Mine is similar but if I gently pull the release handle, I can get the cart to lower slowly, but it certainly is a sweet spot. I have tried adjusting the cable, but that didn’t change anything. I am not sure if adding any more hydraulic fluid would help, but just read a post about these needing topping off and so may try that. If anyone has a solution, I’m all ears.

Mine does the same—I can though occasionally find a sweet spot with the handle pull where I can get it to lower slowly, but it isn’t easy and it lowers too quickly at times when I overshoot the right spot.

I too don’t know if topping off the hydraulic fluid will work or if I have a lemon, but am willing to try adding fluid if this might solve the problem (though the last time I did this with my floor jack, I apparently overfilled it and had hydraulic fluid squirt all over my garage (even on the ceiling!) the next time I used it and so I haven’t had the courage to do this yet with the HF lift as I am obviously not doing something right when I add hydraulic fluid and still not sure if it’s a viable solution in this particular case).

And at least mine is the 500 lb lift. Not sure about Mark’s lift.

After messing with my 500 lb HF lift yesterday, I realized that the issue with my lift is not the same as that of Markharris2000's lift. In particular, my lift table will drop only a short distance (<1" or so) when the release handle is pulled and then it will continue to lower slowly whereas it sounds that Markharris2000's lift is dropping all the way to the floor when the handle is pulled. I can find a sweet spot on the release handle in which I can get it to lower slowly and so haven't bothered to see if I can fix it (until yesterday).

Although I don't have a solution for Markharris2000's lift, I attempted a couple of potential fixes on mine to attempt to resolve its problem. None worked. These include (again) attempting to adjust the release cable--like Markharris2000 said for his lift, this had no impact aside from moving the point at which the release handle causes the table to lower. I also added hydraulic fluid to the cylinder (following bleeding instructions for the lift), but it didn't have any noticeable effect either. I suppose it's possible that there is a small pocket of air that I didn't remove that is still causing the problem or that the release valve is just not working properly. At some point in the future I may try removing all the fluid and then adding a new batch, but in the meanwhile I will just keep trying to find that sweet spot on the release handle pull.

When I topped mine off it needed maybe about 3 or 4 ounces or so (or maybe more—forgot to check the level on the container before I started adding fluid). The plug is a major pain to put back in—have fun with that! After I filled it, put the plug back in, and began lowering the lift, it stopped lowering and I could see the plug beginning to pop out. I ended up using a large slotted screwdriver to press on the side of the plug to release an ounce or so of fluid until it lowered completely.

Good luck!