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Old 05-27-2020, 06:18 AM   #1
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Habor Freight jack stand recall

Harbor Freight jack stands are being recalled. Apparently they could collapse.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...re/ar-BB14DdHZ
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Old 05-27-2020, 07:27 AM   #2
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Seen the article on them literally don’t use them under any circumstances as the teeth may be held by only 1/16 th of an inch
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Old 05-27-2020, 08:20 AM   #3
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I don't know if the ones I bought are from the recall, I don't have them anymore. So the teenagers who broke into the garage where I was storing my Boler and stole them may have saved my life!
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Old 05-27-2020, 09:27 AM   #4
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Kind of scary. Been using a pair for the last 4 years to do tire rotations on my truck and for the last 2 years wheel swaps on the Casita.

I looked at the HF site, they just list model numbers of affected units, but no dates. So I guess all are affected?
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Old 05-27-2020, 10:03 AM   #5
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While the catalog makes fun bathroom reading, I've never been a fan of Habor Freight. Let's face it, how good is that cordless drill if they can sell it for $20. A few years back I decided to treat myself to a floor jack. I wanted aluminum for the weight. Habor Freight was selling a 1 1/2 ton "racing jack" for $89. But if you had a coupon and it was Tuesday and you knew the secret code , it could be had for $59. A little research turned up some pretty scary pictures of the jack failing. I ended up with an Arcan 2 ton at 3 times the price. No regets.
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Old 05-27-2020, 10:08 AM   #6
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Lets face it, the proper way to use any jack is to assume it will fail and act accordingly. In other words, don't go under the vehicle with just a jack holding it up. That was drilled into me during shop class along with don't talk to someone while using a table saw and don't pick up sheet metal without gloves and not by the sides only.
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Old 05-27-2020, 10:34 AM   #7
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Looks like one needs to dab some paint on the prawl and see how well it engages the teeth. If not well then take it back. Model numbers? I can look but my guess is that was on the box which is long gone. My guess is they can't tell either so if you show up with a jack stand that clearly only engages the teeth a little bit they will take it back.


Plus one on good safety practice would require the jack stand and jack to fail or two jack stands to fail. If you want to bet your life on a single piece of equipment you were born too late to have had "real" shop class.


Seen more than one vehicle up on cinder blocks being worked on. Have only seen the collapsed blocks once, and that was enough. That car hit the ground hard enough to dig in. Being under it would have been terminal.


I have two and will be checking them shortly. Thanks for the heads up. I don't heal like I used to and really don't want wife to get my life insurance money just yet.
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Old 05-27-2020, 10:41 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Alex Adams View Post
Lets face it, the proper way to use any jack is to assume it will fail and act accordingly. In other words, don't go under the vehicle with just a jack holding it up. That was drilled into me during shop class along with don't talk to someone while using a table saw and don't pick up sheet metal without gloves and not by the sides only.
You forgot don't wear a tie around a lathe or drill press, no gloves either. I saw a co-worker who caught a glove in a drill bit at a plant. Wrapped her fingers around the flutes which slice bone deep and broke some bones. Swelling into stitches was not pleasant.

They started deburring those parts so they could be handled without gloves after that but that is sure learning the hard way.

I know who wears a tie these days? Our shop teacher had a clip on one and he would still take it off when working around spinning shafts. Loose shirts could do the same thing, or sweat shirts for those who work in unheated garage. I took the strings out of my "grubby" sweat shirt hood for that reason.
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Old 05-27-2020, 11:01 AM   #9
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Back in the day engineers still wore coats and ties in the mills. I had a boss who questioned my wearing a clip on tie as unprofessional...
He was looking at a cloth finishing frame running at 100 yards / min with his hand holding back the tie, almost all of it as it seems.
The end of the tie caught in the roll and zip he was holding the tie for dear life, which he would have lost if I hadn't had my razor sharp pocket knife out in a flash and cut his expensive silk tie.
Soon afterwards clip-ons were approved.
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Old 05-27-2020, 12:46 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
Looks like one needs to dab some paint on the prawl and see how well it engages the teeth. If not well then take it back. Model numbers? I can look but my guess is that was on the box which is long gone.

Harbor Freight has posted the affected 3 ton jackstands and their part numbers. The part number is listed on the stand itself. No receipt needed. If the tag has been scraped off, and you are not sure, take them back for replacement.
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Old 05-27-2020, 01:30 PM   #11
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I see from the actual recall notice that it is only the Pittsburgh Automotive brand.

