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

-
I've had it so long I don't remember . Still works , just leaks off and makes a mess. Weighs like 100#s LOL

Milwaukee was known for their over sized pads. It was their trademark and bragging point. That's usually how you can tell them. The pad on that one is grossly larger than the rest of the jack. It's a dead giveaway......and a good thing, IMO. I always liked them.
 
Everything is made in China. If everything made in China was taken out of the Auto Store, there would be a few quarts of Amsoil left on the shelf. What the hell are we supposed to do about it.
 
Everything is made in China. If everything made in China was taken out of the Auto Store, there would be a few quarts of Amsoil left on the shelf. What the hell are we supposed to do about it.

We did it. It was the election of 2016. Now if everybody will let him do his job, you'll see this chinkesium disappear.
 
I have spent most my working life in ,on or under big rig equipment. Supporting a raised vehicle safely was always a first priority. I also stressed this to my young son. To never get under a car without jackstands.
One day after my son was an adult. he told me his buddies father was found dead out in his garage. The car he had jacked up and was under with no stands came down on him. Crushing his chest.
 
I have spent most my working life in ,on or under big rig equipment. Supporting a raised vehicle safely was always a first priority. I also stressed this to my young son. To never get under a car without jackstands.
One day after my son was an adult. he told me his buddies father was found dead out in his garage. The car he had jacked up and was under with no stands came down on him. Crushing his chest.
Don't ever get under without stands. Here's a friend of mine. He was lucky!

672.jpg
 
20200425_162947.jpg
20200425_162835.jpg


Welp. China Jack strikes again. This one popped like a fire cracker and dumped my '93 Dakota. This was a couple days ago and I left it in the rain overnight so now it has rust spots on it.
Oreilly's told me to pound sand with no receipt. F'en cash.....

Notice that's a 2 1/4 ton Jack. Under a Dakota front end (5.2, granted) on level asphalt. I was headed to grab my stands when it let go.

They DO make USA made jacks, and actually not too far from me, in St Joseph, Mo.
But they're $1k.

I may weld a flat plate on this one so I can use it, but I'm still not happy and obviously I'll never trust it.
 
Never buy one if the stamped steel trolley jacks... wouldn't trust one under a lawnmower.

I'm no fan of Chicom junk but most Horrible Freight ( and similar jacks) hold up pretty good.

My go to jack is a 33 year old Craftsman made in Japan... not proud of that as Hein Werner was still producing good USA pieces back then. But I needed a jack while racing during Speed Weeks and that was the only jack I could find.
 

Last fall a neighbor was using a similar jack to change a front tire on their slightly inclined driveway. Well, they get the lugs off and when taking the wheel off, the car rolls back as they didn't block it, twisting the jack and pinning it, the loose tire jamming between the left front fender arch and the ground. It bent the top of the arch out 3 or 4 inches. But hey, the car stopped rolling and fortunately it wasn't an arm or leg stuck in there. One of them came over and asked for help. I rolled the old Walker over and a HF wheel chock to get them out of their predicament. Their jack was so bent it wouldn't lower at all. With a tire installed and car back on the ground we were able to lean on the wheel arch and move the bend back a little. They never did have it repaired though.
 
Never buy one if the stamped steel trolley jacks... wouldn't trust one under a lawnmower.

I'm no fan of Chicom junk but most Horrible Freight ( and similar jacks) hold up pretty good.

My go to jack is a 33 year old Craftsman made in Japan... not proud of that as Hein Werner was still producing good USA pieces back then. But I needed a jack while racing during Speed Weeks and that was the only jack I could find.

The trolly jacks aren't fundamentally any different than any other floor jack. I've seen some OEM's include them instead of the scissor jacks.

And I've never had an issue with anything made in Japan. Ever. Taiwan a few times, Mexico a few times, and shoot, USA a couple of times.
China: Every time.

Last fall a neighbor was using a similar jack to change a front tire on their slightly inclined driveway. Well, they get the lugs off and when taking the wheel off, the car rolls back as they didn't block it, twisting the jack and pinning it, the loose tire jamming between the left front fender arch and the ground. It bent the top of the arch out 3 or 4 inches. But hey, the car stopped rolling and fortunately it wasn't an arm or leg stuck in there. One of them came over and asked for help. I rolled the old Walker over and a HF wheel chock to get them out of their predicament. Their jack was so bent it wouldn't lower at all. With a tire installed and car back on the ground we were able to lean on the wheel arch and move the bend back a little. They never did have it repaired though.

I could see that failure on this, but this was on a level drive.
 
View attachment 1715516677 View attachment 1715516678

Welp. China Jack strikes again. This one popped like a fire cracker and dumped my '93 Dakota. This was a couple days ago and I left it in the rain overnight so now it has rust spots on it.
Oreilly's told me to pound sand with no receipt. F'en cash.....

