racing]

Neat. Wonder If I could do this to my Crapsman lightweight jack at the house that is not so healthy. Looks like simply machining the main piston for a small guide pin and cup retainer should solve the problem. Can it be done to the bottle jacks as well?

 

[Hiball]

Neat. Wonder If I could do this to my Crapsman lightweight jack at the house that is not so healthy. Looks like simply machining the main piston for a small guide pin and cup retainer should solve the problem. Can it be done to the bottle jacks as well?

I normally cut out a groove and utilize a Snap Ring, Some of these jacks actually have the Snap ring groove in place. My Grandfather always used to just replace with a Ucup. In all honesty if you think about it the Seal should never come off because it would always have pressure against it upon the Lift and Release cycle. Im always leary of the guy who is gonna grab ahold of the Lift arm and yank on it and off comes the Cup. If you look at the picture of that Import with the Oring/Sleeve you can clearly see there is nothing holding it on exept friction.

 

[bczygan]

Hiball,
The HF 3 Ton jack is on sale for $50. Good jack?

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-super-heavy-duty-floor-jack-34271.html?utm_source=retail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0411a

 

[Hiball]

Hiball,
The HF 3 Ton jack is on sale for $50. Good jack?

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-super-heavy-duty-floor-jack-34271.html?utm_source=retail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0411a

Here is My HONEST opinion.... The Jack itself has a Hydraulic Unit that has been around along time. The big thing about these jacks nowadays is the Quality of the Parts being used and the QC of the Assembly process. If your need for a Hydraulic jack is occasional use, Id say go ahead and buy it. I would definitely keep your receipt and inquire about the Extended warranty. Ive literally been to auctions where there would be 30+ of these per pallet, All New looking and all Returns. Its not Conincedence.. The QC is very Poor.

 

[bchee]

I get in no hurry so I don't mind a few more strokes, lol

At your age you should be lucky it even goes up at all

 

[oldtools]

Yes.. The First pic is the Oring/Poly Shell set up that frequents the Lower Priced IMports.

Same seal seperated off the Ram

The Last picture is your Typical Ucup that your Quality Jacks use including Hw

Loaded UCUP

Just for Reference here is a Leather seal that is used by your Older Quality jacks, They have been known to last upwards to 40 years with NO service required.

What is the cost differential between an O-ring and a U-cup seal? The seal would not be the main factor that contribute to the huge price differential between brand and non-brand jack.

 

[Hiball]

What is the cost differential between an O-ring and a U-cup seal? The seal would not be the main factor that contribute to the huge price differential between brand and non-brand jack.

$6-10 Bucks in the Case of a Yasui designed Jack (Pictured, The Leather seals are much more) which is pretty substantial when discussing a $50 dollar jack x's Hundereds of thousands of units, They make them just cheap enough that Consumers would rather buy New ever couple of years versus Repair. When you start talking about the Big names in Hydraulics, There is No comparison on all fronts.. Seals, Superior Hydraulic system, Ergonomics and Frame/Parts Durability. When considering the OTC unit versus the HF unit in this thread its a No brainer... HF, I looked at the exploded view diagram, The overall weight of the Jacks were identical which tends to make me think there is no beefed up frame etc. There is a possibility that the Warranty is better and as i stated earlier OTC used to have lifetime warranty on some of there jacks but i have not seen anything to indicate this jack is covered under that Umbrella.

 

[oldtools]

$6-10 Bucks in the Case of a Yasui designed Jack (Pictured, The Leather seals are much more) which is pretty substantial when discussing a $50 dollar jack x's Hundereds of thousands of units, They make them just cheap enough that Consumers would rather buy New ever couple of years versus Repair. When you start talking about the Big names in Hydraulics, There is No comparison on all fronts.. Seals, Superior Hydraulic system, Ergonomics and Frame/Parts Durability. When considering the OTC unit versus the HF unit in this thread its a No brainer... HF, I looked at the exploded view diagram, The overall weight of the Jacks were identical which tends to make me think there is no beefed up frame etc. There is a possibility that the Warranty is better and as i stated earlier OTC used to have lifetime warranty on some of there jacks but i have not seen anything to indicate this jack is covered under that Umbrella.

I am looking to get an old unit of HW. What is the last year HW (or anybody) use leather seal. I want to make sure the HW I get is repairable. I don't know if they still make leather seal. For jacks that use O-ring, are they standard size seal or are they custom. Can I buy a box of O-ring from HF and repair my jack. If they are custom, where is the best place to buy these seal.

