Best Floor Jack?

[SMLWinds]

I am in the market for a floor jack. I would like some opinions on what you feel the best jack out there is. Not to be snobby, but money isn't an issue--I can afford to buy the best so while I never want to waste money, I'm more interested in what is the "best" and not the "best for the money."

I will use the jack for miscellaneous tasks so the more versatile the better. I know there will be some differing opinions but I would appreciate hearing them. What are the best "professional" or "commercial" names? What jack do you have that you love? What jack do you lust after?

As I said, if all other things are equal, I will save money but if I am getting better quality for my money, I don't mind spending it.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[ex-x-fire]

Milwaukee jack have been building the same jacks for years, a known quality jack. Some of the other jack companies went under or were merged together, like hein werner.

 

[General Geoff]

What's your required tonnage rating?

10 ton+ service jacks can get mighty pricey ($1000+) but could be considered "better" than other, more reasonably priced models.

 

[Qualitytools]

For 2.5 tons or so the AC Hydraulic jack is the Best in my opinion, I have had one for several years and it is Fantastic. Low profile and easy to use. May be hard to find a vendor in the US but i have not shopped for one in a while. Good Luck and let us know what you settle on.

 

[jethro29]

the best floor jack going in my opinion is the matco jack called " THE BEAST" we have three of these at work and all are over 10 years old and work perfectly and I have one at home.they will lift and hold an amazing load and are just plain bad a-- jacks.

 

[ATC]

Is pneumatic an option for you? I love my Lincoln:

 

[paulsomlo]

If money were no object, I'd order up a Milwaukee model 20 or model 40 http://www.milwaukeejack.com/products.html. USA made, smaller company, readily available support. Model 20 will run you about $600.

For a bit less, look at Hein Werner http://www.heinwerner-automotive.com/ProductCategory/ServiceJacks/99. The 2 ton will run a little over $300, delivered, and both are USA made, with easy to get parts and good reputation.

Have heard good things about AC Hydraulics http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/tools/AC-Hydraulic1.htm, but they seem to be single sourced here in the USA. Made in Denmark, I believe and the sports car guys love 'em because they'll fit under lowered vehicles.

Compac is supposed to be a good jack as well, also made in Denmark, I believe.

If you need something a little bit more heavy duty, starting at 4 tons, look at Weaver http://www.usjack.com/products/24%20page%20FLOOR%20JACKS.pdf. These are sold by US Jack, but are manufactured by Weaver here in the USA. http://www.castleequipment.com/Jacks/weaver_jacks.htm. You'd better be sitting down when you price them.

Synopsis - if you're after USA, you have three options, the most popular being the HW, for it's price and parts availability. The Compac and AC Hydraulics are, I think, considered "boutique" jacks, at least here in the USA, where they're not very plentiful. My impression is that the Weaver is considered "industrial"; i.e., they're a bit too much jack for DIY types working on passenger vehicles, in terms of both size and cost.

Me? I have an old Blackhawk SJ-2 that I bought for $20 and rebuilt, really like it.

 

[rice rocket]

The AC Hydraulics jack was one of the first low profile jacks I came across, but the capacity is really low @ 1.3 tons. The 2T jack isn't as low profile.

I think my next jack will be the Sunex 6602LP, 2 ton capacity, lower pad height than the AC 1.3T jack, and it's also shorter throughout the length of the arm, which means you can jam it further under a low car. Doesn't lift as high though (24" instead of ~29", but I rarely need to go that high anyways).

 

[zkling]

If you don't need low profile. Milwaukee 40, I own a model 20 (2ton, ~20" lift) and some day lust after a model 40 (4ton, little more lift). What I really like about the Milwaukees is their simplicity.

If low profile is needed, the AC hydraulics long reach is awesome.

 

[Monte]

Otc ?

 

[WHT]

I am in the market for a floor jack. I would like some opinions on what you feel the best jack out there is. Not to be snobby, but money isn't an issue--I can afford to buy the best so while I never want to waste money, I'm more interested in what is the "best" and not the "best for the money."

I will use the jack for miscellaneous tasks so the more versatile the better. I know there will be some differing opinions but I would appreciate hearing them. What are the best "professional" or "commercial" names? What jack do you have that you love? What jack do you lust after?

As I said, if all other things are equal, I will save money but if I am getting better quality for my money, I don't mind spending it.

Thanks in advance for the help!

No way to answer this without knowing your intended use. I have AC Hydraulics, Ranger and Shinn Fu Omega floor jacks. Each has its purpose. The AC Hydraulics has by far the best quality.

 

[malibu101]

Is pneumatic an option for you? I love my Lincoln:

I bet you do. Many years ago my uncle had 2 of a similar design. One under the front and rear bumper with a guy on each to keep it level and up the car went.

