Harbor Freight Portapower Sets - Are They Worth Buying?

• • T
  • Too_Many_Tools
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  15 years ago
  Wed, Mar 21, 2007 9:17 PM

I am considering buying a portapower set for the home shop.
I am used to the Enerpac products...good stuff.
Are the Harbor Freight portapower set worth buying?
They have both a 4 and 10 ton set available.

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Thank you for your suggestions.
TMT

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Too_Many_Tools

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  • Nick Mueller
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  15 years ago
  Wed, Mar 21, 2007 10:17 PM

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I bought a portapower set (10 tons) 30 (in words: thirty) years ago. Still working. But the power cylinder is losing oil now. Bent quite some cars straight when I was young (NOT my cars), now it serves as a shop-press.
For that price, BUY IT NOW!
Nick

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• • R
  • Richard J Kinch
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  15 years ago
  Wed, Mar 21, 2007 10:29 PM

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I've used one for dent repairs. Worked great.
Also consider the 94681 add-on kit with the pullback ram. There's a short lifter that could be drilled for a hydraulic pressure gage to make a force gage.

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  • Grant Erwin
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  15 years ago
  Wed, Mar 21, 2007 11:26 PM

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I have their 4 ton unit. Works fine, a real bargain. At that price point I expect to put in new O-rings every couple of years, but so far it hasn't needed any.
GWE

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• • D
  • Don
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  15 years ago
  Thu, Mar 22, 2007 2:42 AM

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You won't be able to do much with the 4 ton. The 10 ton is a generic set that's sold under seemingly a few dozen names including "DELCO." Works pretty good, but you can break attachments if you really push it. I use mine all the time on the 1/4 mile dirt oval car -- for obvious reasons.
Don

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• • *
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  15 years ago
  Thu, Mar 22, 2007 12:43 PM

Too_Many_Tools wrote in article ...

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If you are used to working with Enerpac hydraulic products, there will be a bit of a "cultural shock" when you start working with the Asian crap from Horrible Fright!
Some people never see the difference because all they have ever bought is the cheap Chinese crap, but YOU should notice it since you have worked with quality stuff.
Having said that, the HF stuff may fill your needs.......but, if I was working with it on a daily basis - in a body shop environment for example - I would prefer the Enerpac or OTC stuff.

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• • J
  • John L. Weatherly
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  15 years ago
  Thu, Mar 22, 2007 12:49 PM

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I bought the 10 ton. It's worth it. The only thing I don't like is the cheap plastic case.

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John L. Weatherly

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  • Scott Dorsey
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  15 years ago
  Thu, Mar 22, 2007 4:50 PM

Too_Many_Tools wrote in article ...

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Compared with the Enerpac, the Harbor Freight stuff is really, really cheap feeling and you won't be happy with that. It really does not feel like good metal or good machining.
But, it will mostly do the job if you can live with that. Go with the 10 ton unit, not the 4. But honestly, you really want to check this stuff out at a Harbor Freight store before buying it, because you will be amazed at how cheesy it is. Probably fine for occasional use, though. --scott

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