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What size floor jack do you use? and what Brand?
I have 3 floor jacks rite now …an older Sears 3 ton floor jack that up until this year worked great but now the seal is worn out and the jack no longer works ….The other 2 jacks I have are complete garbage 1 small 2 ton jack that I got from Walmart that couldn’t lift a wet dog turd and another smaller jack that was great up until the front wheel broke in half …..Soooo I need a new jack and Im asking what Brand do you have? and what weight? Im just a home mechanic putzer …for reference
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if you have a truck or something with some clearance, look into a decent bottle jack. Those things last forever, lift stuff much easier than a regular jack, and they’re much smaller and easier to store. They’re also pretty awesome to wedge against walls and stuff to make makeshift presses.
Other than that I just use the scissor jacks at home. No seals to blow out so they last forever and they’re their own functioning jack stand. Get one with an end on it that you can hook your impact/electric drill to and often they’re much faster than a regular hydraulic jack. I got a pack of 4 of them from amazon for like $100.
Yeah, bottle jacks, I love them. I have a little one and it has seen some heavy use. I remember using that little bottle jack and a floor jack to curve leaf springs so I could install them – crazy stuff.
Before retirement I worked for an electrical utility. We had charge of substations. Well, management decided to replace most of the breakers. Inside the cabinet of each old breaker was a big bottle jack. It was used to recock the mechanism if the charging motor failed. I don’t think this ever happened. We just replaced the motor. They were all like new. I saw them in a big pile at a warehouse. I think they were sold for scrap.
For the price, a Harbor Freight jack may be cost effective and every bit as good as anything else being put out there.
Just my 2 cents, but I think Sears Craftsman tools are headed to the toilet; all of them from electrical to hand tools to jacks.
I’ve had 3 Craftsman jacks (4 counting the one bad right out of the box) and all 3 failed after very little use and light use at that. There were two 2.5 ton jacks and one 3 ton jack that all went south very quickly. At the moment all 3 are in the scrap metal pile outside.
Regarding hand tools and to cite an example, I broke a 1/2″ breakover after 25 years of use. Sears gave me another which twisted off after a few uses. This was replaced yet again and the head on it also twisted but did not break. This prevented a socket from being installed on it. They replaced it yet again and at the moment that breakover is also twisted but not returned yet.
Apparently they’re throwing everything including the kitchen sink and animal carcasses into the tool steel vat…….. 🙁I second the HF jacks. I’d stay away from the really small 2 ton jacks, but the steel 3 ton jack is what I’m using (and it’s held up well for the year I’ve had it so far). I picked it up for $75 with a cupon, and this thing weighs about a pound per dollar spent 😉 . Worth noting: regardless of the type of jack you buy, ALWAYS bleed the jack and top off with fluid before using it. It’s also a good idea to grease up the pivot arm (there is a zerk on it, and it’ll squeak if you forget about it).
[quote=”Nick2317″ post=103636]What size floor jack do you use? and what Brand?[/quote]
I got my jack from the auto parts store over 20 years ago (Car Quest). It’s red & white and looks like a Blackhawk, but has no name on it.
Here’s a smokin’ deal
http://www.mechanicstoolswarehouse.com/3Ton-HD-SUV-Service-Jack-w-FREE-3Ton-Capacity-Jack-Stands-P228631.aspxHarbor Freight Floor Jacks. Best period.
But KNOW that they have different lift heights. ‘
The small, lightweight aluminum one that goes for $70 only lifts around 14″. I had one, and it was just too short. I would get the heavy grey metal ones that raise a couple inches higher, also for around $70 with a coupon. It just weighs a ton is all, but it’s not like I’ll be lifting it everywhere, just dragging it. The paper catalog at the store should tell you the different lift heights.
I agree Harbor Freight ones are great. Have had one for 2 years never had a problem. Best jack for the money I think. When they go on sale for 70$ ish dollars go get one and take a 20% off coupon. You can find them by googleing harbor freight coupon or you can get a code right now by texting tools to 222-377.
I used a cheap 3-Ton Chinese made jack for over 15 years with no problems and that poor jack was used to death. The failure of that jack is what led me to the Craftsman jacks I mentioned previously and nothing but problems afterwards.
One of those Craftsman jacks was a 2.5 Ton aluminum that I wanted due to lightweight, ease of use, and for those smaller jobs. That jack is a killer IMO.
When raising even a small light FWD car the sideplates flex much like wooden slats and I’ve had a couple of small light cars fall off of the jack while lifting them due to the jack flexing around like a noodle. That jack is in the scrap aluminum pile at the moment….. 🙁
Picked up a 2000kg jack for about $100(on sale), much easier to work on the car with it, only takes a few cranks to get it up. One problem is the bottom of the sump is the same height as the top of the jack when the suspension is “set”, so you need to push the car up a bit to get it underneath, but when you lower it it’ll be 1cm above the jack which stops me crushing the sump I guess.
Cheap 1250kg jack before that still works, cost me $30 I think on sale, served me well and is useful for holding parts in position or levering up parts when you need both hands.
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