Another Floor Jack Thread (Sorry!)

[frankd]

So my trusty "big red" brand 3.5 ton floor jack is finally giving up after around 20 years of use. It still lifts but must have some sort of leak or broken seal as it slowly lowers the vehicle ones lifted.
I'm looking to replace it and based on the reviews on the GJ forum, I'm leaning towards the Harbor freight daytona 3.5 ton low profile jack. The thing is, I often pick the jack up to move it around and its so heavy. My big red jack is probably around 70-80lbs. It looks like the daytona is about the same but I was hoping for something lighter. How are the pittsburg aluminum jacks from HF? Anyone have experience with them? Any other non HF jacks that I can look into? I do see that their aluminum 3 ton jack is only 10lbs lighter so that doesn't seem too helpful.
Just looking for some ideas or recommendations. I think I'll ultimately end up buying the low profile Daytona but wanted to see if you guys had some other suggestions.

 

[wssix99]

Have you considered getting a 1 Ton jack? I've found that it's sufficient for 95% of the stuff I need to do and it's really easy to move around and throw in the truck and go somewhere.

I also have a 5 ton floor jack, but it sits in the corner most of the time and I roll it out whenever my wife decides to break something heavy. (I don't pick that one up - just take time to roll it around when I need it.)

 

[frankd]

Have you considered getting a 1 Ton jack? I've found that it's sufficient for 95% of the stuff I need to do and it's really easy to move around and throw in the truck and go somewhere.

I also have a 5 ton floor jack, but it sits in the corner most of the time and I roll it out whenever my wife decides to break something heavy. (I don't pick that one up - just take time to roll it around when I need it.)

I have not, but thats a good point. I'll look into some lighter duty jacks as well.
I have a ram 1500 and the wife drives minivan so maybe a 1.5 or 2 ton might be a better compromise

 

[scdealer]

Lift height, not capacity, is why I went with the bigger jack.

 

[65ranchero]

I have a HF 1500lb "race jack" and it's adequate for most jobs
I have jacked up my F150 to change tires and as others have said, light enough to throw in the trunk

I do also have a 2.25 T jack that is on it's last legs. Cant get parts for it and will probably get replaced it with a Daytona

 

[65ranchero]

Lift height, not capacity, is why I went with the bigger jack

Add a 4x4 to the saddle for more height

 

[Cardboard Man]

How about rebuild the one you have? I'd imagine you could find o-rings to fit. Then get a smaller one as suggested above for your lighter tasks.

 

[CraigStu]

My 'big' jack is an aluminum 3.0 from Costco so similar to the HF jack. It is at least 12 yrs old and still works 100%. I also have two of the small HF aluminum jacks. One is 10 yrs old and at about 7 yrs I bought the second one just because I thought the first one might die on me. I carry it to autocrosses so it has to work. Well, the 10 yr old one is still just fine. So I'd buy whichever aluminum one you like at HF and be confident it will be good for a long time.

 

[CJDave]

I do also have a 2.25 T jack that is on it's last legs. Cant get parts for it and will probably get replaced it with a Daytona

65ranchero, I bought a repair kit for an old Blackhawk jack at Tools and Hydraulics 423 622-8282 about 3-4 years ago. A guy named Tom was most helpful. Located in Tennessee. CJDave.

 

[frankd]

How about rebuild the one you have? I'd imagine you could find o-rings to fit. Then get a smaller one as suggested above for your lighter tasks.

The plan with the current jack is to retire it to our summer cabin in the mountains. It still lifts well. It just wont hold the vehicle up for very long before it slowly starts to lose pressure. I may end up rebuilding it at some point. It's just so easy to pick up a new one.

 

[sportfan]

I have two Schwaben 2 ton aluminum floor jacks that I use about once a week and they work real well.

 

[snyder]

I have a 2 1/2 ton `big red` jack in need of new seals also. Can someone put up a source ?
Thanks.

 

[TeenagerThatLikesFloorjac]

I have a 2 1/2 ton `big red` jack in need of new seals also. Can someone put up a source ?
Thanks.

Measure your old seals, search around and find their exact names and then look for a supplier.

Identify Seals | Lazzar's Floor Jack & Hydraulic Cylinder Repair Center

Lazzar's HCRC is a leading supplier of repair parts and seal kits for floor jacks, air hydraulic pumps, hand pumps and rams. We also sell Metric and Standard Seals.

www.hcrcnow.com

 

[Sneezer]

I just picked up the Super Duty Daytona jack on the last sale. Lifts higher than my old jack, and rolls much easier. My old jack was more of a dragger than a roller. The old one was still working OK, but it was getting to be a chore to maneuver it in the driveway. This new one rolls so easily it feels like a lighter jack, so that is a huge plus for me. I have both cars, minivans and trucks to deal with in our stable.

 

[MarkG]

Arcan XL35.

 

[Garage User]

My big red TB830018TBZ is only around 2 years old. It never really worked properly........now it doesn't work at all. Went through all the "bleeding" procedures.
1. No repair facility nearby. Probably would cost more than the jack ($120).......
2. The Pep Boys where I bought it is now an Advance Auto Parts.
3. Torin telephone doesn't ring.........no answer ever.
4. Online repair PDF is useless. The number above isn't listed anywhere that I can find on any search engine including Torin.

Stay away from Torin jacks.........