Can anyone recommend a good floor jack that is max $150 and lasts a long time? It can't be too heavy/unwieldy and would be used mostly for cars as opposed to trucks/SUV. I've been using craftsman floor jacks but they kind of suck.

12/14/2010 12:39:55 AM

i had about 3 that broke in about 6 months. 2 of them were craftsman. absolute garbage.

finally bought torin brand from northern tools in cary. it is nice because it will let you jack up the car that has been lowered. regular craftsman jacks are too tall. one i have is now 4 years old and works great. make sure before you use it to jack it up unloaded few times to get the piston oiled up. it will last you longer if you do this.

12/14/2010 1:12:23 AM

I have this:

Quote :

" Torin Aluminum Race Jack *Lift up to 3000 lbs. up to 14-3/4" high *Low-profile saddle with 3-1/8" minimum height, 360° rotating rubber pad *Machined, high-strength, aircraft-aluminum billet material *Single 4-5/8" wide front roller wheel, 2 rear wheels *Two-piece knurled aluminum handle gives you a good grip "

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200313500_200313500

Northern Tool has this item. They even have one that's a double pumper where as this is a single...

I've had it for 3 years, used it plenty of times and taken it to "garage parties" a few times. Heck I just used it to lift the entire rear end of the Lexus the other day. I'd buy another one without hesitation. My only "complaint" is that it only lifts 14.75". There have been a few times where a few extra inches would be nice, but for a $60 (I got it during a Black Friday sale) jack I'm very pleased.

Quote :

"make sure before you use it to jack it up unloaded few times to get the piston oiled up. it will last you longer if you do this. "

My dad told me the same thing...



This one is on sale for $99.99. I'd buy it.

Lift Capacity (tons) 1 1/2
Min. Lift Height (in.) 3 3/8
Max. Lift Height (in.) 17

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200221924_200221924





[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 1:36 AM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 1:26:14 AM

i got some random 2.5 ton steel floor jack from kmart for $60 and it's been solid for years

12/14/2010 2:09:32 AM

My buddy had the Torin aluminum race jack. I wasn't too impressed. it didn't last that long, but maybe he got a bad one

12/14/2010 8:05:52 AM

Craftsman ones last for ever but the valving to lower a car sucks. Mine has always dropped the car unless you are super duper careful and somewhat lucky.

12/14/2010 8:52:13 AM

I have one of these http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-super-heavy-duty-floor-jack-34271.html for about a year now and it works pretty good. Never had any probs with it.

12/14/2010 10:35:21 AM

i have one of ^ and though mine isnt low profile its been working great for years

12/14/2010 11:17:46 AM

The torin jacks at northern aren't that great. Probably fine for occasional home use if price is a big factor.

12/14/2010 8:55:36 PM

2nd for harbor freight. i have the same one as previously posted for about 7 years and it's been trouble-free. however, it is heavy as hell but it's also a heavy-duty jack. go check out their selection. they have aluminum ones as well. i have actually had surprisingly good luck with stuff from harbor freight. a guy i went to high school with works there and he said all their stuff is the same stuff as what you'd get at sears, lowes, home depot, etc. but is bought from the manufacturer before the name brand label is placed on it.

12/15/2010 7:49:16 PM

I have the blue aluminum Northern Tool jack shmorri2 posted.

When mine is loaded the handle is hard to twist slowly to gently lower, resulting in harder/faster drops than I like. I got it when the previous Torin jack I got from them failed.

I have used this jack _alot_.

12/15/2010 10:12:14 PM

Quote :

"When mine is loaded the handle is hard to twist slowly to gently lower, resulting in harder/faster drops than I like."

I will have to agree with this. Granted, I am very cafeful about when I'm letting it drop so I don't have issues with hard/fast drops.

12/15/2010 10:25:52 PM

Instead of making a new thread I figured I would just add on to this one:

I have a 2005 Suburban and I'm in the market for a jack. From the research I have done it seems like I should steer clear of a Craftsman jack. Only thing I can quite seem to get a clear answer on is what size jack do I need to get. Would a 4ton be enough?

9/28/2011 10:54:01 AM

does half your truck weigh 8000lbs?

9/28/2011 10:56:01 AM

I hope not. I have seen all kinds of recommendations on the web and figured I would get a "Garage" opinion.

9/28/2011 11:03:53 AM

harbor freight aluminum
/thread

9/28/2011 11:08:06 AM

I got this set, and love it:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200305493_200305493

I've used it for both our Accord, pickup, and Odyssey van.

Feels solid. Though its probably a whole lot heavier than those aluminum ones everyone seems to like.

9/28/2011 11:30:08 AM

^^for a suburban? no way... they don't lift high enough, and I sure wouldn't trust a vehicle that heavy on a HF aluminum unit.

[Edited on September 28, 2011 at 11:35 AM. Reason : ^^]

9/28/2011 11:34:59 AM

I am looking at this one right now.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/floor-jacks/rapid-pump-4-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-68056.html

9/28/2011 11:43:20 AM

Quote :

"Lifting range from 4" to 20-1/2""

that's a nice jack. it's range is high enough to still lift your vehicle if you decide to go to a 285 tire.

Quote :

"Shipping Weight: 105.05 lbs."

holy crap!

[Edited on September 29, 2011 at 9:43 AM. Reason : -]

9/29/2011 9:42:51 AM

^yeah..... hope dude doesnt need to carry the damned thing anywhere

I've got a 2-ton craftsman aluminum job, 44#, eat your heart out.... although it takes my full body weight to lift the front end of my cummins

9/29/2011 9:56:40 AM

Yeah - I want to pick that thing up locally since the shipping on it might be a bit steep.

Not taking it anywhere but my garage.

9/29/2011 12:52:27 PM

^rock on then. I'm actually going to get something similar at some point

9/29/2011 1:11:18 PM

Quote :

"There have been a few times where a few extra inches would be nice"

9/29/2011 4:34:49 PM

^that's when the jackstands and a block of 4"x6" come into play

9/29/2011 9:02:29 PM

i have a craftsman al jack that has been working great for bout 6 years. we also have a torin heavy duty and a harbor freight heavy duty.

i prefer the craftsman because it is a quick lift.

all 3 are touchy when lowering. best solution i have found is to basically make a t-handle by sticking a 3/8" rod through the end of the handles similar to the harbor freight one linked above, this gives me enough torque to gently open the release valves.

the biggest problem we've got is that the harbor freight leaks down at an uncomfortably quick rate, so we can't use it for transmission or engine support.

[Edited on September 30, 2011 at 2:26 PM. Reason : olsjfofjoiw]

9/30/2011 2:23:57 PM