The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[isuhunter]

Looking for a new jack to replace my 3 ton craftsman jack as it leaks oil everywhere.

I use the jack for rotating tires on my F150 & Camry. Does anyone have experience with the 1.5 ton HF jack that is on sale?

 

[fasteddie]

Looking for a new jack to replace my 3 ton craftsman jack as it leaks oil everywhere.

I use the jack for rotating tires on my F150 & Camry. Does anyone have experience with the 1.5 ton HF jack that is on sale?

I would look at a 3 ton for use on a truck. They have this 3 ton on sale now for $10 more. It has a higher lift capacity than the 1.5.

 

[ndnchf]

About 6 months ago I bought the 2-1/2lb orange dead blow hammer. I've used it quite a bit and it has really worked well. The orange plastic-like coating is tough, no damage after repeated uses. A big PASS.

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...lf-lb-neon-orange-dead-blow-hammer-41798.html

There are times where I need a little more UMPH, so last week I went back and bought the 4lb big-daddy dead blow. I haven't used it yet, but it seems to be the same quality.

https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/hammers/4-lb-neon-orange-dead-blow-hammer-69004.html

 

[JRC3]

Looking for a new jack to replace my 3 ton craftsman jack as it leaks oil everywhere.

I use the jack for rotating tires on my F150 & Camry. Does anyone have experience with the 1.5 ton HF jack that is on sale?

Here's my reply about it. Other replies after that too. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7338856&postcount=9379


Looks like that link doesn't show the other posts. Just scroll back around post 9379 and look around.

 

[Loose Ctrl]

Looking for a new jack to replace my 3 ton craftsman jack as it leaks oil everywhere.

I use the jack for rotating tires on my F150 & Camry. Does anyone have experience with the 1.5 ton HF jack that is on sale?

Check youtube. There are plenty of good how-tos on fixing leaky jacks. Most jacks have an SAE or generic seal size and can be fixed for under $20 with new seals and fluid. It could also just be crud build up around the seals. I've had that and cleaned them out with a bit of thin plastic, like a drink bottle, cut into a triangle. Just use a corner.

 

[zendriver]

Looking for a new jack to replace my 3 ton craftsman jack as it leaks oil everywhere.

I use the jack for rotating tires on my F150 & Camry. Does anyone have experience with the 1.5 ton HF jack that is on sale?

I have one and it's a great jack, but I primarily purchased it to take along for the boat tires, or use it to raise vehicles on a trailer (ease of lifting the jack itself).

 

[bubinga]

ALWAYS check Amazon before hitting a 'Buy it now' button on Ebay, I've been burned twice by sellers on Ebay who buy an item on Amazon, mark it up, and ship it directly to me.

And in some cases (not all), I've found Amazon prices to be the cheapest, sometimes by 20% or more. These days I always do my due diligence, much as you mentioned, checking at least three sources (vendor's website, Amazon, and Ebay) before committing to an online purchase.

You do These Days.
E bay is like Dollar General, 10, and 15 or so years they used to always be a bargain. Today, dollar General is not the bargain it used to be.
Very often times, Heck, Walmart is cheaper than Dollar general.

 

[bubinga]

I have one and it's a great jack, but I primarily purchased it to take along for the boat tires, or use it to raise vehicles on a trailer (ease of lifting the jack itself).

Would be nice for that.
I wouldn't mind that jack in My car for my little trailer, and my car, If I'd get a Flat.
But i just have one of those little ones from walmart, trolley style jack I think you would call it, I carry in the car. Kind of like this one.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-compact-trolley-jack-68783.html?cid=paid_google_pla_main_newproducts_lowersales_$10to$30_68783&gclid=CjwKCAiA4OvhBRAjEiwAU2FoJWcilg4SbUz4kNew5vk-wuQfSccYdWLkW5Ps2GPuCIpdFa0kaboFLhoCgnoQAvD_BwE

If I know "Me", No air in my spare, and no 3/4" socket in the car.
I do have a breaker bar though..........LOL

 

[Loose Ctrl]

Would be nice for that.
I wouldn't mind that jack in My car for my little trailer, and my car, If I'd get a Flat.
But i just have one of those little ones from walmart, trolley style jack I think you would call it, I carry in the car. Kind of like this one.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-compact-trolley-jack-68783.html?cid=paid_google_pla_main_newproducts_lowersales_$10to$30_68783&gclid=CjwKCAiA4OvhBRAjEiwAU2FoJWcilg4SbUz4kNew5vk-wuQfSccYdWLkW5Ps2GPuCIpdFa0kaboFLhoCgnoQAvD_BwE

If I know "Me", No air in my spare, and no 3/4" socket in the car.
I do have a breaker bar though..........LOL

I had one of HF old screw type jacks for my 4x5 trailer. My trailer grosses out at 1500lbs.

