Harbor Freight Tools - Classic Life

This photo was taken at the Orange, CA, Harbor Freight store. I've been dreaming of getting an aluminum floor jack ever since the little "red guy" died. Notice there's a little red trolley jack on the extreme right.

As I remember, the "trolley jack" was originally an English design and started appearing in Harbor Freight stores as a Taiwanese copy in the mid '70s. I bought this one in '75 for $35 and it lasted until June 24, 2008. Through the years I've seen them on sale at Harbor Freight for as low as $15.

Under the Hydraulics banner is where you can find the real specialized equipment at Harbor Freight. Check out the 1-ton telescoping Gantry crane or the cherry pickers and you'll see what I mean.

If you think you might like to try your hand at forming (shaping) sheetmetal a Planishing hammer is easier to get the hang of than using an English Wheel. The 94847 Harbor Freight pneumatic planishing hammer sells for less than $100; the stand is another $30.