RFI - Floor Jack

[Cookie Monster]

I just spent an hour in my ice covered driveway in the dark trying to jack up my truck to change a flat tire. The jack in the truck would not rise the truck high enough, so I had to jack the truck up, add cribbing, remove jack, add cribbing, jack again, repeat.

So I need to check on that bottle jack to make sure it has enough oil or something.

Anyway, I dreamed of pulling a floor jack out of the garage and just having it done.

So looking for something that will be around in 30 years with light use, work on my truck with 33 inch tires, and be serviceable. Avoid Harbor Freight but Snap-On is above my pay grade and my use level.

Thanks!

[schüler]

If it will be used with cars with lower clearance get a low pro model. This is especially true when a tire is flat on the corner you want to jack from.

Lincoln (now Hein/whatever) are what I've had for 22yrs, but probably beyond your price range?

No matter the quality of the jack, jack stands are a must, I assume you have that in mind, too. I don't know what ice environ people do for stability.

[hufnagel]

Harbor Freight aluminum jacks.

[NEPAKevin]

I have a Husky 3-ton that I got from Home Depot. Gets used maybe twice a year to put and take off the snow tires on a Sierra 1500. Works ok.

[orionz06]

Harbor Freight aluminum jacks.

After countless hours of internet searching I wound up with the biggest jack that HF sold that would still sit under a lowered car. By almost all accounts nearly all of the jacks out there come outta the same Chinese factory and are measurably the same. Even some of the ones sold by Summit and others. There surely are some that are not but for $150 (sale) you can do far worse.

[scjbash]

I bought a harbor freight floor jack based on a recommendation from the guys at my tire shop. I see them used quite a bit in garages. They are built as well as more expensive jacks and will work fine on a truck with 33" tires. I've read that there are issues with their low profile aluminum jacks but the full size steel jacks seem gtg. With a coupon they are pretty cheap.

[JRB]

I've used a wide variety of floor jacks in a professional race car workshop environment, and the Harbor Freight ones work great if they match the application - e.g. don't get the 2 ton low-pro aluminum one intended for lowered sports cars and try to use it on a lifted dually.

If you're not dragging it all over a shop floor all day, or transporting it in a race trailer/etc, the steel ones kick ass and are usually much cheaper than the aluminum ones. If the AL fits your comfortable budget, awesome, but for swapping snow/summer tires on a truck I'd just get a larger steel one and a pair of jackstands and call it a day. Harbor Freight often has 20% off coupons, etc available as well.

Edit:
Also, on Harbor Freight tools in general - on "solid" tools like box end wrenches, socket sets, extensions, etc, I use the hell out of them.
The only time I've found that it's really worth the extra coin for MAC, Snap-On, etc is with ratchets, ratcheting box ends, electric impact drivers, etc.

[DallasBronco]

After countless hours of internet searching I wound up with the biggest jack that HF sold that would still sit under a lowered car. By almost all accounts nearly all of the jacks out there come outta the same Chinese factory and are measurably the same. Even some of the ones sold by Summit and others. There surely are some that are not but for $150 (sale) you can do far worse.

What he said. I have a steel fast-lift jack and an aluminum one both from Harbor Freight. I do a few projects a year that need these jacks and they have held up very well. For a truck, if you don't mind the added weight, the steel jacks are cheaper and you can get a very handy feature in the fast-lift. Basically, 2-3 pumps has the jack against the bottom of the vehicle and you start to lift from there. It is a real time saver. I also agree about using jackstands. I have had and seen enough jacks twist out from under a load, or slowly deflate to not trust them by themselves.

[RJ]

Harbor Freight aluminum jacks.

I used two from HF over 8 years on my fancy pants BMWs and had zip for issues.

Ditto the jack stands. I never ever ever trust a hydraulic jack.

[txdpd]

At least you weren't in BFE, because I can guarantee if you were you wouldn't find a scrap of wood for 6 miles in either direction.

If you're a Costco member floor jacks will fall under their lifetime return policy for home use.

https://www.costco.com/3-Ton-Profess...100222458.html

I've had the same jack sold under the "Torin" label for 15 years. You will need to tape foam to the handle since they go about 20 degrees past vertical towards the car.