Threw away $200 on a hydraulic jack that failed on my second use

Picked up a cheapo 12-ton jack from a surplus shop near the hangar, thought I was saving cash. First time I used it to lift a landing gear assembly, it started leaking fluid all over the floor after about 10 minutes. By the time I got it down, the seal blew and I had to borrow a proper one from a coworker. Has anyone else had a budget tool let them down like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

rowan8491mo ago

Wait, is stripping one bolt really that big of a deal? A helicoil kit is like 15 bucks and takes an hour tops. Seems like getting worked up over something pretty minor.

paul_lane802mo ago

Man, that sucks! I had a similar thing happen with a cheap torque wrench I grabbed off Amazon. Tried to use it on a motorcycle engine rebuild and it was clicking way before I hit the spec. Thought I was being smart saving 40 bucks but ended up stripping a bolt on the crankcase. Had to helicoil the whole thing and waste a weekend fixing it. Now I just stick with stuff I know is solid even if it hurts the wallet.

emma_murray492mo ago

Totally agree with @paul_lane80, learned that lesson the hard way too.

ramirez.caleb1mo ago

Three out of five times a helicoil fails for me it was because I tried to cheap out on install tools. The tap broke off inside the block and then you're REALLY screwed trying to get hardened steel shards out of aluminum. I spent 6 hours on a Subaru oil pan once with a magnet and compressed air because a 12 dollar tap snapped at the third thread. The actual helicoil kit cost me like four times that in frustration.