Floor jack question... how big?

[BikerDad]

Okay, I've never used a floor jack. So I do not have a good sense of how much floor jack I should actually get.

Vehicles to be lifted are a Nissan XTerra and a Ford F150. Two ton, 2.5, 3?

 

[jloehlein]

Since you have an SUV and truck, look at lifting height. 2 ton should be fine for what you have...remember, you're only ever lifting one end/side of the car at a time. Bigger can't hurt though. I'm a big fan of the long reach HF jack.

 

[James-W]

I have a 3 ton floor jack. It is bigger than I need but it was on sale when I got it so I figured it was a good deal. Get a couple decent quality jack stands to go along with the floor jack and you will be in business.

 

[Joe B.]

Since you have an SUV and truck, look at lifting height.

This is the first thing you should look. Either get something on the tall side or use the jack that came with the cars to see how high you need to go as a minimum.

 

[sberry]

Heavy is good. A lot of things a guy can do with one.

 

[bczygan]

Bigger is better, but smaller is more convenient.

And weight is paramount.

Forget steel.

You must get an aluminum jack. Steel ones are too damn heavy.

You need a 3 ton for the biggest vehicle and a 1 1/2 ton for conveniently lifting one corner or a smaller vehicle.

We have a Ford E350 1 ton van, an AstroVan and a 90 Pontiac sedan.

We keep a 1 1/2 ton HF aluminum jack (The smaller version) in the trunk of the Pontiac 6000.

It is the jack I typically use for one corner wheel or tire work.

We also have an Arcan 3 ton aluminum jack. I use that on the bigger vehicles and for lifting the whole front or rear of a vehicle.

So my answer is that you need 2 jacks, both aluminum.

Even more important is a set of the sturdiest and biggest jack stands you can find. I have 3 and 6 ton HF ones and a chock to keep the vehicle from rolling.

Bill

Arcan:
http://www.amazon.com/Arcan-ALJ3T-Aluminum-Floor-Jack/dp/B0047D2FWM

HF:
http://www.harborfreight.com/15-ton-compact-aluminum-racing-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-62160.html

 

[Jim Diesel]

Capacity is important, however for home use or light work a 2 tonne will suffice. Determine the lifting height you will need. Work out if you need low profile and the type of wheels/castors it comes with to see how easy it manouvers. Some of our large cappacity (10t + ) are a ripe pain in the *** to move around our shop and have pnuematic tyres which constantly getting punctures. Another area of interest is the jacking handle. You want one that will move the jack with minimal input, this is important when using underneath a vehicle. And always a good quality unit with a strong warranty.

 

[Showkey]

Many "3 ton " ( what ever that means ) will not lift the end of a class C RV. Some 2.5 t will not even lift a corner. Plan ahead never know what you might have to lift in the future.

I think the same people that rate jacks also rate shop vacs and cheap compressors..........

 

[toolslinger]

2 Ton will do your vehicles.
I don't have any interest in aluminum jacks. If you don't need them to be portable, why pay the extra expense... My jacks all stay on the floor in the garage.
If you have the budget, get something that will last your life. Milwaukee, AC Hydraulics, etc. If you have a lower budget, get a solid vintage jack, and rebuild it.
If neither of those work financially, then you can consider a China made jack. You couldn't give me one. Hell you couldn't pay me to use one, but lots of people do...
I'm not of the bigger is better mindset on most things. I have a variety of jack stands. The really big ones are usually a royal pain to fit where I want them. They're fine on my Ram 2500, but forget using them on a Subaru... Scale your gear to your needs. If you can get more capacity without screwing yourself fine, but don't suffer just because you might some day need a 5 ton jack when you'd be happy with a 2...

 

[crewchief888]

i have an old imported 2 1/4 T all steel jack.
it has lifted everything i ever wanted to lift.

i've owned lifted trucks and vans for years, it's low enough to still fit under the wifes car, i do need a 4x4 block on the saddle to lift the trucks.

 

[619DioFan]

I recommend the 4 ton from HF. low enough to fit under a 89 civic and easily lifts my dodge ram 2500 4x4.

 

[nh_yota]

My rule of thumb is to always get the biggest one that can still fit under your vehicle (and you can afford). Don't bother with an aluminum jack if it's not going to travel with you.

I have a Torin Big Red 3-ton SUV jack that I picked up on sale from Pep Boys last year and it comes with a 3-inch adapter to raise the lift point higher if needed. In my experience most of the regular 2-ton car jacks will not raise high enough to be used on a truck.

