3 ton floor jack

[Hiball]

Hiball (or anyone else that might know) -

Have you seen any variation in the pump cylinder bore area sizes in any of these jacks? (I’m assuming there could be differences between 2-3-4 ton models and differences between alum vs. steel jacks .. but any size differences between the 3 tons steels?)

Sure.. I won’t go as far as make a blanket statement from model to model, but generally when you make big swings of tonnage, it’s required to increase bore size to accommodate the PSI required to safely lift the load. The same goes for long frame models, generally you see a increase in stroke to allow for the extra length of the lift arm.

 

[amandato]

Lardy1,

I think the masterforce or the yellow jacket are good picks. The yellow jacket just looks cool of the paint schemes that one is definitely my favorite. Btw the latest Arcan at Costco weights about 68lbs, not over 100 like my old Arcan, they have made them lighter over the years. Can you post what you end up purchasing?

 

[lardy1]

Right now it's looking like the MasterForce will get the nod. I do like the Yellow Jacket but shipping would eat my lunch. I have to wait another month or so. Fixed income. But it's figured in the budget. Ratchets this month.

 

[amandato]

lardy1, ratchets, another heated topic!!! I grew up near Akron and am a big fan of Wright ratchets, my 3/8 3490 looks like jewelry and was made in Barberton Ohio! I got Wright 1/4 and 1/2 ratchets but they are the knurled handle versions. BUT... I got a Proto J5252F (They are made in Italy) a few Christmas's back, it's become my favorite because of how smooth it is and how it doesn't accidentally switch directions when applying pressure at the head. From what I read on this forum it's from the same design as the S-K/Facom tuff1's models that S-K no longer makes. The Wright ratchets I got on Amazon for reasonable prices, I just watch tools I want and on occasion they appear in the "like new" or "used very good" then I snag them. I lived with 36 tooth Craftsman ratchets for years not knowing there was something better.

Tools never end, you think you got everything and then something comes up and your dropping more cash and it's for something you may only use once. I had to get a $45 clutch alignment tool last winter because the plastic junk they throw in the clutch kit is not precise enough.

 

[whateg01]

...

Tools never end, you think you got everything and then something comes up and your dropping more cash and it's for something you may only use once. I had to get a $45 clutch alignment tool last winter because the plastic junk they throw in the clutch kit is not precise enough.

If you'd just spend a few grand on some machinery, you could make your own tools like that clutch tool and save a ton of money! I wonder if that's the same logic as spending money only because you have a coupon, so you're really saving money?

Dave

 

[CmpAnaheim]

I hear great things about Norco. Rebuild kits available and function similar to classic US made jacks


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[emeraldcoupe]

i've had the 3 ton long reach daytona for a little over two years, no problems with it. i also have one of the old silver pittsburg 3 ton low profiles, and it still works like new.

 

[lardy1]

So.......Now NAPA enters the fray. This mornings email from NAPA shows their 3.5 ton floor jack on sale for two hundred dollars. That's a bit of a savings over Daytona (without a sale) and the same price as the MasterForce with the 11% rebate.

The Daytona has been eliminated due to the reports of inferior seals compared to the MasterForce. I have scoured old GJ threads and nobody seemed to know which type of seals the NAPA uses. Do any of you know?

 

[LB-1911]

So.......Now NAPA enters the fray. This mornings email from NAPA shows their 3.5 ton floor jack on sale for two hundred dollars. That's a bit of a savings over Daytona (without a sale) and the same price as the MasterForce with the 11% rebate.

The Daytona has been eliminated due to the reports of inferior seals compared to the MasterForce. I have scoured old GJ threads and nobody seemed to know which type of seals the NAPA uses. Do any of you know?

Cut from previous thread -

Yep... Also would like to add, you can easily replace that crappy Oem seal with a Poly Ucup very easily, either remove the ridge at the base on the Ram, or modify the OEM base into a washer to accept the flat side of the ucup.

Napa 3.5T Floor Jack 7916420 Rebuild

* Rebuild a floor jack or leave it be?

 

[lardy1]

Thank you, LB-1911. I hadn't seen that or it didn't penetrate my thick skull at the time.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

So.......Now NAPA enters the fray. This mornings email from NAPA shows their 3.5 ton floor jack on sale for two hundred dollars. That's a bit of a savings over Daytona (without a sale) and the same price as the MasterForce with the 11% rebate.

The Daytona has been eliminated due to the reports of inferior seals compared to the MasterForce. I have scoured old GJ threads and nobody seemed to know which type of seals the NAPA uses. Do any of you know?

