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Old 04-07-2012, 09:26 PM   #1
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Report on Harbor Freight electric tongue jack

Last week I picked up a Harbor Freight electric tongue jack for $107 after the sale and 20% discount coupon. Some of their things are quite good, and some are true junk, and I wanted to try this jack out.

Lets say, I am not impressed, and will return it as soon as I can get to the store again.

The mounting holes were poorly placed and required 45 minutes of filing to fit on the standard Airstream (and everyone else's) jack location.

Then when I powered it up, it clicked and clacked like it had already a damaged gear set. It moves very slowly, and when the foot hit the block to pick up the trailer (about 700# tongue weight, and the jack is rated for 3500#) it started to whine, and screech and with the clicks and clacks I didn't know if it was going to lift the trailer even once.

On inspection, it is also going to take on water from the rain and other sources very easily. That will make it so it does not last long at all.

For $20 more you can get a 2 year immediate replacement policy, and if you buy one of these turkeys, be sure to get it, as it will be used ... just saying..

I am not a Harbor Freight basher. I have purchased many useful things there, and have had fairly good luck with them. But this is not the highlight of their store I fear.

I will go to my RV dealer and pay twice what this one cost for a more standard brand.
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Old 04-07-2012, 10:35 PM   #2
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I've gotten some decent stuff there and some totally useless garbage. I think if you go there with the attitude that not everything is going to work well sometimes you can do OK. Stay away from the 19.95 sawzalls.
Dan
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Old 04-08-2012, 03:31 AM   #3
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Good heavens, a 19.95 sawzall?? I pay 14.95 just for the blades.
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Old 04-08-2012, 05:18 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danlehosky View Post
I've gotten some decent stuff there and some totally useless garbage. I think if you go there with the attitude that not everything is going to work well sometimes you can do OK. Stay away from the 19.95 sawzalls.
Dan
I have been using one of the $19.95, or was it 29.95 Sawzalls for years. Actually like it better than my "real" sawzall.
On the other hand the Soldering guns, are not worth buying as the tip life is about 2 minutes.
All depends on luck I guess.
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Old 04-08-2012, 05:24 AM   #5
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We wonder why things are being made in China? I hate cheap junk! I relish my expensive 25 year old American made tools. You may not always get what you pay for but you rarely get what you don't pay for....
Just sayin....
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p.s. sorry for the rant!
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Old 04-08-2012, 07:32 AM   #6
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Harbor Freight is a great place to get those things that you don't really need but would be nice to have on hand when that special occasion arises. Like a 30" drill bit. Use it once and if it twists or bends throw it away. I got an inverter for $20 that works great for boondocking with the DVD player.
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Old 04-08-2012, 07:59 AM   #7
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OP: Very timely report, thank you. I was actually considering getting one of these. No longer. It looks like the same one that CampingWorld was (no longer) selling under the Trailer Life brand. I am a long time HB customer and shop with the same attitude as mojo. I have several really inexpensive power tools from them have lasted for years of hard use. As said it is a great place for that stuff that you may need and get your moneys worth if it only last for one use.
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Old 04-09-2012, 11:21 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce B View Post
We wonder why things are being made in China? I hate cheap junk! I relish my expensive 25 year old American made tools. You may not always get what you pay for but you rarely get what you don't pay for....
Just sayin....
Bruce
p.s. sorry for the rant!
Bruce, In some ways, mostly nostalgic I agree with you. There was a time when we would buy nothing but Milwaukee tools. 25 years ago they were hands down the best. They then seemed to coast on their reputation. Product quality and customer service eroded and we began to look for alternatives. The power tool industry in heavy construction looks quite different these days. Lots of cordless, mostly cordless and Ryobe seems to be the best. They innovate with batteries, rotohammers sawzalls and portabands. They put lights in their tools that illuminate when the trigger is pulled. Their lithium battery system is years ahead of say Milwaukee. I retired last year but at that time when we would get field orders for tools, Ryobi was the product of choice. As Milwaukee (remember the hole hawg) garnered industry respect in previous times now other brands have taken their place. Even the bits and saw blades Ryobi and Lenox make outlast other brands.. I have no affiliation with either company but have managed commercial const most of my life.
There was a time when i would not buy a gas powered product unless it was powered by a Kohler engine. While they still make a good product, Honda is now our choice.
I wish things were different with but the realities of the very very competitive construction enviornment you have to give the workforce the tools they need to produce quality installations with reliable tools. Theres nothing more frustrating for both the workers and management than lost time due to tool failure
Please remember that these are all heavily Unionized work forces who would not have used anything not made in America 20 years ago.
For my money though, Hilti still and always had made the best corded rotohammer. You can't wear them out.

