Review: Harbor Freight Farm Jack - Overview and Mechanism by @GettinJunkDone

[@GettinJunkDone]

Hey Everyone, thanks for watching. Be sure to check out some of my other tool reviews using the playlist linked below. kzbin.info/aero/PLHRSPnh4bEkwTiDfESJ-QLP5OWo6wayYo

[@dennisb.1996]

I'm a hard-core off-road guy and have this model as my go-to farm jack. A necessary tool for anyone who traverse the dirt trails!

[@GettinJunkDone]

Good to hear from someone that backs up the HF version. Thanks for the comment!

[@craftycri]

LOL! A truly unscripted and sincere endorsement 😂

[@tingyhsu]

Hi Joe, great video. I don't know if you are watching new comments, but I just want to say I have those exact same 70's looking red chairs in your kitchen! I don't even know where my chairs came from, but never would I have thought I would see it in all places, on your video! Thanks for making the video, what drew me to it was the fact that I have the exact same jack, I bought in around the same time as your video and had a need to use it again recently.

[@FarmerCharlieB]

I have had one of these jacks for years and have only used it a couple of times. The last time I needed it, I noticed that the upper cross pin was bent, and the jack would not work. With some difficulty, I finally got the bent pin out and tested the jack using a bolt to be sure it would work. Harbor Freight doesn't carry replacements for the jack, and they could not tell me if the parts from other jacks would work. I took a chance and ordered a repair kit for the Bulldog jack from TractorSupply. The pin did fit, and the jack is back working. I did not replace the larger climbing pins, so I can't say for sure that they would work.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Knowing that the repair kit seems to work for at least some of the parts of this jack, makes this purchase even better. Good info!

[@EvaChang-lk9hb]

Thank you for this simple but very exact instructions on how to use lift jack. This is my first time use of lift jack and the manual instruction was poor!

[@gmrick1412]

I have this exact same unit purchased from HF for $59.00 in 2020. Very pleased with its operation, quality and appearance.

[@johnsonbar5022]

Joe, you did a fin job with this instruction video. Your examples and highlights were spot on.

[@Ransome2501]

Thanks I was looking for a video that showed me precisely how to lower it safely and you did

[@GettinJunkDone]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching.

[@ssyoum]

I just bought one from HF and with your clear explanation, now, I can operate it. Perhaps you are a great teacher. Thank you,

[@noplacelikehome9116]

Thanks for showing me how to bring it down in a controlled manner. Just what I needed to know. This jack is awesome!

[@GettinJunkDone]

+Cauleen Stradling Glad it helped!

[@jameswagner9894]

didn't work for me. Mine is not coming down at all.

[@ChristopherAMacleod]

I'm going to use mine to pull some roots. Thanks for this!

[@GettinJunkDone]

It's totally great for that! I made a video showing the jack doing just that. Good luck!

[@manuhonkanen2111]

Lubrication of the mechanism is essential as you mentioned

[@rickobrien4025]

You hit a homerun with that one , Manu ! Mine has been sitting outside in the weather since the day I bought it 15 years ago . The pins were rusted and froze & I couldn't figure out how the mechanism worked UNTIL I watched this . With plenty of WD 40 rust repellant , I got the pins to move in & out like they were meant to. It was a BIG help , THANKS , GJD !

[@silentwarrior11six78]

The hole at the top can be used to add a shackle+chains and then the same at the hole in the "Claw" to use the jack like a wench or come-along.

[@patronfg]

Great presentation...but I love your kitchen your chairs and stove very retro what state are you in 👍👍👍👍

[@dannyd8625]

I need one of these to pull up stumps. Harbor Freight had em pretty cheap. The one I bought wouldn't ratchet up/down. Hard to explain, but just poorly made. Upon returning it, I wanted to try the new one right there at the store. Same thing. None of the employees could get it to work either. It may have been a bad batch, or maybe the quality is just real bad in 2021. I ended up getting a refund. Harbor Freight was great about it. Love that place. Just make sure if you get one of these, take it out of the box and try it out right there at the store. It can save you a trip back there to return/exchange it.