How does this type work on "new" cars without "real" bumpers?
Does it reach far enough to jack points?
Or do you use it on the sides? Lift points or rocker panel points.

I sometimes see them pop up on Clist around here but as I remember they would be almost useless on a new car due to their limited arm length reach.

 

[ATC]

I bet you do. Many years ago my uncle had 2 of a similar design. One under the front and rear bumper with a guy on each to keep it level and up the car went.

How does this type work on "new" cars without "real" bumpers?
Does it reach far enough to jack points?
Or do you use it on the sides? Lift points or rocker panel points.

I sometimes see them pop up on Clist around here but as I remember they would be almost useless on a new car due to their limited arm length reach.

I don't work on new vehicles, so I can't comment on that. I work on trucks with frames and hitches

 

[malibu101]

I don't work on new vehicles, so I can't comment on that. I work on trucks with frames and hitches

Well in that case I agree that a jack like this is perfect.

Now back to what the OP was asking...........

 

[Chevy350]

I have a Milwaukee Model 20 and love it, would love a model 40 but the 20 has been great!

 

[VictorBravo]

I've been considering something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Compac-High-Lift-Floor-Jack-Capacity/dp/B007DH6Q1U

 

[ATC]

Well in that case I agree that a jack like this is perfect.

Now back to what the OP was asking...........

OP didn't specify what he was working on.

 

[brtsvg]

For a bit less, look at Hein Werner http://www.heinwerner-automotive.com/ProductCategory/ServiceJacks/99. The 2 ton will run a little over $300, delivered, and both are USA made, with easy to get parts and good reputation.

I bought one 3 years ago, a great jack and very happy with it. They will last you for the rest of your life.

 

[SMLWinds]

Thanks a bunch for all the responses! They certainly give me great ideas for where to start doing further research and deciding what suits me best.

As for my intended use, it is really miscellaneous. I don't have one single use in mind right now. But, I am young, I enjoy working on my own machines, have needed a jack from time to time, and figured if I am buying one I might as well buy a nice one that will last a lifetime.

I do hope to get into restoring antique tractors, I have a skid steer and mini excavator I just ordered (not sure if I would ever need a jack for those but I can imagine a scenario), and then my cars/trucks, etc. I don't do anything related to a jack for a living--this is purely for my own garage.

One could argue that a very cheap jack would suit my needs and I don't think I could dispute that. But, since I have the means to buy a nice one and am pretty young, I figure it is well worth it in the long run to buy something really nice. That is my general approach buying tools and it always pays off--I often buy tools most people would consider excessive and overkill but shortly thereafter I have used them many times and am glad I spent the extra money. Furthermore, I am a big proponent of safety and I think a jack is probably one of the last things I want to try to save a few hundred bucks on...if it is even marginally safer it is worth a lot of extra money to me.

With that all said, I am leaning towards the Milwaukee 40 right now, although I am early in my research. I do have one ignorant question that I am hoping someone can answer for me--if you compare the Milwaukee 40 to another 4T jack that is much, much cheaper, what would be the differences? Is it durability? Does one work better? (seems like they all jack things up so there shouldn't be dramatic functional differences) Is the more expensive one safer? Does it hold the load better?

I would love to hear more responses from anyone with an opinion...seems like there are a lot of thoughts on there on what is "best." Thanks!

 

[bczygan]

You are young, so weight may not be of much concern to you right now.

But I can assure you that eventually it will be.

Maybe by then you will have a lift.

But for myself, an aluminum jack was a necessity.

An Alcan filled the bill.

 

[36truck]

--if you compare the Milwaukee 40 to another 4T jack that is much, much cheaper, what would be the differences? Is it durability? Does one work better? (seems like they all jack things up so there shouldn't be dramatic functional differences) Is the more expensive one safer? Does it hold the load better?

One of the biggest issues is the cheap ones leak & don't hold the load without drifting down.
I like you thought process on buying the best you can afford while your young.

 

[wild cowboy]

Once I got my first aluminum jack, I could never go back to iron & steel.

the technology has trickled down so that even the Harbor Freight 3 ton is actually a nice all-aluminum jack and less than $200

invest the savings in a better air compressor or better torque wrenches or a better heavy USA made vise!

 

[General Geoff]

If safety is a top priority for you, make sure not to skimp out on jack stands. DO NOT crawl under a car that's supported by only a floor jack, even a $500 floor jack can fail.

 

[PureLeaf]

What about the option of purchasing an older quality built jack like a walker either in working condition, or a rebuilding one back into working condition. Some great quality older jacks out there.

I've got a costco alcan but I always prefer using my 1970s, made in japan, Sears floor jack. Just so much smoother and better built.

