Floor Jack Thread

man show · 03-21-2010, 11:44 AM

I've just recently started researching floor jacks as I'd like to buy one of my own in the near future. I'd like to find a nice low profile model so I can easily lift my car if/when I lower it. Some jacks I've seen on the market go from around 3" up to around 20" which I think would be perfect for my needs. I'm expecting to pay a few hundred bucks for a decent one, but I don't necessarily want to spend a fortune on a top of the line jack. I've heard Craftsman jacks often fail, so I'm thinking I'll steer clear of those. I guess I'm just looking for some advice on where to purchase one and which ones are decent. I'd greatly appreciate any and all tips/recommendations/experience/information you guys/girls have to offer. Thanks in advance!

turmic · 03-23-2010, 09:55 PM

I have a POS advance auto parts jack. I can't remember the brand name, its some none big name jack. The only advice I have is let the car down slowly and buy some bars leak for jacks if you go cheap. I dumped some in my jack after it started leaking and its worked fine ever since. Also, Jack stands are a major help when doing oil changes and wheel changes. That and they can save your life if the jack fails.

man show · 03-25-2010, 08:13 AM

Yep, I'll definitely invest in a set or two of jack stands when I make the jack purchase. I already have a set of Race Ramps for oil changes and they work really well.

Being that I recently moved out of my parents' house, I no longer have the use of my dad's tools, so I'm starting a collection of my own. A decent floor jack and a torque wrench are at the top of my list right now as my 60k maintenance is coming up in about 11k miles and I'll be replacing my brake pads then and I'd prefer to not use my stock scissor jack if I can help it.

I'm just wondering what kind of floor jacks you guys are using (particularly on lowered cars). There are some pretty nice ones out there and I think it would be a better idea to buy a semi-decent one that will last me a number of years rather than a cheapo jack that I'll have to replace if it fails or if I end up lowering my car. The one my dad had was a cheapo no-name model and it was really touchy and difficult to let the car down slowly - I'm talking the slightest turn of the handle was the difference between the car not coming down at all and it crashing down to Earth.

I don't care if everyone says they use cheapo jacks... I'm just trying to get an idea about what's good, what works, and what doesn't. Keep the advice coming!

RcrsWetDream · 03-25-2010, 11:58 AM

Just bought a craftsman floor jack two weeks ago... It was only 50 bucks and we'll see how long it lasts for. I also have two duralast aluminum jack stands. A jack I can see spending more on, but jack stands are jack stands.

P.S. never work on a car supported only by a jack.. I always use my jack stands and the jack for extra safety.

turmic · 03-25-2010, 10:44 PM

Yep, without a jack stand. You're risking your life.

man show · 03-26-2010, 07:41 AM

At this point, I'm kind of leaning toward locating a store within driving distance since I have a feeling shipping charges will be pretty expensive if I order one online. The first two places that come to mind are Costco or possibly Harbor Freight Tools..

I'm kind of surprised there haven't been more responses yet. Doesn't anybody use a floor jack these days?

man show · 03-30-2010, 03:21 PM

Update: I stumbled across Northern Tool & Equipment's website and made my decision today. I just placed an order for an Arcan Quick Lift 3 1/2 Ton Service Jack for $124.99 and 2 pairs of Torin Double Locking 3 Ton Jack Stands for $49.98. I know 3 and 3 1/2 ton equipment is overkill for my WRX (2 ton would have been sufficient) but I'm looking for equipment that I'll have for a long time and will be compatible with many other cars that I might own in the future. The price was certainly right and the equipment seems to be of high quality based on all of the outstanding customer reviews. The jack I ordered can slide under a vehicle with 3 1/2 inches of ground clearance so that should give me plenty of room if I ever decide to lower my car slightly (I quickly measured and I'm at stock ride height with a front lip and the lowest clearance I currently have to deal with is around 6 inches). Worst case, I could drive up on a small piece(s) of wood to get the jack under, but I don't think that will be an issue unless I get coilovers and slam it completely or get some kind of crazy body kit which I don't intend on doing. I'm pretty satisfied with my decision... now I'm excited to see if this stuff works as well as people claim it does. Bring on the 60k maintenance! Oh boy!

mosc · 03-30-2010, 03:28 PM

hey John, can you give some specific links to the parts you bought? I want to add them to my wish list for the Mrs. I've been using a buddy's lift but I think I've overstayed my welcome.

airplnmdls · 03-30-2010, 11:12 PM

I can't say I have done much research online, but I have been mainly using a Craftsman aluminum racing jack and its been working great for the last couple of years!