[@GettinJunkDone]

That's good advice. Make sure to lube it up before storage as well. that will keep it from seizing up between uses.

[@DestinyA83]

Man I would love to have a few of these!!

[@GettinJunkDone]

Eventually the Harbor Freight version fell apart after many years of getting kicked around from house to house and pulling hundreds of bushes for my landscaping business. I have since bought another, but from Tractor Supply. As far as I can tell they are identical, but I can't verify that. I have used the new one for the past year or so without any issues. I will never not own a farm jack for the rest of my life.

[@cbr6864]

I have used one on my Jeep for years....I’d say the biggest problem is guys not using it correctly by short stroking the handle and not allowing the mechanism complete a cycle

[@MrRussiandan1]

Short strokes = muscle memory😂

[@hammertimee777]

When using this jack on a vehicle, wrap the lever with bed sheets or moving blankets. It can save your life in case something goes wrong.

[@cranstjs]

I bought one of these and didn't know how to use it (lost the instructions). Figured it out from the video BUT, I'm confused now. When I first got it the curved metal part was not in the jack up position so when I move the lever it would go down. Then I learned to push the lever up to make it go up. So I pulled out a couple of fence posts with it BUT, when we released the lever to go down again, the movable portion just stayed where it was and wouldn't move down. No pressure on it, apparently it should go all the way to the bottom. We put some pressure on it and it still wouldn't jockey down. I have to pull the top pin out with my fingers to make it go down now. ??? Any ideas what's wrong?

[@cranstjs]

I tried WD40 lubing like crazy. Didn't help the problem

[@craftycri]

I’ll tell you why, the lifting pins are bent… no amount of lube will help that. And a word of warning, do NOT try to straighten them, it will only weaken them further and potentially get someone hurt.

[@cranstjs]

@@craftycri I got it working several months ago. It was more of a 'duh' moment to finally realize the top sliding horizontal pin was move over to the right too much, which wasn't allowing it to lever properly. I think it was out of position from day one. Moved it over, and voila, works fine now.

[@mahmoudlasheen5762]

Why doesn’t it slide down when there is a load on it? I dont understand this in its mechanism

[@GettinJunkDone]

It's designed in a way so that it can be left to hold up the wait with it being touched. Be very careful with these jacks, many have gotten wacked in the head with the handle if it's not used properly.

[@JM-et1jk]

This gentleman should teach for a living which maybe he does! Great video Big Thanks

[@04JALD]

Thank u. Very good video

[@echo1er]

2014 watching in 2019... any updates.

[@seanrich1367]

Great job. I hope it's better than the one from Tractor Supply (Reese). My shifting mechanism shattered right away leaving the jack useless. Made of pot metal and I can't find a replacement part. Conclusion = Waste of $.

[@GettinJunkDone]

I was worried about the same thing on my harbor freight version, but this thing has been great. Many stumps and post have been pulled out. I also used it to help level a shed on pavers. Works like a charm.

[@armandoOSU]

This same jack does not lever back down even after lower lever is pushed down and more than 150lbs load on it. Help please

[@mikeflowers874]

Just bought one of these to pull fence posts. Found it very aggravating to use and directions weren’t much help. The lever was very difficult to move and I had to use a hammer to operate it.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Sounds like it needed lubrication.

[@chrischristenson6845]

thanks you helped me troubleshoot an old one I was given

[@patriotpatriotic3894]

Hi there, what could be a problem that lever to fall down randomly by itself, I check carefully and everything seems to be on it's place, But when I put that lever in the position to lift, after first move and fall down... Brand new jack of a poland company, but the design looks llike on 99% the same like your.