I guess my older China made ones are better quality

I see no model number on these, only a "3 Ton" designation. They do look very much like the ones in the recall notice.

They came from the (China) factory painted red so no need for me to paint them to see how much of the ledge contacts the ratchet bar.. the rust tells that tail.

I'd estimate I have owned them for more than 20 years, maybe more than 30. I have used them a few times every year and last few years my Scamp has sat on them over the winter (but with stabilizer jacks also).

I just noticed the label that instructs to bend the tab (inwards) after inserting the ratchet bar. Maybe I should do that.
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Jack1.jpg   Jack2.jpg  

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Old 05-27-2020, 01:51 PM   #12
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Bought mine - maybe 5, years ago. Just checked the serial numbers and happy to report mine not part of the recall.
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jackstand.jpg   HarborFreight.jpg  

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Old 05-27-2020, 02:13 PM   #13
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Bought mine - maybe 5, years ago. Just checked the serial numbers and happy to report mine not part of the recall.
But the design is likely the same, as it is with my non-Pittsburgh brand. So I have to wonder if its more of a design flaw, but they only documented failure in these models. Perhaps the recall will be expanded. At any rate, I will not put myself in harms way if they fail.
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Old 05-27-2020, 02:16 PM   #14
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Guess I'll buy a pair of the old school jack stands where you had to put a pin through the holes to hold it. Not as convenient but you'd have to shear the pin to have them fail.
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Old 05-27-2020, 03:33 PM   #15
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I'm also planning on replacing my bottle jack with a scissor jack. Not as compact but has a much wider base for better support. Also last year I added a couple of HF rubber wheel chocks when they were on sale for $5 each. Sort of heavy compared to plastic but having been parked on a sloping camp sight before I decided to just have the right tool for the job of not letting the camper roll away if I unhook. Or need to change a tire.


Well what do you know! My jacks stands are Craftsman not HF. I looked at them there but now thinking back I recall Sears had a sale and were a better price for a weekend.
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Old 05-29-2020, 07:44 AM   #16
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From now on I am going to use concrete blocks as back-up. Never put all your eggs in one basket, or believe in a brand.
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Old 05-29-2020, 08:08 AM   #17
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Hein-Werner

I bought a 2 1/2 ton floor jack and a couple of 6 ton? jack stands all Werner brand. I never have been under a anything without jack stands. I never could stand crawling around under vehicles so I installed a lift in my barn.
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Old 05-29-2020, 08:33 AM   #18
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This is all good advice but I see some confusing stuff. The recalled item is a jack stand. That's supposed to be the safe way to get under a vehicle. Not when it's held up by a jack, but by a jack stand. Just clarifying. I see reference to "this is why you should never get under a vehicle when it's held up by just a jack".

Using these should have been the safe way.

I bought exactly two things from HF before I told myself "never again". I've since had friends tell me that they do carry some decent tools, and that I should just never buy anything with a motor from them. Or if I'm going to buy a one-use tool, they might be good enough for that. I still don't buy anything from them.

Anyone can manufacture or sell a bad product now and then, but bad products is kind of the HF model of business, isn't it?
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Old 05-29-2020, 09:21 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
From now on I am going to use concrete blocks as back-up. Never put all your eggs in one basket, or believe in a brand.
Bad idea. Concrete crumbles. Many good authorities instruct to never use concrete blocks as a safety support under a vehicle.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/car...a3663/4283377/

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...
I bought exactly two things from HF before I told myself "never again". ..
I have found that I can buy things like a hammer drill at HF for less than I can rent one for four hours. So I bought the hammer drill, and used it one day, save myself some money and still have a working hammer drill. Now if I wanted one to use professionally or even very often, or if having something working might be critical, then I would not buy anything from HF. But when it works long enough and is cheaper then renting then it is the right move financially (but not so much the right move environmentally ).
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Old 05-29-2020, 09:36 AM   #20
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I bought a 2 1/2 ton floor jack and a couple of 6 ton? jack stands all Werner brand. I never have been under a anything without jack stands. I never could stand crawling around under vehicles so I installed a lift in my barn.
I wanted 3 ton stands. Hein Werner was my first choice but I couldn't find them so I went with Norco. I've been happy with them. At one time Hein Werner were made in the U.S. I see now they are assembled here. Gotta wonder on that. If you're going to get under a vehicle, a set of good jack stands can be bought for less than $100. Why mess with Harbor Freight ? Or Walmart. Or...

I've also heard stories of those drive on ramps collapsing. Especially the plastic ones. And it can happen so fast.
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