I haven’t heard anything about the seals leaking or being bad on the Daytona I have one at home and we have a couple at work and none of them leak or anything they are amazing but we also oil them regularly too so the ones leaking or whatever may not be taken care of properly.


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[ajchien]

So.......Now NAPA enters the fray. This mornings email from NAPA shows their 3.5 ton floor jack on sale for two hundred dollars. That's a bit of a savings over Daytona (without a sale) and the same price as the MasterForce with the 11% rebate.

The Daytona has been eliminated due to the reports of inferior seals compared to the MasterForce. I have scoured old GJ threads and nobody seemed to know which type of seals the NAPA uses. Do any of you know?

A quick reference that I have used is hcrcnow.com. He has put a lot of effort putting together that website with a lot of his own info plus stuff taken from many GJ threads. You can see a picture of the seal kit to that Napa 791-6420 Jack here:

https://www.hcrcnow.com/shop/seal-kits/product/9024

You’ll see the main ram o-ring/retainer at the top left of the picture and there are No u-cups to be seen, so o rings are at the pump pistons also.

If you back up a level or two in the website, you’ll notice that Napa gets their jacks from 2 sources: Shinn Fu and Sunex. The Shinn Fu jacks look to contain u cups while the Sunex jacks look to use the o-ring/retainer system.

 

[WinMod21]

Just a heads-up; the 3-Ton Yellow Jacket Low-Profile Super-Duty Jack, w/4 year warranty, is on sale for $250 @ Northern Tool. Plus of course a min of approx $60~80 for standard shipping.

But I see that the HF Daytona yellow super duty is $230. w/ 3 yr warr.

And the Menards Masterforce™ 3 Ton Heavy-Duty Floor Jack - Model Number: T830008 - is lower yet; also at $230 w/3 yr warr, but then $204.70 after 11% (Menards only) rebate.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I just bought the Costco Arcan jack as a non-member. They charge a 5% surcharge for a total of $175 shipped to my door. I sold a 20+ year old Alliance 3ton that leaked down slowly on Craigslist for $35 it was too tall for our MGB and weighed a ton, so I look forward to a lighter weight unit. Sure used that old one on a million jobs not only for auto lifting.

 

[Kent_B]

I have a NAPA 3 ton that I bought about 5 years back. It's been very good, low enough to get under my car yet still with a good lift. I just priced it on NAPA's website, and I can't believe how much the price has gone up. My son has the yellow Dayton jack and it's been really good for him.

 

[lardy1]

I just came from NAPA. They had jacks on sale but they're still considerably higher than some of their competition.

 

[visionguru]

I just came from NAPA. They had jacks on sale but they're still considerably higher than some of their competition.

That's NAPA, unless you get a good discount, the prices are often not competitive.

If you want to spend $200, Harbor Freight Yellow Daytona is hard to beat.
For $100, Costco Arcan seems nice.

Both have much better workmanship than my Craftsman 3 ton, which cost about $70, pretty much the same quality level as Torin, Husky,...., etc. common store brands. I have been using the Craftsman for more than 10 years, never missed a pump, nothing wrong with it.

 

[sberry]

The guy said a budget of 250 or so and looks like he can get a decent jack for about 1/2 that which makes it 2x as good and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, he can get parts for it,,,, off the shelf,,,, every spare part all assembled for 120$ or so.

 

[sberry]

I havnt seen the HF 5t long frame lately. My Bud bought one for 225$ I recall and used it every day, several times for 25 yrs and it finally gave it up when some knob worked for him did something he was repeatedly told not to do and fugged it up. Wish I would have got one vs fooling fixing old **** beyond its day.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I havnt seen the HF 5t long frame lately. My Bud bought one for 225$ I recall and used it every day, several times for 25 yrs and it finally gave it up when some knob worked for him did something he was repeatedly told not to do and fugged it up. Wish I would have got one vs fooling fixing old **** beyond its day.

Wow $225 for that isn’t bad. The cheapest 5 ton I can find is from Northern Tool for $529. I haven’t seen a Harbor Freight 5 ton in years.


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[sberry]

That was 30 years ago. He got the 2T picker for about the same price too. We hear a lot about the quality but the fit, the finish and the paint was flawless, perfect welding. I have an OTC picker about the same vintage and the guys that did it could take some lessons from the Chinaman.
I dont recall what happened to the jack, wasnt the main cyl seals and the picker is the same today as it always was and I dont know what "kind" of seals it has. If its better or worse, it never mattered.
They gave the jack a workout, no home hobby shop could compare to the service it had. As best I can recall and its not gospel was ding a ling kept pumping it topped out. Looking back it was in service about 20 years, some 6 days a week. Probably north of 500 picks a year, thats likely conservative, 10,,,, maybe 15K picks with it. Now that I think about it probably closer to 20 than 10K probably 10+ times what a busy diy could use it.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Sounds like you got some very good use out of it for sure. I have a cherry picker from them it’s fine and does great.


