Harbor Freight 2 Ton Engine Lift Review

Today we review a Harbor Freight 2 Ton Engine hoist. We build it, test it out, and give some final thoughts. Be sure to subscribe for more reviews, commentary and outtakes!

[spawnkill]

Mechanics tip just deflate the tires a little bit as opposed to sitting the motor on someone's Grill

[rpbishop]

I realize that this is an old post, but its never too late to learn, especially if you didn’t have a father to teach you the ropes. Hydraulic jacks don’t lower their loads unless you either open the valve, or the seal in the jack is defective. Your jack has a warranty, use it!

[steverochester]

Thank you thank you thank you for including the box dimensions! I've been trying to find out how big the boxes are for more than a day (on and off!) Nobody seemed to want to give this basic info. Great video.

[sublimittrent]

Mechanic tip. If you open the valve to the hydraulic jack you can lift the arm from the lower to upper position with your arm and then close the valve and it will stay at the height you close it at. No more jacking it up forever. 😊

[zanastumasonis]

7:00 lower the front tire pressures significantly. thx for video. wonder if it came with a slightly defective cylinder seal

[PaulHenreid]

8:50 - "Who knows how fast this would have gone down if I was using the 1 ton?" - good question

[anderslarocque]

Hi, nice video as it really helps someone get mentally prepared and thinking about pulling an engine especially if you never did it before. Just a thought here… to make up for the max height of the hoist not being quite long enough…
Could you take the front wheels off the truck, and lower the truck down a few inches or so and rest tge truck on jack stands.
I don’t know if that would work, but just throwing it out there for some thought. Maybe when you go to put the engine back into the truck.

[stlproa]

Bought the 2T fr $180 + tax. Any consideration to replacing bolts on upper arm/head with pins....as on the folding facilitate easy further dis-assemble into multiple separate sections in order to store standing up between wall studs of garage. As you mentioned, not an every day use tool.

[ForeverForward]

As long as it can pull and hold that 5.3 until I can get it on a stand I’m good broskie!

[axa.axa.]

A great piece of info for a review would be how wide the bottom can straddle. Like how wide is the base under each of the 4 load pins when the boom is at its highest point.
Sure it's often used to lift engines and that doesn't matter, but it's a shop crane and popular use is lifting things on to carts or tables where you need to straddle the base. No one ever gives that info...

[gregorynorwood]

I have a Harbor Frieght 2-Ton Engine hoist that is about 15 years old. It is orange, and the paint is very good, and is not faded as I keep it in my garage. All of the welds are good as well. The hydraulic ram has never dropped with an engine hanging on it. I also use it to lift other heavy objects out of the back of my truck. If I were you I would take it back, because it is not supposed to leak down like that.

[NickParma]

U have to bleed the hydraulic part of the jack. Sometimes they don’t even come with fluid. That’s y the jack wouldn’t hold position with the weight of the engine.

[ryancrowley]

They want $370 now for it in a different color, this aint inflation anymore.

[tonyrodriguez]

Can you use that to put stuff in bed of truck? How tall does it lift?

[ryancrowley]

Mine doesnt leak down you need to take it back or replace the ram

[codymarschinke]

I really just am gonna use this to unload my ls out the bed of my truck . 😪 thanks for the vid this helped

[RichPober]

Your crane has a duff ram - it should hold pressure, especially when new.

[stonesoverbones]

Does anyone know if all hydraulics will sag like that? Or is it just this brand which I should avoid?

[r.d.g.]

U didn't mention the cost of the lift.

[j.angelencinia]

Looks like you have it extended all the way out at .5 (500lbs) position, which you mentioned “1/2 ton position”(1/2 ton is 500lbs) and you mentioned the manufacturer says the engine is slightly over 500lbs which explains why it’s not holding the weight.