I prefer jacks with outboard wheels rather than an inboard roller because I feel that the wheels are more stable, especially if you're going to use it out on an asphalt driveway.

 

[Randy in Maine]

My rule of thumb is to always get the biggest one that can still fit under your vehicle (and you can afford). Don't bother with an aluminum jack if it's not going to travel with you.

I have a Torin Big Red 3-ton SUV jack that I picked up on sale from Pep Boys last year and it comes with a 3-inch adapter to raise the lift point higher if needed. In my experience most of the regular 2-ton car jacks will not raise high enough to be used on a truck.

I prefer jacks with outboard wheels rather than an inboard roller because I feel that the wheels are more stable, especially if you're going to use it out on an asphalt driveway.

My 3T Torin has served me well for many years. I would also suggest buying "6 ton" jack stands as they are just a lot more stable than the 3 ton ones that are out there.

 

[nh_yota]

My 3T Torin has served me well for many years. I would also suggest buying "6 ton" jack stands as they are just a lot more stable than the 3 ton ones that are out there.

Yep I have the matching 6-ton Torin jack stands that go with my jack.

 

[WWShop]

I'm planning on buying the 3 ton steel low profile HF jack tomorrow. Anyone here have experience with this particular jack?

 

[kylefitz]

I love my Hein werner 2 ton. HW93642 It's more then a hf jack but at 240 it's not bad and it's a lifetime purchase.

 

[nh_yota]

Hein-Werner jacks and stands are pretty stout and made in USA (at least the ones that I've looked at).

 

[AL`]

My rule of thumb is to always get the biggest one that can still fit under your vehicle (and you can afford). Don't bother with an aluminum jack if it's not going to travel with you.

I have a Torin Big Red 3-ton SUV jack that I picked up on sale from Pep Boys last year and it comes with a 3-inch adapter to raise the lift point higher if needed. In my experience most of the regular 2-ton car jacks will not raise high enough to be used on a truck.

I prefer jacks with outboard wheels rather than an inboard roller because I feel that the wheels are more stable, especially if you're going to use it out on an asphalt driveway.

I think this is good advice. A heavier rated jack usually will lift higher. I have an Allied 3-1/2 ton I bought around 2001 for my GMC 1500 Sierra. It was definitely more ton rating than I needed but the height range was good. Now 15 years later I use it for my 6.0 Powerstroke F250. It is still rated higher than I need, but I like that it is taxed less to do the work and the F250 is a lot heavier than the 1500 Sierra. While I use jack stands, I always leave the jack just under the stand height as a backup. And it also fits under my wife's 2009 Honda Civic ... but just barely though and I have to remove the quick lift foot pedal to do that, which is easy to do.

 

[jt777]

Get a high lifting jack 2 ton will lift but chances are a good high lift will be heavier rated anyway.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I got a low profile HF special steel jack because i had a 4wd truck and the wife had a compact car and im always on a budget of the best bang for the buck. Aluminum ones are more $ but so much lighter for throwing it in the back of the truck or any other lifting. Whatever you get make sure to put some wood blocks or tire chucks in the front and back of the opposite end your jacking up

 

[theoldwizard1]

Since you have an SUV and truck, look at lifting height.
.
.
.
I'm a big fan of the long reach HF jack.

All "full size" floor jacks have the same lifting height, between about 21-24".

Find yourself a piece of 4x6 to use as a spacer. You will need it !

 

[theoldwizard1]

I can easily lift 1/2 of my '98 E150 with my 40 year old Sears 1-1/2 ton jack.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have a 3 ton craftsman, it came with two 3 ton jack stands and a creeper for 109.99 on sale. I know it is an import, but it also has a parts book that shows you all the parts and gives you the parts numbers so if you ever have to rebuild it.

 

[JerryV]

Many "3 ton " ( what ever that means ) will not lift the end of a class C RV. Some 2.5 t will not even lift a corner. Plan ahead never know what you might have to lift in the future.

I think the same people that rate jacks also rate shop vacs and cheap compressors..........

I'm pretty sure a lot of the ratings come out of marketing departments and have no relation to reality. The small engine makers got in trouble for that a few years ago and now only give displacement not HP.

I have a 30 year old 1 1/2 ton from Sears that is four times the jack that a lot of the cheap 3 ton units are now. Like others have noted, it is not something you want to throw in your trunk and tote around, but it will lift one side of my Suburban without straining.

Jerry

 

[ibedayank]

I use one of these floorjacks can even move the car around in the shop to and trailers to

So Much easier on the back then trying to move one of those aluminum play toys around