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[motoretro]

For the guys w/ HF jacks, why only a 90 day warranty? I know the market is saturated with lots of Asian products, some w/ 1 year warranties, do the HF items have a longevity problem? I'm still using my HW WS 1.5T, I bought new in 1978 for $139. Just starting to get a little slow, if I can locate a NOS rebuild kit, I'll put one in this Winter.
G.

*I stand corrected on this, another member provided a (3) year figure for the Yellow, Super Duty model.

 

[visionguru]

HF yellow Daytona has 3 year warranty.

 

[motoretro]

HF yellow Daytona has 3 year warranty.

Is this something that just changed? I looked over the line a month or so ago and didn't see any with the (3) year warranty. The "Super Duty", Yellow item certainly has the (3) warranty, I'm partial to green, I guess that leaves me out.
G.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Is this something that just changed? I looked over the line a month or so ago and didn't see any with the (3) year warranty. The "Super Duty", Yellow item certainly has the (3) warranty, I'm partial to green, I guess that leaves me out.
G.

My jack came with a 3 year warranty as well so did the ones at work. I have the black one at home and at work we have orange and green on the boxes it said 3 year warranty.


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[motoretro]

My jack came with a 3 year warranty as well so did the ones at work. I have the black one at home and at work we have orange and green on the boxes it said 3 year warranty.


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HF website is listing most at 90 days, the only one they list at (3) years is the Yellow Super Duty.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

HF website is listing most at 90 days, the only one they list at (3) years is the Yellow Super Duty.

That’s interesting I know it was 90 days for defects and stuff.


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[ZX3ST]

I bought this one from Jegs a while back and have been happy with it. It appears to be identical to a buddy's Arcan jack (save for being painted yellow) and last I checked replacement parts are available.

https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80077/10002/-1

 

[bubinga]

I'm in the early stages of researching floor jacks. There are so many on the market. I've never owned one and never paid close attention to the ones I've been around so it gets confusing. This will be used in my home setting. Probably the hardest it will work is lifting 1/2 ton Chevy pickups for tire rotations and general maintenance.

What are the features you prefer? What are the better models and better brands?

I'm not a Harbor Freight person at all but I'm not so closed minded that I blind myself to the popularity of their Daytona jacks. Again, a lot of models and very little explanation as to their differences. Which of the HF Daytona's are getting the high grades? Are the Pittsburgh a step down from Daytona?

I have only looked online so far. I see a NOS that caught my eye. Anyone know anything about this one? https://www.tooltopia.com/nos-nsj03...PwFvuMreuaaNEdbm9tGo2Ty2Yy-hNXcMaAlm1EALw_wcB

Torin and Blackhawk both have models I might look into.

What I'd really like are your personal observations on particular makes & models. I know there are more. My budget will top at around two fifty so I can't really move into a professional grade jack.

Thanks for your input. I want to make an informed decision but I'm dreadfully uninformed.

Sorry if I missed it, what Jack did you end up with? How is it working out for you?

 

[lardy1]

I lowered my sights and bought a Maasdam. It's just a generic jack. It lifts the corners of my pickups. That's really all I needed.

 

[Farmall450]

It Never ends....

1. The Hydraulic unit in the Yellow Daytona is the same unit they used in the old Pittsburg models along with a multitude of other retailer branded jacks. The only difference is that HF optioned for two randomly placed Magnets stuck inside the reservoir along with Ucups on the pump pistons, then kept the same cheap Oring/retainer on the main cylinder (shame on you HF) but kudos for the 3 year warranty and marketing to make all your consumers think you have done something inclusive to the market.

2. It’s Possible that the HF is made in the Same factory as the SO, Along with the Sunex models (listed in the suit as the OEM for SO) and the Northern tool yellow jacket all have the same Advertised “quality seals and filter system”.

3. Does it mean the jacks are identical? No... I will contend that the Hydraulic unit core is the same style, but the finish options, Seals, Frame designs are customer optioned to there specs.

4. Before someone from either side accuses me of claiming the Daytona is just as good as there Snap on or vice versa.... I’m not saying that, My opinion is based off hands on with the Daytona. I’ve yet to have a opportunity to tear into a SO. If it makes you feel good to have SO stickers on your lift equipment, It’s your money. If your confident that your Daytona really has Red paint under its Yellow exterior.. Sleep well tonight.

I've got a 3 ton yellow Daytona (before there were other Daytonas) and we've been using dependably for at least 3-4 years now. SFSG.