jack recomendations

[Group A]

my current jack just crapped out on me. its a LARIN brand jack from COSTCO. while it lasted it was pretty good, not bad at all for $100.

but i had it for maybe only about a year and i've decided my next jack im going to spend the extra cash for something quality so it'll last me longer then just a year. im currently looking at the craftsman 2-ton racing jack for $200. but i heard froma couple people that they really arent that great.

does anyone have and recomendations? my price range is around $150-200 or so.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

Harbor Freight
$80 (when its on sale)
2-ton blue aluminum low-clearance racing jack (3.5" minimum)

I've had it for almost 2.5 years, several drift days, track events, tranny swap, and other projects later, still works like a charm (although a little squeaky, which just means it needs a little maintenance on my part)

[Hick]

dont get any jack that has an 'automatic raise' feature [may go by other names] it is designed to raise the jack to the undercarrage on the first pump then every pump after will raise the car. typically i have found that the pumping after the first is more difficult than a traditional jack and the capabilities of the jack are limiting in tonnage.

id go with the alloy jack from harbor freight, its fairly low and very light! also comes in an array of flower patterns for your feminine side.

[YAN-3]

i just bought a craftsman 3ton racing aluminum jack, low clearance, red/silver and 2 3 ton jack stands for $200. i work on heavier things than e30s too, so it will pay for itself when i work on someones car here shortly

[Jscotty]

Gee.. what ever happened to the days of using a bottle jack, a 2x4, and a cinderblock?

[Rigmaster]

I have *heard* that Costco's return policy was incredible- have you thought about returning it for an exchange???

What is wrong with the jack?? I've been able to revive some jacks by "bleeding" the air out of the hydraulic system (instructions are usually in the jack manual) or in some cases- adding a little jack oil to the reservoir and then bleeding. Worth a try if you havent' already.

I have used all sorts of floor jacks over the years, the HF aluminum jacks are fine for occasional use- and I love their light weight, but they don't seem to last more than a year or so. I have a Michelin branded jack that came from Sam's about 10 years ago that works fine- it's heavy as hell (probably 85 lbs) so it's not the best for going to the track or autox or whatever- but fine for shop/garage use. I recently bought a Black Jack 3 ton low profile jack from WallyWorld for like $65, it's heavy too, but perfect for the garage. It's got a very low saddle height which is nice for lowered cars. So far so good- I'd highly recommend this one if you don't need to move it around alot- pretty sure this one was made by Torin.



Bret.

[Jscotty]

I have *heard* that Costco's return policy was incredible- have you thought about returning it for an exchange???

Bret.

I have taken many things back to Costco months later (sometimes years) without a problem. Cash refunds even on stuff that most stores don't take back and even on those items (like lawnmowers) that say inside of the box, "DO NOT RETURN THIS ITEM TO THE STORE. CALL US IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM". I even took back a flat tire to have it plugged. When they noticed that it had uneven wear (the inside edge was worn bald) they said that they could not let me drive away without the tire being replaced with a new one. They didn't have any more Michelins in my size so they gave me one of their off-brand tires and the price difference in cash. No card, no reciept.. I just drove in with a flat and drove off with a new tire and $20!

[Bryan]

I took a 3 year old plasma back to Costco 2 months ago was given back my $2400 I paid back in the day. Then I bought one from them for $1300. =-) It's not shady if they let it happend before anyone says a damn word about it! Lol

[nando]

I took a 3 year old plasma back to Costco 2 months ago was given back my $2400 I paid back in the day. Then I bought one from them for $1300. =-) It's not shady if they let it happend before anyone says a damn word about it! Lol

yeah, and thanks to people you they have now changed their return policy on those types of items to 90 days.

[Group A]

i have thought about returning it to costco. but it just seems to unethical to me, plus im lazy. but yea, after looking at it some more and reading the 'troubleshooting' section of the owners manual, i think i can fix it. thanks for all the replies though. keep em coming if you got some new recomendations, i'll keep them in mind when/if i really do need a new jack.

[loonibab325i]

i just bought a craftsman 3ton racing aluminum jack, low clearance, red/silver and 2 3 ton jack stands for $200. i work on heavier things than e30s too, so it will pay for itself when i work on someones car here shortly

I have the same jack, it rocks!

[JasonC]

Here is a thread with different jacks in it.

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

[Tom@POLIZEI]

Harbor Freight
$80 (when its on sale)
2-ton blue aluminum low-clearance racing jack (3.5" minimum)

I've had it for almost 2.5 years, several drift days, track events, tranny swap, and other projects later, still works like a charm (although a little squeaky, which just means it needs a little maintenance on my part)

Second this jack, very well made.

A buddy of mine had the Costco one and we broke it within 2 months.

[SchnellerVert]

Harbor Freight
$80 (when its on sale)
2-ton blue aluminum low-clearance racing jack (3.5" minimum)

I've had it for almost 3 years, track events, Multiple swaps and misc projects, still works like a charm (although a little squeaky, which just means it needs a little maintenance on my part)

Edited for what I've done with mine Mine had a one year warranty. Most dislike this jack due to cheap China issues. I needed a budget jack, Now I have two.

[Group A]

does anyone know what the warranty is on the craftsman jacks? are they lifetime no questions asked just like their hand tools?


edit:

nevermind, took a look on sears.com and read the reviews. i guess craftsman doesnt really have any warranty on it and the average rating for both the aluminum jacks are 1-1.5 out of 5 stars. seems they both have seal problems, leaking after only a few uses.