Reviews: Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands

eckoman_pdx · 01-24-2008, 02:00 AM

This thread is for reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands. This way we can have all the reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands in one easy to find, easy to search place. Please post your reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands you've used, own or owned here.

Floor Jack: Craftsman Aluminum Floor Jack ("Racing Jack"); Jackstands
Floor Jack: $199 (it's gone up $60 since I bought mine, I paid $139), Jackstands: $19.99

This thing is great. I've had this since the first month they were available. I got it right when it first came out. It's lightweight, which allowed you to carry it if need be, whether it be to a friends, to the track, whatever. Also, it is a low profile jack. It was a 3 3/4"-18 1/2" lift range. It can clear most lowered vehicles I've tried it on, which is a major plus. Also, it's one of those jacks that raises to reach the underside jack point in 1 pump. It raises pretty quick too once you get a load on it. It doesn't take more than few pumps to reach full height. It's full sized, low-profile, the lightweight (maybe 44 lbs), reaches the jacking point in 1 pump, and raises fully in 5-6 pumps. I love this jack, gets placed some won't it portable due to the weight, and has worked for years. I recommend it.

I've read negative things about this jack, but it's been good to me. It even tipped over once and one of the 3 grab handles broke, when trying to jack a car to change flat on a slight slope, and it still works fine, so IDK about the other reviews I read. The most common complaint is oil leaking, or that is got stuck up, and I never had these issues. From reading them, it sounds like people are jacking the car with it, leaving it on the jack and working on it for extended periods. If that's the case, that's the problem. $20 jack-stands and they'd be fine. We all know we're not suppose to use the jack to hold the car up, just to raise it. I always lift the car, put jack-stands under the car, lower it onto the jack-stands, and then remove the jack so the jack-stands are supporting it. The owners manual warns not to use the jack to support a vehicle, only to lift it. I suspect that the failure I read about is due to people using it incorrectly as load barring jack-stands, and not just a floor jack to lift.

I still recommend it, regardless of the reviews on the sears site. Just use jack-stands to support the car once it's in the air, and not the jack-itself...all these people who use it as a load-barring device also and then complain when it leaks or won't lift...they'd of been fine if they used it to jack and not as a load barring device. There's a reason they make jack-stands AND floor jacks. Floor jacks aren't made to support a load for extended periods...

CyFi · 03-27-2008, 09:54 PM

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

POS. Wish i never bought this. Jacking up a light car take a lot of effort even with the long handle. Releasing it is the worst part, no matter how careful and gentle you are with it the car comes slamming down at 100mph. Simply dont buy this. The onle good part about it is i can use the handle as a breaker bar.

baktasht · 03-27-2008, 11:07 PM

very useful thread... any others?

canadam · 03-28-2008, 12:00 AM

I just have a tiny Chinese off-brand floor jack. It's only good for taking off tires and not worth reviewing

MR2TRD1 · 03-28-2008, 12:09 AM

The craftsman race jack you have pictured works awesome. Perfect for lowered cars. My brother's friend buys truckloads of goods that are deemed damaged in shipping and never make it to the store. So I got 3 of those jacks for $50.

Gairloch · 03-28-2008, 12:13 AM

I also have the jack that eckoman_pdx pictured and love it. I lost the rubber foot thing though

Kupop · 04-01-2008, 10:04 AM

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Great little thing! 3000lb lift and very small, and light! ~25 lbs.

I wouldn't recommend this jack if it is your only jack though. It is small so it will not lift cars very high and only has a limit of 3000lbs. I use it when I go autocrossing to change my tires at events and also at the garage to more easily lift cars that are lowered. I typically use this jack to at least get the car on jack stands, then bring out my big old 3ton Craftsman jack.

surfer8 · 04-01-2008, 07:27 PM

I got one of these a couple of months ago. It lifts to 30 inches. I replaced a 15 inch Wall-Mart lift that was dying. This thing weighs 125 pounds. It's not portable but it does a good job and gives me plenty of room under the car.