Dan
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Old 04-10-2012, 02:21 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danlehosky View Post
Bruce, In some ways, mostly nostalgic I agree with you. There was a time when we would buy nothing but Milwaukee tools. 25 years ago they were hands down the best. They then seemed to coast on their reputation. Product quality and customer service eroded and we began to look for alternatives. The power tool industry in heavy construction looks quite different these days. Lots of cordless, mostly cordless and Ryobe seems to be the best. They innovate with batteries, rotohammers sawzalls and portabands. They put lights in their tools that illuminate when the trigger is pulled. Their lithium battery system is years ahead of say Milwaukee. I retired last year but at that time when we would get field orders for tools, Ryobi was the product of choice. As Milwaukee (remember the hole hawg) garnered industry respect in previous times now other brands have taken their place. Even the bits and saw blades Ryobi and Lenox make outlast other brands.. I have no affiliation with either company but have managed commercial const most of my life.
There was a time when i would not buy a gas powered product unless it was powered by a Kohler engine. While they still make a good product, Honda is now our choice.
I wish things were different with but the realities of the very very competitive construction enviornment you have to give the workforce the tools they need to produce quality installations with reliable tools. Theres nothing more frustrating for both the workers and management than lost time due to tool failure
Please remember that these are all heavily Unionized work forces who would not have used anything not made in America 20 years ago.
For my money though, Hilti still and always had made the best corded rotohammer. You can't wear them out.

Dan
Dan,
I hear you! There is nothing like a Honda generator and the Ryobi thing makes sense. Quality is quality after all. It is the cheep junk I hate....the cheep Asian ripoff that I have no love of. I do keep my first Milwaukee 1/2" Magnum that I purchased 30 years ago....I don't turn to it often but I'll never sell it...
Bruce
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Old 04-11-2012, 12:10 AM   #10
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BTW, I love my 2012 as well. These things are so nice. I'm so with you I have been helping my family fix their commercial boats for 35 years. I"m a Mechanical Engineer and was the one they called on from hydraulic leaks to well you know. I too was sick of fixing things and thats why we bought new. It didn't hurt that the Exxon Valdez fiasco finally paid out claims after all of these years. MT family lost two years of herring fishing due to this mess and my share was used to buy this trailer and the rig to haul it. Thanks Exxon.
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Old 04-15-2012, 03:34 AM   #11
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As a counterpoint, and not to be argumentative, but perhaps you got a dud. I bought the same one last week and have used it heavily since and have had nothing but a positive experience with it. That's not to say that it won't fail somewhere down the road, but so far so good.

I've had none of the clacking grinding noises you experienced and, while slow, it raises and lowers my Sovereign with ease. The LEDs it boasts are totally useless, but otherwise, for under $100 (I bought it on Easter Sunday with the 25% coupon), I especially like the ability to hand crank, should its motor fail.

I'm happy... so far, ha.
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Old 04-15-2012, 12:51 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Taylormade View Post
As a counterpoint, and not to be argumentative, but perhaps you got a dud. I bought the same one last week and have used it heavily since and have had nothing but a positive experience with it. That's not to say that it won't fail somewhere down the road, but so far so good.

I've had none of the clacking grinding noises you experienced and, while slow, it raises and lowers my Sovereign with ease. The LEDs it boasts are totally useless, but otherwise, for under $100 (I bought it on Easter Sunday with the 25% coupon), I especially like the ability to hand crank, should its motor fail.

I'm happy... so far, ha.
I am glad you got a good one, and I certainly know that the one I got could have been a very bad example. Again, I am not a Harbor Freight basher, just had to report that the one I got was not right. I took it back for a full refund yesterday, and paid twice as much for another unit at an RV dealer. I find this new one says "Proudly designed in America" but it is made in China...lol. Well, so be it, my Apple Mac Book Pro computer is also American Designed and Chinese made, and is excellent.
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Old 04-15-2012, 04:00 PM   #13
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Last week I picked up a Harbor Freight electric tongue jack and the jack is rated for 3500#) .
thanks for the heads up, I was thinking they would make a good stabilizer jack. price is right as fixing hydraulic jack ring kit is about the same price.

HF prices are affordable but only if you don't mind poor quality.

I would say HF is good prices for Chinese almost like U.S. made. almost

At 72 I managed to break a vise and lopper shears.
When I checked vise was pot metal and I stripped thread, tree shears they used rivets to hold blade in place and they failed on 1" cedar branch.

I bought the $20 Ocillating Multifunction power tool, best specific use tool I have. You can saw with no space, at strange angle etc.
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Old 04-22-2012, 11:01 AM   #14
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Even my BMW bike engine is sourced to China ... gads ...
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Old 04-14-2013, 05:26 AM   #15
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Is it common toi have to replace the hydeaulic jack? Ours is original to our 82 excella and we cranked it up to get ready for spring and.......nothing. as we took it apart, we saw gallons of water inside, and had to us jumper cables to the battery directly. we even have a second battery and trickle charger in the airstream-but figured out it is a bad wire from jack tro battery-but how did they make the jack with no gaskets or seals? We add this to what we call our "learning curve". Note to self-replace bad wire and cover jack motor during winter and any monsoons!
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