QUALITY Floor Jack! Need a New One - Recommendations?

[John P]

I'm sick and tired of cheap, POS, leaky, unreliable jacks. I had a cheap jack that I bought from Canadian Tire that lasted 20 years, and I abused the hell out of that. Two Autozone and Two Craftsman replacements (4 in total) and they all leaked or completely failed shortly after purchase.

I'm pissed off.

So its time to step-up, and buy something that will age nicely with me (hopefully, better than me ). My needs:

- To be able to remove and reinstall the engine on my Beetle and engine/tranny on my early 911 (which comes out as a unit, not separately like with a Beetle). It will also be used on my Mini Cooper, but only for whee/tire and brake work. So none of the cars are that heavy.
- Minimum saddle height of 22-23" (the more the better)
- Low rise to actually get under my cars  
- I have a small garage (only 10' by 20'), so room is at a premium, both in use (long pump rods tend to hit the wall) and storage
- Light weight is a plus, but not a requirement, as it will stay in my garage

Here is what I've seen so far:

The Expensive   (But Rated Highly) Ones

Griot's Garage



http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/in+your+garage/jacks+%26+stands/2-ton+floor+jack.do?search=basic&keyword=floor+jack&sortby=newArrivals&page=1

Video: http://www.youtube.com/griotsgarage#p/u/25/HC4Px0uNekQ

Low rise to high lift (2.25 inches to 22 inches). $475 (with saddle extension).

AC Hydraulic





http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=TOL-13HLQ&catalog_description=DK%31%33HLQ%20%32%38%30%30lb%20High%2DLift%20Floor%20Jack%20with%20QuickLift%20Pedal

Low profile (3.5") high lift (29"!!). Great reviews - the 911 guys love it - but pricey at $549!

More Affordable

Harbor Freight

1. Two Ton Low Profile Heavy Duty Floor Jack



http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump-2-ton-low-profile-heavy-duty-floor-jack-68050.html

Low Rise, 23 1/4" max height, steel (heavy). $120.00. Worried about it lasting.

2. Motorcycle Lift (OK, not a jack, but appealing nonetheless)



http://www.harborfreight.com/lightweight-aluminum-motorcycle-lift-94715.html

Never tried one, but I know that some VW guys have. The problem is that it only goes to 19". $170.00

3. 500 lb. Hydraulic Lift Table



http://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-lift-table-94822.html

Now this is interesting. 27.25" overall height! It could double as an engine stand. But 500 lbs. isn't enough for my 911 engine and tranny (which come out as a unit). $160.00

Others?

I'm interested in the Forum's experiences and suggestions. I want this to be the last floor jack I ever buy.

Thanks, in advance.

JP

[Glenn]

I've had the same Walker for 30+ years. Money well spent.

[John P]

I've had the same Walker for 30+ years. Money well spent.

What are the specs., Glenn?

Here is another one that I found:

Arcan Quick Lift Professional Service Jack - 3 1/2-Ton, Model# XL35



http://www.amazon.com/Arcan-Quick-Lift-Professional-Service/dp/B000Y9YGX4/ref=pd_sbs_auto_7

$150.00. 3.5" to 21 3/8".

[Glenn]

What are the specs., Glenn?

It's 3 ton and weighs a ton. It's really heavy and I purchased it from a guy that sold them to gas stations.

[metalchomper]

What are the specs., Glenn?

Here is another one that I found:

Arcan Quick Lift Professional Service Jack - 3 1/2-Ton, Model# XL35



http://www.amazon.com/Arcan-Quick-Lift-Professional-Service/dp/B000Y9YGX4/ref=pd_sbs_auto_7

$150.00. 3.5" to 21 3/8".

I bought two of these from Northern for less than a $100 each on sale and with a coupon. It works great! Gave away the Crapsman.

[elmo]

I have the AC Industries jack and really like it. I modified the saddle so that it would rotate easily and added a rubber pad to it- now it's really good. I was under the impression AC jacks were not currently available in the U.S. Maybe that has changed.

