floor jack recommendation for home use?

Hi all,

need to buy a new floor jack, apparently. I currently have a cheap
little Chinese thing that I bought when I was in college, and when I
went to mess with the suspension of the Porsche the other day I found it
wouldn't pump up. I did manage to fill it with oil (messily, as it
apparently wasn't designed to be refilled) but noticed that whenever I
release it it leaks a little oil past the release valve, which is
probably why it was dead when I dug it out.

I'm a little (not a lot, just a little) financially better off now,
what's a decent brand of floor jack that I could replace it with?
Probably don't need anything super heavy duty, as the largest vehicle I
would probably lift with it would either be my '55 Stude or my F-150.
I'd prefer longevity and repairability over light weight and "racing!"
looks.

In short, I'm a cheap b*****d and also hate shopping, so I'm hoping to
buy something that will last for a good long time. Willing to pay a
little more to avoid going shopping again.

Also, I'm still looking for jackstands with wide, flat saddles that will
hold a "top hat" style boxed frame (like, say, a '55 Stude.) I know
they exist, or used to, as a friend of mine has *one...* but I can't
seem to find any for sale anywhere.

thanks,

nate

(of course, the Chinese thing *did* last over 10 years with no
maintenance...)

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> need to buy a new floor jack, apparently. I currently have a cheap
> little Chinese thing that I bought when I was in college, and when I
> went to mess with the suspension of the Porsche the other day I found it
> wouldn't pump up. I did manage to fill it with oil (messily, as it
> apparently wasn't designed to be refilled) but noticed that whenever I
> release it it leaks a little oil past the release valve, which is
> probably why it was dead when I dug it out.
>
> I'm a little (not a lot, just a little) financially better off now,
> what's a decent brand of floor jack that I could replace it with?
> Probably don't need anything super heavy duty, as the largest vehicle I
> would probably lift with it would either be my '55 Stude or my F-150.
> I'd prefer longevity and repairability over light weight and "racing!"
> looks.
>
> In short, I'm a cheap b*****d and also hate shopping, so I'm hoping to
> buy something that will last for a good long time. Willing to pay a
> little more to avoid going shopping again.
>
> Also, I'm still looking for jackstands with wide, flat saddles that will
> hold a "top hat" style boxed frame (like, say, a '55 Stude.) I know
> they exist, or used to, as a friend of mine has *one...* but I can't
> seem to find any for sale anywhere.
>
> thanks,
>
> nate
>
> (of course, the Chinese thing *did* last over 10 years with no
> maintenance...)
>

Milwaukee, US Jack, Gray or one of the OLD Lincolns that were U.S.
built. Those were from the 40's up to the late 80's. I would go used
unless you use it daily. New your going to go into shock!

I did see a neat unit in the local Tractor supply the other day. It
combined a 6 ton bottle jack and a locking jack stand in one unit. It
had a wide saddle and looked like it was built well. Think it was 40
bucks or so. Chinese made though.


--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York
NRA Member
Pacifism - The theory that if they'd fed
Jeffrey Dahmer enough human flesh,
he'd have become a vegan.

On Oct 9, 7:15 pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> need to buy a new floor jack, apparently. I currently have a cheap
> little Chinese thing that I bought when I was in college, and when I
> went to mess with the suspension of the Porsche the other day I found it
> wouldn't pump up. I did manage to fill it with oil (messily, as it
> apparently wasn't designed to be refilled) but noticed that whenever I
> release it it leaks a little oil past the release valve, which is
> probably why it was dead when I dug it out.
>
> I'm a little (not a lot, just a little) financially better off now,
> what's a decent brand of floor jack that I could replace it with?
> Probably don't need anything super heavy duty, as the largest vehicle I
> would probably lift with it would either be my '55 Stude or my F-150.
> I'd prefer longevity and repairability over light weight and "racing!"
> looks.
>
> In short, I'm a cheap b*****d and also hate shopping, so I'm hoping to
> buy something that will last for a good long time. Willing to pay a
> little more to avoid going shopping again.
>
> Also, I'm still looking for jackstands with wide, flat saddles that will
> hold a "top hat" style boxed frame (like, say, a '55 Stude.) I know
> they exist, or used to, as a friend of mine has *one...* but I can't
> seem to find any for sale anywhere.
>
> thanks,
>
> nate
>
> (of course, the Chinese thing *did* last over 10 years with no
> maintenance...)
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel

I just typed the following text in response to another similar
request, so here it is again...

Try the 5" to 19" range found on any medium frame 2 1/4 ton jack
available from places like Harbor Freight, Cummins Tools, Sears,
Sams,
etc for about $60 to $90. Best return on investment you'll ever make
if you do your own preventative maintenance. Lightly used, these
puppies will last indefinitely. All of the DIY-affordable models are
imports anyway, so take your pick. Just the larger saddle is worth
the slight extra cost of the typical tiny and underdesigned 14" jack.

Deja_vu.com, formerly Toyota MDT in MO

Nate Nagel wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> need to buy a new floor jack, apparently. I currently have a cheap
> little Chinese thing that I bought when I was in college, and when I
> went to mess with the suspension of the Porsche the other day I found it
> wouldn't pump up. I did manage to fill it with oil (messily, as it
> apparently wasn't designed to be refilled) but noticed that whenever I
> release it it leaks a little oil past the release valve, which is
> probably why it was dead when I dug it out.
>
> I'm a little (not a lot, just a little) financially better off now,
> what's a decent brand of floor jack that I could replace it with?
> Probably don't need anything super heavy duty, as the largest vehicle I
> would probably lift with it would either be my '55 Stude or my F-150.
> I'd prefer longevity and repairability over light weight and "racing!"
> looks.
>
> In short, I'm a cheap b*****d and also hate shopping, so I'm hoping to
> buy something that will last for a good long time. Willing to pay a
> little more to avoid going shopping again.
>
> Also, I'm still looking for jackstands with wide, flat saddles that will
> hold a "top hat" style boxed frame (like, say, a '55 Stude.) I know
> they exist, or used to, as a friend of mine has *one...* but I can't
> seem to find any for sale anywhere.
>
> thanks,
>
> nate
>
> (of course, the Chinese thing *did* last over 10 years with no
> maintenance...)
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
> http://members.cox.net/njnagel

The 4 ton Sears model I got in a hurry one time seems to work fine, and
it has to deal with a 7,000# truck.

"Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
> I found some nice jack stands like that at WalMart. Fairly cheap too.
> Their stock seems to come and go.

I got some nice stands at WalMart, too, and also picked up some
ramps. The ramps were not expensive and are, when appropriate,
much easier to deal with than jacking up the car and using stands.
Each has its place.

I bought a WalMart floor jack too,and it works okay but was a
mistake. It is too small. Several years ago I bought a large
(garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its
weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it. Yes,
it was made in China, I guess, but it held up well.

"hls" > wrote in message
. net...
>
> "Ashton Crusher" > wrote in message
> > I found some nice jack stands like that at WalMart. Fairly cheap too.
> > Their stock seems to come and go.
>
> I got some nice stands at WalMart, too, and also picked up some
> ramps. The ramps were not expensive and are, when appropriate,
> much easier to deal with than jacking up the car and using stands.
> Each has its place.
>
> I bought a WalMart floor jack too,and it works okay but was a
> mistake. It is too small. Several years ago I bought a large
> (garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its
> weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it. Yes,
> it was made in China, I guess, but it held up well.

The local Kragen stores have also been selling a 2-ton floor jack plus jack
stands for what appears to be something like $29.99 (caveat: it might be
after rebate).

If the 2-ton jack is sufficient, that might be the way to go. I've had the
same brand of floor jack ("Team Mechanix") for several years. Except for
having to tighten the jack's front wheel caps every so often so they don't
loosen too much and fall off, the jack has never failed to pump up and shows
no signs of leaking hydraulic oil at this time.

Others have mentioned Craftsman, which is also an excellent floor jack too.
(Their combo pack including jackstands may be higher in price than the
Kragen one.)

hls wrote:
> Several years ago I bought a
> large
> (garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its_
> weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it.
========

That big, big floor jack is still at Sam's Club, and it's
still priced at $65. It has Michelin stamped on it today.
It extends to as much as 22 inches, not just 19, and
it just takes one downturn of the lever to raise the saddle
to its full height.

I think it was a 6-tonner, but I could be wrong. It may
have been a 4-tonner. Not sure, but I think 6. You
always get your money's worth at Sam's Club! :-)

Built_Well wrote:
> hls wrote:
> > Several years ago I bought a
> > large
> > (garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its_
> > weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it.
> ========
>
> That big, big floor jack is still at Sam's Club, and it's
> still priced at $65. It has Michelin stamped on it today.
> It extends to as much as 22 inches, not just 19, and
> it just takes one downturn of the lever to raise the saddle
> to its full height.
>
> I think it was a 6-tonner, but I could be wrong. It may
> have been a 4-tonner. Not sure, but I think 6. You
> always get your money's worth at Sam's Club! :-)
========

This jack at Sam's Club is so stout, it could lift
Oprah Winfrey ;-) [chuckle]

On Oct 11, 1:20 pm, Built_Well > wrote:
> hls wrote:
> > Several years ago I bought a
> > large
> > (garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its_
> > weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it.
>
> ========
>
> That big, big floor jack is still at Sam's Club, and it's
> still priced at $65. It has Michelin stamped on it today.
> It extends to as much as 22 inches, not just 19, and
> it just takes one downturn of the lever to raise the saddle
> to its full height.
>
> I think it was a 6-tonner, but I could be wrong. It may
> have been a 4-tonner. Not sure, but I think 6. You
> always get your money's worth at Sam's Club! :-)

I won't be buying that one; a friend bought one a year or so ago and
it's already dead.

The Sears one he picked up at a yard sale for $15 is still going
strong however... do they still make them "like they used to?"

nate

On Oct 11, 1:25 pm, N8N > wrote:
> On Oct 11, 1:20 pm, Built_Well > wrote:
>
>
>
> > hls wrote:
> > > Several years ago I bought a
> > > large
> > > (garage type) floor jack at Sam's Club, and it was worth its_
> > > weight in gold. At that time, I paid only about $65 for it.
>
> > ========
>
> > That big, big floor jack is still at Sam's Club, and it's
> > still priced at $65. It has Michelin stamped on it today.
> > It extends to as much as 22 inches, not just 19, and
> > it just takes one downturn of the lever to raise the saddle
> > to its full height.
>
> > I think it was a 6-tonner, but I could be wrong. It may
> > have been a 4-tonner. Not sure, but I think 6. You
> > always get your money's worth at Sam's Club! :-)
>
> I won't be buying that one; a friend bought one a year or so ago and
> it's already dead.
>
> The Sears one he picked up at a yard sale for $15 is still going
> strong however... do they still make them "like they used to?"
>
> nate

I have a Sears 1.5-ton floor jack I bought new in 1980. Still works
when I need it. Never even rebuilt, remarkably.

If it had to be replaced, I would be inclined to go to Northern Tool.
Any mechanical equipment, machine tool, etc. you buy these days is
going to be Chinese made, and that's not the stigma it once was.