floor jack for home use

[Mika]

Until I started this project I thought floor jacks were floor jacks, they are not. My old jack took a crap, and I need a new one. I believe this a valuable part of a home shop and will spend accordingly. I'm pretty round and like a lot of room under the car so max height is very important.

Suggestions and Experiences Please,
Mika

Also, while we are talking about this how do ya'll jack your cars up; side to side, front to back, k-member and rear end, or jack locations on subframe?

 

[DropTopPony]

I am using a $59 aluminum jack from Harbor Freight and its every bit as good as my old Craftsmen aluminum jack that was 4X the price.

 

[CC'S95GT]

Summit Racing has some nice ones as do Craftsman, also ck out Northern equipement.
Double cylinder jacks are great too.
just compare the options vs the $

 

[1bad95]

im with droptop. i love my $59 harbor freight jack. jacks my car no problem and even use it to jack up my wifes 4wd Titan!

 

[spdtrip]

Im on the Harbor freight band wagon. I love it.

 

[OnyxCobra]

I am disappointed with my harbor freight jack, when you jack the car up the handle will keep rising/letting the car down unless you either hold it down or are able to lift the handle to the vertical position.

 

[ivan12]

I have a harbor freight one and like it more than my pretty aluminum craftsman, the HB one takes less pumps to lift the car and doesn't slowly loose compression like my craftsman. The only thing I don't like about the HB one is that it's not super low profile and it hits my side covers if I don't raise the car slightly by hand.

 

[Matt94GT]

I have this one and love it.

It was affordable plus its nice because when your on a low car even shaking it/pumping tiny tiny amounts will raise it unlike some cheaper jacks who need a decent leverage/pump to raise it. Plus it raises super fast.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=NRPcnH97vJhL2jMthpwDktVy5b3GK9b19t6rL1tT5RLrvDhS6P2v!1525498470?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442936325&bmUID=1305595836465

My buddy uses the same one and recommended it to me.

Im sure you can find it or one similar down in the US.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=130367

 

[Nacho98]

Look into a jack for a lowered car if you happen to be planning on doing that.

One thing that sucks balls about my Craftsman (?) jack is that the handle comes out, which is all well and good for storage, but the problem with it is that to lower the car, you twist the handle counter-clockwise. Seems fine, except that the handle doesn't clip in or whatever to the base of the jack, it just slips in and catches around a bolt when you twist like a socket. It wouldn't be a big deal, if the part of the jack where the jack handle goes in didn't pop straight up towards the sky whenever the handle isn't in it. In other words, there have been many a time where the handle popped out of the jack while jacking the car, and then the handle receiving part goes tits up, which doesn't really work too well when it's under a car and under load, because I can't pull it back down to put the handle back in, so basically when that happens I have to get another jack to lift the car and get my jack out from under the car and reinsert the handle.

So, moral of the story, avoid jacks that have removable handles.

 

[Paul]

I am using a $59 aluminum jack from Harbor Freight and its every bit as good as my old Craftsmen aluminum jack that was 4X the price.

+1

I have two aluminum jacks. A short lift one, and a high lift one. Both have worked famously for years.

Paul.

 

[joekd]

Very happy with my HF aluminum one, don't even use my Craftsman one anymore

One thing I would recommend for any jack you get put a piece of rollbad padding on the end of the handle so that if it touches paint it won't scratch or nick it

 

[duh09]

I have a cheap AC Delco floor jack from Oreillys and we recently got a much larger like 5ton jack from Harbor Freight. It's not aluminum and pretty heavy but its my go-to jack now. Little on the bigger side but I don't have any problems getting it under my slightly lowered Mustang and my SRT4.

 

[Mika]

Ok I done it, harbor freight.

And a new creeper, not Harbor feight. I'll have to get the side trays too.

 

[red95r]

I have a coupon for that jack 39$. Might get it.

 

[Mika]

I've only used it a few times and so far so good. It looks to be very well built. For $39 you better go and get it.

 

[hndaklr]

Those jacks work great for lowered cars and are
Pretty light as well ... Gets under almost all my buddy's shit canned cars

 

[CanaryGT]

I have a low profile Roush Racing jack... I love it.

 

[ryclef331]

My biggest problem with that harbor freight and low pro craftsman jack is they don't lift high enough. If I cant get the car up high enough to get my jack stand under the car at their highest settings....they aren't worth a crap to do everything I need to do. If I am pulling a tranny, I wanna be able to lay under it and "bench press" it in and out. I have a SUV/truck jack from auto zone that lifts the car as higher than my jack stands can go which is perfect. I can put the entire chassis on jackstands and still use the jack to articulate and move the suspenion if needed as well...great for rear end work. A jack that requires the jack handle to remain atttached to raise and lower the jack is garbage IMO. Say you need to raise the entire rear of the car or just put the jack under the car to support the tranny....you gotta keep the handle on after raising it to be able to drop the car leaving it in the way, jamming up under the car. I prefer to have a jack that has a seperate relief valve off of the pivot point used to raise the jack. I support what ever I need to, remove the handle, do what I gotta do and then drop it.

 

[g36 monkey]

^ I agree with this.

I need a new jack soon and removing the handle is a big deal. My ancient jack had one of those little metal wheels snap in half while lifting my buddys car, pretty much sure it's not ok to use anymore.

But that old jack also had a height issue, so I would have to put 2x4 pieces on it to get it up a few more inches to use a higher setting on my stands.

Go with one that lifts high. Obviously its late now because you already got it. Just for anyone elses reference ha

 

[duff daddy]

I got a lightweight race jack, cant think of the brand right now but it works pisser at the track isnt heavy at all and hasnt failed yet. I dont have to worry about how high it goes due to the trailer being open center so that will assist in the height thing.