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Thread: Harbor Freight: the good, the bad, and the ugly

  1. #46
    Arky-X is offline Just Too Addicted Arm chair racerJust too addicted
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Arkansas
    --
    529
    Bringing this one back to the top as a Public Service Announcement........

    Recall on Harbor Freight jack stands
    https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...of-collapsing/

    These jack stands were sold under the Pittsburg brand name, and can be identified by item numbers 56371 or 61196 on 3-ton models, and 61197 on 6-ton models.

    I need to go check mine now. I always use a back-up when I crawl under a vehicle.......of course most of the time the back up is a floor jack.....from Harbor Freight

  2. #47
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Mexico
    --
    9,003
    This happened a while back too.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ed/3870578002/

    I was shocked to learn that those knives could cut human flesh.

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Northeast
    --
    17,438
    They mentioned the bad stands were made in JING SEN YONG or something. I thought, of course they were!!
    All our government does is distract us while they steal from us, misspend our tax $ and ruin our country

  4. #49
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
    --
    2,196
    I've also had the tri fold ramp for several years and for the price, it's unbeatable. It is a little on the short side, but It's never been a problem for me, because my truck sits at a reasonable height.

    I just bought one of their tire bead breakers and should have done it sooner. I've worked in tire shops multiple times, so I have used shop level tire and balancing machines. Even using professional level machines requires a skillset and there's always stubborn and difficult tires that take experience to know how to deal with.

    The bead breakers on shop machines still have trouble with some tires and it takes tricks learned from experience to make them work on stubborn tires. I'm stating that because after reading some of the negative reviews on Harbor Freights website, it's clear many of those people didn't have prior experience and thought it shouldn't take any skill to use a tool. Something like simply expecting to have to rotate the tire and press on different sections of the bead to slowly work it loose is something even required with shops machines on difficult beads. Can't get them all with one bite.

    All that said, I put this thing straight to use. For the first go, I got an old tire that had been sitting on the wheel, in the elements for years. I had to remove the black widows and webs.
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    Broke the bead like buttah!

    ATV tire that's been on for years. Not a problem.

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    Next was some trailer tires that I needed to replace. I also bought their static balancer, just for things like trailer tires. No point in paying a shop stupid high amounts to change trailer tires. All this stuff is going to pay for itself with about eight tire changes, even faster for flat repairs or motorcycle tire changes (which cost more than car tire changes). I'm already two tire changes, a couple removals, and one ATV flat repair in on the bead breaker, so it's already paid for itself. The balancer is two tires in.

    Many of the negative reviews on the balancer are also unfounded. One review mentioning the springs wouldn't' hold up their wheel. Duh, they're not supposed to, otherwise the wheel wouldn't sit on the centering cone. Other people must not have realized they may to adjust the bubble before using and anytime they move it to another location. Sitting the balancer on the pin is also not a problem for anyone used to using their hands. Just grip the shaft with one hand and guide the cone over the top with the other. Seems like something intuitive.

    After using the bead breaker and mounting new trailer tires, I had a go with the balancer. I repeated putting each wheel on the balancer at different rotations and got the same result every time. First tire took very little weight and the second was a winner, spot on. I've had zero weight balances on spin balancers, but it's not often. These are small tires, so that's more likely.

    How durable the balancer is going to be will take a while, but I expect it and the bead breaker to pay for themselves multiple times over. That keeps me from having to drop off wheels or wait in a lobby, and save me the current high cost of tire changes. The county landfill here also takes tires, so when I have enough, I load them up and take them. No disposable fee for me, my taxes have already taken care of that.

    I've been wanting to buy a regular tire machine and balancer, but I think with this pair, I can put that off a while longer. I been getting extremely annoyed at how poor many shops are at balancing tires. Watching tire changers wrestle with my wheels when they don't know how to properly operate the machines is beyond getting old too. Got to thank Harbor Freight for lowering my blood pressure!

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    The story of three wheels and a man...

