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Harbor Freight?

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Old 07-06-2004, 05:27 PM
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Harbor Freight?

looking at buying some jack stands to start some modding.. BL, Susp. Lift, Sliders? and some stuff for teh 88 land cruiser
My question is are these Jack Stands good? Is there a better namebarnd? (I dont know any namebrands)
Right now these are on sale for 11.99 a pair.. or should I not trust my 4Runner up on something like this?
Old 07-06-2004, 05:45 PM
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for light duty stuff harbor frieght is great, however, when resting your truck on something while you are under it, there is no substiute for quality... not even price... skimping a little here is where you shouldnt be htinking about skimping unless you have a deathwish
Old 07-06-2004, 06:24 PM
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Jima said it. Don't buy cheap stuff when your life may depend on it. I use these for my lifted 4Runner and my Fiances car. Never had a problem and they are plenty tall enough.

Clicky
Old 07-06-2004, 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Designsbyme
Jima said it. Don't buy cheap stuff when your life may depend on it. I use these for my lifted 4Runner and my Fiances car. Never had a problem and they are plenty tall enough.

Clicky
Agreed, and these stands are very good for the price. I think $35+ tax is definitely worth it in the long run.
Old 07-06-2004, 06:30 PM
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The jack stands they have are plenty strong enough, I use a pair I bought from them all the time, but get the 6 ton ones....
Old 07-06-2004, 09:35 PM
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Plus the harbor freight ones only extend to 16.75. and to support the vehical on the frame rails with the front end off the ground you'd need more than that. aprox 22 inches....
Old 07-06-2004, 09:40 PM
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For something like this...Harbor freight isnt going to make something cheap. Just imagine the massive lawsuit that would occur if their product failed...its not going to. Get the 6-ton so you can go 2 feet up.
Old 07-06-2004, 10:30 PM
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Those look like the ones at Wallmart, at same price and no shipping. Identical, just different color.
Old 07-07-2004, 08:39 AM
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The local Harbor Freight and Walmart sell the same stands, they're cheaper at Walmart. I have 2 sets of the taller ones - they're plenty sturdy enough for a Toyota. Put the savings toward a good floor jack.
Old 07-07-2004, 08:53 AM
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I have never had a problem with the HF stuff I've bought. A jackstand is a jackstand in as much as its steel that lifts your ride. Why pay the big bucks for the same stuff? As said before they are not going to sell a junk stand that will collapse, they have no desire for a lawsuit like that especially for a $12 jackstand. Get the bigger one and I'm sure you'll be happy.
Old 07-07-2004, 09:27 AM
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I've been using these 3-ton stands on my 2WD for about 4 years and I've got no complaints. They hold as well as any others that I've used.
Old 07-07-2004, 10:57 AM
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Had a friend here that was going on and on about the HF rolling jack he had bought for a fantastic price.

Then he stopped talking about it. I asked why...?

Seems when he rolled the thing under his truck and began jacking up on it, all four wheels snapped off at the "welds"... His bargain landed in the trash...

The price is "good" for a reason on that junk. Made in Uganda, India, or some other Third World paradise isn't worth your life.
Old 07-07-2004, 12:12 PM
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I know that some folks have had good luck with HF, but I'll never send them another dime.

I bought a bandsaw and a drill press from them many years ago, about $350 total... Junk. The tensioner on the saw was worthless, tightening it up pulled it out of the frame. The drill press had similar issues.


We're kinda' talkin' apples and oranges here, but I think it's relevant in that it speaks to the scruples of the company. If they can't sell a decent tool, then I certainly won't trust my life to them.
Old 07-07-2004, 12:30 PM
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I have bought a few small tools from HF, like hammers and other tools that won't get used often.

For jack stands, I would probably go for quality (as everyone else stated). A few years back, I bought a set of cheap jackstands from Checker Auto Parts, they were built so poorly, the metal part wouldn't go into the stand because it was too big (did that make sense ). I returned them a day later and bought a better set at autozone.
Old 07-07-2004, 01:45 PM
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I bought the 6 ton stands from HF because of the extension height. I've had no problems with them. If they are rated for X tons then they will hold X tons. I try to keep my purchases at HF limited to simple tools. When you start getting into lots of working parts, hydrolics or electrical components your getting into things where cutting corners will significantly affect quality. But the clamps, jack stands, gloves, goggles, and zip ties I've purchased from them have all worked just fine.
Old 07-08-2004, 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Designsbyme
Jima said it. Don't buy cheap stuff when your life may depend on it. I use these for my lifted 4Runner and my Fiances car. Never had a problem and they are plenty tall enough.

Clicky

Thats exactly right. I've got 4 of em and use em constantly on my truck and my friends' and bro's cars. Stout as he!! and tall. Well worth the money!! $35/pr is cheap insurance.

Last edited by motrhedx81; 07-09-2004 at 03:09 AM.
Old 07-08-2004, 11:31 AM
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Tools aren't something I scrimp on. I may buy some of my woodworking power tools used, but I buy good quality. I also don't pay full retail when I buy Sears tools or some other brand. Just wait a little while, it'll be on sale. If you can't wait, then go pay full price and get jack stands from a good supplier, like Sears, that has deep pockets...cause your wife or mother needs someone to take to the cleaners if they do fail...which they won't...because you bought them from a reputable supplier.

Do you think there are any auto repair shops using HF jack stands? :pat:
Old 07-08-2004, 12:44 PM
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Harbor Frieght is good for alot of tools, but they are cheap (as in break). Good jack stands will run you about $30 from Sears, so the extra few bucks probably is worth it.
Old 07-08-2004, 05:54 PM
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Harbor Freight has alot of good deals, but when you buy tools that you plan to use alot, pay the extra to get a quality set. HF is perfect for the weekend mechanic that uses the tools every now and then. I buy most of my tools for the house at HF. I will not buy electric tools from them, they crap out way too fast, but their central pneumatic air tools hold up pretty good for me (and I use them every day). But stuff like those jack stands are just as good as anything else. Those are the only ones I use, and they hold up just fine. Just my .02.
Old 07-09-2004, 01:32 AM
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Harbor Freight sells things that they get cheap. Dont expect too much if you pay bottom dollar. I've got a set of 3 ton craftsman stands and 2 sets from harbor freight. The craftsman are well made, but I still use the harbor freight. It's the little diffrences like they are a little wobbly and some of the welds dont go the full seam. They are cheap, you get what you pay for.


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