[@deepbludude4697]

Dude I was thinking the same thing as u I use lift jacks a lot and loaned my good Hi Lift to a buddy he went cross country, I was doing a vessel salvage job and needed one so went less then 2 miles away to HF bought one with my 20 percent coupon, got back to the site it did the lift I took it home cleaned it and lubed it the next lift was pulling a palm tree stump, the pin bent and locked the jack into position it would only go up and not down, frustrated the shit out of me had too get my big hand come along and rig all kind of shit to get it past the lift point. I'm back to high lift, although I go to HF to buy expendibles....

[@The1mybuddy1]

Deepblu dude Let me guess. It was the bottom pin that bent correct. I bought one to use in a pinch to raise a corner of my shed. As I was testing it out on my atv I had the atv in the air and when I went to release it to lower it down it would not lower. I had to pull the pin back by hand using a screwdriver in order to lower it. In the end I just lifting the back of the atv up by hand and lifted it off. I have aaome hardened pins at work in going to try and replace it with, but would of been absolutely irate if I had my shed in the air and couldn't lower it. I consider myself pretty strong, but I'm not lifting 3,000lbs of wood myself. Lol.

[@jamesmelvin7759]

same here buddy

[@a.6019]

Can you use this on a car or lifted truck?

[@GettinJunkDone]

Given a sufficient jack point, sure!

[@DestinyA83]

Operation of unit starts... 6:40

[@GettinJunkDone]

Good thinking!

[@ace1926]

Great Video - Thanks.

[@TheLawnFellas]

You think this will pull old shrubs out of the ground searching for something to help remove large shrubs?

[@mandy3mandy3]

Did you ever find out? I just purchased one for the same use, pulling shrubs.

[@cbpuzzle]

Minimum height says 5 inches, but can you measure the exact minimum height? I have a cart bottom edge that is right at 5 1/4 and need to add thin wood block for protection.

[@rcnelson]

You want to lift a two-ton vehicle with something made out of Chinese scrap steel?

[@GettinJunkDone]

Haven't had to yet, but in a pinch it would work. I've used primarily to pull stumps so far and it has been great at that.

[@justind.laashley1220]

R C Nelson it will lift a 2 ton vehicle with ease just need to make sure it's lubricated and it'll have no problem I've used it when I get flats on the highway and because I'm in a hurry I leave the truck supported by the jack and it holds very well

[@justind.laashley1220]

I would heed caution because anything can happen

[@griffin6912]

have some rail 1/4 plates for base

[@MyBigThing2010]

$50?!!! 😂 The good ole days! I just picked up a badlands 48 from horrible fright last night for friggin $90 + tax! .....n you have to hit the lever with a hammer to get it to reverse 😅 fml

[@ColdWarVet607]

Joe, where do you live? I'm wondering because I'm looking at your closeup of the base, it looks like a fully cast base and it is up and around the the jack pole, which secures it properly and keeps the pole from tiliting with respect to the base. I see your video was uploaded 12/2014, I saw another video of the same HF jack uploaded 11/2014 and it had a really crappy base, its not a solid cast, it just has 2 fins that are welded to the thin bottom plate and these fins on friction contact the bottom side of the jack poles. Its 3/2017, I went to a Harbor Friegth and they have the crappy fins that looked like they paid a 2 year old in China to try and weld on, the jack pole wobbles around and tilts near 20 degrees while "bolted" into thesereally bad, bad, useless fins. A real widow aker if I've ever seen one. Did you get the last well made base from Harbor freight ? I'm in Morgan Hill CA, the HF I go to is in Gilroy CA. I really want it to pull out some fence posts but the base is such a piece of tin junk, I can't believe it wont bend or break. Worse than all that, HF now wants 60$ for a unit with a 10 cent base, I heard you say 50 or 40$, the other guy got it at 50$ in 11/2014. When and where did you buy it. I wonder if different HF's get the crap one or the better one. I decided I'd spend double to get a jack that wont fall apart and kill me, one that I could use and re-sell. I certainly couldn't resell the HF junk made today to anyone. Ever hear of an upgraded base for the HF jack, been looking for one, if I could weld I'd make one, guess its time to learn to weld. Thanks Buddy and glad you got one with a solid cast base. -Don

