Buying a jack for about $100...

[mvbighead]

Well, I had to do some wrenching this weekend, and found that my current jack, though it works, is just too much of a pain in the arse to get anything done. I literally have to jack up/down in stages, or so it seems.

Any hoo, this is what I have:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/powerbu...-stand-1160455

I bought it because it had the lift range I needed, and it was cheap. Perhaps if I used the built in jack stand feature, and locked it in place, I'd have been fine. I just don't necessarily trust it, and prefer to use jack stands.

So, now that I have a big enough garage, I figure it'd be good to invest in a full sized jack, and not some trunk style jack.

If you were to spend $100 (plus or minus 20 or so), what would you pick up?

I am considering the following:

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-68049.html
20" max lift, 72lbs, 2.5 tons

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-68048.html
18.25" max lift, ~70lbs, 3 tons

http://www.harborfreight.com/15-ton-lightweight-aluminum-racing-jack-with-rapid-pump-68054.html
17.75" lift, ~38lbs, 1.5 tons

I am leaning either towards the 20" lift one, just as it has the max lift of the three, or perhaps the "racing" aluminum jack. I am not terribly worried about the weight of the jack, but thinking about a 70lb jack is a pretty big jump from a 40lber.

In any case, I think all three should be leaps and bounds better than what I have now. Other retailers to consider? Other factors to consider?

Edit: Current vehicles include a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2007 Chevy Impala. Am currently looking at a "work" truck that will likely be a (1996-2002) Chevy Silverado 1500 (perhaps 2500) 4x4 as well. I would like the jack to work for all three.

 

[slugg]

I can't comment on the others, but I own the Harbor Freight 1.5 ton aluminum racing jack. I jack up my Miata once or twice a month and it hasn't skipped a beat. It's pretty useful when you're dealing with a low vehicle. I know *so* many people with this same jack and they all have good things to say about it. With a coupon, I got mine for $60. Just look around

 

[herm0016]

i have a 1/2 ton gmc and that aluminum jack. I would like to have a little more capicity but it has worked fine.

 

[Bartman39]

Since your going to get a heavier truck in the future I would look at the 3rd link in my post which also has some useful items...:thumbsup: (and is in your price range as well...)
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2216656&page=2

 

[slugg]

I didn't notice that you'd like to work on a truck. Definitely get something beefier than the jack I recommended...

 

[thescreensavers]

Arcan XL35 130 bucks(northern tool)

21" 3/8th lift

3.5 Tons, you can also find this at costco in red for ~89.99 or less as the XL35r

And yes its big and heavy so its not really portable.

here is the post I made about it when I got it http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2102001

 

[Kelvrick]

Arcan XL35 130 bucks(northern tool)

21" 3/8th lift

3.5 Tons, you can also find this at costco in red for ~89.99 or less as the XL35r

And yes its big and heavy so its not really portable.

here is the post I made about it when I got it http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2102001

I got mine from costco. Love it. Also paid around $100. It was $9x.xx before tax.

http://www.adamsautoadvice.com/2011/12/best-floor-jack-ever-arcan-xl35r-from-costco/

 

[thescreensavers]

^ wow I did not know about that return policy I thought it was 90 days on everything, holy mother of god. I love costco

 

[Kelvrick]

^ wow I did not know about that return policy I thought it was 90 days on everything, holy mother of god. I love costco

WHAT? It is pretty much life on everything. 90 days is on select electronics, since a few years ago.

 

[Throckmorton]

The aluminum one is really popular on the Miata forums.

I had a steel jack back in Houston and it's insanely heavy.

 

[mvbighead]

Some great options here. One problem I have is that I do not have a Costco membership. And since we have a Sams membership already, talking my wife into getting another $55 membership just doesn't seem likely when we would only be looking at a jack. If it was a 20-30 dollar membership, the savings/quality of the jack mentioned could justify it. As it's not, I probably won't be able to swing the Costco one, though I would love to.

The Sears set seems alright enough, but the jack looks eerily similar to the other jack I have which isn't tall enough. This is the other jack I have (which I didn't really feel was worth mentioning as I only use it for the car, which isn't much of a worry for me other than the current SUV/Truck jack won't fit):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-Jack...andle/14560041

The other concern with the Sears jack is there are several mentions of failure and them being unsafe on the Sears website. Also, I do have the jack stands (4 total). The kreeper, however, would be a very welcomed addition to my garage.


At this point, I am still considering a Costco membership, but by already having a Sams one, I dunno that I could put it to enough use. I may have to check and see if a family member or friend has a membership... only issue is, I really don't want to inconvenience someone to the tune of a 100lb jack.

The only other consideration I have is this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-68056.html

4 ton capacity, 20" lift, ~100lbs.

Though I would prefer the Northern tools one, I certainly can't order it from Amazon at $130 + $70 shipping. Costco would be the best route, but I can't guarantee stock, and I can't think of anyone I am close enough to that has a Costco membership (Costco just came in my area not that long ago, so most still have Sams' memberships).

Decisions, decisions.

 

[SuperSix]

I have the HF aluminum - LOVE the low weight, and lift speed. If I need some more lift - I use a landscape timber.

