Hydraulic floor jack

Hey guys, I'm looking to purchase a floor jack to facillitate swapping the winter and summer wheels. In particular, I'd prefer to get a manual since I presume that the electric versions are pricier. Anyway, if anyone knows of a reputable manufacturer and model, I'd really appreciate it. I noticed that Amazon sells a bunch of them, but there are too many models for me to distinguish which works best for the 911. Thanks.

I really like the Sears aluminum jack. It's normally $199 but goes on sale every couple of months for $149. It's low enough to get under most any car and light enough that it's easy to carry around when you need to. Jim

+1, used one and liked it. Also try Jegs performance, I believe you may even be able to beat that price with a different brand. My brother has an aluminum jack that is very low profile and weighs probably less than 5 lbs. He didnt pay much for it, like $69 if my memory serves but I dont remember the brand.

American Forge Foundry Model 200T (low profile 2.75" height can easily get under the car!). Bought from this place in CT with free shipping. Jack works great and is realtively light! should be around $200 http://www.asedeals.com/automotive_floor_jacks.html Hope this helps.

+2 - Sears/Craftsman Aluminum Race Jack works well, and looks good in the garage! Won't work on your SUV or large sedans...but works great on P-cars!

I wasn't aware there were any electric floor jacks.... I do have an electric sissor lift... but it is somewhat hydraulic, the electric motor just pump the hydraulic fluid to make it work. There are many variety of floor jacks out there, typically if your choice are limited by the area where you live you can always just go to Sears. They have great floor jacks and jack stand combo deals that's good quality and affordable price. Recently, there have been quit a few garden variety aluminum floor jacks out in the market. Be careful as some of them are not great of quality, always use a jack stand when lifting a car with a floor jack.

Don't mean to highjack this thread but since we are on the same topic (floor jack), what is the mininum capacity for our cars? Is 2 ton capacity good enough to lift the rear of car and put it on jack-stands, or do you need 2.5 or 3 tons? Thanks for any recommendations... Cheers,

Depends on how much overkill you prefer. The entire car weighs a little more than 1.5 tons.

For our cars a 2 ton aluminum jack is just fine as long as it's fairly high quality. I'd stay away from the $60 to 150 aluminum jacks. If you're going to go cheap, get something steel. And, like Robin said, always use jackstands. Also, make sure to block your tires. It's very easy to roll a car off a jack.

That's awesome feedback guys. I like the idea of heading over to Sears to check out the Craftsman jacks and jackstands. Totally forgot about the tire blocks, so I'll add that to the list also. Thanks again.

Where did you get your scissors lift? Expensive, difficult to install? I would kill for somthing like that, well probably not you since you're a fellow P-car owner.

Harbor Freight, all shapes and sizes for little $$. They are all ultimately made in China anyway.....

+1 I have the same...

This one..... fits nicely in the trunk too for those "arrive and drive" track days.

+4 The Sears aluminum one is a nice jack. Lighter and easier to move around and position in the garage. The descent is nice and smooth too. I've used cheaper jacks before and lowering the car can be a scary proposition. The valve is either on or off and so your car drops like a rock when you release the valve.

I got mine from Greg Smith Equipment, it was like $1400 delivered to the house lift gate service. I was able to move the entire sissor lift in place all on my own, didn't do any lifting, all with the aid for 3 floor jack... (Yes I have 3 of them.) I just built the ramp on each side of the sissor lift and drive my car right on there everyday. Takes me about 30 seconds to lift a car off the ground, as easy as it gets. I think it can lift the car up over 4 feet, which is plenty to drop an engine.

That's very cool, Robin. But, how about gharold's efforts (I remember reading his thread a bit back and couldn't believe that passion of actually digging into the floor)? I borrowed a picture from the thread to post here; I think you'll all agree that it looks awesome!

yes, I thought about digging into the concrete, I think it is awesome idea. But this is what stopped me, in my 3 car garage I have the lift placed on the right side of the two car garage side . The left side of the 2 car garage is used as my little work shop. There really isn't too much space on the rigth side of the car once it is lifted off the ground to allow me to work. So in most cases I will have to move the lift off to the center of the two car garage to allow more space to work on the car. So I will need to move the sissor lift .... Digging a hole in the ground would probably not work too well for me.

These jacks are the best for Porsches

Robin, Your setup looks familiar. Jim

Harbor Freight sells a compact aluminum race Jack for around $80 that matches the Sears model for a lot less $$$. I have one and take it our with me to track events in case I have to do any work like pull a wheel and work on brakes. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91039 If you work in dirty environments, I highly recommend when you get one of these or the sears floor jacks that you disassemble the front wide roller and coat the axle with anti-seize. I seen the front rollers on many of these types of jacks freeze up when used at the track from debris getting in and contaminating the roller.

Unless they've changed it dramatically the HF jack is not the same as the one from Sears. Jim

I own the Harbor Freight jack and I have used the Sears jack (borrowed it at a track event). The Sears jack is nicer, but it is also quite a bit larger, heavier and more expensive. I have no complaints with my HF Jack. If size and weight are important I'd recommend the HF jack (if your car is really low like mine, it also has a lower saddle height by 3/4"). But in fairness the Sears jack is probably a little stronger and more durable.