[QuickKafer]

I've used this 3 1/2 ton jack from Michelin for the last 12 years on VWs, as well as heavy Astro Vans, Oldsmobiles, Buicks and my 2500 Dodge quad Cab 4x4 truck.  I bought it from a Sams club back east.  I don't remember exactly what I paid for it but it was at least $100.  I too was sick of the "chincey smaller $39.99" jacks.  This one is definitely a "Man Jack." 

Scott Faivre

[Mike Lawless]

I bought a low profile floor jack from NAPA for about $200. It slides under the front of a lowered car and lifts pretty high, but I don't know the exact figure. I'm thinking the range is around 19".

I also use a lift table like the one in the harbor freight photo, but I got it from Northern Tool. I use it to R&R the motor. WAY more stable than a floor jack. Pull the motor straight back and drop it. It raises and lowers in a straight line, so there is no travel arc to deal with. It also raises up high enough to slide the motor onto an engine stand without any heavy lifting, or calling your neighbor. Also lifts high enough to slide the motor into the back of my pick-up truck. And since my "Race Only" tool box is now too heavy for me to lift by self with my creaky old back, it loads that too!

Very happy with both

[QuickKafer]

Mike,  when you are R&R your engines, do you get the front end up on jack stands so that the ghia doesn't have a nose down attitude?  I know that needs to be compensated for when you are shoving a motor back in to align the input shaft and lower studs.
      Some guys just get it up on something level and then "man handle" it into place.  My back is tempermental these days.  Sometimes I feel like I could lift my truck up in the air.  Other days, I hesitate to pick the sock up off the floor!

Scott Faivre

[Mike Lawless]

I'll have the nose down a little to get the whole thing under the rear apron, but then raise it up to level it out. It just slides right in that way. No pain, no strain!

At this stage of life, I want things to be easy to do. As such, I like to use equipment that makes it easy, thus enjoyable!

[jgerock]

I have two heavy jacks.   One is a 3 ton Craftsman (black) that I bought a few years ago on sale for $ 69.00.  My 2nd one is a 2-1/4 ton Sears (silver) that my father recently gave to me.  We bought it from a Sears Outlet for $ 50.00 about 20 years ago.  They had large pallets of them!

Both have never been serviced, don't leak and work every time.



I got this handy lift table from a Harbor Freight store last year.


All the way up

All the way down

[QuickKafer]

I'll have the nose down a little to get the whole thing under the rear apron, but then raise it up to level it out. It just slides right in that way. No pain, no strain!

Nice, I need to be smarter and starting doing as such too.

Scott Faivre

[David Ward]

Good topic John.  I've had two old Craftsman floor jacks for years; one is the 3 ton black-colored unit pictured above.  Both have worked very well. But what I'm sure most of you know, many of these jacks, including Craftsman, are actually private labeled and are made by various manufacturers.  Weiner used to be an excellent brand/manufacturer, and were often found in service stations and repairs shopts.  I haven't seen one in years.

I'm a little surprised no one has asked about aluminum jacks.  My next one will definitely be aluminum as they are far lighter and easier to handle and transport.  Once such jack that I've had my eye on is this profile unit sold through Jegs:
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+Products/555/80007/10002/-1

At 2 tons, it will certainly work on most cars.  The longer profile would be great for getting under lowered cal-look cars.  Saddle height is 3 1/2".  Max height is 19 1/4" which is about average for this type of jack.  Lift is 15 3/4".  At $209 its priced very well.

[Dougy Dee]

Watch your aluminum jacks. The frame can tweak on them if you dont keep the load directly over the saddle. I sometimes slide the jack under the rear torsion housing on about a 45 degree angle to clear the tire and narrow work area. My aluminum jack is not real fond of that and will twist the frame. It's kind of interesting to slide the jack out and see one of the front wheels about 2" in the air. Sort of like a big V8 torque twisting the frame hooking and launching. The pathetic part is that I just have to step on the high wheel and it will push the frame back in to position.

Another thing is the small front wheels seem to hang up on the smallest obstruction, like a grain of sand, on the floor. Quite a miserable surprise when transporting a finished T1 on the saddle...

The aluminum jack I have is now only used to raise the front end in the shop. It does look pretty just sitting there.

[Mike Lawless]

I have one of the Jegs aluminum jacks too. I use it only to take to the track because of its lite weight. I attempted to use it as my primary jack, but it was too much of a pain in the ass because of stability issues as well as the very small jack pad and limited range. I bought my lo-profile NAPA jack after I got the aluminum jack.

