Do you know jack?

[hotrodalex]

I got harbor freight jack stands this week, they worked and I'm not dead.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

My take on Harbor Freight Tools.

Sockets, breaker bars, wrenches:  I've bought a few odd sizes, all were acceptable.

Did you have any issues with the sizes being off? I had a set of sockets from HF and 3 or 4 sockets were smaller than my Craftsman sockets of the same sizes.

[r0tor]

I was almost killed by a harbor freight spring compressor last fall... Had 2 of the sonufabitches strip/seize the tensioning screw with the coilovers compressed.

Never touching that shit ever again.

[hotrodalex]

I rented a spring compressor from auto zone this weekend and the dumb thing wouldn't fit through my control arms, so I couldn't even use them. Just had to slowly decompress them with the jack.

[Rupert]

Well fuck that. HF was out of the jack I wanted (the cheap one) and Sears didn't have anything worth buying (i.e. cheap). Going with the Ranger, because fuck it.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Well fuck that. HF was out of the jack I wanted (the cheap one) and Sears didn't have anything worth buying (i.e. cheap). Going with the Ranger, because fuck it.

Fuck it, indeed. It will probably be the last jack you have to buy.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Of course, they also have an aluminum model... For "racing'
http://www.bendpak.com/shop-equipment/floor-jacks/rfj-4000al

[Byteme]

Did you have any issues with the sizes being off? I had a set of sockets from HF and 3 or 4 sockets were smaller than my Craftsman sockets of the same sizes.

No, but I only have bought three to fill in holes in my metric 3/8" drive set and 1/2" SAE set.

[Rupert]

Of course, they also have an aluminum model... For "racing'
http://www.bendpak.com/shop-equipment/floor-jacks/rfj-4000al

That they do. The (much, much) lower weight is pretty tempting, but it seems like steel is tougher.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That they do. The (much, much) lower weight is pretty tempting, but it seems like steel is tougher.

I would do steel for dedicated garage duty. For shizzle.

[Rupert]

On the other hand, I move a lot (goddammit), and moving 100 lbs is kind of a PITA.

[Secret Chimp]

Did you have any issues with the sizes being off? I had a set of sockets from HF and 3 or 4 sockets were smaller than my Craftsman sockets of the same sizes.

Yeah, I only use their impact sockets (because their regular kind are made of flexibendium like their hand wrenches are) and some of them fit clean snug on the nut and others wobble enough to make me wonder if I really have the right size (which I do, because the next size down won't fit). Though seeing as how I am talking in the present tense, not bad enough to make me get rid of them yet :P

On the other hand, I move a lot (goddammit), and moving 100 lbs is kind of a PITA.

Jacks are moving tools. It's a height-adjustable rolling furniture dolly with a handle!

[hotrodalex]

On the other hand, I move a lot (goddammit), and moving 100 lbs is kind of a PITA.

I borrowed a 3.5 ton jack from work this week, thing weighed more like 150 lbs. Fun to lift in and out of the bed.

[Byteme]

I borrowed a 3.5 ton jack from work this week, thing weighed more like 150 lbs. Fun to lift in and out of the bed.

You were sleeping with it?   

[hotrodalex]

Nothing like some cold hard steel to help you fall asleep at night.

[Rupert]

Hey, if you're into that sort of thing...

I'm gonna get the steel one, because when I move, I can just roll it up the UHaul ramp.

[Rupert]

Also got some nice jack stands finally.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Cinder blocks?

[Rupert]

Half-rotted 4x4 posts.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The rotten part makes them easily adjustable.

[Soup DeVille]

Half-rotted 4x4 posts.

I'm sure there's some old growth hardwoods near you that you know about; nobody will miss four or five trees.

Cut them to 8x10x12 inches. That makes them adjustable

[Rich]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UM5M12/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this and have used it a few times. Worked well but I'm not as hardcore

[Rupert]

I'm sure there's some old growth hardwoods near you that you know about; nobody will miss four or five trees.

Cut them to 8x10x12 inches. That makes them adjustable

One stand per tree seems like waste...

[Soup DeVille]

One stand per tree seems like waste...

Even dead trees are an important part of the forest ecology.

[Rupert]

But so are snags. I'll cut two, take one, leave one, and girdle the third but leave it standing.

[Morris Minor]

Years ago somebody broke into my dad's garage in London (burglaries are epidemic there) & stole a large box full of the tools that he's accumulated over his lifetime. He was devastated; they were good quality: made in England, Germany, Sweden etc. Some were from the 19thC - given to him by his grandfather. It was a real emotional loss.

I'd feel the same way: I still have things that I bought in my teens; I always used to try to buy the good stuff, in ones and twos, as I could afford them, rather than buying sets.

[Rupert]

The jack has arrived. I believe it will succeed at lifting heavy things.

[BimmerM3]

That's for hand tools. 

For jacks the coverage is:

CRAFTSMAN LIMITED WARRANTY
FOR 90 DAYS from the date of purchase, this product is warranted against defects in material or workmanship. With proof of purchase, a defective product will receive free repair or replacement if repair is unavailable.

WARRANTY SERVICE
To obtain warranty coverage, contact the distributor from which the product was purchased.


See:  http://www.craftsman.com/cswarranty/nb-100000000227082#point5a

IIRC, Craftsman torque wrenches only have a 1 year warranty as well. Not sure if there are other restrictions.

[VTEC_Inside]

That Ranger jack looks identical to the one I have from crappy tire... Mine works well and is easy to carry around...

RE:Craftsman... Where you buy seems to make a big difference as well. US Craftsman differs from our Canuck crap.. Some better, some worse.