Are there different frame design. If yes, which frame design is the best (hydraulic press has A-frame, H-frame, etc...). What is the best brand for hydraulic fluid? I assume hydraulic fluid does not need to be changed.

 

[Hiball]

I am looking to get an old unit of HW. What is the last year HW (or anybody) use leather seal. I want to make sure the HW I get is repairable. I don't know if they still make leather seal. For jacks that use O-ring, are they standard size seal or are they custom. Can I buy a box of O-ring from HF and repair my jack. If they are custom, where is the best place to buy these seal.

Are there different frame design. If yes, which frame design is the best (hydraulic press has A-frame, H-frame, etc...). What is the best brand for hydraulic fluid? I assume hydraulic fluid does not need to be changed.

Holy Batman thats alot of questions....

Any Hein Werner jack previous to there Lincoln aquistion is gonna have leather seals. O, Os, Oboy, Ws, K, GG, GH, X-10 etc... Yes.. Leather seals are still available and used in tons of industrial applications.

When you talk about Orings and the New Import jacks they are all gonna be Metric, You can normally source the Pump orings via the HF set but not the Ram or Tank nut. There are Numerous Oring suppliers across the World and Orings are fairly cheap, The only problem is sometimes you need a min Order of 100 or so. Or you give me a shout...

As far as Frames go.. Any of the Big Names are gonna be Solid and as far as Hydraulic Jack oil goes unless your working in a Freezer (Somebody here, LOL) you are gonna be fine. Oil changes are NOT necessary unless the system has been compromised with Water or a abundance of Dirt in a Non sealed system.

 

[bart1]

Hiball, I sent you a PM with some jack questions recently, but perhaps I asked too many questions. This (the one the OP was talking about) is the unit I currently have and it has been good, but I would like to get a better one next time.

 

[SM Racing]

Can you "hotrod" a floor jack? Meaning can you toss the hydraulic unit that is on it and swap in another unit that is of a better design?

 

[Hiball]

Can you "hotrod" a floor jack? Meaning can you toss the hydraulic unit that is on it and swap in another unit that is of a better design?

I don't want to say No because anything is possible but it would take a considerable amount of fabrication.

 

[cantthinkof1]

OTC still carries the lifetime warranty on their jacks as far as I can tell. I bought a 1532 (aluminum racing style 2 ton) about 6 months ago and it is a lifetime warranty unit.

 

[Hiball]

OTC still carries the lifetime warranty on their jacks as far as I can tell. I bought a 1532 (aluminum racing style 2 ton) about 6 months ago and it is a lifetime warranty unit.

I see you are close to me, Who here locally takes care of the Warranty work? Did you buy it local? Ive always wondered on this lifetime warranty who has to take care of shipping, if there is no local shop.

 

[bchee]

Are there 2 of these threads????

 

[cantthinkof1]

I see you are close to me, Who here locally takes care of the Warranty work? Did you buy it local? Ive always wondered on this lifetime warranty who has to take care of shipping, if there is no local shop.

I bought it at NAPA here in Columbia. In the case of the 1532 model, the warranty is an over the counter warranty where the store exchanges the entire jack, which the defective one gets sent back to the distribution center. The key is to keep a hold of the original invoice which is needed for OTC.

Other models (napa jacks and other otc jacks out of warranty) actually get rebuilt, which involves being sent back to the DC in Kansas City,then sent to the repair center, and comes at a cost. Other OTC jacks which have warranty work done is a similar process.

 

[oldtools]

Holy Batman thats alot of questions....

Any Hein Werner jack previous to there Lincoln aquistion is gonna have leather seals. O, Os, Oboy, Ws, K, GG, GH, X-10 etc... Yes.. Leather seals are still available and used in tons of industrial applications.

When you talk about Orings and the New Import jacks they are all gonna be Metric, You can normally source the Pump orings via the HF set but not the Ram or Tank nut. There are Numerous Oring suppliers across the World and Orings are fairly cheap, The only problem is sometimes you need a min Order of 100 or so. Or you give me a shout...

As far as Frames go.. Any of the Big Names are gonna be Solid and as far as Hydraulic Jack oil goes unless your working in a Freezer (Somebody here, LOL) you are gonna be fine. Oil changes are NOT necessary unless the system has been compromised with Water or a abundance of Dirt in a Non sealed system.

Hiball....Thanks. Kind of surprise they still use leather seal. Are all old jack with leather seal still serviceble? I would like to get a high quality old jack, but it is useless if it is no longer servicable. Almost bought a 10 tons HW but it was leaking quite a bit.