[@GettinJunkDone]

Hey Don, you've been awarded the "Longest and Most In Depth Comment" Award! To be honest with you I haven't studied the jacks that they currently carry since I purchased this one. I may have gotten lucky with one of the last good ones before a redesign, but I have no way of knowing. I love this jack and use it several times a year. If it every needs to be replaced I plan to step up to a name brand, and hopefully a more durable design. I purchased this a few weeks prior to the video and paid less than $50, but distinctly remember seeing coupons for $35 about the same time. I bought it in one of the stores located in Southern New Jersey. The base itself, at least the one I have, hasn't shown any flaws or signs of weakness so far.

[@ColdWarVet607]

Yes I tend to blab to much. I bought one a bit after watching this video MY HF had a jack with the old base on display and since I cant weld I was going to get one from the big box HD, looks the same and has a top end adapter for chains but it would cost much more. But I asked to see it in the box and it did have the new base, just like what yours had, so I got it with my 20% off, great value and pulled out my fence posts 1-2-3. So for all who maybe holding back because of the base, despite what the floor model may look like, the base is fully cast and is a great one. IT even had a Grade 6 bolt. I also used it to pull out some bushes, I' m sure I'll find more jobs for it. I love it. That old base was just to dangerous. Gotta shut up now, going on to long.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Thanks for the valuable input Don! I appreciate all your comments.

[@jamesmelvin7759]

I have 3 jacks 2 from harbor freight one was good no issues at all the second one I bought from harbor freight was a complete waste. The bottom pin on the down stroke bends the spring tru pin I machined a replacement then same thing .So I just ordered a hi lift brand, hey it was a lot more but the harbor freight screwed up when I relley needed it stuck in the booneys

[@mattlindsayb9856]

ty

[@GettinJunkDone]

Thanks for watching!

[@MichaelGallardoScienceTech]

Just jacked up a single home trailer. It does NOT release with a 150 pounds on the pedal, to answer your question.

[@MichaelGallardoScienceTech]

but it is the cheapest farm jack I have ever worked with. Not worth risking your safety with this one.

[@dannyboycalifornia]

Where's part 2?

[@tobylou8]

After two replacements from HF and the 3rd failed, HF said I was outside the 90 day warranty. LOL!! At least it was cheap?? Piece of trash and in the metal recycling bin! 7,000 capacity?? LOL!!! NOT EVEN CLOSE!!

[@alhent]

I found a better made version at tractor supply. Heavier and feels more sturdy but was $90 out the door using to pull bushes tomorrow

[@dougiequick1]

I bought one that pretty much looks identical except it does have that that top accessory piece you mentioned....I think I paid $38 on amazon warehouse deals meaning it probably had been returned.....It looks like typical chinese less than stellar quality BUT I was only buying for one single job ...I have never needed one in particular before (not that I could not have USED one MANY times rather than another jack I already had or bought) So I was not interested in "the best quality) ....What I bought and successfully used mine for? Removing less than 100' of Tee Post fencing ....specifically the posts ...which are a total BITCH to get out of the ground by any means other than some type of monster jack LIKE these ....and MAN did this puppy yank those posts RIGHT out of that clay soil! Like nothing! I had about give myself a hernia just trying to get ONE out before I bought this thing! I even bent the post trying to worry it out! Them things are AMAZING how anchored they are! (at least in the soil HERE anyway!) I also used it to jack a tree branch up when my chainsaw ba got royally stuck! Worked effortlessly there too ....all and all another handy if bulky tool to have ...problem is that (and I NEVER thought I would say this) I have TOO MANY tools! Cause every time I can justify buying a tool rather than paying someone? I DO ....but in my 60s now THAT has become something of a storage problem! I look at all the cool tools I have and I realize that MOST of them I only used once or maybe a few times ....someday in the not too distant future after my kids pick through everything? SOMEBODY is gonna no doubt get a steal of a deal on a BUNCH of tools and equipment....ahh what the hey it has been fun doing it myself and saving money ...all the money I saved? Ostensibly THAT will go to my kids too ....in other words? I probably never even really NEEDED to save the money to begin with ...it just appealed to me being the thrifty miser that I am....

