37 replies to this topic

[Quinlan minor]

A very disappointing experience.

Bought a 2 tonne Low Professional Hydraulic Jack, this afternoon, 34kgs. of it.

Humped it home unpacked and assembled it, unassisted by the lamentable Instruction Manual, only to discover that the handle retaining stud was too short to secure the handle to the jack.

Returned to the store to see whether the short stud was a one-off. Unfortunately, not!

The entire stock of 2 and 3 tonne jacks were useless.

Still, on the bright side, the unsmiling manageress, charmlessly refunded the purchase price, "No hassle."

Well, that's if you don't count the time spent driving back and forth, and of assembling the useless thing.

I do hope Halfords test the suitability of their brake pads more effectively than they appear to test their "Professional" jacks.

 

 

Attached Files

•  IMG_3993 (small).jpg   65.22K   4 downloads
•  IMG_3995 (small).jpg   49.83K   4 downloads
•  IMG_3994 (small).jpg   52.08K   4 downloads

Edited by Quinlan minor, 25 January 2022 - 08:37 PM.

[jonlad]

How frustrating!

 

I ended up with a Halfrauds voucher at Christmas time so went in for the first time in years.  Looked in the book for a suitable oil filter for the wifes car, found the 12 digit number, looked on the shelf to see a jumble of 100 or so filters with no easy way of finding which was the right one.  three of the tablets used to search for car parts were unserviceable. I found a working one to look up which bulbs i need for the daily driver, bought them, and they are wrong!  

 

Also similar experience with the staff.

 

I wont be going back.

[mab01uk]

Made in China?

[Quinlan minor]

Made in China?

Yes, but a lot of good stuff is, too, nowadays.

[Quinlan minor]

How frustrating.

 

Also similar experience with the staff.

 

I wont be going back.

My experience is that it varies, considerably, from branch to branch.

I received exemplary service at the Catford branch. Looking at reviews of the Shirley branch, the "customer service" I received was, sadly, not atypical.

[mab01uk]

 

Made in China?

Yes, but a lot of good stuff is, too, nowadays.

 

 

Yes but I think they don't always have good quality control and inspection which means large batches can get shipped with a problem that the end user finds when assembling the item. As a mechanical engineer I often have the tools and knowledge to sort it myself but it is frustrating when what should be a simple job turns into a load of hassle.

Edited by mab01uk, 26 January 2022 - 09:28 AM.

[Spherix]

Why is it useless? I never have my lever in permanently as it stores much easier without it attached..

[Quinlan minor]

Why is it useless? I never have my lever in permanently as it stores much easier without it attached..

How do you maneuver your jack into position or pull it out from under a vehicle without an attached handle, Spherix?

That's why it's useless, as a pocket in a shroud.

[Spherix]

 

Why is it useless? I never have my lever in permanently as it stores much easier without it attached..

How do you maneuver your jack into position or pull it out from under a vehicle without an attached handle, Spherix?

That's why it's useless, as a pocket in a shroud.

 

 

I use two hands and a brooming motion rather than a tug.

[Quinlan minor]

 

 

Why is it useless? I never have my lever in permanently as it stores much easier without it attached..

How do you maneuver your jack into position or pull it out from under a vehicle without an attached handle, Spherix?

That's why it's useless, as a pocket in a shroud.

 

 

I use two hands and a brooming motion rather than a tug.

 

I used to drive a van that you could only get into through the passenger door, but I'm fairly sure it wasn't like that when it was new.

[Spherix]

Sounds like you found a way back then to make it useful still! That's the spirit.

[PoolGuy]

Why is it useless? I never have my lever in permanently as it stores much easier without it attached..

It doesn’t do as claimed, whether or not you choose to muddle along with it is up to you, but as he’s spent good

money on the ‘professional’ version, it should do what it claims.

[mab01uk]

Most of my jack handles fit with a bayonet connection so the handle is easily removed by twisting it....but whatever method is used it should do what it claims or be sent back so the supplier rectifies the problem.

Edited by mab01uk, 26 January 2022 - 06:43 PM.

[Spider]

Sorry to read of your disappointing experience. It does raise some questions for sure.

I'm actively going out of my way to but anything but Chinese now days. Apart from such mixed qualities, many other manufacturing companies are moving their operations out of China over the past couple of years. It seems the Corona Virus has given the world it's long overdue wake up call that putting all our eggs in one basket isn't smart. I feel by buying goods made in other countries is doing my small bit to help this situation.

Last Jack I bought was a Bahco, made in Sweden. Pleasantly, it was no dearer than the Chinese Jack it replaced. The Chinese item did work well, but only lasted about 2 years before the hydraulics gave up. I figured I could repair it myself, on disassembling it, I found that the fasteners were neither metric or imperial and the seals within were totally oddball, that was when I gave up on it as a bad joke. I've had the Bahco now about 6 or 7 years, still going as well as the day I bought it. It also has a 2 stage pump so is much nicer to use than the Chinese item.

I've found it's definitely worth spending a bit more time seeking out alternatives. While the Jack here was the same money, often what I buy is dearer, but not by a lot, however the quality has been chalk and cheese.

[Quinlan minor]

Last Jack I bought was a Bahco, made in Sweden. Pleasantly, it was no dearer than the Chinese Jack it replaced. .

I've found it's definitely worth spending a bit more time seeking out alternatives. While the Jack here was the same money, often what I buy is dearer, but not by a lot, however the quality has been chalk and cheese.

I had a look at the Bahco, Spider.

The Halfords "Professional" is a direct copy of it, at about a third of the price.