Recommend me a floor jack

So I need a new floor jack, who makes a good one? Don't want a Sears or harbor freight.... 2 or 3 ton aluminum is what I'd like.

Don't want a harbor freight? You're a fool.

Then again if you're looking at aluminum, i can't blame you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G1DTDlNhqw

Awesome jack. Best $100 I ever spent. Mine does not squeak like he says it does.

I've bought 2 "aluminum" jacks.

the first was a $60 larin, all aluminum, including the handle, I think it was 1.5 ton, the jack itself only weighed maybe 30 lbs. The first one broke in about 6 months of light use. The part where you tigthen or release the jack snapped off. Tractor supply exchanged it for me with manager's approval. The replacement lasted a couple years, though it would lift less and less and required frequent bleeding, for reasons that were never really clear to me. It was very cool to have such a light jack but I would expect my jacks to last many years.

The next jack I bought was an "aluminum" racing jack from harbor freight, I bought it on sale and used 20% off and I imagine it was around $50. It was aluminum rail with steel construction. The aluminum rails were supposed to make it lighter but it still weighs maybe close to 50 lbs. The handle is steel as well. It was rated at 3 tons. It worked well for a while, and then I used it to jack up just the front end of my 8000 lb excursion. Once the weight was on it, it pushed the jack back down, and its never worked well since then. It won't hold pressure and it won't lift as much weight. I really wouldn't think there would be more than 6000 lbs on that front axle. So I can't really recommend that one either.

Now, sams club sells these jacks that are labeled "michelin." I don't remember who makes them. they are all steel and weigh a ton, maybe 70 lbs. They are awesome. I bought one and gave it to a friend after I left his garage full of my stuff for 6 months while I was in the process of moving. I had used it for years and he still uses it to this day, 8 years or so after I bought it. My brother bought one as well, and used it extensively on his diesel pick up truck, and had no problems with his. They don't always have them, but it seems like an item they do get in every year or two, and they are cheap. My first one was $60 and I think my brother paid $80 for his.

I don't have a garage, so my floor jacks tend to do a bit of traveling with me. The michelin one worked awesome but was just too heavy to be even sort of portable. I also didn't like that it required a wrench to remove or insert the handle (all the others used thumbscrews).

My other brother, who also has a diesel ram, uses a napa floor jack, all steel, which is rated for 4 tons, I believe. Its a battleship. The rails are over 1/4 steel and it can lift up to around 30". It was around $400 I think, but he will probably pass it on to his children. However, hopefully they will inherit his garage, otherwise they will likely receive a hernia from lifting it.

Picked up the heavy duty, T-handle jack at HF a while back.......will get the Miata higher in the air than the jack stands I currently have.

I'll pick up an aluminum one for hte track next year.

I really hate the aluminum "rapid pump" type jacks. It seems with every one of them from snap-on to HF have to be bled any time they get turned on their side, and they all seem to have handles on the sides that encourage you to carry them that way.

If you want a "forever" jack find yourself an old Blackhawk and rebuild it.

With my cars I find myself dreaming about this one.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/2-ton+floor+jack.do?sortby=ourPicks

ditchdigger wrote: With my cars I find myself dreaming about this one. http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/2-ton+floor+jack.do?sortby=ourPicks

That is a thing of beauty...

I've has a lot of jacks and my $60 on sale aluminum harbor freight is my favorite.....I love that jack and it has never let me down. For the real heavy stuff I have to break out my big heavy jacks, but 90% of the time I use the HF aluminum. Trust me when I say I've beat the hell out of that jack for years. I ready didn't expect it to last, but I'm just thrilled with it now....great jack.

I have never had to bleed this jack and have turned it all sorts of ways, but the 3 ton aluminum I bought from Sams did have that problem and finally stopped working even after being bled. when I called about service they ask if I laid it on it's side or something....I said I had hung it on the wall. They said "you can't do that", so I asked why they put the damn handles on it....oh well.

N Sperlo wrote: Don't want a harbor freight? You're a fool. Then again if you're looking at aluminum, i can't blame you.

Harbor Freight jacks don't last. I've used all manner of cheap jacks and am tired of them. My next jack will be expensive and will last me for a long time. I just keep putting it off.

Hence, I'm interested in this thread!

One of my Lemons team mates has a really nice aluminum jack, he paid good money for it but it's light and solid. I should ask him about it.

I have an aluminum low pro jack from Costco. Not sure if its the one with the brand that started with an A or an L. Will get back to you once I get home and look at it. My previous jack was also another Costco aluminum job, I liked that one better but it puked it's guts out in about a year. This one has lasted me about 3 and aside from tightening the allen bolts that worked themselves loose and bleeding it once it has served me well. Will probably die on me now that I've said it, but Costco has a great return policy and are closer to me than HF. Both were in the $120 range iirc. Been thinking bout picking up a second one from HF but that's money I shouldn't be spending on stuff like that right now.

