More Fails.

[Marcm157]

Is it too much to ask for the OP of these types of threads to either give proper details, or hang around and answer the inevitable questions?

This has been happening quite a bit here lately. I'm starting to think that we are all being played...

 

[Farmall450]

^ ^ ^ This. Too little info and something doesn't "smell" right.

OP needs to come back into his own thread and tell MORE of the story !!

Agreed. I'd say but he covered that.

 

[99LeCouch]

Only time I've seen that was when I side-loaded a jackstand using it on gently sloped gravel. The car rolled back on the jack as it was being lifted off the stand. Being how it didn't have enough height to clear the stand, the stand took one for the team. It went in the trash right after.

So definitely some user error there. Not the fault of the stand.

 

[shoggoth80]

Holy thread explosion. Sorry, I wasn't getting reply notifications. Yes, I understand per pair. The vehicle did roll some, as I was repairing an inop ebrake. I didn't choose the manufacturer. Of any of these bits. I gave my boss an earful about buying cheap on load bearing gear. My employer has a hard on for fixing **** in the field. I have 7 ton stands that are great, but none of the jacks for road calls go high enough. Yes I was in a hurry. I was trying to slam everything back together and get back to the shop before shift end.

Thankfully, I don't crawl under anything unless it's on a stand, and passes a shake test. Our small trucks have a lot of aluminum and fiberglass. They're not very heavy for what they're built on. It was still possible to fix without the extra clearance...just more annoying.

The socket split near the mouth. Nothing special, but happens.

 

[zendriver]

Am I missing something?

Here are six ton SO, that don't really looks that radically different in design.

https://store.snapon.com/Jack-Stands-Jack-Stands-2-6-Ton-Capacity-per-pair--P643143.aspx


I had two of those Pittsburgh jack stands that ended up looking exactly like the OP.

I was using them - in gravel, to support the back end of my auto hauler, while loading a vehicle. Duh, I forgot that the hitch was not connected to the truck, so the whole thing lurched forward, then of course the weight was on the jack stands as they rolled forward. Of course they are going to crumple.

Otherwise these jackstands were as stable as any other ones I have used - provided the vehcile did not move.

Looks like operator error, IMO.

 

[Zeke]

I went to Google and typed in "Hxxxxxx Frxxxxx jack stand failures" and clicked over to 'images'. I found 4 pics of failed stands in the whole of the friggen Internet. And 3 of the four were on this GJ thread.

I too suspect that there was some side thrust. It happens all too easily if the jack being used to lift the car isn't rolling properly. When you let it down it pushes the car away from you. If the stand is under a suspension part, as the suspension compresses, side force is placed on the stand. You may not even notice.

Now I have a pair of these miserable stands. I got them 50 years ago when I didn't know very much at all about mechanics. I was under a lot of vehicles with only those supporting the car/truck. I still have them along with 6 other stands, 4 of which are rated 6 ton. They are all imports. 2 came from Sears, the others from HF. I use the miserable ones to support something like a ****** or just to carry some weight in an odd place if I'm doing frame work (well, those days are over for me, but I used to do a lot of welding on a specific brand of monocoque sports car).

Sure a lot of histrionics here when 4 stands have been documented to fail AFA Google goes. Just to top things off, here's what one of our experts said on the linked thread with regard to the failures:

Yup.

Most of those jack/life pictures look like a side load was applied/wheels not blocked and the vehicle rolled off.

Or used on a uneven/soft surface.

 

[shoggoth80]

Never claimed there wasn't an element of user error. 1. I was in a hurry. 2. It was dark out. 3. Good luck with level. 4. Inop ebrake. Plenty of variables in there. Not the least of which is the human kind.

Wish I had gotten a shot of the jack though. That was something else.

For reference, here's a 7 ton. Use these to hold up trailers by the bumper, or axles, depending on what I'm doing often enough. The bases on the HF stand was aluminum I think? Seemed mighty light. **** happens.

