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911 and E.R.-- courtesy of Harbor Freight

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by notebooms, Nov 10, 2008.

  1. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    Hope to help guys learn a lesson before this happen:

    Last night was putting the 430 motor in the '62 Lincoln-- yep, 750lb beast.

    Harbor freight 2 ton engine hoist-- set at 1.5 ton.

    Harbor freight hoist to engine leveler--- $20 bucks worth.

    Well, the all thread / handle adjuster of the HF engine leveler all of a sudden exploded apart-- flew across the garage-- as i was holding it and guiding the engine into place. Motor slid down the leveler, crushing my hand and trapping it there.

    My hand didn't look too good being crushed and locked into this. Had to have daughter call 911 so that the fire dept could get me loose, as i was stuck.

    Looked horrible and couldn't feel a thing from my twisted hand when i got it lose, but i got lucky and it'll be fine.

    FRIENDLY REMINDER: Cheap Chinese shit combined with heavy American steel will kill you, and this junk is not necessarily rated for the weight it says it is. Don't trust your life with it.

    -scott noteboom
     
  2. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,627

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

    Shit buddy... hate to hear it...
     
  3. Bummer about your hand and i'm glad it's okay. Everyone needs to quit buying their bullshit.
     
  4. Wyle E Coyote
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 442

    Wyle E Coyote
    Member

    OUCH! Damn that sucks. I hate using their crap, I rebuilt my leveler with new machine thread rod and heavier parts. Hope you are gonna be OK.


    Did you get any pictures? ;)
     

  5. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    that sucks.... I've seen their engine stands and cherry pickers fail... never thought about the leveler, and I've got one, was a present. Now I have re-evaluate why they gave it to me.:rolleyes:
     
  6. damn dude. thats fucken scary. glad your okay
     
  7. I hope someone learns from this.
     
  8. zbuickman
    Joined: Dec 9, 2007
    Posts: 465

    zbuickman
    Member

    ohh shit duude... hope its all right..... The chinese do not understand Liability or quality control..... as of yet:mad:
     
  9. We had an off shore built hydraulic floorjack disintegrate while under a customers SUV. It was only under one corner!Good thing when it blew it jammed half way down. We got under jack under it to reraise it. No more crap tools for the shop!
     
  10. Big Tony
    Joined: Mar 29, 2006
    Posts: 3,588

    Big Tony
    Member

    Glad to hear your ok.... Lucky your daughter was home to help. Your right don't skimp on that kind of crap. Take care and here is to a quick and full recovery.
     
  11. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,755

    stude_trucks
    Member

    Yeah, ouch! Makes my hand hurt reading this.
     
  12. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Yikes! Sorry to hear.:(
     
  13. oilslinger53
    Joined: Apr 17, 2007
    Posts: 2,500

    oilslinger53
    Member
    from covina CA

    i wonder if chinese companies are subject to our false advertising laws. Id talk to a lawyer, 1.5 tons should mean 2 tons at least. sucks about your hand man,sorry to hear about it.glad it should be ok.
     
  14. Capt. Zorro
    Joined: Nov 30, 2004
    Posts: 557

    Capt. Zorro
    Member

    I had a supposedly heavy duty jack stand snap like a piece of dry spaghetti once under my '47 with 460 in it. Had them under the back and was jacking up the front when the floor jack stopped rolling for a second. The back stands tilted off the floor about 1/4 inch and then snapped in two where the extension goes into the base. It came crashing down and I nearly shit myself..
    Glad you are alright, I answered a couple calls over the years with people crushed under their cars.
     
  15. t-town-track-t
    Joined: Jan 11, 2006
    Posts: 884

    t-town-track-t
    Member
    from Tulsa

    Glad to hear you are going to make it. Hopefully there will be no long term side effects or loss of use in your hand!

    What kind of damage did it do to anything else involved? did it break anything on the motor, or damage the vehicle itself any?
     
  16. sorry to hear that and hope your hand will be ok!
     
  17. Skrap metal
    Joined: Jan 22, 2003
    Posts: 362

    Skrap metal
    Member

    no people, sending all our american companies overseas and buying cheap chinese
    crap is great for our economy! what are you talking about.....
     