 

[bubinga]

Check youtube. There are plenty of good how-tos on fixing leaky jacks. Most jacks have an SAE or generic seal size and can be fixed for under $20 with new seals and fluid. It could also just be crud build up around the seals. I've had that and cleaned them out with a bit of thin plastic, like a drink bottle, cut into a triangle. Just use a corner.

Yeah, I have that Nice HW I got for free with some scrap metal.
I have to clean it up and fill it, and see whats what.
Probably when it warms up.
Too muck other s$)(t going on right now, (That really should have been done already) I have to still do 1st.

 

[Loose Ctrl]

Yeah, I have that Nice HW I got for free with some scrap metal.
I have to clean it up and fill it, and see whats what.
Probably when it warms up.
Too muck other s$)(t going on right now, (That really should have been done already) I have to still do 1st.

I'm right there with you. I've back burnered a few projects later due to other more pressing projects.

 

[bubinga]

I definitely is my own, My wife said we needed a "BIGGER" and "better" dog house for our boys. We have 2 Rotweilers that weigh in at about 130# each.

The floor of the dog house is 4' x 8' and the roof is 6' x 10'. it was made from scraps I had left over from my shop build. (My first little project inside my new shop) All the walls, ceiling/roof and floor are all framed up with 2x4s and insulated. The roof hinges up for easy cleaning out and putting fresh bedding in each winter. All the inside walls are covered with 1/4" luan and the exterior is covered with 1/2" OSB then covered and trimmed out with leftover metal.

Joe

Nice Job!
It's nice how it opens.

 

[bubinga]

I'm right there with you. I've back burnered a few projects later due to other more pressing projects.

Iv'e been Bad these days.

 

[JRC3]

02-13-2011

Nice Job!
It's nice how it opens.

Are you Rip Van Winkle ?

 

[bubinga]

Are you Rip Van Winkle ?

Yes!

 

[80z28s6]

Check youtube. There are plenty of good how-tos on fixing leaky jacks. Most jacks have an SAE or generic seal size and can be fixed for under $20 with new seals and fluid. It could also just be crud build up around the seals. I've had that and cleaned them out with a bit of thin plastic, like a drink bottle, cut into a triangle. Just use a corner.

Do search on the forum for hi-ball. He goes into detail about rebuilding those jacks.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Provincial]

Do search on the forum for hi-ball. He goes into detail about rebuilding those jacks.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Look for the "sticky" at the top of the General Tool Discussion page for this thread.

 

[Loose Ctrl]

Do search on the forum for hi-ball. He goes into detail about rebuilding those jacks.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Look for the "sticky" at the top of the General Tool Discussion page for this thread.

Thank you both for posting this info.

 

[toyotadriver]

HF had a sale on various things this past weekend. I have an old HF jack (the orange color) that has been flawless for the past 17 years. I decided I wanted a couple 3 ton jacks. The newer ones lift faster than my old one. I also wanted the cross bar to permanently mount on one of the jacks. So, I got two jacks for $69.99 each and the cross bar.

I attempted to grease the first jack. I got the grease in but when I went to remove the grease gun, the zerk broke off. So, I extracted the threaded portion and then put in a new zerk. No problems now. Went ahead and just put a new zerk on the other jack.

The instructions say to check the oil level before use. I did so and it appeared to be a little low. So, I topped off the oil level.

So far, they seem to be pretty good...aside from the **** grease zerk.

 

[ScottsGT]

Any word on the scissors jacks that bolt up under campers and RV’s? No luck with the search.

 

[fordkid88]

This review for the 158gph garden pump.


So far a pass. Not for this use though, using it as coolant pump for a bandsaw.