[John P]

Thanks for all of the replies. My challenge is that I need a good quality jack in the first place, as mine is failing. Buying the lift table is an extra - albeit appealing - luxury. It just seems so easy to use it as Mike describes. And I'd annoy my wife (and neighbours) much less.

I'm leaning towards the one I previously posted (Arcan Quick Lift), as it has good reviews:



With a range of 3.5 to 2 3/8," it should do the job. Yeah, it's heavy @ 100lbs, but all the heavy duty steel ones seem to be as well, and it will stay in my garage. I looked at aluminum ones, but read many reviews echoing the concerns above re: tweaking and stability.

J

[Mike Lawless]

Probably as good as any of the others John. Good reviews are a positive. The only downside from ordering online is shipping. I'd guess that would bring the total price up to $200 at least.

[David Ward]

Thanks for the replies on the aluminum jacks.  Like Mike, what I planned to use it for was taking to the track as handling one of my steel ones is getting more and more difficult to lift.

John, I really like the style of jack you're considering.  If the shipping cost isn't too bad, let us know how it goes.  Thanks.

[jgerock]

A good friend of mine who races BMW's has multiple jacks in his garage and trailer.  He uses one of the Harbor Freight aluminum ones at the track, but it has become difficult to twist the handle and the piston sticks in the down position sometimes.  His 2nd aluminum jack will not stay in position and slowly lowers all by itself.

To me, the aluminum ones are great if you have to lug them around alot - but I wouldn't trust them for serious duties.

[maui]

I get the motorcycle jack also and it good and holds the engine and hold the trans. No go that high but high enough and can adjust valves or R/R heads and no fall over and roll the engine or trans wherever you like to work on it. No carry to much weight but enough to lift back of bug with engine inside.

[John P]

A good friend of mine who races BMW's has multiple jacks in his garage and trailer.  He uses one of the Harbor Freight aluminum ones at the track, but it has become difficult to twist the handle and the piston sticks in the down position sometimes.  His 2nd aluminum jack will not stay in position and slowly lowers all by itself.

To me, the aluminum ones are great if you have to lug them around alot - but I wouldn't trust them for serious duties.

Just to reiterate, it really is pathetic how awful so many jacks are nowadays. Just do a quick search and you'll find nonstop posts from people bitching about the same issues. Most allocate the cause to mass production being outsourced to China. Maybe, maybe not.

What makes me really angry is that the manufacturers know of the problems - it's rampant - but don't appear to do a damn thing about it! We, as consumers, also shoulder some of the blame, because we have come to expect bottom-line prices, and our consumerist "must have the latest thing" culture doesn't value build quality or things that last anymore, because we don't fix things ourselves or keep things for a long time in any event.

I still have some of my grandfather's tools - they weigh a ton and still work perfectly. I still have some of my grandmother's furniture, which were antiques when she bought them in the 1930s. And they still work beautifully.  

I want a jack that will last that I can trust.

OK, rant mode off, but it does piss me off.  

It's funny, because I'm a bit nervous about buying one. Even with a warranty, they average close to 100 lbs each, so "sure, send it back - you pay shipping - and we'll repair it" is not an appealing idea.

JP

[QuickKafer]

I've never had to do it, but supposedly the leaking jacks are an easy fix.  It's supposed to be a simple O-ring replacement from what I understand.  Now if it's a machining defects and piston bores, etc, that's another problem.

[cal dez rat]

I use (and abuse) an old Lincoln/Walker 93642 hydraulic floor jack.  I know it's old school, but it's the standard blue and yellow floor jack garages used to use long ago.  I got a deal on mine at an auction and paid $15.  Wasn't a thing wrong with it.