  18. We all have bought that cheap stuff in the past, but this is a lesson I'll remember so I won't ever do it again. Hope you heal fast with no lasting effects.
     
  19. Ole don
    Joined: Dec 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,915

    Ole don
    Member

    Sorry to hear of the injury. A word from a geezer, load up on something similar to Centrum vitamins, and buy a bottle of zink suplement. It promotes fast healing. Been there, done that, it works.
     
  20. Scott F.
    Joined: Aug 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,012

    Scott F.
    Member

    Sorry to hear about the accident and I'm glad to hear that you're going to be OK. Here's my story of Chinese steel:

    We've had a few molds come into the shop from China. They seemed to be the same as the tools that we have built here in the USA. (I'd prefer they were built here, but I don't have a say in it). Well, the last bunch came in and needed some fairly extensive work done to them. Our regular tool shop said, "I don't know what material they use for their SHCS but they are all stretching." HMMM? Curious I thought. Then I noticed one of the 'ears' on one mold was mangled so bad it wouldn't slide into it's holder any longer. I was pissed that our American tool shop would do this, but I ground it down and was back in business. When I mentioned it in passing, the tool shop owner said, "Yeah, I don't know what the spec was on the steel, but it is REALLY soft." All that deformation is just from our clamps". Turns out (surprise) that just because it LOOKS the same, it isn't. Sorry for the long rant but on any part that's functional, DO NOT be fooled by the poorly built Chinese parts.

    Scott
     
  21. cody repp
    Joined: Aug 12, 2008
    Posts: 262

    cody repp
    BANNED

  22. amsvette
    Joined: Sep 8, 2004
    Posts: 180

    amsvette
    Member

    Glad to hear your hand is ok. Now the important question...is the 430 ok? Just kidding, glad everything worked out ok. Could have been much worse.
     
  23. hotrod40coupe
    Joined: Apr 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,561

    hotrod40coupe
    Member

    I just went on their website and apparently they are no longer available. Makes me think that you aren't the first to experience a failure. Hope your hand heals without any difficulties, hand injuries really suck.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2008
  24. eddie1
    Joined: Jul 27, 2006
    Posts: 568

    eddie1
    Member

    My off-shore brand cherry pickers boom bent when set 1.5 tons under the
    weight of a Ford 460 with c-6 attatched. I know it was heavy, but not
    that heavy. Luckily no one got hurt.
     
  25. I'd talk to a lawyer and let the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission know. Here's a link to their home page where you will find another link for reporting an unsafe product: http://www.cpsc.gov/
     
  26. Ranunculous
    Joined: Nov 30, 2007
    Posts: 2,465

    Ranunculous
    Member

    Wonders if the off shore types say "Oh well,we can't see if from our house!" when producing inferior products?
    Poison in the dog treats and food and childrens formula,lead-filled toys and ever-growing of more inferior products.
    "Save money,live better?"

    Notebooms,
    Glad to hear your hand will heal.Hope all goes well and you're back in the hot rodding game again soon!
    Hope good health and providence is yours again soon!
     
  27.  
  28. RIGHT! NO MORE BUY CHINESE S**T! And remember, Vise Grip has gone to China as of last month according to the article from Google. Next time ya go to buy one make sure it still says "Made in USA". And a special patriotic thanks to the executives at Irwin Tool who own Vise Grip!
     
  29. shit! glad your ok , get well soon ..
     
  30. I hate to use this word, but a LAWYER could make you some $dough$.

    Why do I say this? Because that's your only recourse. If enough folks did this, the quality of the imported junk would have to improve. That means higher price and maybe some of those items would be made in USA again.

    For the past couple of years the only place I shop for tools and equipment is at auctions, garage/yard sales, pawn shops and flea markets.

    You'll find good used old USA made stuff for less $dough$ than the new Harbor Freight junk.

    I saw the post about ViseGrips going to China. I'll buy USA made Vise Grips (all types) and big C-clamps used. Normally I pay about 25% or less of what new are.

    Fuck the Chinese shit.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2008

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