 

[6PTsocket]

You do These Days.
E bay is like Dollar General, 10, and 15 or so years they used to always be a bargain. Today, dollar General is not the bargain it used to be.
Very often times, Heck, Walmart is cheaper than Dollar general.

I find Amazon is often not the best price and sometimes by A LOT. Ebay and other sources often are much cheaper. Even 3rd party sellers on Amazon often beat their price and sometimes sell direct with even better deals. Dollar General is the only place north of the Mason Dixon line that has my favorite brand of Iced tea bags, Luzianne, on the shelf. I can get them from Walmart ship to store for the same price $4/ 48 double size bags. From Amazon it was $9 with shipping. I recently paid around $12 each for OEM Whirlpool refrigerator water filters from ebay. They are $50 a pop on Amazon, HD, or Lowes. There is no one stop shopping for the best deal.
Even Rockauto sometimes has far from the best price.
I needed an expensive special fuse for my DMM that seems to exclusively used by Fluke and Tektronix. Amazon was high. The one I got on ebay, for a lot less, from China, was the same brand and made in Mexico. Figure that one out
Loctite is manufactured in their plants all over the world. I was looking for 401 and you can easily spend $12, 15, 20 buying it in the US. Check Amazon. I got it on ebay, labeled in Korean and made in Ireland, with a good expiration date for around $3 or 4 bucks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Tap and die sets are an absolute fail. The handle was essentially unusable. Garbage. Glad it wasn't my money wasted, I just had to use the ****.

 

[Psychwarfare]

I did okay with their tap and die set. The handle wasn't great...but it got the job done...and I'm thinking of picking up a screwdriver-style tap driver elsewhere for the headlight bolts I'm drilling out on the MGB and the holes I'll subsequently have to re-thread

Their crowsfoot wrenches have been trash for me...effectively stripping any somewhat well-fastened bolt/nut they've been used on

Their flare wrenches have fared well on some tough jobs

 

[JRC3]

Their flare wrenches have fared well on some tough jobs

I have them too, they are a bit bulky but they do have a good finish and work perfectly fine.

 

[DFB]

Interesting blanket statement on a HF tap and die set without letting anyone know which one out of four possible offerings...

21 pc carbon
40 pc carbon
60 pc alloy
45 pc titanium nitride coated.

I flipped a few of the 21 pc ones on my tool table can't say they were anything great but people want them. Price is right

I personally wouldn't touch the 40 pc if you gave me one

I already have two Craftsman Kromedge sets one metric one standard and the HF 60 piece heat treated alloy set does looks similar.

I might be interested in hearing specific user reviews on them.

We do have one of the 45pc Nitride coated sets at the Motorcycle shop. Nothing really wrong with it and handy having the larger sizes over 1/2".

 

[fasteddie]

Interesting blanket statement on a HF tap and die set without letting anyone know which one out of four possible offerings...

21 pc carbon
40 pc carbon
60 pc alloy
45 pc titanium nitride coated.

I flipped a few of the 21 pc ones on my tool table can't say they were anything great but people want them. Price is right

I personally wouldn't touch the 40 pc if you gave me one

I already have two Craftsman Kromedge sets one metric one standard and the HF 60 piece heat treated alloy set does looks similar.

I might be interested in hearing specific user reviews on them.

We do have one of the 45pc Nitride coated sets at the Motorcycle shop. Nothing really wrong with it and handy having the larger sizes over 1/2".

How are the die stocks on the 45 and 60? Are they steel or cast pot metal?

 

[Nineeightyone]

I have them too, they are a bit bulky but they do have a good finish and work perfectly fine.

Could you guys elaborate a bit on the flare nut wrenches? I've heard nothing positive about any brands other than Snap-On and Blackhawk/Proto, and I've got a brake line job coming up on my '04 Jetta and my '10 Mazda, and would love to not have to shell out the coin for the more expensive stuff.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Interesting blanket statement on a HF tap and die set without letting anyone know which one out of four possible offerings...

21 pc carbon
40 pc carbon
60 pc alloy
45 pc titanium nitride coated.

I flipped a few of the 21 pc ones on my tool table can't say they were anything great but people want them. Price is right

I personally wouldn't touch the 40 pc if you gave me one

I already have two Craftsman Kromedge sets one metric one standard and the HF 60 piece heat treated alloy set does looks similar.

