Harbor Freight Lift 1000 lb Lift - Fatal Flaw - Read This

[Brant]

There must have been a change in design, supplier, something. My HB lift is like Vintage GW's, and the lift pedal and release pedal are of different design, than what Placerville has. If you had the stop bar Vintage GW, jbz, and I have, it wouldn't have bent. So they keep the price the same but get a cheaper product. Nice.

[Placerville]

A little off topic, but Placerville, could your shop be any cleaner?

It's an illness passed on to me by my Father. I'm actually very happy in my friends messy shops. It's just mine that has to look like an operating room. I need therapy.

[Placerville]

There must have been a change in design, supplier, something. My HB lift is like Vintage GW's, and the lift pedal and release pedal are of different design, than what Placerville has. If you had the stop bar Vintage GW, jbz, and I have, it wouldn't have bent. So they keep the price the same but get a cheaper product. Nice.

Agree, Brant. I'll update this when they respond.

[sunnbobb]

Wow. I have always felt that an extended warranty is a waste. If they are willing to insure something, then the likelihood of it failing in the warranted time period is small. If it gets past the standard warranty it should last a long time. I know from my corporate days with Safety-kleen, extended warranties were a total cash cow.

[Goatherder]

If it were mine, I'd go get a piece of .750" drill rod from the fastener store. (Tacoma Screw). I'll bet drill rod wouldn't noodle like that.

[joedrum]

that locking bar bent or strait put the wrong force on the frame period over time with some repeated use will fracture the welds and that hole in angle is at the most stressful spot ...its complet junk...

[tlbranth]

A little off topic, but Placerville, could your shop be any cleaner?

I thought that was the kitchen

[Recycled Roadkill]

Y'know, they say a clean desk is a sign of a sick mind. Does that apply to garages too?
I do wish I could be so orderly.

[duke182]

A little off topic, but Placerville, could your shop be any cleaner?

No doubt. Nice garage.
I want carpet someday. But im far too messy.

[Placerville]

No response yet from HF other than an email asking me for the OD size of the safety bar that was included with my lift.

Regarding the bar, looking at the instructions in the manual for the use of the lift, it says, "When the platform has been raised to the working height, pass the Locking Bar through the holes in the Rear Lifting Arm so the lift cannot be accidentally lowered." It goes on to say, "Gently press the Release Pedal to lower the platform to rest the load on the locking Bar and not on the lift jack."

So, this bar is not as much a 'safety bar' as an integral part of the lift that must be put in place with each use to hold the lift in place (rather than the pump). So, the fact that my lift collapsed the bar on the first use is even more unbelievable.

[tlbranth]

I've had that lift for a couple of years and haven't had any problems with the bar. Mine looks a lot beefier than yours. I did manage to break most of the Chinesium bolts for the holddowns and used US bolts. I extended the front of the lift too - sort of a necessity to work on a GL1500. Gotta say, I never totally trust the thing but it hasn't done anything dangerous yet.

[joedrum]

I don't mean to sound credical but ...this is a huge safty issue ...its just plain dumb to put a load lock in the place where theres the most leverage against it for what ever the reasons are for doing it ...its just not that bar but the bolts around it ...there stress becomes huge as soon as the lift is lowered on the locking bar ...its good the bar gave slowly if it was the pivots bolts that broke clean it collasps like right now ...so beefing up the bar issue may lead to even worst outcome ...and then reading what Placerville said the instruction say is really dumb ....anyone that uses a lift like this don't ever release all the pressure off the hydo lift side ...that just tranfers all the stress to the loch side .... in this crap design and irresponsible instruction always try to split the load both ways ... its plain dumb again to have lock onesided as this plus in the worst spot possible .....I suggest everyone look at a decent design screw lift of somekind where the theaded rod connected to both sides of the lift arms and at the least leverage spot to work against it .....just dangerous junk ..if it was mine id redo the whole thing ....

[Recycled Roadkill]

Regardless, I'd still buy one and improve it as necessary which wouldn't be the first time for me.
Chinesium bolts? I'm going to do my best to remember that one.

[MikeO]

Take that piece of junk back get your money back and get a lift that will do the job safely after you do get the bike up you can't get the rear wheel off with out jacking the bike up on the lift. The lift is to short the center stand is on the removable panel it's just not big enough for a gl 1000 even though it is rated to lift it. you will be much happier with a lift that will do the job you need it to

[bob]

I've always been taught that when jacking something with a hydraulic jack, once height is reached put a mechanical stop in place to support the weight. NOT the hydraulic ram. Depending on O-rings to hold it up doesn't sound like a good idea.

In my airline days, we had a tail jack fail that had been sitting on the O-rings for 3 days. MAJOR structural damage, about $275,000 worth.