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I have seen this floating around, and wanted to spread the word here. Harbor Freight is recalling some of their jack stands. Be safe!

thedrive.com/news/33572/harbor-freight-r ... stands-that-could-suddenly-collapse

Thanks for posting that Ken; good info. The more people that know about this , the better! I'll sure forward it around. Chris.

Check the video in the post by Bearsfan315 to see the difference between those recalled and those not subject to the recall. Quite obvious how they were compromised, surprising the defect wasn't caught sooner, these were apparently on the market as far back as 2013. Reminds me of the old adage, "oats that's been thru the horse once is cheaper".

forums.aaca.org/topic/344701-harbor-freight-jack-stand-recall/

We don't have Harbor Freight up here in Canada, but we do have Peavey Mart and Princess Auto and they are both mega outlets for low-cost import hardware (less politely: cheap Chinese junk!) My presumption is that H.F. is one of these import discounters and 'buyer beware' ought to be applied to any and all goods purchased from such vendors. I search to the ends of the earth to find domestic made goods and, although one will definitely pay more, the quality factor is multiple times ahead of offshore junk. Sometimes I DO end up settling for the latter out of an inability to FIND what I'm looking for, made in North America, and yes, sometimes the price disparity is SO great and the projected usage SO minimal, that a guy will succumb and buy import... but I sure don't like to!! Chris

Yes, they are a "chinese tool take out" store mostly.

Don't get me started! My pet peave for last decades since retirement. All your old tools start to die just about time you can use them. Wastes money, not to mention can get hurt. My stands are very old and still good, held my Caddy for last 4 years.
It's got so bad to be able to buy good stuff, there are few options for some items. I have stuff, 30-40 years old that is more functional and in better condition than some of this stuff is new.
Like you say, a one time use doesn't support a high cost professional tool, but many times it's just not available!
I looked for a "good" engine crane but they're just not out there. I bought one another store bases on the display model. Wouldn't roll. The axle hole was drilled off center on one of the casters? ZERO quality control! If I take it back, I get one just like it? I had to refit and stiffen the whole unit before it was even usable. I'm going to up grade further when I get some time. You have to find good stuff "used", go to auctions. etc.
Even the big names have fallen for the trap. If it isn't "made" there, the parts can be but you don't see them. The market share is so large in some items. I bought several name brand right angle grinders trying to find a good replacement, including the maker of my 30+ year old 9" standby, and only one turned out to be good. I was able to resurrect my 40 year old other one after some maintenance. One I had to send back, the switch melted on second use. And these were top line tools, not chinese take outs. Maybe I should have bought those, used once, and thrown away??? I bought a "good" hammer drill and the chuck would not stay tight. Trashed. Only had to drill a couple holes for anchors.
Very skeptical of fitness of anything now.
The description are sometime desceptive also. They tend to use metric dimensions, convert, and sell in US, so may not even fit. So a 2" sch40 pipe OD is bigger than 2" but may say fits 2" pipe and be just short of 2" at 50 mm.

I have a couple Harbor Freight rotating engine stands that had a good weight rating but they wouldn't even hold bare Cadillac V8 blocks without support underneath. For me that was expected (and they were very cheap) as I didn't buy them for the purpose but rather to cut up and use as a template for a double-ended stand for Packard engines. If and when I make one, I'll get better stands from somewhere else to make the final one.

Harbor Freight did once save me though, when in the middle of a project where the hydraulic cylinder on my engine lift gave out. I took it to a local hydraulic shop and they tried twice to fix it but were unable so I finally had to drive the thirty or forty miles to southern Bend (Oregon) where the nearest shop was and they had the replacement cylinder. I've had the lift itself for close to forty years so it wasn't made by them but fortunately had a common cylinder.

Bottom line, for somewhat better quality and usually free or very reasonable shipping even on large, heavy items, try Summit Racing.

In the news today, one of the replacement Harbor Freight jacks failed on first use under a VW Golf.

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Has there been anything good coming out of China lately?

I bought one from Wal-Mart. I will compare.

The Chinese do not care what happens to people who buy their crap. They are only for China in whatever they do. From lead covered toys, phony drugs, tools that will kill people, they just do not care. Their only desire is not to get caught. Think virus.