 

[mvbighead]

Well, gonna go check Sams and see if they have a similar deal. We'll see.

 

[JCH13]

I vote racing jack. I have a similar one (Jegs) that's a little higher quality than the HF option, but it's a great type of jack to have IMO. Being light makes a huge difference to me because I move it around a lot and bring it to auto-x events and other races.

 

[jlee]

I vote racing jack. I have a similar one (Jegs) that's a little higher quality than the HF option, but it's a great type of jack to have IMO. Being light makes a huge difference to me because I move it around a lot and bring it to auto-x events and other races.

I'll always want to have a good solid heavy jack in a garage, but there's a HUGE advantage to having something lightweight that you can bring elsewhere without damaging your trunk.

 

[mvbighead]

Well, Sams added an option to my list. I dunno that it looks as nice as the costco one others posted, but it certainly is more capable than my current jacks:

http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T83014-Q.../dp/B000234IS0

Most places seem to list it at about 120 - 150, Sams has it for 69.99. It's definitely in consideration, but I dunno what to think about Torin.

 

[mvbighead]

Oh, one additional note. Portability is not of too much concern for me. This will be kept in the garage 95%+ of the time. I aim to use it for routine maintenance (oil changes etc.), tire rotating, and various other small jobs. No track time for me, though the thought is intriguing.

 

[Kelvrick]

You don't know anyone with a costco membership? I know plenty of people who wouldn't mind accompanying you or just buying it for you. Granted, a if someone I knew wanted the jack, I'm walking next to them while they lugged it around and in and out of their own car. I'm in Sacramento, CA if you're in the area.

Also, regarding jack stands, I got 4 of the 3 ton version of these since I like having that extra bar in there when I'm under the car. The "A" in the model number is for the locking feature.
http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T42002A-...5704045&sr=8-2

 

[alkemyst]

I like this jack's specs, just not the weight....http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...-low-profile-heavy-duty-floor-jack-68050.html

 

[mvbighead]

I like this jack's specs, just not the weight....http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...-low-profile-heavy-duty-floor-jack-68050.html

That was precisely how I felt about that one. Has a great height, but the weight isn't as high as others.

Granted, for my particular application, the heaviest vehicle would be a Chevy 1500 with a curb weight of about 4300lbs. Given you're only lifting half of the car, and that a 2 ton jack is 4000lbs, a 2 ton should be more than adequate.

The price on that guy is quite a bit higher than the one I found at Sams, which does have a better capacity. Granted, the Sams one doesn't necessarily boast a 3.5 pump to full height listing either, which is one item that really has me leaning towards the HF models.

 

[mvbighead]

You don't know anyone with a costco membership? I know plenty of people who wouldn't mind accompanying you or just buying it for you. Granted, a if someone I knew wanted the jack, I'm walking next to them while they lugged it around and in and out of their own car. I'm in Sacramento, CA if you're in the area.

Also, regarding jack stands, I got 4 of the 3 ton version of these since I like having that extra bar in there when I'm under the car. The "A" in the model number is for the locking feature.
http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T42002A-...5704045&sr=8-2

Honestly, I don't. Like I said, we have a fair amount of Sams locations in Omaha, thus 90+% of the people with bulk memberships I know still use Sams. The others I know, I don't do enough for to justify bothering them with meeting me at Costco so I can buy something using their membership. If it were family or a close friend, I'd ask in a second. I just don't want to bother friends that I don't do much with outside of work.

 

[Squisher]

I got a used service jack for $50 off of craigslist. 3 1/2 ton and it must weigh 100 lbs. I remember looking it up and it was $250 new. I already had a smaller Sears jack that I used for years until I got a 4X4 with the OFF ROAD package.

 

[mvbighead]

Well, gonna knock the Sams one off the list. Too many sketchy reviews on Amazon that seem to reflect poor quality. Having a lesser model, I can say it ain't the prettiest, but it does work ok for me. At this point, I am looking for a good step up.

Well, I've tried to find a friend with Costco access, but it seems that ain't happening. Though the wife may surprise me and sign us up anyway. Personally, I don't feel we need to subscribe to Costco, Sams, and Prime.

At this point, it seems there is enough validation to buy something from HF. I have a feeling that I'll won't be getting an aluminum one primarily due to cost / ton rating. While I'd like to have a lighter one, it won't be going anywhere.

At this point, just based on interwebs looking, I'm leaning towards the model Alky pointed out. Has the highest lift range, considered low profile so it should fit under anything I buy, and is just on the high side of the price I am looking at. Guess I'll need to find a coupon...

Anyhoo, here is the most likely candidate -> http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump-2-ton-low-profile-heavy-duty-floor-jack-68050.html

 

[jlee]

If you're not in a hurry, keep an eye on sales - HF has sales all the time.

 

[mvbighead]

If you're not in a hurry, keep an eye on sales - HF has sales all the time.

Technically, this is on sale now... though perhaps this is just typically sale pricing, and an actual sale will present itself soon?

Kind of in a hurry though, as I am getting ready to change the oil on the car.

I've seen some reference coupons... any idea where I can find one?