Edit...side thrust... Was up under the rear axle, as that was where I was after the most clearance.

This wasn't so much a **** on HF thread, as much of a "**** happens" thread. I post about broken Cman, SK, and Snappy too when it happens. If anything, **** on OTC for a lightweight, flexy jack.

 

[lightning02]

all my jackstands are imports and never once had a problem.

i dont buy 3ton jackstands, i see no need for them. 6ton and 12ton are the ones i buy for a couple of reasons. 1 being they have a much wider footprint and 2 being its rather stupid to have a 3ton and then put the center up to raise the car higher when you can just have a 6ton and not have to raise it at all. taking one more factor out of the puzzle where something could happen. 95% of the stuff i do its with 6tons with the center all the way down. i can fit under the car just fine and im 350lbs. if i need to raise it more i will go to a taller jackstand. the only time i raise the center is maybe a click or two for leveling reasons. i also always leave the jack up and do a shake test and over look stuff to make sure and block front and back of all tires that are on the ground.

 

[shoggoth80]

I am mildly amused that when I post pics of failed Cman sockets, or the occasional popped SK piece, no one really says much. Post up a pic of ruined HF... I *must* be some kind of troll. Post up a thread praising some HF items, and it's "they're not pro quality!" Regardless of the fact that I all the tools at work are used in a professional capacity. Everything from my lowly HF ratchets, to my Snappy mid deeps, SK, and Proto impacts, and the myriad of other brands in my work box. Damned if I do, damned of I don't.

I might not have the thousands of posts other members have, but I highly doubt a troll would have several hundred posts, lend advice freely, and openly advocate picking and choosing what gear to get to not go broke making a buck.

**** happens. Especially when you are doing repairs in a mobile capacity, under less than ideal circumstances (dark, rain, off the side of the road, in station lots, working off poor problem descriptions etc.). Murphy's Law and all that.

 

[ajchien]

The only time I ever had a problem is when I was on a minimal incline and the car rolled when I neglected wheel chocks during lifting. Total user error. A few expletives and a few seconds of panic occurred even though I wasn't under the car. Jack stands toppled over, the base bent minimally - could barely tell unless you put a straight edge on it. Nevertheless, I don't use those stands anymore. Good personal lesson. I chock every wheel not on stands, both from and back now.

 

[anndel]

I have 30 year old 2 ton NAPA jackstands which are rebadged Walkers and a pair of 3 ton Hein Werners. I wouldn't trust HF for jacks, jackstands and other lifting equipment.

Nonetheless, very glad you didn't get hurt.

As for the SK socket, that's a big surprise.

 

[Jacobson]

What is supposedly a 3ton jack stand folded on me. Thankfully not while under the car.

And a 10mm SK socket.

While I viewed the first tools as questionable (my employer is required to supply, but is cheap), the socket surprised me...

Never claimed there wasn't an element of user error. 1. I was in a hurry. 2. It was dark out. 3. Good luck with level. 4. Inop ebrake. Plenty of variables in there. Not the least of which is the human kind.

This wasn't so much a **** on HF thread, as much of a "**** happens" thread.

To this reader, you were obviously shitting on the HF jack, and did not remotely imply user error, as was the case.

 

[shoggoth80]

Sorry. Viewing a HF tool as questionable isn't shitting on it. It's acknowledging that my employer likes supplying low cost stuff a lot of the time. I also don't know who rates the capacity of their jacks, stands etc. That goes for all manufacturers. The SK stuff I work with may well be as old as I am, though it appeared newer. The road gear gets hammered hard though, in my experiece. The jack that flexed over was OTC, not HF. The jack stand was HF. It also didn't take the impact of a half inch drop very well, as the pictures show. I've seen some of the other stands take more force, with far more favorable results. I think though that some side impact motion was also a contributor as other members have mentioned. Even if I WAS flat out crapping on HF (they make stuff I like by the way)... I can have that opinion. I can say that I don't trust the OTC "racing jack" anymore.