Ray, My only issue with the HF jack is that I saw a guy at RA break one a couple of years ago. His car rolled forward (his fault) and one of the arms actually broke. For occasional use they are fine I'm sure but I'd be extra careful. Of course that should be said of any jack. I've got a friend that's been in a wheelchair since he was 19 because a car fell on him so I'm a little overly cautious. Jim

Hmmm, that's not good. I have not had any problems with mine. I just checked out the Sears web site and there are a disturbing number of poor ratings for the Craftsman product (click the link below and go to "Reviews"). It appears that both products can and do fail. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

I just finished reading the Craftsman reviews. I think I'll stick with my HF jack.

Ray, That was the wrong jack. This is the right one. It has even worse reviews! http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes

I've had a HF jack go on me as well. The jack rolled forward and the car crushed the caster on the jack. It wasn't pretty. My main jack now is the craftsman jack that had been mentioned a few times here already. I got it only becuase my HF jack broke, I needed another jack quickly, and Sears was close by. With all craftsman product quality, it's usually hit and miss anyways, so it should be fine if you get one that works. If not, just exchange for another one. You see bad online reviews becuase the 99% of the owners with a jack that works will not post a review (well, maybe with craftsman it's much lower than 99%, but you get the idea). It's a decent jack for the money, but it's a little hard to transport to the track. I am looking at this jack: http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=36950 It weights 26 pounds and it is dual piston - five pumps and you are at maximum height. I tried it during a BMW club race and it was great.

No way would I trust any Chinese jack or lifting device, from HF, Sears, Costco, or where ever. I've had the same Sears (non-Craftsman) (made in Japan) jack now for about 34 years, since I was a teenager. Rated 1.5 ton. It's beefier than ones they sell today rated double that. And it doesn't leak down. Bill

Very timely thread as I'm about to start jack-shopping. Anyone know if any of the jacks mentioned above will also work on an SUV (lexus GX470)?

I bought an import Sears floor jack. It collapsed on me and trapped me under the handle. I escaped without injury, but it could have just as well been fatal. I will never buy another import jack again. I now have a Lincoln floor jack (USA version). That is something to consider next time you invest in a tool that can be critical to life.

After reading the Sears reviews and the comments on this forum, I'm not going to trust my life or my car to a cheap import. I was ready to buy a Harbor Freight jack till I read this discussion thread. I was truly surprised to see all the negative comments on the Sears jack...especially considering the vulnerability from product liability that would arrise from a device like a jack that ended up failing and hurting you or your car. HOWEVER....one must consider that we don't always get the whole or accurate story from everyone....like maybe they exceeded the safe weight capacity of the jack, or jacked the car up on an incline, or didn't block the wheels. I am seriously considering the BenPak scissors lift....and everything I've read says they make a great product.

if you want a lwt jack for track use, perhaps HF or sears would do it. but if you want one at home, you REALLY REALLY should buy AC hydraulic jack. it will last you a life time and it's not going to roll forward/backward to scare the **** out of you. i have three of those they are used every week and never a prob after 5 years. but they are very hvy if you have to transport them.

A good friend of mine.....about 8 years ago was working under his car at home alone and had jacked up the car to pull the transmission...but didn't put jackstands under it because "it wasn't going to take very long just to pull the tranny away from the engine". The hydraulic jack failed, and let the car down on his chest. He suffered an agonizingly slow death from asphyxiation due to the weight of the car and tranny on his chest. The car didn't come all the way down...just far enough to pin him under it. His wife came home after work to find his legs sticking out from under the car, and called for help when he didn't come to dinner..... Yes, he screwed up big time by not blocking the car or putting jack stands under it. He actually lived in a coma for three days till he mercifully died...but the point of this post is the failure of the hydraulic jack. C'mon guys...I know there are those of you out there who will want to launch into a diatribe about what a dummy he was....but he's still dumb and dead. Please leave the issue as the failed jack....a warning to others about the potential danger of cheap products....and leave it at that. Safety will and should ALWAYS be a paramount issue. Chuck

Wow, check out the installation of this guy. Pretty slick. He even covered up the hole dug out for the lift! http://forums.audiworld.com/a8/msgs/136722.phtml My rule: if I ever have to go under the car, no matter for what short period of time, the car goes on 2 - 4 jack stands. The only time I leave the car on the jack is to change wheels (street to rcomps and vice versa), and I make sure I have no body parts under the car during the process.

I do the same thing. I use jacks only (2 at a time) to change wheels. If I go under, I use the stands.

I would totally go with the AC Hydraulics jack for home use. It is incredibly well engineered. My hydraulic cylinder sprung a leak after 4 years, but the importer made it right and basically only charged me a little shipping to take care of it, despite the fact that it was out of warranty. I still have my 2ton sears jack that I bought in high school. It has only needed 1 fluid change in 25 years. The comment above about avoiding imports is misguided. Many of the parts on a lot of the jacks are sourced overseas. The quality of the jack is what is important. BTW, I picked up a set of AC jack stands from a fellow Rlister and I can say that they are the best that I have ever seen, bar none. Safety first! Robin, I have often wondered how difficult it is to do an engine drop with one of these lifts. It really looks like the access would be difficult. Anyone done this?