Jack recall, chinese junk from Harbor Freight

KiWinUS said:
So awesome. Your a hero seriously. Unfortunately all new floor Jacks I’m aware of are Chinese make. It is also getting harder to find good jack rebuilders as the cheap Chinese junk & people willing to accept it have put the rebuilders out of business.
Keep digging my friend.
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I do too. My Walker 2 ton is USA made and has been trouble free for 20 years. I found a '30's vintage Blackhawk 1 ton bottle jack at a swap. $5. $60 for a rebuild and it's as good new.
 
My jack is a Brunnhoelzl alloy one,
I have had it for 9 years(got it for a birthday prez), never missed a beat.
Used most days in the shed.
Tony, I bet they use these at your shop.
Lawrie
 
Lawrie said:
My jack is a Brunnhoelzl alloy one,
I have had it for 9 years(got it for a birthday prez), never missed a beat.
Used most days in the shed.
Tony, I bet they use these at your shop.
Lawrie
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Mon Dieu!! I've gotta sit and catch my breath for a minute. Those things are "ONLY" $875 at Speedy Bill's. Looks about the same as my Craftsman alloy jack that has performed wonderfully. DD


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I was in the Navy in the late sixties and was assigned to a relatively new ship, all of the tools on board were made in Spain-you could literally bend a wrench around a bolt with out loosening the bolt and they expected me to rebuild a 12 cylinder diesel with this junk. when one broke I threw the rest in the junk bin, would have been over the side had we been at sea. I used my craftsman wrenches for two years on that ship and repaired a lot of machinery. Look at the quality of the tools you think are made in the US vs old school USA tools
 
hotrodart said:
My floor jacks are older than me, and I am in my mid-70s.....they are well cared for, and can be rebuilt as they wear.....every tool I have (2 roll away boxes, several hand boxes, and 2 machinist's boxes) is made in USA......as are all my power tools.
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Yes yes and yes old tools were built to last forever and will. I see the HF tool post here and on the hamb and always say why in my head. What happens to the tools after you buy them ? Screwdriver gremlins ? Jack stand gremlins ? Now where are to good old tools passed along by family or bought when no harbor freight was around and Craftsman was made in the great USA .
My father told me when I was a kid buy the best tool you can and it should last you a lifetime. Some of my woodworking tools are over a 100 years old and still do a amazing job..
As for jack stands I see guys making the 2x4 risers that fit under the tire. I like that idea and chopping up a dozen or two 2x4 is easy cheap and safe.
 
My favorite jack cost be just $25 off of craigslist. I restored it it (new seals, fluid and a paint job). He had two so I bought them both. When I broke an axel this was the only jack to have. And it has built in locks.

I was great when I redid the rear brakes, because you have to jack this car up so high just to get the rear tires off.

Still trying to get original rubber pads. And it was made in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Yes I still use jack stands with it.

Ok, so I don't use it under the bumper, instead I put the pads under the frame.

One of these on each on side of the car and you have a car hoist.
 

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Lawrie said:
My jack is a Brunnhoelzl alloy one,
I have had it for 9 years(got it for a birthday prez), never missed a beat.
Used most days in the shed.
Tony, I bet they use these at your shop.
Lawrie
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G’day Lawrie. Yes that’s exactly what we use. But who can afford them for hobby use.
 
Hein-Werner Jacks are the "Cadillac" of American-made jacks. Most guys that own a Hein-Werner jack refer to them proudly as their "Hiney". DD


431167
 
mhsprecher said:
I can remember when Made in Japan meant junk, too. Not true for many years now.

Why are things made in China, because they are cheap and we want cheap. It's one of the ways Walmart became so big.
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I totally agree . . . this is ONE part of the problem. The other is that we no longer really have any selection - hard to find "good, better, best" choices for almost anything. When one goes into Home Depot to buy even simple garden tools - you basically can't find anything that is made well and made in this country . . . so what do you do, you buy what they stock and you head back home to your garden . . .

It is sort of a vicious circle -- and too few people will actually PAY for quality these days. They make products that "look good" - but with poor designs, poor materials and shady manufacturing processes . . . and most US shoppers don't know any difference - so they buy the cheapest on the shelf.
 
This is a brand new Hein Werner jack I have. Copy of Lincoln or NAPA
 

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Chinese
I have worked on many of these as I have purchased them cheep most leeked or has an issue all near new. I am completely done fixing these as I have more than will last me if I lived to 100. I have next to 0$ in them. Simply because they had issues from brand new.
 
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Bored&Stroked said:
I totally agree . . . this is ONE part of the problem. The other is that we no longer really have any selection - hard to find "good, better, best" choices for almost anything. When one goes into Home Depot to buy even simple garden tools - you basically can't find anything that is made well and made in this country . . . so what do you do, you buy what they stock and you head back home to your garden . . .

It is sort of a vicious circle -- and too few people will actually PAY for quality these days. They make products that "look good" - but with poor designs, poor materials and shady manufacturing processes . . . and most US shoppers don't know any difference - so they buy the cheapest on the shelf.
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I'm sure most of us on here can recall when Sears sold two completely separate lines of tools. "Dunlap" for the masses and "Craftsman" for those who cared.
 
tubman said:
I'm sure most of us on here can recall when Sears sold two completely separate lines of tools. "Dunlap" for the masses and "Craftsman" for those who cared.
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And now a lot of Craftsman wrenches are 'Hecho en Chine'.
 
alanwoodieman said:
I was in the Navy in the late sixties and was assigned to a relatively new ship, all of the tools on board were made in Spain-you could literally bend a wrench around a bolt with out loosening the bolt and they expected me to rebuild a 12 cylinder diesel with this junk. when one broke I threw the rest in the junk bin, would have been over the side had we been at sea. I used my craftsman wrenches for two years on that ship and repaired a lot of machinery. Look at the quality of the tools you think are made in the US vs old school USA tools
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You were in the wrong outfit. I was in the Navy from Feb 66 to Nov. 69 in VP squadrons and Naha, Okinawa. We used Navy issue Snap On tools all the time.
We always had great tools. Never went aboard ship though in 4 years in the Navy.
 
My Dad was in there Air Force during the war,I have some of his snap on tools, one a 1/2 ratchet I gave to the snap on man to give it a clean up, he said that style was last made in 1945, so I know where he got it from lol, I still use it today.
Lawrie
 
I don't remember what tool supplier we used in the Army (Hawk Missile System) but I do remember they were high quality!
 
Been a thing for a long long time. Things have been made over seas forever and will continue. In the 60-80's japan made better guitars then the states. Why?

Supply and Demand. If demand is for higher quality and cheap, well it's not possible. The old saying... Cheap, quick, or good. Pick two.



If nobody is going to buy a jack for more money, No one is going to make. I'd personally buy quality over anything. I don't need to rebuy something like a jackstand or a jack. But if cadillac could keep a bumper on a old caddy, why buy another one. :)


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Ruth said:
Are you suggesting some Craftsman Tools are not made in China? Your wrong. I doubt Ace Hardware could sell a ⅜" drive socket set or a set of wrenches for $9.99 if they were still Made in USA.
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I'm aware of the origin of Craftsman stuff any more. The ONLY thing I'm suggesting is that MY dollars will NOT be going westward across the Pacific any more.....FOR SURE! Furthermore, it's likely that my dollars will remain within the confines of the contiguous 48 from now on.....USA! DD
 
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