Jack me up! (This was my second title choice)

Friends, family, people who I would not recognize in public unless I saw their cars- it is time. I need to purchase a new floor jack so I can attempt to repair and use some of the molding hulks I've acquired. (I'd say rusting, but it's Florida. ) I own three vehicles currently, and they could not be more disparate. A 2014 Nissan versa Note, a 2007 mazdaspeed3 with most of the suspension book thrown at it (it is very low and very stiff ) and a 2003 Jeep Liberty that I accidentally bought for $500, defies all odds and continues to be a reliable automobile despite my neglect. 

I need to do brakes on the jeep. I need to do....many things on the Mazdaspeed. The Nissan is in good shape presently, fresh off a visit to the shop after an encounter with Zeus. 

This brings me to my situation. I need a jack. Preferably, one jack. I need it to lift the jeep, but I need it to be low enough to get under the speed. I have most of the usual tool dispensaries close by, and a few of the less common ones, I suspect. Does such an animal exist? I'm pretty sure the answer is at harbor freight is the store, but maybe y'all know something I don't. 

I have a low profile jack from Harbor Freight I've been using for 12+ years. But it's not aluminum, so it can be a bit heavy to move around. 

I have an AC Hydraulics DK20, which is now more than 20 years old.  It goes super low, is very sturdy, picks up everything from my lowered NSX to an entire side of my Escalade.  Never any maintenance other then cleaning it.  Smooth operation.  It's not cheap, but you pay more for this kind of quality.   Would recommend. 
 

https://www.achydraulic.com/products/hydraulic-jacks/

I have too many garages and not enough jacks.  Maybe I should get one of those lightweight aluminum ones.  I'm getting too old to drag my heavy-ass all-steel Allied 3-ton floor jack 300 feet from the attached garage to the detached garage and back again.  Sucks when it's pouring rain.  Not great for the grass either.

I have one of the low profile long reach harbour freight daytona jacks. I like it. It is a shop jack only as it is a heavy MF. Lots of lift, still gets under low cars. Long enough to reach center jack points.

This is the one I have, albeit from before it got upgraded from 2.25T to 3T rating and rebranded from Pittsburgh to the more expensive Daytona line. Very satisfied. It's the longest reaching, lowest clearance, highest lift, affordable jack I know of, but is quite heavy.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/jacks-jack-stands/floor-jacks/3-ton-long-reach-low-profile-professional-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-blue-56641.html

I have the same one as theruleslawyer and Driven5 and I like it, but it's Achilles heel is my stock height Mazda5.  I can't reach the front crossmember unless I run the front wheels up on some 2x6 boards.   Not sure if it has a longer nose than the Mazdaspeed3, but just something you should be aware of.  I can't remember for sure, but I may have had enough reach to lift it from the side just behind the front wheels.

I am also on team HF Daytona. We bought two of the Snap-on jacks from the tool truck. After about two years both failed and the Snap-on rep said we would have to send them in for repair at about $200 per unit plus shipping. Boss said screw that and bought a couple of the Dayonas. 6 years later they are still going strong.

I bought the $200 yellow HF Daytona jack cause Mike Finnegan from Roadkill uses them in his shop.  Really a nice jack compared to the Sears jack I had since 1987.  

I have three of the hf jacks, one the aluminum racing.  I also bought some track ramps.  Depending on where I am, I can't get a low jack under one of my mustangs.  The track ramps have been great.  I've also used them when I wanted to use one of the beefier floor jacks.

Just going to throw this out:  When I pulled a transmission on a mustang, I put it up on wheel cribs.  For me, they were a game changer over jack stands.  I knew I was going to be under the car for a while and knew I'd be horsing that flipping tranny as well.  Wheel cribs gave me a bit more peace of mind.

In reply to eastsideTim :

Yeah, that's the one drawback with this one. It is taller at the rear than many others, so ends up with more interference if you still have to get the whole jack under anyway.

Which brings up another question: WTF is with cars having the front jack point placed so inaccessibly far back as to be impractical for its sole purpose of existence?

 Glad to see an updated "what floor jack" thread as my 50+ Sears 2T jack has seen better days. I think my mom bought this for me and it came with 2 jack stands. If memory serves, it was about $65 for the set. Damn I'm old...

Looks like the Daytona for me.

eastsideTim said:

 I can't reach the front cross member unless I run the front wheels up on some 2x6 boards. 

I have a set of cheap jack helpers for those rare instances with especially low cars and long noses. Usually you only need help from the front.

is there a good website for fixing old floorjacks ?

Just simple stuff like how to put Hydraulics jack fluid in a jack , do you  have the jack flat with the handle  loose or ????

I have 5-6 jacks that I have no idea if they work or not  and might spend an afternoon  checking the fluid etc  :)

Thanks for your help

Example is an HF aluminum jack that pumps up until there is weight on it then no more lift.......

In reply to californiamilleghia :

Hiball over at the Garage Journal has many helpful walkthroughs on jack repair

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/overseas-jack-rebuild-help-tutorial.51105/

The HF aluminum jack manual has instructions on filling and bleeding
https://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/64000-64999/64545-193175434272.pdf

I bought this jack in 2020.  It was $212 then; it's $310 now.  I'd still buy it if I needed one.  Low enough to get under the race car and my Mazda3; beefy enough to jack up my K3500.  

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/schwaben-low-profile-2-ton-aluminum-floor-jack/011362sch01a/

I'll pile on with the Harbor Freight long-reach low-profile jack. I've had 3 (one was free) of them for 13 years. Two at the house, one at the office. In that time they have needed nothing. They will slide under the Abomination without issue. The long reach gives them almost 25" of lift so they will jack up Jeeps and other off-road machines without issue. Really outstanding. 

I have had this jack for many years (as you can probably tell).  I think I may have bleed it once? Nothing wrong with HF jacks (I also have one of the long reaches shown above):

Toyman! said:

I'll pile on with the Harbor Freight long-reach low-profile jack. I've had 3 (one was free) of them for 13 years. Two at the house, one at the office. In that time they have needed nothing. They will slide under the Abomination without issue. The long reach gives them almost 25" of lift so they will jack up Jeeps and other off-road machines without issue. Really outstanding. 

This is the way.