[@dougiequick1]

BTW as to the base? Mine was not NEARLY large enough to pull tee posts with ....the solution? simply grabbed a scrap piece of 2X10 (or whatever size it was) ....some of the posts came out easier than others ....but the first one the whole jack would rather embed into ground than pull the post ....hence the scrap of board and problem SOLVED! Those holes in the base would be perfect to lag bolt a hunk of lumber to! OR a piece of thick steel plate even if you had such lying around....

[@GettinJunkDone]

Good job! Glad it worked!

[@Pro1er]

Man, I could have written the exact same thing about having way too many tools, many that I have never used, no where to store them, and at my age all of the people I'm gonna make happy when I'm gone. I just refuse to pay someone to do a job if I think that I can do it myself so I buy the tools I need to get the job done.

[@rayallen890]

These Harbor Freight farm jacks can be dangerous! I bought one and it worked well during my first few uses. Then it would only lift a load - it would not release the load. One time while under a load I tried to lower it and the latch failed causing the lift lever to explode upward so quickly that I couldn't get my hand out of the way fast enough. I nearly lost my thumb as it was almost removed by the end of the lever! Buyer beware on this tool!

[@GettinJunkDone]

I agree wholeheartedly. Any jack of this nature, like almost any tool, can cause injury.

[@hiliftjacks]

Get a real Jack... a Hi-Lift Jack. Made in the USA, more durable, more reliable, better quality.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Totally the plan once this one gets worn out.

[@xenocath]

Buy once cry once, I have been using my hi lift 20 years now

[@danhambrick6331]

Hey Hi Lift,why dont you send him a "real"jack....

[@johnlepkowski3831]

I bought the same jack thinking it was same as hi lift. It's not anywhere near as easy to use or smooth.

[@GettingtheTruthOut]

Sure...... all steel is the same, just ask the passengers of the Titanic.

[@mrcvry]

Little Switzerland Steel was no problem on the Titanic. It was the privat use of the radios. In a flood of messages the iceberg warning was overlooked. So it is completely save to buy this piece. 😉

[@davidwv7370]

@@mrcvry A documentary I watched stated that Titanic steel had many impurities that made it brittle - BAD STEEL - Doc. said that in those days they were unable to test steel quality like today. Perhaps you are correct and iceberg warnings WERE overlooked - but steel was bad according to analysts of steel recently recovered from sunken ship.

[@tonycorrra2511]

I'll start off by saying: ***** "WARNING, THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO HURT YOURSELF". ***** You don't need 150 pounds to make it work. Put your foot on the 'claw' with pressure and throw the lever. It will stay in place (emulating lift/lowering a vehicle or adding/reducing stress). Reduce the pressure on your foot and it will CRASH to the floor. I'm with you, work-wise this weekend warrior can't tell the diff between this and the Hi-Lift. One thing I did notice is the width of the slots on the black piece. On mine, I could fit a 1/2 inch bolt straight away through that top hole you pointed out. I needed to take a file to it so that I could attach a 1/2 inch shackle to it. I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO REMOVE MATERIAL. I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I DID.

[@tonycorrra2511]

Big mistake: I meant to say I 'COULD NOT not fit a 1/2 inch bolt straight away..."

[@GettinJunkDone]

All very good points! Thanks for watching.

[@a1930ford]

Be very careful in purchase of a Harbor Freight farm jack. Read the reviews of them and you will find many failures and broken or bent parts to be the norm. Northern Tools has much better quality farm jacks with no negative reviews on them. Cheap is not always the safest thing going for you when you plan to use a tool for lifting or pulling, especially when rated for the loads these farm jacks are rated at.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Great advice!