 

[zkling]

If safety is a top priority for you, make sure not to skimp out on jack stands. DO NOT crawl under a car that's supported by only a floor jack, even a $500 floor jack can fail.

This The selection is even more limited for jack stands.

What about the option of purchasing an older quality built jack like a walker either in working condition, or a rebuilding one back into working condition. Some great quality older jacks out there.

I've got a costco alcan but I always prefer using my 1970s, made in japan, Sears floor jack. Just so much smoother and better built.

It's an OK solution as long as the purchaser understands the potential issues with the particular jack in question. Also assumes one is willing to wait till an older jack that is not completely destroyed pops up. They aren't that easy to rebuild and some of the more expensive kits will approach $100. More if you pay a shop to do it for you. If a guy is able and willing to spend the coin on a new Milwaukee, AC hydraulics or similar top tier jack maker, I'd go that route unless a nice older one happens to fall in their lap.

 

[General Geoff]

I seem to be recommending these a lot lately.

U.S. Jack garage stands

They're rated per stand as opposed to per pair for most jack stands. Made in the US.

 

[ATC]

With that all said, I am leaning towards the Milwaukee 40 right now, although I am early in my research. I do have one ignorant question that I am hoping someone can answer for me--if you compare the Milwaukee 40 to another 4T jack that is much, much cheaper, what would be the differences? Is it durability? Does one work better? (seems like they all jack things up so there shouldn't be dramatic functional differences) Is the more expensive one safer? Does it hold the load better?

I would love to hear more responses from anyone with an opinion...seems like there are a lot of thoughts on there on what is "best." Thanks!

The biggest differences in jacks (aside from the obvious looks and design) are seals. If you buy a $500 jack, and a $90 jack...both could leak down the very first time you use it. Put a good quality set of seals and o-rings in a cheap jack and it could last for decades without needing to be rebuilt again.

I have an older Torin Big Red 3-ton that was my fathers. It's probably 12-14 years old. It was rebuilt once...I'd say 8 years ago now (left a puddle of oil on floor when supporting a load for more than a few mins), and has been great since.
2-years ago, I bought an Arcan 35XL from Northern Tool. I needed the extra height for my trucks. It's been an awesome jack so far, and hasn't seen a light load (the smallest vehicle I own is a 3/4t truck)

But in all reality, a jack is designed just to raise a load...NOT support it for any length of time. If you get in the habit of using a jack as jackstands, any jack will fail on you in short order.

 

[EDGAR]

Just for anyone interested, the Sunnex 6602LP shown in post #8, is the same jack as the Arcan XL2T and the Harbor Freight models 60678/68050. The Harbor Freight is the cheapest plus it has a foot pedal whereas the other two don't.

 

[Tronyadorable]

Otc ?

That's what I have. 5 ton Stinger.I think it was about $750-800.
Good piece.

 

[Crackerballer]

Just for anyone interested, the Sunnex 6602LP shown in post #8, is the same jack as the Arcan XL2T and the Harbor Freight models 60678/68050. The Harbor Freight is the cheapest plus it has a foot pedal whereas the other two don't.

Link to where you've confirmed they are made by the same company to the same specs and are just rebadges?

 

[Hiball]

Link to where you've confirmed they are made by the same company to the same specs and are just rebadges?

Well you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that the sunex and arcan share the same advertising picture with only minor color photoshopping to highlight the color changes. If that doesn't do it for you, I will post the manuals below. There is only a handful of hydraulic companies out there and they will market there design to every retailer who wants to sell a jack in there color scheme/stickers, with that said sometimes you get subtle changes including seals/cosmetics in the jack. Which is why I'm a wee bit Leary to judge some of these jacks simply by color and claim X is identical to Y, especially when the manuals don't detail the hydraulic seal components, its impossible to keep up with all these retailers, they change designs so often. In the case of these jacks... I'm fairly confident at these price points they more than likely identical jacks. I generally try and stay out of these threads, My advice do your research, read the manuals and buy from the retailer who offers you the best warranty.

Sunex

Arcan

HF with subtle differences.

 

[Wamerjamer]

You stated money was not a problem,buy both the 20 and 40 model milwaukee jacks,
You won't be sorry.They are built like tanks!
The 20 model is about 70# so you should be able to pick it up.
The quick release on the handle makes it very portable.
I have both ask me anything.
Randy

 

[mm92280]

I am going to piggyback on the OP's thread, as I am also looking at buying a new jack, so hopefully he won't mind.