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    ohio
    --
    1,750
    The bead breaker is a good deal and we have used it a lot. Just don’t try and force big red oem tires off You will bend and stretch the back bone of the bead breaker. Even after doing that it still work pretty good for the money
    If its on the internet its got to be true they can't put any lie's on the internet

  6. #51
    BarnBoy is offline Just Too Addicted Arm chair racerJust too addicted
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Oklahoma
    --
    731
    Recently purchased a Yukon 46" tool chest with wood top...pretty happy with it so far and its not a bad price. Their light bars and pod lights are decent. Press works good....grinders are junk, same with any of their cutting wheels.

    I picked up a set of jack stands a year ago and they sketched me out. Returned em and bought a set from Atwoods, much better qc and welds.
    1984 HONDA ATC200M - OG, mid-restoration
    1981 HONDA ATC200 - future build
    1981 HONDA ATC185S - parts
    1984 ATC200X - roller, future build
    1984 Honda ATC250r - in a million pieces- ISO grab bar, PM if you have one

    Da velder
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  7. #52
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    devore,ca
    --
    1,015
    I have 2 of those Yukon tool chests. I think they're a great value.

    Another thing I picked up that I'm real happy with is the socket kit for lug nuts. It has double sided sockets and an extension that fits various size lug nuts. Really handy.
    YAMAHA 450 HYBRID
    85 350X- RED
    85 350x -BLACK
    86 350x-WHITE (with Goki)
    85 250r
    83 atc 70
    84 atc 70
    84 atc 110
    09 yfz 450
    2006 Arctic Cat Prowler
    RZR XP 900

  8. #53
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Long Island
    --
    85
    Thanks for the post about the jack stand recall. They are in my garage and I never would have known. I'll be returning them this weekend. I think my best buy has been the ratcheting wrenches. Those things have saved me hours of turning and I use them all the time. Close second is the ball joint separator. https://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-qu...tor-99849.html I broke one, went back with the receipt and went home with a new one. That thing beats the pickle fork hands down. Great little tool. Popped the tie rod ends off my 98 F150 with 150k miles with little effort. Haven't found a ball joint yet it can't separate with a little patience, PB Blaster and a . well worth the $20.
    In the garage
    2007 Yamaha Tri-Z 450
    2017 YZ 250F
    2003 XR100 (son's)
    2005 Raptor 350 (other son's)


    Gone but not forgotten
    86 350X
    16 WR 250R
    03 FZ1
    96 Katana 600
    89 XT350
    84 250R
    84 200X
    79 ATC 110
    74 ATC 90

  9. #54
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    The Open Road
    --
    4,729
    I got those jackstands too. Just used them a couple weekends ago while I was under a VW Beetle. Just now saw the post and will be returning them ASAP

  10. #55
    Arky-X is offline Just Too Addicted Arm chair racerJust too addicted
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Arkansas
    --
    529
    I've got a set of the recalled jackstands but haven't taken them back yet. I've used them to hold up my project X but it won't go back under a vehicle for sure.

    I'm skeptical on any Harbor Freight jackstand now. What other brand would you guys/gals trust? Don't mind paying more for peace of mind.

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
    --
    2,196
    Get something with a pin. There's the ratchet type that also use a pin and there are the ones that use a pin alone, for full support.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-T46...acity/48580191
    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-Big...-Pair/48580189
    https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...0848_200610848
    https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...6194_200756194

    The pin and the screw style supports have been around probably before automobiles. There's always the trusty ramp too. If the car won't drive onto a ramp (too low), lift it, then set it on.

    If I have a wheel off, I always set it under the vehicle, that way if the vehicle does fall, it can't go to the ground. Got to layer the safety. I'm used to working in shops with vehicle lifts. Imagine if a brand of those has failures...splat. I prefer a four post lift with center jacks, opposed to the two post. Can't stand having to lie down on the dirty floor, just to get a car on a lift. Can't get in a clean car with a greasy back. Also, a four post with rolling center jacks makes transmission removable/installation a breeze.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

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