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PSA: Harbor Freight Jack Stands Recalled for Risk of Collapsing

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Salamander_King, May 20, 2020.

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  1. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Just found this article: Harbor Freight Jack Stands Recalled for Risk of Collapsing

    It is not PRIME specific, but I did not know where the appropriate forum would be. I didn't want to put it in the Fred's House of Pancakes. If there is a more appropriate forum to move to, please do.

    I own a pair of 6 tons and a pair of 3 tons jack stands from HF. It turned out both match the recalled item numbers 56371 or 61196 on 3-ton models, and 61197 on 6-ton models. The last thing I want would be crawling under a car supported by faulty jack-stands.

    IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE
    Harbor Freight 3 Ton and 6 Ton Heavy Duty Steel Jack Stands item numbers 56371, 61196, and 61197

    Screenshot 2020-05-20 at 11.31.22 AM.png
     
    #1 Salamander_King, May 20, 2020
    Last edited: May 20, 2020
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I have a section of tree trunk, about 13" diameter by 13" long, like a big wood "pill". I position jack stands, lower the car onto them, ensure they're stable, then push that pill under, position it under a main cross beam (just past what I want to get to, front or rear), before I get under.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, May 20, 2020
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  3. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, I've seen on some of your posts. It's good to have a safety precaution.
     
    #3 Salamander_King, May 20, 2020
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Yeah, it's basically trust-but-verify.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, May 20, 2020
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  5. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Expensive, YES! Is my life worth it? Of course, YES!

    These are only ones that I use and get under the car with..



    The RennStand by Safe Jack
     
    #5 Georgina Rudkus, May 20, 2020
    Last edited: May 20, 2020
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Every so often I start thinking about screw jacks, but they seem rare, hard to get, and expensive.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, May 20, 2020
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  7. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    #7 Georgina Rudkus, May 20, 2020
  8. Pdog808

    Pdog808 Active Member

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    @Salamander_King - Hey thanks for this - I believe I own 4 of the 3 ton stands. I'll need to check ASAP.
     
    #8 Pdog808, May 20, 2020
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  9. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    You have a very convoluted wood splitter there.

    @Salamander_King thanks for posting. I have HF stands but they don't look the same, I'm going to have to check numbers...
     
    #9 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, May 20, 2020
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  10. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yesterday, I finally had a chance to drive up to the nearest HF for returning recalled 3 tons and 6 tons jack stands. I had both 3 tons (61196) and 6 tons (61197) that are being recalled. I can't remember what I paid for them, but the store credit they gave me back was $19.97 for 3 tons and $39.97 for 6 tons jacks.

    I ended up enough store credit to purchase two new pairs of 3 tons jack stands (model 56372, $24.99 for a pair) and little more credit left. There also was a 20% off coupon on the recall letter I received that can be applied to a single item I purchased. So, to use up the remaining store credit and take advantage of 20% off, I picked up an electric pressure washer priced at $99, but I paid only $74 for it. Nice trade.:D

    upload_2020-6-25_8-48-59.png
     
    #10 Salamander_King, Jun 25, 2020
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I have the 15 year old version of the Harbor Freight pressure washer and it is still going strong:).

    Cleans egr coolers very well;).

    Enjoy your new equipment(y).
     
    #11 Raytheeagle, Jun 25, 2020
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  12. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    best jackstands.jpg Expensive, YES! Safe, YES! Is it worth it, YES!

    These are the only jack stands I trust, when getting under my car.

    The RennStand by Safe Jack

     
    #12 Georgina Rudkus, Jun 25, 2020
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  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, I already own 3000psi Ridgid gas power pressure washer, but it's so large and cumbersome to use for a small jobs like washing a car. I was looking to buy more portable easy to use electric power washer for those smaller jobs. Haven't open the box yet, but maybe this weekend, if the weather is good, I will give my PRIME and my DW's SUV good showers. ;)
     
    #13 Salamander_King, Jun 25, 2020
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  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Very nice stands. Are those prices for a pair or just for one stand?
     
    #14 Salamander_King, Jun 25, 2020
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  15. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Unfortunately, they are sold each.

    I don't trust my life to one small sliver of metal.

    Check out this YouTube video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7_Aa8pbM7Y

    These are the least that I would use.


    ie=UTF8&psc=1

    They are sold by the pair.

    The "through pin" is the key to greater safety.
     
    #15 Georgina Rudkus, Jun 25, 2020
  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, I really like the design of RennStand. With it, I can use the pinchweld jack point to rise the car with a floor jack. BUT, at $125 each, that's gonna cost me $500 if I need to rise all four corners. For what I am capable of doing to my car DIY, that's way too much money. It would be cheaper to just drive down to a local shop to ask to use a car lift for $20/hr. For now, once or twice a year simple oil change and alike I am willing to perform on my own, I will use @Mendel Leisk trick. I have plenty of large tree stumps laying around in my yard and it costs me nothing. ;)
     
    #16 Salamander_King, Jun 25, 2020
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  17. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    I got my pair during a Thanksgiving "Black Friday" offer. They were $100 each.
    The quality of the finish and welding was exceptional. The fit of the legs is tight but slides easy as do the pins.

    There are no sharp edges to cut tour fingers.

    Kept away from rust, they will last several lifetimes.

    Their quality is what you saw a hundred years, ago.
     
    #17 Georgina Rudkus, Jun 25, 2020
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  18. MTN

    MTN Active Member

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    cheaper alt. to the RennStand
    darn, I purchased it on sale at $165 +/-, now $145. Haven't had the need to use it yet, though. It should work fine with my older Craftsman stands. I DIY oil changes and tire rotations, so ramps wouldn't work for our cars.
     
    #18 MTN, Jun 25, 2020
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I always place the floor jack on either the front or rear central jack point. The pinch seams on Prius are poor, not reinforced in any way at the scissor jack placement points. If you place the scissor jack at the proscribed points and jack it up slightly, you'll see the actual bearing on the (also thin) sheet metal behind the pinch seam. I used the scissor jack to change a rear wheel once, and it left an indentation.

    Those points are poor for safety stands too: way to skittish. I prefer reinforced points, inboard a bit. Not sure how they'd translate to fourth gen, but suspect there's something similar. Also with fourth gen, the front jacking point is waaay back from the front, really hard to operate a typical floor jack. Running the front up on low rise ramps helps, a la @jerrymildred.
     
    #19 Mendel Leisk, Jun 25, 2020
  20. route246

    route246 Member

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    I never go under a car unless I have at least a concrete block, stacked 4x4s or floor jack or something as a backup. We have earthquakes here in NorCal and all it takes is one of those and you're likely dead if you're relying on a single jack stand. Even with backup you still might be dead but a backup gives you a chance.

    I use Race Ramps (brand) and usually put a jack stand as a backup if I'm going under.
     
    #20 route246, Jun 25, 2020
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