man show · 03-31-2010, 07:36 AM

mosc: Sure,

here's the jack: Arcan Quick Lift Service Jack — 3 1/2-Ton, Model# XL35 | Floor Jacks | Northern Tool + Equipment

and the stands: Torin Double Locking Jack Stands — 3-Ton Capacity, Model# T43002A | Jack Stands | Northern Tool + Equipment

airplnmdls: I definitely don't trust Craftsman floor jacks. I've read way too many horror stories about them failing and I'm just not willing to spend my money on them, however cheap they might be. Craftsman makes an excellent line of hand tools, but their floor jacks are complete garbage in my opinion. I'm hoping the one I found treats me well

airplnmdls · 03-31-2010, 10:00 AM

Hmm, before I read this thread I haven't heard of that....I probably should look into it... :-/ Uh oh lol thanks

man show · 04-01-2010, 06:59 AM

I don't know if it's a "complete fail" as in the thing instantly breaks and the car comes crashing to the ground, but it just develops leaks and starts not holding the weight as it should. Also, I've heard that the Sears Service Dept. won't touch Craftsman floor jacks, so when they break, you're stuck with an expensive paperweight. Then again, I've read about quite a few people who have had success using their Craftsman floor jacks for years without issue. I realize it's the internet and people lie all the time, but I've read about Craftsman jacks failing on numerous websites, so I think there may be some truth to it. If I'm going to be spending my hard-earned money and crawling around under my car, I'd rather not risk having something happen - even though I'd be using jack stands. Might as well get some decent equipment that hopefully won't break on me because I value my life

Scuba-Scooby · 04-10-2010, 08:31 PM

Glad to hear you got your jack. Just a few things about my experiences with Craftsman jacks.. I bought a set similar to this a few years ago and was almost killed.. No joke.. The jack was up and I was getting ready to put the stands under and the jack failed and the car came crashing down. The jack was basically brand new. I took it back to sears and they gave me a new one. Took it home used it for 2 weeks and again the car came crashing down. (Now I can specify the lift capacity but I know it was big enough to handle the car)
http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...P?keyword=jack

I went back to and demanded a credit towards a "better jack" I ended up buying a similar version to this: http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_101...P?keyword=jack

This jack is better in the aspect it has not tried to cut off my fingers or anything, but overall not a good buy. It leaks oil, it becomes filled with air (not a clue how) so it won't lift- you have to back out the oil fill hole and then put it back in to get it to work. the rollers failed so it is a beast to move..

The one nice thing about it is I have had it for over 5 years and it is still doing it's job.. So I guess I can't be too hard on it..

Craftsman: Great for hand tools (Life time guarantee) crap for everything else

ssomed · 07-22-2010, 11:43 AM

Hi all,

Last year I purchased an American Forge and Foundry jack, model 200T for a little under $300. (ordered it online) It is heavy duty, good quality, and has a 2 3/4" height so I can get it under my lowered cars. It also has a nice rubber disc so it will not scratch the frame when lifting.

I have no connection with the company, just think it's a good product.

ssomed

man show · 07-22-2010, 12:37 PM

Nice, thanks for the input.

Something else I'd like to mention about the Arcan jack I bought is that it can be used with only half of the handle in tight spaces (such as a small garage). The full handle is 4 feet long, but it can be taken apart in the middle. I went to Home Depot and bought a small pin and clip so I could quickly disassemble the handle if I needed to instead of the bolt and nut that it probably should have come with. Using half the handle takes a little more effort (less leverage, duh), but it can still lift the car (I used it that way to lift the back half of the car from the rear differential) with relative ease.

Also, as I expected, the cheap cardboard box that the jack arrived in was pretty severely beat up since the thing is so awkward and heavy. I noticed a few minor scratches and blemishes on different parts of the exterior of the jack, but all of the parts (except the hardware - probably a nut and bolt - to connect the two 2 foot sections of the handle together) were there, despite several holes in the box. It's a floor jack though, so I don't care how it looks as long as it functions the way it should - and this one certainly does. It lifts the car much higher and much faster than the smaller/cheaper jacks that I previously used. Over all, I'm very happy with it and the price was definitely right.

The jack stands work as expected too. I have no complaints about those.

And on a side note: I received a call the other day and my friend told me that his friend was underneath his car changing the oil using only a floor jack (not sure what brand) and the car fell and crushed him. I'm not sure if the car slipped off the jack or if the jack, itself, failed, but that's a horrible way to die. So everyone just be careful, use common sense, and definitely use jack stands!