Notice that's a 2 1/4 ton Jack. Under a Dakota front end (5.2, granted) on level asphalt. I was headed to grab my stands when it let go.

They DO make USA made jacks, and actually not too far from me, in St Joseph, Mo.
But they're $1k.

I may weld a flat plate on this one so I can use it, but I'm still not happy and obviously I'll never trust it.

Still haven't learned anything about picking a jack I see. Super narrow profile, unreinforced stamped steel. Doesn't matter if it's rated for 2.25 tons (who uses 1/4 tons anyway?), it's way too easy to side load it or have it flex. It's not China's fault that it's just a terrible design. I mean, AC Delco was an American company too, blame those knuckleheads for outsourcing their manufacturing.

You should be using a jack with a base twice as wide as that. The lift cradle being like 3" in diameter should be another dead giveaway that it's a cheap jack that shouldn't be trusted. You want surface area to spread the loads, both at the lift cradle and at the wheels. Those cute little trolley jacks are intended to be used at the rocker seam to lift a car just high enough to change a flat tire, nothing else. They're an improvement over a scissor jack, but they're not intended for general automotive work IMO, they're for changing a flat on one corner only with no one underneath and as low of a lift as possible.

Spend a $100, buy a jack that weighs more than 50 lbs. Something rated for 3 tons, has a lifting cradle at least 6" wide, rear wheels that are a foot apart or more.
 
Last edited:
I used to own nothing but Craftsman back in the day when they were good. After having to buy all new tools for the garage I have alot of HF stuff. TBH I have never had an issue with the 3 ton stands or the 3 ton low profile jack. Also it is true alot of the different brands are made in the same factories just re branded. Where the "quality" comes in to play is the specs that the customer or company wanting these tools dictates. So HF might use plastic on a tool where Dewalt uses metal. Or they might want a heavier gauge wiring but nonetheless same factory most likely and in many cases same damn thing except the name. If you do some research, you get know what really junk and decent stuff
 
Car hoist made in China, i take every precaution in saftey and would do the same under a hoist made anywhere else.
 
I have an American made 2 post lift at home in my garage, (Weaver from 1986) a USA made 2 ton jack (Lincoln), a Japanese 4 ton long chassis jack, (don't get used much because of size, mostly bought it when my buddy had an Excursion that I had to work on) and an (gasp) smaller, aluminum "race" jack that I usually throw behind the seat in my truck as a spare tire jack, because that Lincoln is just so heavy to manipulate in the back seat area of a cab and a half Dakota. I use that aluminum one the least, though it is my newest

I do all I can to avoid HF for most everything.... I rarely go in there.
 
I've had it so long I don't remember . Still works , just leaks off and makes a mess.
Al. When you have a little time, fix it or get it fixed.
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.
If you can't find local to you.
parts are available from Hydraulic Parts Supply in Sawyer kansas.

Some good guidance in some older threads on Garage Journal if you rebuild it it yourself.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302034
Looks for posts and threads by "Hiball"
When you clean up your jack you might find some more identification clues.
 
I have an AC Hydraulic jack. Made in Denmark. I believe this is the model I have. I bought in 2003 for a little over $300 plus shipping.

Hydraulic Jacks · DK13HLQ · AC Hydraulic A/S

Expensive? Yes, but it is a quality made jack and it is low and has a long reach.

I was going to buy a Lincoln, but by the time I could afford one, they were made in China.
 
I was going to buy a Lincoln, but by the time I could afford one,...…..
When I bought my 1-1/4 ton Walker new, ('77-'78?), it cost me a little over two weeks take home. Worth every penny spent IMO. The big brother, I think the 2-1/2(?) ton, was another two checks and out of my league.
Maybe 4 years ago when the 2nd seal kit was installed on this one ...….

upload_2020-5-10_11-52-39.png



another parts link...…….
Blackhawkparts supplies repair parts for hydraulic jacks
 
I have had a 3.5 ton Pittsburg jack for the past 8 years and it's worked great, same with my stands 2tons each one. I also built these based on a members advice and they are amazing, and they were built right here in the U.S of A

View attachment 1715391943
Here I am, a woodworker floundering in a welder's world and you bring it home. Just when I read about my cheep *** Harbor Freight stands being recalled to boot. Your setup will be the beginning of that undercar rust hunt this winter.

HA! :lol:
 
If it was not for our fine F ing government and the likes of greed there would be no need for the worries of cheap china garbage we all have to deal with today so lets all thank our past presidents before trump to start with better yet lets put there heads under the car or truck with that china made devise and see how they feel
 
i try to buy as many old jacks as i find for they can be fixed most of the time and ten times safer my first jack is a mac i bought in 82 or 3 and even then they were made in japan but worked well most every day for almost 35 years before it need to be rebuilt
 
-
Back
Top