 

[Alto]

Did you try to use the jackstand sideways or something?
I suspect operator error.

There are always people chiming in this way.

I do not suppose that each and every failure has been solely due to defective equipment.

But I do not believe that each and every failure of this kind has been solely due to "operator error," either. The fact that a personal has not experienced failure with a particular brand of jack stand does NOT mean that that brand is completely failure-safe.

I believe it is sometimes defective jack stands, other times operator errors that cause failure. So it is advisable to be cautious when using jack stands of any kind, but it is also good to have better or best pairs of stands, when possible.

I see there are always some people who tend to blame a "victim".

 

[Alto]

Exactly, these were abused and not used as intended

How can you be so sure?

 

[Jacobson]

By looking at it.
The OP already admitting to rolling the car with no e-Brake in post #44/47

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Impossible for them to fold like that without the car rolling.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I am mildly amused that when I post pics of failed Cman sockets, or the occasional popped SK piece, no one really says much. Post up a pic of ruined HF... I *must* be some kind of troll. Post up a thread praising some HF items, and it's "they're not pro quality!" Regardless of the fact that I all the tools at work are used in a professional capacity. Everything from my lowly HF ratchets, to my Snappy mid deeps, SK, and Proto impacts, and the myriad of other brands in my work box. Damned if I do, damned of I don't.

I might not have the thousands of posts other members have, but I highly doubt a troll would have several hundred posts, lend advice freely, and openly advocate picking and choosing what gear to get to not go broke making a buck.

**** happens. Especially when you are doing repairs in a mobile capacity, under less than ideal circumstances (dark, rain, off the side of the road, in station lots, working off poor problem descriptions etc.). Murphy's Law and all that.

Posting about anything Harbor Freight brings out the low-IQ commentators, unfortunately.

 

[Cope]

Also, there's almost always room for wood cribbing--pieces of railroad ties, 6X6s, etc. Wood cribbing never fails if placed properly!

Best to use cinder blocks.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Posting about anything Harbor Freight brings out the low-IQ commentators, unfortunately.

What a stupid thing to say.

 

[StaggerLee917]

I have the HF 3 ton jack stands and I've used them several times this year already. I treat them just like any of my 'American Made' ones.

I never trust any of them completely and always leave my jack in place as a back up. Also have wood blocks and use them if I feel the need to. I also always block the wheels both sides of a tire to make sure nothing rolls either way.

'Safety Overkill' is better then 'Being Killed'.

+1 on all of this. I also place the wheels under the car as extra protection if I take them off. If everything else fails, I may get hurt, but it makes it less likely to kill me.

Now I have a pair of these miserable stands. I got them 50 years ago when I didn't know very much at all about mechanics. I was under a lot of vehicles with only those supporting the car/truck. I still have them along with 6 other stands, 4 of which are rated 6 ton. They are all imports. 2 came from Sears, the others from HF. I use the miserable ones to support something like a ****** or just to carry some weight in an odd place if I'm doing frame work (well, those days are over for me, but I used to do a lot of welding on a specific brand of monocoque sports car).

I have a few of these as well. I still use them for light duty tasks, but not if I'm getting under a vehicle. I actually trust my HF stands for that. One of these has been holding up the transmission of my '71 VW Bus for three years now.

 

[Sugarfryz]

Regardless of whether the op used the jack stand improperly or not. I'm glad you're okay, if used improperly lesson learned, glad you weren't hurt.

 

[Sugarfryz]

Didn't read the whole post thread before I posted that. OP Totally understandable you were in a hurry with it being dark and trying to get a vehicle back on the road. Easy situation to have an oversight. I'm glad you're hear to tell us. Maybe someone will read this who works out in the field frequently and will be more careful, or maybe an employer will by heavier duty equipment. You never know!!!


Above all I'm glad you're safe and uninjured.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

What a stupid thing to say.

Sounds like I hit close to home. I apologize that you were offended.


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