I have a Craftsman aluminum and an big old steel 3 ton from K-mart. Both are inop and need bleeding I guess. I've monkeyed around with them but no dice. I'm giving up and shopping for a good quality replacement.

dculberson wrote:

N Sperlo wrote: Don't want a harbor freight? You're a fool. Then again if you're looking at aluminum, i can't blame you.

Harbor Freight jacks don't last. I've used all manner of cheap jacks and am tired of them. My next jack will be expensive and will last me for a long time. I just keep putting it off. Hence, I'm interested in this thread! One of my Lemons team mates has a really nice aluminum jack, he paid good money for it but it's light and solid. I should ask him about it.

Haven't had a problem with mine. Had it quite a while.

Yeah, and thats probably one of the problems with harbor freight, no qc whatsoever. One product (jack, electric drill, whatever) is dead right out of the box, one, presumably due to poor seals, sloppy paint, or whatever, dies 3 months later, and one lasts years with no problems.

For me, the closest hf is over an hour away, so its no comfort that they accept returns. And when a jack quits working, thats pretty much an instant project killer, especially if it means you can't get the wheels back on to drive to HF to exchange the damn thing!

that's why I've got 3 ... plus one of these ..if all else fails

In reply to andrave:

What? You don't own a fleet? I thought that was a GRM prerequisite...

I tired of crappy jacks after the last Sears Craftsman sh1t the bed.

For the shop I got one of these:

American Forge and Foundry 2-ton low profile.

Local tire shop run by a racer uses them all day, every day. It's nice, it's heavy, it fits under the M3/Sprite/Radical.

I use the ubiquitous $99 reg price/$59 or $79 w/ coupon Harbor Freight aluminum to go to the track.

I have an ancient steel 1-1/2 ton for supporting suspension bits, diffs, transmissions. I've made a few different little platforms and saddles for stuff. Poor mans trans lift...

In reply to ditchdigger:

What is so great about those old Blackhawks? And is it easy to find rebuild kits?

I have collected 4 floor jacks over the past 20+ years:

The first was a cheapish one from Pep Boys (when I worked there back in 1989; pre-Torin days). It still works in a pinch, but it "holds" by leveraging the handle against the bumper of the car. I just gave myself the heebie-jeebies thinking about using it to put jack stands under a MINI with it.

Then I bought a heavy-ass steel one from Sears. Still works and I usually use it to lift either end of my Cummins, which it does with little drama.

Next was a "Goodyear" aluminum jack from Sam's Club about 5 or 6 years ago (maybe longer). It still works ok, but lowering a car slowly has become trickier. Because it's reasonably light, it went with me when I was swapping tires for autocross.

Last is a low profile, long reach version from thetoolwarehouse.net. It's a monster that weighs well over 100 lbs, but the saddle is less than 3" high and it easily fits under the front of the g/f's lowered Spitfire. The length (about 4') makes manueverability a bit tight.

And then I have a scissor lift as well as a H-F transmission jack...

93EXCivic wrote: What is so great about those old Blackhawks? And is it easy to find rebuild kits?

They last just about forever, and if they do need a rebuild parts are still available. Walker and Hein-Werner are a couple other good brands.

Milwaukee jacks. They are big heavy made in USA and are beautiful to look at and use. The wheels glide so nicely. A friend of mine has one. I think it was expensive.

Ian F wrote: And then I have a scissor lift as well as a H-F transmission jack...

I have a rotary pad lift....all I can say is amen....man I love that thing.

N Sperlo wrote: In reply to andrave: What? You don't own a fleet? I thought that was a GRM prerequisite...

Of course I do, just only have one that would actually survive an hour voyage on the highway. I thought it was a prequisite that the majority of your fleet be impractical on the highway or at the very least very uncomfortable?

I have three big steel Craftsman jacks of mid-late 90s vintage that are still working fine. They weigh a million pounds, but they rarely leave my barn, so I don't mind.

I have the heavy steel orange HF jack. 14 years. No problems, no bleeding.

I picked up this one almost a year ago:

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/floor-jacks/2-ton-low-profile-heavy-duty-floor-jack-rapid-pump-68050.html

No problems so far.

I freaking love it. Low profile so it will fit under the Abomination, 23" of lift and strong enough to pick up either end of the SC in one lift. It weighs like a bull moose at close to 100 pounds. Since it never leaves the wheels, that's not a problem. I've got one of the little aluminum ones for hauling around.

I know you don't want HF, but I thought I would throw it out there.