Floor jacks

[drbill]

I'm looking at getting a new floor jack as my sear's junk leaked since new and I never really liked it. So what does everybody else have?
Already did a little research on Lincoln/hien werner they are actually made in the USA again even though they are owned by a Chinese company, go figure that one out?

http://www.hyjacks.com/H2.HTM

 

[drbill]

So nobody uses a floor jack or has a opinion?

 

[oldskewl61]

I Got Mvp 2.5 Ton From Walmart 7 Years Ago Sat Outside For 4 Works Great

 

[69lkmno]

Yeah, I used to have Craftsman floor jacks too and hated them so I got rid of them and bought one from Costco. It's a very good deal for $75.

 

[dboat]

I have the 4000 lb craftsman that is aluminum.. got it on sale a while ago.. except I love it and its been good to me too.
Dana

 

[hotrod66paul]

drbill-Floor jacks are the same as any other tool you purchase as in the fact that it depends on what the primary use of it is going to be. I have an assortment of jacks that when used for what I bought them for perform very well. I have a walker end lift jack that's used for my trucks and a walker 4ton floor jack. For getting under my 2002 firebird convertible I had to get a craftsman aluminum model with the wide front roller to get under the low spoiler on the front .I tried the craftsman on the F-250 4x4 diesel and F-150 and couldn't get more than a couple of inches lift. When I travel the small 2-ton lincoln goes with me in the olds cutlass or mercury mountaineer. No one single jack covers all applications. I seem to have collected a assortment of bottle and scissor jacks also for various projects over the years that I would hate to be without. The jack you buy for part-time use might not be the one you would choose to have making a living with. Please remember that jacks are for lifting only ,not holding. Use a jack stand.

 

[drbill]

hotrod66paul, I've used many jacks in my 25 year career as a machanic. The old Lincoln/Hien-werner jacks where the best. Where I use to work we had them and they lasted a long time. Then the owner got cheap and started buying the Sams club/Costco/Chinese jacks and they didn't last more then a year. The thing I don't like about these new jacks is the one pump up until it touches the frame then you have to pump it several times to get it to lift the rest of the way. And where do they get these ratings from these days. My brothers old sears 1 1/2 ton jack is built stronger then the new 3 ton jacks.

 

[hotrod66paul]

One thing to keep in mind is that some of the better jacks(walker,lincoln etc) are re-buildable instead of throwaways. Spent more on the walker end-lift rebuild than a cheap replacement but it will outlast three cheap ones.

 

[drbill]

That's why I'm starting to look into buying a used jack

 

[customperformance]

That's why I'm starting to look into buying a used jack

I have just a cheapo Harbor Freight jack 3 ton I beleive and it works ok for occasianal use But if i had to use one for a living I would go with a Walker unit like my dad had in his shop.

 

[URY914]

When I took my cheap Costco jack to a shop for a rebuild I was told that I'd be sending the same amount on the rebuild as I would if I just bought another cheap one. The Owner of the shop said the big differeance in the cheap one and the quality one is the the seals and the polishing of the piston. The cheap models do not polish the pistion to the same degree as the US built ones and the seal material is also of a lesser quality. Put those two items together and you have a jack that wears out 4x quicker than a US model. If you don't use it very often the cheap one won't be a problem, use it everyday and it wears out quick. Simple. And the cheap ones do not dis-assemble for a rebuild very easily compounding the expense.

It seemed like a HUGE waste to just throw that jack away to buy another cheap one so I sold it in a yard sale for $20. Than went looking for a good used rebuildable jack. Found one for $80.

 

[CraigFL]

I broke down and bought a AC Hydraulic one.

http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulicjacks2.html

 

[URY914]

I broke down and bought a AC Hydraulic one.

http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulicjacks2.html

I seen those on Pelican Parts website. Those have to be the best.

 

[bigvic]

I have a chinese special jack from HF that my wife's uncle bought me for Christmas. It is their 2 1/4 ton special that I have seen for $39 quite a few times. I know that many people will turn their noses up at these foreign jacks, but for the past 4 years the thing has been abused and performed flawlessly. When this one wears out, I will definitely buy another one...or at least hint to her uncle that I need another one around Christmas time.

I also have a walmart MVP with a plastic carrying case that I use for smaller portable jobs that also hasn't let me down.

 

[whackywaxer]

I have a Craftsman 4000lb Alloy jack which has worked very well for the 3 years I have had it......I'm only using it lift 2200lb MGs. Its well made and rolls smoothly and has a great release.

 

[bjo]

Second the AC Hydraulics DK20. Definitely worth the money.

 

[ultgar]

I also like the AC jacks but availability and quality control have made them difficult to sell. Based on what I'm seeing arrive from Denmark (I closely inspected and serviced 6 DK20Q's yesterday), make sure that whoever you buy these through checks them before shipping the jack to you.

The distributor should inspect for broken wheels or wheel o-rings, missing parts, handle retainer allen screws with so much paint you can't apply a wrench to them, and smooth operation of the hydraulics. If not adjusted properly, you may have difficulty lowering the jack or, at the other extreme, the jack may bleed pressure on its own.

Also ask the vendor to ship the small parts separately, especially the plastic handle. If/when UPS or Fedex drops the box upside down, the weight of the jack breaks the handle (I've had to replace over 30 handles in the past 4 years due to shipping damage).

Once you get the jack home and it's set up and working properly, you should have a tool with trouble free operation for many years to come.

 

[arthur1920]

I have a Craftsman 4000lb Alloy jack which has worked very well for the 3 years I have had it......I'm only using it lift 2200lb MGs. Its well made and rolls smoothly and has a great release.

Best "old school" sports car jack I could find was the "Ajay". Min. height 2 7/8 in. Snap release handle. Only problem was it cost $300 and 100 to rebuild and that was 30 years ago. At the same time I bought a 75.00 Sears Chinese jack (the green ones) that served me well although it wasn't as low as I liked, about 3 and 1/4 as I recall. It wore out, but sears changed suppliers and I ddin't like the new ones. Bought a Larin cheapo and it has worked fine. Also Santa got me a Craftsman Aluminum jack which seems OK but I havent' really asked it to do anything heavy.

As far as sportscars go, some important things are the minimum height, length of reach, detachable handle...and is it light enough so that you can actually pick the dang thing up and take it to the race track? The older I get, the more important lightness gets, even when just rolling it on the floor.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

A search for floor jack reveals these and other threads, which are quite useful in making a decision on purchasing a floor jack.

Charles

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11457&highlight=floor+jack

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9261&highlight=floor+jack

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4076&highlight=floor+jack

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15963&highlight=floor+jack

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14880&highlight=floor+jack

 

[jeepinjz]

I have 2 AC and work great love them

 

[jgreen-fsi]

I have a HW. Very well made.

 

[TMcCay]

I have the NAPA 2 ton floor jack. Caught it on sale for $199. One of the best investments I made for the shop. Built solid and worth every penny.

 

[WHT]

I'm looking at getting a new floor jack as my sear's junk leaked since new and I never really liked it. So what does everybody else have?
Already did a little research on Lincoln/hien werner they are actually made in the USA again even though they are owned by a Chinese company, go figure that one out?

http://www.hyjacks.com/H2.HTM

People need more information including your price range and usage (types of cars) before they can give you a meaningful recommendation.

 

[Hiball]

People need more information including your price range and usage (types of cars) before they can give you a meaningful recommendation.

Psst... 2006 thread.