[John P]

I pulled the trigger, and bought the following:

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/floor-jack-rfj-3000lpf-by-ranger-3000-lb-low-rider-p/ranger-rfj-3000lpf.htm





The specs are great:

Features
• Long reach chassis.
• Low‐profile design accommodates low ground‐clearance vehicles.
• Swivel casters for easy mobility.
• Professional model designed for heavy use.
• Direct‐drive pump operation means precise control.
• Heavy steel construction for maximum durability.
• Double‐sealed hydraulics for longer service life.
• Sealed hydraulic unit prevents contamination.
• Safety‐overload system.
• Flanged side plates for increased strength.
Specifications
• Lifting Capacity: 3,000 lbs. / 1361 Kg
• Lowered Height: 2‐3/4" / 70 mm
• Raised Height: 24" / 610 mm
• Front Overall Width: 11" / 279 mm
• Rear Overall Width: 14‐1/2" / 368 mm
• Chassis Length: 34" / 864 mm
• Shipping Weight: 112 lbs. / 51 Kg

Price was $255 shipped to my door.

It had several good reviews from posters on the Garage Journal.  Let's hope that it actually lasts!    It should arrive in a couple of weeks and I'll let you know about my initial impressions.

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

[img]This one is definitely a "Man Jack." 
Scott Faivre

uhhhh...huh huh huh

[vwman]

Here's what I did. I got tired of the POS new china jacks. SO I went to my local Hydraulic shop and bought an OLD Lincoln floor jack. The guy I got it from told me to never sell it as it CAN ALWAYS be rebuilt (cause it is the old good kind). I think I paid like $200 after it had been rebuilt (I have had it for about 7-8 years now, and had no problems).

This summer I inherited my dad's old Hein werner jack that no longer worked (weighs in about 200 lbs). So I did the same thing with it had it rebuilt. So Now I finally have 2 GOOD jacks that should last a LONG time!

Chas

[John P]

I looked into doing that, but couldn't find any good candidates locally. I found several online, but few people were willing to ship them (which was $$$$$$).

I'll let you guys know my impression of the new jack.

Fingers crossed.

JP

[fiatdude]

Hey John --- Costco has a nice one for sale right now -- was just cruising the aisles, saw it, and thought of you -- 3.5" high and right at $100

[John P]

Hey John --- Costco has a nice for sale right now -- was just cruising the aisles, saw it, and thought of you -- 3.5" high and right at $100

Thanks, but I've already ordered the one referenced above, so I've placed my bet on the table.

Hopefully it will pay off.

[JCquick]

I just purchased the arcan from costco for $99.00

[John P]

The floor jack I referenced above arrived this week. It's a big boy, weighing 104 lbs. (the Fed Ex guy hates me). 

Initial impressions are good build quality and generous welds. It feels pretty stable.

See pics...

[John P]

Lowered height is 2.75" and max height is approximately 25."

It is very low (I love it), with great clearance under the car. Even with a hockey puck on the jack plate to protect the beam - an old Canadian trick (we use hockey pucks for everything, including jacks, self defense, sexual relations, etc.) - there was still lots of clearance.

About 6-ish pumps later, and the front end was over 20" above the ground. It was so damn quick and easy.

Other observations:

- To my surprise, the jack is not too big or cumbersome to use in my small garage. I envisioned some big-ass long handle that hit everything, but I was wrong.

- It took a little more effort than I expected to pump the front end off of the ground, but I also have the upper body strength of a 5 year old school school. For a lighter job (installing an engine, for example), I'm confident that I"ll be able to raise it with one hand while holding the top of the fan shroud (for stability) with my other handle.

I have some upcoming brake work on all three cars, so it will give me a good chance to use it and see how well it works.

Now lets hope that it doesn't leak...  

[John P]

One more thing: in terms of storage - given its great length and my small garage - I was thinking of storing it on its end (standing up) as it balances beautifully and takes up very little room. I would, of course, also secure it.

My only concern is that the jacks were not designed to be stored this way, and I may be inviting leaks, creating pressure on the seals in way that they were designed for.

Am I being paranoid? Your thoughts?

JP

[David Ward]

John, not to sound "smart", but check to see if there's anything in the paperwork for storing it.  Normally I wouldn't think storing it upright would be a concern except depending upon where the fluid resevoir is, and where the vent is, it may leak fluid.

Nice jack, by the way.  I may need to "trade up" from my 25 year old craftsman unit.   

[John P]

Thanks David. There is nothing in the manual about storage. I will email the manufacturer and see.

And if you have a 25 year old jack that is working fine, there is nothing to trade up to.

I hope this one lasts as long as yours.