Where did you guys get your floor jacks? I went to pepboys but the $30 one can only lift up to 13" which isn't very far off the ground. I can't even do an oil change under there. They can get really expensive too so I'm confused about the quality. Also... what's the difference between floor jack, hydraulic jack, bottle jack, scissor jack?

thanks

 

i got a speedy lift jack from Sams Club for $60, the brand is Michelin (yes like the tires) ....this same type of jack i shopped around at Ace Hardware, Sears, etc. & they were running for $100+

here i found same jack on ebay for $74+ ---> LINK

 

That Michelin jack is really good. We've been using two in our shop for the past year with no problems whatsoever. It lifts up (with no load) really quick and once a load is on it the jack still performs really good. I did have to modify the back of the jack a bit...just so that the handle will stand perfectly vertical for storage (this isn't necessary though).

 

Sorry, missed the last part of your question. Floor jacks are hydraulic and use a type oil in them. Most bottle jacks...or the ones we have at least, are also hydraulic. If you haven' seen a bottle jack, they are small vertical jacks with a screwout extendable neck. Most hydraulic jacks are operated manually by a lever action. However, you can also get pneumatic-hydraulic jacks which use air to raise/lower the jack.

The scissor jack is the cheap-*** jack that comes with your car. You can probably find one in your fender well in the trunk. This jack is also operated manually and usually has a long threaded bolt in order to "actuate" the jack. Once you see this jack in action, you will understand why it’s called a scissor jack. (note: this is a horrible explanation of the jacks, I could explain a bit better if I had time...)

 

The Michelin one costs $50 to ship so... kinda expensive. I went to Sears and just got the 3-ton one for $70... might as well buy a better one..


So now i have the saddest question of all time for you guys. How do I jack the car up? I know the are locations on the side where you put the jack stands and stuff but it doesn't quite "fit" perfectly and I don't want to accidentally pierce a hole in something. Where do I put the floor jack and how do I place the jack stands?

thanks. lol

 

I have been looking around for the best place for lifting the car up too. There is a little bump thing on the crossmember beam that the engine mounts to on the front of the car. I have used a floor jack there and it seems to work well to lift the front up.

 

harbor freight tools

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47246

 

I saw a 3-ton floor jack at Wally World for $40 last time I was there. I bought the Craftsman version for $50 when it was onsale awhile back. I would not suggest purchasing a jack online, shipping is a killer. For the price of the harborfreight ones, you can find one in the store for the same price or cheaper and not have to wait 2 weeks for it to arrive.

 

I just picked up the 1.5 ton jack from Sears for $120. I wanted the aluminum/steel one because my garage is cramped and I need to be able to move it around as easily as possible. Its all about how much you want to spend. If you want it to look nice that adds to the total as well. I pride the form and function of my tools and thats another reason I got this one. They all work fine. Just decide what you want.

 

There's a Harbor Freight retail store near me. Most of their stuff looks like cr&p. Cheaply made and imported. There might be a few things worthwhile, but $129 for their racing jack is not a 'deal' IMO.

I bought a 3000 lb floor jack from Fleet Farm. $49.95.

 

Have you ever used the jack I posted above? Also how many pumps does it take a so so 3000lb floor jack to be fully inclined, and how much do they weigh on average?

 

I have not used the Harbor Freight jack. I looked at it and operated it in their store. The release was not very smooth and the fit and finish was poor.

The jack I bought has a quick lift pedal to get the pad up to the frame in 1 or 2 pumps. It takes 5 pumps to get the wheel off the ground. It's made of steel, so it is heavier than the Harbor Freight one. Weighs about 55 lbs. For the price I paid it suits my needs very well.

 

thats great but giving a jack you dont own a bad review just bc you tinkered with it in the store isnt that accurate. The harbor freight jack that I listed above is solid as a rock, only weighs 35 pounds, and is fully inclined in 6 pumps. As far as the release its a floor model with everyone coming by screwing around with it so Im sure it wasn't properly oiled or in the best condition. I haven't had a problem with mine and its easy to move around bc of its light weight. After using different shop jacks I wouldn't trade mine for the world. Im not knocking what anyone else has purchased Im just stating that this is by far the best, lightest, and easiest to use to jack up the car with. If what you got serves the purpose for what you need it for and it didn't cost to much then awesome deal . My intention wasn't to flame just give a personal review.

 

No offense taken. We're both happy with what we have. A lighter jack would be nice, and I would have gotten a race type jack if I would have had the 'jack'.

 

I hear you about jacks that don't lift high enough. With my 3rd Gen the front lift point is almost under the bumper so you don't get much height.

It took me a while to find, but I came across this jack at a local auto parts chain: http://www.toolking.com/grip/view.asp?ID=5447

It's a High Lift jack that goes up to 21", but isn't a massive 3 ton service jack. It's still heavy at 50-60 lbs, but at least I can get it out the door! That site lists it at $70 but I swear I bought it for like only $80 Cdn or less.....

There are compact SUV High Lift jacks that basically are a typical (cheap) mini-jack with a tall extension on the saddle, but I measured it and am pretty sure it wouldn't fit under my car to begin with, which is too bad since it's a lot handier. Maybe if you got creative with driving your car up on wooden blocks or something....

 

I got that one too and i think it's a great bam for the buck!!