What floor jack do you use/recommend

[eighteight325is]

I bought a 1.5 ton aluminum racing jack years ago when I had to lug it up or down a flight of stairs from an apartment to work on my cars. It works and will probably make for a nice secondary for putting under suspensions, cross-members, transmissions while working on them. Things I do not like about it:

• Low lift height
• Can only lift 1.5 tons
• Despite low saddle height, cannot get under lowered cars w/out pre-jacking or stacking boards

So now that I have a garage and another vehicle that is much heavier and requires more than 17.75 inches of lift height I'm in the market for a new floor jack. What do you use, what do you recommend R3V!

[nrubenstein]

AC Hydraulics.

[browntown]

ac hydraulics are the shiznit, but if you can't swing that, I bought an omega magic lift and love it:

Found here
Comparison of the two
Video of above referenced jack in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIqXeeaFmlo

And the thread that has already hashed this out here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=80369

[eighteight325is]

Thanks for the info and link. I searched for "floor jack" and got about 87 thousand hits most in the do it yourself sections with the first sentence being "first jack up your car" :)

[b*saint]

Dont buy Harbor Freight. I have one and it doesnt strike confidence in me.

[stormspike]

I got a sears one that came with stands, etc. Pretty nice. Dont get Harbor Freight. I like Harbor, but I dont trust their stuff on anthing that is holding up 2000 lbs over my head :)

[george graves]

The "black magic" (or something) jack from walmart blows. I hate it.

[Jonny Cash]

I have that 2 ton aluminum low-pro Craftsmen jack. It lifts really fast and its really low and lightweight. But the first three i had were defective- the fourth one has lasted 3 years but I still dont trust it. I remember 10+ years ago they were solid as a rock, but not so much anymore.

[KenC]

Dont buy Harbor Freight. I have one and it doesnt strike confidence in me.

Ive used the harbor freight one tons of times. For $60 you can't beat it.

[FredK]

The Omega/Blackhawk 29023 will just reach the front crossmember, but you don't have to drive on boards or do anything silly to get there (well, unless you have a slammed M42-powered car and the oil pan is 1" off the ground). You have to bottom it out against the front lip and push it back maybe half an inch and it'll saddle the front crossmember perfectly.

[leone30]

I use 4 scissor jacks from RV. Bolted two 3/4 thick soft wood blocks on top of each to accomodate spot weld sheet metal flange.
works for me

[Boris3]

I had bad luck with the 2 ton Sears jack as well. Nice while it worked but seals starting leaking badly after two years. Reviews on the Sears site mostly say do not buy. Should have read them first. I picked up the $60 Harbor Freight jack. OK for the e30 but doesn't have the height and weight capacity you're looking for.

[Jand3rson]

I got mine at Costco a few years ago for $90, and it's the best jack I've ever owned. Pretty low profile, I still have to wind up one side of my car with the widowmaker to get it under the front, tho.



5 pumps to full-height (not full height in pic)

[nando]

Low profile ramps, Josh. Everyone laughed when somebody posted them like 5 years ago, but seriously they're perfect for basic work on a lowered car, and to get a jack under it. I use it to change my oil, no jack required. And on my wife's subaru, they're enough to make changing the oil comfortable.

the "widowmaker" I keep around for "just in case", but it's seriously scary. I've had it almost fall over on me twice. I'm thinking I'd rather toss it in the trash and put a bottle jack in the trunk or something.

[CorvallisBMW]

^I've tried in vain to find extra-low profile ramps for years. Where do you get them?