Do you sleep easy knowing your jack is made in China?

-
I don't even buy mandarin oranges any more, much to my chagrin. But I can't find them sourced anywhere but China.

I buy peel and eat oranges called cuties. Nice and sweet, easy to peel. I believe they come from florida.

Off-topic, but they are actually grown in the central valley of California.

16feature-cuties-box.png.png
 
What size lumber are you using to make these. 2x4s 2x6s what's the square dimension of one of these? Height? I have seen them in a lot of posts. I think they are a great idea. I would like to make some for my shop.
Mine were made from leftover pressure treated 2x6's, glue and screws. 14"x14"x12" inches high.
 
What size lumber are you using to make these. 2x4s 2x6s what's the square dimension of one of these? Height? I have seen them in a lot of posts. I think they are a great idea. I would like to make some for my shop.

Mine are 2x4's and we're cut 14in pieces, so 14x14in and they are 16in high.
 
I've got a 1 1/2 ton astro jack I bought in 1983, made in china, I bought it before I had my shop and when I did I put it with the Walkers and the air Jack's I had. It got used more because the Walkers were the full frame Jack's and it was faster to grab. It has never given me a problem were the others have. So at 36 years old it's still going strong.
 
Last edited:
I don't.

I've used this one maybe a half dozen times even though I bought it years ago. It's only been under my Neons, only on level cement.

0

Thanks for the warning.
Also.....
"Cement" is a glue, a bonding agent.
"Concrete" is the word you should have used.
Cement is a component of concrete along with sand and rocks.
 
Thanks for the warning.
Also.....
"Cement" is a glue, a bonding agent.
"Concrete" is the word you should have used.
Cement is a component of concrete along with sand and rocks.

You shut your ***** mouth. I'm an ME, not a CE, and I'll call my composite aggregates as I see fit. :icon_fU:
 
LOL I'm a mechanical engineer (ME) and concrete is the realm of the (ugh) Civil Engineers (CE).

Yes I know it is concrete and not cement. I call it cement to stir the ire of any CE's in the audience. It needles them.
 
Either way you should know buying a cheap-*** jack that weighs less than 20 lbs and is made of thin gauge steel with a narrow base is a bad idea regardless of where it was made. And that buying a well made jack doesn't necessarily mean buying one made in the US- case in point, the Snap-On jack now being made in China. On that note, has anyone even tried finding a floor jack that was made in the US lately? If Snap-On is repping Chinese made floor jacks, there aren't many options.

Yeah, I sleep fine using my 3 ton floor jack from Harbor Freight made in China. It has a wide base for stability, is made from heavy duty steel with welded and reinforced pivot points. I use it as a jack (ie, a lifting device only) and support my car with jackstands whenever I'm underneath. I also use a jack and jackstands that are rated significantly higher than the load I'm supporting, and if I'm planning on spending a significant amount of time underneath it I also support the wheels at one end (at least) with cribbing (wooden blocks) to add an additional area of support in case of a failure.

This is all common sense type stuff. I mean seriously, does this look like something you want supporting weight over your head? Everything is stamped, nothing is welded together, none of the pivots are reinforced. The base is super narrow, meaning even if it was solidly built it still wouldn't be very stable. Someone familiar with engineering concepts should be able to understand why this is a terrible design and a poor choice for a tool just by looking at it, regardless of its country of manufacture. The fact that it weighs 19.6 lbs should tell you right off the bat it's not a substantial tool.
https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/larin-2-ton-floor-jack/0000000036100
205943.jpg


Now look at this- it has a wide base for stability, wide wheels, everything that comes off the main body of the jack is welded onto the body, the front axle tube is welded to the body, the caster supports aren't just stamped steel, all the pivots are gusseted and welded. It weighs 78 lbs, and has an ASME certification. This is a no brainer. Would I rather buy a USA made jack? Yes. But if you look at well made jacks, this is what they look like. I've been using mine for 10+ years, they don't flex, they don't leak, and they get the job done.
3 Ton Low Profile Steel Heavy Duty Floor Jack with Rapid Pump®
56617_W4.jpg
 