I might be interested in hearing specific user reviews on them.

We do have one of the 45pc Nitride coated sets at the Motorcycle shop. Nothing really wrong with it and handy having the larger sizes over 1/2".

41pc Metric and the 21 piece SAE.....both horse ****. If you think they are decent you haven't ever used a quality set. Night and day difference.

 

[jim faston]

From the product overview for the 21 piece set:

Not suitable for steel or automotive use.

 

[DFB]

How are the die stocks on the 45 and 60? Are they steel or cast pot metal?

I would think they are just cast I know the craftsman stuff is.

 

[DFB]

41pc Metric and the 21 piece SAE.....both horse ****. If you think they are decent you haven't ever used a quality set. Night and day difference.

Thanks for detailing which HF offerings you had your experiences with

 

[DFB]

From the product overview for the 21 piece set:

Not suitable for steel or automotive use.

From the few I flipped they definitely are a total POS

I actually really am surprised people do buy them.

 

[Kenstone1]

I have 2 sets of HF taps, not sure which ones, but I do know the metric taps in both sets cut way oversized/easy to strip threads.

 

[JRC3]

Could you guys elaborate a bit on the flare nut wrenches? I've heard nothing positive about any brands other than Snap-On and Blackhawk/Proto, and I've got a brake line job coming up on my '04 Jetta and my '10 Mazda, and would love to not have to shell out the coin for the more expensive stuff.

Sounds a bit Joke-ish. But if you're replacing lines, just cut the old tubing off flush and then use a 6pt socket on the flare nut.

 

[Nineeightyone]

Sounds a bit Joke-ish. But if you're replacing lines, just cut the old tubing off flush and then use a 6pt socket on the flare nut.

Well the plan is to move to stainless braided line, but hopefully the whole affair can just be a bolt on/bolt off/bleed solution instead of having to make new lines/ends.

I did some more searching though, and it seems Snap-On/Blackhawk is the way to go, not that much more expensive for a Blackhawk set when considering it's cheap insurance that the job will (hopefully) go smoothly.

 

[ScottsGT]

Any word on the scissors jacks that bolt up under campers and RV’s? No luck with the search.

I'm going to quote myself to follow up on this if anyone ever searches for it. But I picked one up last night on the way home. It's a pretty nice piece. I'll give it a pass from initial inspection and running it up and down with my impact gun. Didn't try it under a load.
But it's just too big for my project. Its right at 24" long in the down position, and about 6" wide with the top and bottom flanges.

 

[javyLSU]

Well the plan is to move to stainless braided line, but hopefully the whole affair can just be a bolt on/bolt off/bleed solution instead of having to make new lines/ends.

I did some more searching though, and it seems Snap-On/Blackhawk is the way to go, not that much more expensive for a Blackhawk set when considering it's cheap insurance that the job will (hopefully) go smoothly.

I bought a set of the HF flare nut wrenches last year to do exactly what you're planning - I swapped out all four corners of my FJ Cruiser to stainless steel brake lines, then bleed fluid, etc... The flare nut wrenches worked perfectly - they got slathered in a lot of brake fluid when doing the line swaps, and to date there has been no chipping or flaking of the finish on any of the wrenches. Definitely a PASS in by book.

 

[fasteddie]

I have a set of Tekton metric. Nice fit and finish. Used them to replace all lines on my 30 year old truck, no rounded off fittings.

 

[Alpine4x4]

Pass/Fail on the 3/4" SAE socket set. Finally found some back in stock and would like to have a setof 3/4" in the box for the odd job without spending $600 to do so. First set I got the 7/8" socket wasnt even broached properly, it was more of a 13 point than a 12 point. The 1-1/16" and 1-3/16" would not fit on the extensions or ratchet at all, they bound up trying to go on. I went to the local HF to exchange them and we went through the two cases he had on the shelf and none of the 1-1/16" sockets fit on anything. He went in back and grabbed another set and this one worked great. We noticed though, the second set was a different style socket. Markings, size, and polish differed from my kit and the two on the shelf. Make sure to check the fit on the sockets in the parking lot before heading home to make sure everything fits if you buy this set and if they're bad hope your HF is as awesome as mine on the exchange.
https://www.harborfreight.com/21-piece-sae-3-4-quarter-inch-industrial-quality-socket-set-40996.html