01-24-2008, 02:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
eckoman_pdx Custom Car Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 1,245 Thanks: 42 Thanked 71 Times in 59 Posts iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Reviews: Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands This thread is for reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands. This way we can have all the reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands in one easy to find, easy to search place. Please post your reviews of Floor Jacks and Jack-Stands you've used, own or owned here. Floor Jack: Craftsman Aluminum Floor Jack ("Racing Jack"); Jackstands Floor Jack: $199 (it's gone up $60 since I bought mine, I paid $139), Jackstands: $19.99 This thing is great. I've had this since the first month they were available. I got it right when it first came out. It's lightweight, which allowed you to carry it if need be, whether it be to a friends, to the track, whatever. Also, it is a low profile jack. It was a 3 3/4"-18 1/2" lift range. It can clear most lowered vehicles I've tried it on, which is a major plus. Also, it's one of those jacks that raises to reach the underside jack point in 1 pump. It raises pretty quick too once you get a load on it. It doesn't take more than few pumps to reach full height. It's full sized, low-profile, the lightweight (maybe 44 lbs), reaches the jacking point in 1 pump, and raises fully in 5-6 pumps. I love this jack, gets placed some won't it portable due to the weight, and has worked for years. I recommend it. I've read negative things about this jack, but it's been good to me. It even tipped over once and one of the 3 grab handles broke, when trying to jack a car to change flat on a slight slope, and it still works fine, so IDK about the other reviews I read. The most common complaint is oil leaking, or that is got stuck up, and I never had these issues. From reading them, it sounds like people are jacking the car with it, leaving it on the jack and working on it for extended periods. If that's the case, that's the problem. $20 jack-stands and they'd be fine. We all know we're not suppose to use the jack to hold the car up, just to raise it. I always lift the car, put jack-stands under the car, lower it onto the jack-stands, and then remove the jack so the jack-stands are supporting it. The owners manual warns not to use the jack to support a vehicle, only to lift it. I suspect that the failure I read about is due to people using it incorrectly as load barring jack-stands, and not just a floor jack to lift. I still recommend it, regardless of the reviews on the sears site. Just use jack-stands to support the car once it's in the air, and not the jack-itself...all these people who use it as a load-barring device also and then complain when it leaks or won't lift...they'd of been fine if they used it to jack and not as a load barring device. There's a reason they make jack-stands AND floor jacks. Floor jacks aren't made to support a load for extended periods...

03-28-2008, 12:13 AM	#6 (permalink)
Gairloch Dreaming of apexes Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 4,854 Thanks: 125 Thanked 258 Times in 228 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (7/100% )	I also have the jack that eckoman_pdx pictured and love it. I lost the rubber foot thing though __________________ "Inside the car, the world beyond the driver's immediate horizon ceases to exist. Alone with the solitude of his desire, survival sense numbed by the speed, he's outrun the mediocrity of the outside world, slipped the shackles it tries to clamp on us all. He is running free, chased only by a fear of failure, for failure is to risk ejection into the real world." ~Mark Hughes

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03-27-2008, 09:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
CyFi Shoulda put a ring on it Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,398 Thanks: 12 Thanked 38 Times in 35 Posts iTrader Rating: (11/100% )	Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices POS. Wish i never bought this. Jacking up a light car take a lot of effort even with the long handle. Releasing it is the worst part, no matter how careful and gentle you are with it the car comes slamming down at 100mph. Simply dont buy this. The onle good part about it is i can use the handle as a breaker bar.

03-27-2008, 11:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
baktasht EMSPowered.com Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 4,681 Thanks: 19 Thanked 133 Times in 118 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (41/98% )	very useful thread... any others?

03-28-2008, 12:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
canadam MidshipExpress Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Beautiful British Columbia Posts: 9,549 Thanks: 117 Thanked 129 Times in 112 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (29/100% )	I just have a tiny Chinese off-brand floor jack. It's only good for taking off tires and not worth reviewing

03-28-2008, 12:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
MR2TRD1 pimpin' valet ;-) Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 2,135 Thanks: 1 Thanked 37 Times in 34 Posts iTrader Rating: (17/100% )	The craftsman race jack you have pictured works awesome. Perfect for lowered cars. My brother's friend buys truckloads of goods that are deemed damaged in shipping and never make it to the store. So I got 3 of those jacks for $50.

04-01-2008, 10:04 AM	#7 (permalink)
Kupop Some Skills Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Weatherly, PA Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (6/100% )	Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices Great little thing! 3000lb lift and very small, and light! ~25 lbs. I wouldn't recommend this jack if it is your only jack though. It is small so it will not lift cars very high and only has a limit of 3000lbs. I use it when I go autocrossing to change my tires at events and also at the garage to more easily lift cars that are lowered. I typically use this jack to at least get the car on jack stands, then bring out my big old 3ton Craftsman jack.

04-01-2008, 07:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
surfer8 tenacity Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SE Indiana Posts: 155 Thanks: 9 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	I got one of these a couple of months ago. It lifts to 30 inches. I replaced a 15 inch Wall-Mart lift that was dying. This thing weighs 125 pounds. It's not portable but it does a good job and gives me plenty of room under the car.