I too don't roll under, much less sleep under, any vehicle held up by jack. LOL
The reason I bought a US made floor jack was that when I went to Sears to get rebuild parts for one of their floor jacks, they didn't have and couldn't help.
Back then this meant a ride into Newark NJ to buy a Lincoln 2 ton.
upload_2019-9-19_21-1-59.png

I got about 20 years of weekend use before it needed a 'rebuilding'. The place I bought it from is still in business but I'm not near there so did it myself.
About that time I bought a cheap aluminum jack whose main purpose is to change tires at autocross events. That replaced another 1.5 ton Tiawanese trolley jack that I had been taking to events. The 'race' jack is lighter and the handle has better reach.

Lincolns are no longer made in the US.
These guys have a brief overview of manufacturing.
HYJACKS.COM/FLOOR JACKS BACKGROUND PAGE/H2.HTM
 
Yea, I got my 40+ year old Sears jack fixed. 40 dollar service kit on the interweb, 8 hours to take it apart, clean it, reassemble and oil it up. No leaks, and lifts like it used too. I hope I get another 40 years out of it, I will be 100 years old!
IMG_0376.JPG
 
Jeeez, lots of dialog on jacks. I bought a 1.5 ton unit from Jegs, literally puked out oil on it’s tenth use. I scrapped it. Almost everything is made in China now. Hearing that Snap On is built in the same Chinese factory as some of the HF models is very interesting. The SO truck comes to my town every Monday for our local mechanics. I set foot in it occasionally. Last time the rep said half price on some stuff, including a 1/4” deep socket set(approx 12 pieces). I think it was still $200! WTF?! I’ve installed many water heaters now in my career. I think 3 or 4 now failed on fire up, one leaked water that same night, and their all made in America. Older water heaters lasted 30 year’s easily, with usually no maintenance needed. Either American pride in manufacturing is gone, or it’s all about the shareholders making the money. My Dart has a Chinese Scat crankshaft in it, and it runs great, even though my new iPhone is shitty! I always put blocks below my wheels however.....
 
Knowing that my I phone was made in China, when talking on the phone or using it to browse the internet,
I hold a ground wire my free hand that is silver soldered to a copper spike driven 5 inches into the earth.
The wire connection is 10 gauge made in USA wire. Must be working. No problems so far.
 
I have an old HF jack about 15 years old that's only flaw is the spring that keeps the handle from falling broke. That thing is dangerous and lives under a car so the handle is flat down. It will still lift a car though. I think it's 2-1/2 ton, solid steel, weights about 100 lbs.

I recently bought one of HF's long reach low height high lift jobs when they had 15% off everything. That thing weighs even more than my old one and raises to a max height of 24" It even has a foot jack on it if that's easier to use than the handle. It was not cheap but as much as it weighs, how could it be?

It seems to be a beast, and honestly, if it's stable (wide), what can go wrong with it? I don't think I've ever heard of a jack cylinder just giving up and dropping a car so it seems pretty fail safe. Those tiny little stamped sheet metal jacks are way too narrow to trust.
 
Ha! That's funny. They always think they are better than everybody else. LOL
While we're on this subject. Can anyone identify this Jack. Bought new from Mack Tool guy about 25 years ago. Bleeds off and leaks oil at pump valve. Can it be fixed or pitch it. Big and heavy .
20191202_105650.jpg
20191202_105704.jpg
20191202_105818.jpg
 
Looks like a jsa 250m. Kits or power units probably aren't available but the pumps and cylinders can be rebuilt by anyone that does hydraulic repair. Usually just rubber o-rings.
 
The one and only time I tried to rebuild a hydraulic jack cylinder, the first part I encountered that needed replacing was a leather O ring, and then a leather washer.

Never could find them.
 
I sleep like a baby. I am always super careful placing my Jack Stands (probably also made in China LOL). I think cautious jack stand placement is very important.
 
-
Back
Top