Milwaukee Floor Jacks Painting Feedback Ideas

[ALTEREGO]

I came across the website researching a good tool to buy.

At the time I was looking for a floor Jack and fortunately a few days after learning about jacks on this forum I came across a Milwaukee Model 40, the only one I have seen for sale in the area’s nearby since, and after a two hours trip I was able to buy it.

It has been at least 3 years and I have been looking for the smaller Model 20 ever since.

Last Friday I was able to buy one, 5 minutes drive, I can’t still believe it!

Anyways, I’m planning on giving them a new coat of paint, I would like to stick to red and white and I’m wondering if anyone using these jacks has any advise.

I’m planning on NOT painting the top of the saddle (usually painted white) because I believe is going to scratch (even if I use a rubber plate).

The rear casters frames look a little stained even after light wire brushing, I think these are not prompt to rust but I was thinking of painting them white.

The part of the casters that make contact with the floor I will leave unpainted. I’m thinking of painting the middle part of the casters white (instead of red).

Are there any other parts/areas that will inevitably scratch if painted? I will tear the paint from those areas with BLO and then Wax, kind of like I plan to do with the saddle.

I would love to see your Milwaukee Jacks before/after paint jobs if you care to share.

I hope my post makes sense, any and all feedback greatly appreciated!

Here are the subjects awaiting new paint:

 

[ALTEREGO]

No Milwaukee jack paint jobs at all?

 

[Roberts210]

I've owned 2 Milwaukee 20 floor jacks. Bought the first one for $10 at a garage sale, and the second one for $30 from a CL ad. I used the first one for 25 years, then sold it to a buddy of mine. The second one was painted with barn paint by the guy I bought it from. He didn't know what it was, and felt like he'd made a killing selling this old floor jack for $30. But I didn't repaint either one. I did order new decals from Milwaukee, but gave them to my buddy so he could pretty his up. I had the first Milwaukee rebuilt at a Milwaukee authorized service center before I sold it to my buddy.

Here's the $10 one that I sold to my buddy.

And here's the second one that the flipper repainted:

 

[ALTEREGO]

I've owned 2 Milwaukee 20 floor jacks. Bought the first one for $10 at a garage sale, and the second one for $30 from a CL ad. I used the first one for 25 years, then sold it to a buddy of mine. The second one was painted with barn paint by the guy I bought it from. He didn't know what it was, and felt like he'd made a killing selling this old floor jack for $30. But I didn't repaint either one. I did order new decals from Milwaukee, but gave them to my buddy so he could pretty his up. I had the first Milwaukee rebuilt at a Milwaukee authorized service center before I sold it to my buddy.



Here's the $10 one that I sold to my buddy.

And here's the second one that the flipper repainted:

Wow! Two Model 20s and for that price!

Thanks for sharing! Do you still have the $30 one? Is it your main user?

The model 40 is a beast but usually overkill and not as easy to maneuver as the model 20.

 

[Roberts210]

No, I sold the second Model 20 also. I replaced them with a Hein Werner WS and a Hein Werner O' Boy.

I have a funny story about the $10 Model 20. Five years after I got it, which would have been in 1997, I was working in a small office building that had one level of underground parking. Our office only had 3 parking spots--two compact spots, and one full size spot in a corner, next to the wall. My '54 Chevy truck (see my avatar) would only fit into the spot next to the wall. I was leaving town for 2 weeks; flying out on a Sunday morning, so Sat. night I drove over to park my truck in the underground parking. I couldn't leave it on the street cause I'd get parking tickets, and we had no garage at our apartment. So I drove over to the office around 10 p.m., pulled into the underground parking and... some dirty S.O.B. had parked a brand new BMW in my spot. I walked through the building, knocking on every door, but on Sat. night only two offices had people in them, and nobody claimed the Beemer. So I called a tow company. But since I wasn't the building owner or manager, they wouldn't come. What to do? I drove to my storage, picked up the Model 20, drove back to the underground parking and put the jack under the front end of that brand new Beemer, jacked it up and pulled it over 6 inches. Then I moved the jack to the rear-end, did the same, and pulled the rear-end over 6 inches. I kept this up until I'd moved the Beemer over one entire parking space. I returned my Model 20 to my storage unit, drove back and parked in my spot. Walked home (15 minute walk), left town the next morning and never heard anymore about it. I would have loved to see the BMW owner's face tho, when he came back for his car.

 

[ALTEREGO]

No, I sold the second Model 20 also. I replaced them with a Hein Werner WS and a Hein Werner O' Boy.

I have a funny story about the $10 Model 20. Five years after I got it, which would have been in 1997, I was working in a small office building that had one level of underground parking. Our office only had 3 parking spots--two compact spots, and one full size spot in a corner, next to the wall. My '54 Chevy truck (see my avatar) would only fit into the spot next to the wall. I was leaving town for 2 weeks; flying out on a Sunday morning, so Sat. night I drove over to park my truck in the underground parking. I couldn't leave it on the street cause I'd get parking tickets, and we had no garage at our apartment. So I drove over to the office around 10 p.m., pulled into the underground parking and... some dirty S.O.B. had parked a brand new BMW in my spot. I walked through the building, knocking on every door, but on Sat. night only two offices had people in them, and nobody claimed the Beemer. So I called a tow company. But since I wasn't the building owner or manager, they wouldn't come. What to do? I drove to my storage, picked up the Model 20, drove back to the underground parking and put the jack under the front end of that brand new Beemer, jacked it up and pulled it over 6 inches. Then I moved the jack to the rear-end, did the same, and pulled the rear-end over 6 inches. I kept this up until I'd moved the Beemer over one entire parking space. I returned my Model 20 to my storage unit, drove back and parked in my spot. Walked home (15 minute walk), left town the next morning and never heard anymore about it. I would have loved to see the BMW owner's face tho, when he came back for his car.

Lol great story! I would have kept that jack just because of that story (not to mention what a great jack it is!)

Do you like the Hein-Werner jacks better or why did you decided on them over the Milwaukee?

Thanks to the GJ I have a bunch of Hein-Werners I’ve been trying to restore for a while (years!). I don’t have enough space for all of them so if I can fix one WS, one O’Boy and the only Model K that I own, I will keep those 3 along with the 2 Milwaukees.
The way things are going, they will end up being eye candy for the garage. By the time I get them all fixed a lot of people will probably be driving a semi-disposable electric cars...

 

[Roberts210]

I like the T handle on the Hein Werners more than the plain, pipe handle on the Milwaukees. The Milwaukee Model 20 jacks are more robust than the H-W, but for my use, the H-Ws work just fine. The T handle makes it a lot easier to roll the jack around and position it.