Have any of you extensively used the Arcan XL35?


http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200345429_200345429


I have considered it as an option, though I am worried that it would suffer from poor quality and that the seals would just fail within a few years. The price is very cheap, which worries me a bit. The reviews I see online (Northern Tool, Amazon) are pretty good but I always take those with a grain of salt as those users typically write a review after using a product for only a week or two. I am more interested in how a jack will hold up over 5 or 10 years.

Are the Arcan XL35s good quality or would it be worth it to splurge and spend 3x or so on the 2 ton or 3 ton Hein Werner? I could spend $325 to $450 on a jack but that would be a waste if the Arcan is actually a quality product that will last. I am just a bit worried due to the price that the Arcan will fail sooner rather than later.

 

[EDGAR]

The Arcan pump pistons o-rings (two per piston) are readily available metric O-rings so if these leak after some years, are easy to replace. The pump pistons are retained in their cylinders just by the friction between the o-rings and the cylinders. The springs lift the pump piston up to a certain height and then stop, so even after the handle yoke is removed, the pump pistons should stay in the pump, unless there is a lot of air pressure trapped inside the oil tank. In this case, the pump pistons could be pushed out, (by oil, because the trapped air will push the oil out anywhere it can), if the O-rings are worn and some oil could come out as well. To prevent this, first remove the oil plug from the oil tank to release any trapped air pressure if the O-rings are going to be replaced.

To replace these O-rings, remove the handle joke and just pull the pistons out by grabbing the shell that cover the spring. Some Arcans came without the shells, so in this case just pull out by grabbing the spring itself. In other brands of floor jacks, the pump pistons are held captive in the cylinder and to remove, the pump piston cylinder has to be removed from the pump body.

The main ram seal is an o-ring and o-ring retainer set. The o-ring itself is, if I remember right, 4.5mm. This o-ring is available from THEORINGSTORE.COM. The o-ring and the o-ring retainer are available in a repair kit sold by OTCTOOLS.COM for their models 1503A and 1504A Stinger floor jacks, which by the way, are made by Torin. Some of the seals in that kit, like the ram o-ring, the nylon oil tank gaskets and one or two pump piston O-rings and their backup rings can be used in the Arcan. See below a partial parts list for the 1503A-1504A jacks were the seal kit is marked with an arrow.

Refrain from raising the lifting arm by the saddle as the main ram is a two part affair. The rear part, where the o-ring and the o-ring retainer are mounted, is attached to the ram part by a circlip or round wire snap ring. A weak circlip can allow the front part to come off the rear part if the lifting arm is pulled up. Only by luck can these two can come back together by pushing down on the lifting arm or by trying to lift some weight. Otherwise, the pump has to be taken apart to put these two parts back together.

By the way, the above procedures should also apply to the newest line of HARBOR FREIGHT floor jacks, the gray ones.

 

[rice rocket]

Thanks for all the info.

I just picked up the HF version of the jack last weekend, will be putting it to good use tomorrow.

#1, this thing is enormous and really heavy. It's like 30-40% larger than the 3T low profile (w/ the 21" lift height). I can see why it costs so much more.

#2, I got the HF version because of the T-handle primarily, I'm not sure how useful the foot pump will be after trying it once. The T-handle is really nice for dragging it around though because this thing weighs so much.

 

[gatorgrabber]

I have this exact jack and love it. Yep, it's heavy but but it's really a joy to use.

 

[ymc226]

Reviving an old thread. I did buy an inexpensive thread on Amazon but am thinking I need a higher quality one. Intended use is only in my garage, mostly on a low sports car but I also have a LR Defender (not lifted but high) that I would like to put on stands.

I am going to use Jackpoint Jackstands for the sports car and their website has this very expensive model which is beautiful but I know nothing about the company. http://shop.jackpointjackstands.com/Brunnhoelzl-Pro-Series-Low-Profile-Aluminum-Racing-Jack-BLPJ-BRI-003.htm

I will definitely look at the Milwaukee 20 but it would have to be able to fit the Jackpoint stands to be considered.

 

[paulsomlo]

I am going to use Jackpoint Jackstands for the sports car...

Great idea, but $600 for four? Here's what I recommend: http://www.amazon.com/ESCO-Jack-Stand-3-Ton-Capacity/dp/B0019JVIPM
Very sturdy and stable. And with the extra $360 in your pocket, you can buy one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Hein-Werner-HW93642-Blue-Hydraulic-Service/dp/B000RFR498

You didn't say what kind of sports car, so it must be something fairly exotic - is there no place to put a floor jack that won't be occupied by a jack stand?

 

[blazinPond]

So glad i purchased a Hein-Werner 3-ton a few years back.
I think it was around $465 shipped (Tool Topia)....they are HEAVY duty.

 

[jrobb316]

Best purchase I made was a Milwaukee 20. $515 out the door I think it was (I'm local). HW would be choice #2.