[@seanrich1367]

If you can buy one of these NOT made in China, you've got an Awesome jack, otherwise... save your $$$$.

[@dennisb.1996]

I'm not a MIC guy, but clearly you do not know what your talking about.

[@wayneleroy6382]

I bought one from harbor freight around 2007 and it has never worked right, very unreliable and a pain in the a..... The pins, especially the bottom one do not move in and out reliably. The entire mechanism seems to be rough, meaning it looks like they took the parts right out of the casting, painted and assembled without polishing any surfaces. Also the shiny piece that moves up or down to make the jack go up or down has a lot of slop in it. I've filed and or sanded some of it a little which helped a little but since it's been useless taking up space. I expect I would have to completely disassemble the mechanism and sand and polish everything at least where the pieces make contact with each other. If I have problems after that I'll scrap the POS and buy the real thing.

[@patrickbass3542]

Listening to your critique of the jack I felt that I should remind you: IT'S MADE IN CHINA!!!!! so you should expect a 3rd rate "finish" as well as cheap materials. That being sai: I'm still fonna buy a couple of them!!!!

[@williamriley2528]

Everyone knows the Chinese don't invent or design anything... All they can do is Copy, Copy, & Copy...! And you're surprised this looks just like the Highland Jack...???

[@GettinJunkDone]

I'm not surprised at all.

[@griffin6912]

got 48 inch $10 more than 36 inches

[@craftycri]

Just sayin but your product review didn’t cover any the issues with that jack or why Hi-Lift jacks should at least be considered, not the least of which is absence of replacement parts. The Chi-Com steel is notoriously bad, and their cast is even worse, given these jacks are inherently dangerous in the best of circumstances, lifting 1000’s of pounds several feet off the ground, there is NO WAY the China cast parts should be trusted in this application! Even you know this given your determination to use it for a hand winch. The handle and pitman pins as well as the lifting pins are NOT hardened nor are they grade 8 or better, they can and do bend and under load, that could get someone hurt or worse. The Handle is pinched and welded to the pitman… These jacks are again inherently dangerous, if for any reason that Handle is not straight and strong, if it bends or even worse, breaks, the load will drop suddenly and what’s left of that bar will spring up with MASSIVE force, again, able to do great harm or worse. These Jacks are considered “widow makers” because of this specific possibility, which is why Hi-Lift has reinforced these areas for the safety of the user, China doesn’t. If you were honest and had any concern for your viewers, you’d have at least noted these deficiencies in that utterly AWFUL jack, when their crappy wrenches or sockets or screwdrivers fail, its not a big deal, but when THIS fails, people can be hurt.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Every machine and tools come with risks. This video was just an overview and not an all inclusive discussion. It was mostly about the mechanism itself, as stated in the title. I'm just a guy on the internet with some tools that occasionally does reviews in the kitchen.

[@adamgibson9357]

5:17

[@Oh6Torch]

They’re $105 now. 😢

[@lynngrissom6721]

You can do everything right, that freakin' jack will FALL!! Be careful!

[@abrogard142]

lousy explanation. in fact nil explanation. he just doesn't understand the mechanism I think, is why.

[@GettinJunkDone]

I don't think it's all that bad. Zoomed in angles of the mechanism and a brief explanation of how it works, could be a lot worse.

[@abrogard142]

@@GettinJunkDone well I have figured this much out for myself and it is what i figure it would have been nice to have been told - it's not complete but this: the thing is in two part and each part has a spring loaded pin that goes through a hole in the bar. The bottom one pins to the bar and the top part moves up. It then pins to the bar and the bottom one 'de-pins' and moves up to join the top one and pins itself there. repeat, repeat, repeat. no complete because I haven't looked and figure how they 'de-pin' exactly I'll have to do that one day. That's the kind of thing I mean. I see it as essential when explaining a tool especially those that could take your life. But yep, you do it your way. That's your business.

[@GettinJunkDone]

Well that's a big difference from your first comment.

[@Nicfast-t7v]

Talk to much