Floor Jack Recommendation?

Hi All,

I'm looking for a new floor jack to use primarily with my wife's '04 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had a Craftsman SUV jack until it spewed oil and collapsed the other day. I need to carry it fairly frequently, so I need something fairly light, but also tall enough to lift a Jeep in the air. Any recommendations? I'm thinking of going with the Arcan Aluminum:

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At 19.25", it's the tallest aluminum jack I can find for around $200, but I'm also considering the Torin 2.5 Ton Aluminum (18.25") and the Jegs Aluminum (17.75").

What do you all use? What's the minimum height that I should go for? My old jack goes to 21", but I don't think I've ever had it all the way up. Most of all, I want a jack that will last a long time. I couldn't believe it when my Craftsman jack died after only a few years. Apparently, all of their newer jacks have the same basic problem. ;-(

Thanks, Tom

Reply to
aetmos
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Reply to
L.W.(ßill)Hughes III

Did you try to fix the old one? Everytime that I find they spew, the problem is either a leak (tighten whatever is leaking) or a bad seal on the pump or valve...

That said, most of the ones you describe would be just fine. Jegs prices are OK, but I don't like their shipping costs. (Looses them a lot of orders from me, as when I add the price of the product to the shipping, they then become more expensive them their competitors).

Reply to
PeterD

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Tom

Reply to
aetmos

"Lasts a long time" and "fairly light" at the same time, does not compute. Aluminum is lighter than iron, but it is not as good. Titanium is lighter than iron, but it is expensive. You can get parts for just about anything ever made or sold by Sears at

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As Bill seems to say a floor jack doesn't have to be light as long as it rolls easy. If you are going to transport this jack from place to place perhaps a hydraulic post jack would be better suited. Or maybe a Hi-Lift jack with a bumper mount.

Cheers,

Earle

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Reply to
Earle Horton

And you don't clean up afterwards, either.....

Reply to
Pink Freud

Thank you for the link. Unless I'm doing something incorrectly, I can't find any floor jacks in the database, though.

That's not necessarily true. I have a steel floor jack, but the fact that it's made from steel didn't keep poor hydraulic engineering from causing it to fail. I don't see any particular reason a good aluminum jack couldn't last the 20-30 years that I hope for it to last.

Thanks, Tom

Reply to
aetmos

There should be an identification plate on the jack, with a "Model Number". Mine looks like "214.50114". Go to "Find a Part ->", click on "Model Number" and enter your model number in the search box. If all else fails try the "Contact us" link. They do answer their E-Mail.

I had to junk a floor jack with perfectly good hydraulics once, because the cantilever bars (something like that) stretched under use. Aluminum is even more vulnerable to this type of damage than steel is. And don't even talk about threaded holes in aluminum. If they made them out of titanium that would be great.

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

Without looking into any previous replies, I'll bring up this thought: Don't Craftsman tools have lifetime warranties?

...

Reply to
noneofyourbusiness

I guess the car jack isn't a "tool". Only one year warranty.

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Reply to
Frank_v7.0

In article , aetmos wrote: #Hi All, # #I'm looking for a new floor jack to use primarily with my wife's '04 #Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had a Craftsman SUV jack until it spewed oil #and collapsed the other day. I need to carry it fairly frequently, so #I need something fairly light, but also tall enough to lift a Jeep in #the air. Any recommendations? I'm thinking of going with the Arcan #Aluminum: # #

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#At 19.25", it's the tallest aluminum jack I can find for around $200, #but I'm also considering the Torin 2.5 Ton Aluminum (18.25") and the #Jegs Aluminum (17.75"). # #What do you all use? What's the minimum height that I should go for? #My old jack goes to 21", but I don't think I've ever had it all the #way up. Most of all, I want a jack that will last a long time. I #couldn't believe it when my Craftsman jack died after only a few #years. Apparently, all of their newer jacks have the same basic #problem. ;-(

I use a hi-lift. If you don't have a good place on your body or bumper to lift on, hi-lift makes a adapter to use the rim. Then you would slide a jack stand under the axle (or jack point) and lower it on to the stand.

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/herb

Reply to
Herb Leong

Just the hand tools, wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers that sort of thing. Most anything with moving parts, an electric motor or hydraulics is not included.

Saludos,

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

But it doesn't hurt to ask, who knows? They're pretty serious about customer relations.

Reply to
XS11E

Oh, I asked. Their floor-jacks have a 1-year warranty, and they didn't offer me anything beyond that...Earle is correct, though, if the tool has moving parts and isn't a socket wrench, it probably isn't covered under the lifetime warranty.

Reply to
aetmos

Too bad L. L. Bean doesn't sell floor jacks. I checked the Sears Parts site for my floor jack after reading this thread, and they don't even sell parts for it.

Saludos,

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

Craftsman *HAND* tools do, but other tools do not... Wish they did, I'd buy more of their power tools then.

And to respond to someone else thinking that a floor jack should last

20 years... Not in my experience! Professional mechanics that I know all seem to see them lasting about 4 to 5 years max.
Reply to
PeterD

#

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#

I personally do not believe those farm tools better known as 'Widow Makers' have any business near a Jeep.

Some poor farm boy who couldn't afford a real jack or a winch got inventive and came up with all kinds of way to kill yourself with them.

The last one I used was brand freaking new and some sucker was convinced it was a 'proper' thing to use so we did. I preferred to be on the handle end rather than being the idiot reaching under to hook up the chain on this derelict car we were dragging out of the bush on a clean up day. Well when I 'carefully' let go of the handle and thankfully started to turn away when this damn thing went almost ballistic with the handle just skimming my ear.

Another poor sole in the Nova Scotia Jeep club as was reported here a bit ago, also a very experienced person from the report, recently lost an eye the same way.

I showed up to help another Jeeper with blown front wheel bearings and he was working under the damn Jeep with it 'wayyyy' up in the air on a Jack All. I just about shit. He was 100% convinced it was the 'proper' tool to be using....

Think of it this way, those 'old fashioned' 'bumper jacks' that had to also lift a vehicle 3'-4' in the air like a Jack All to get clearance to remove a tire are no longer sold or come with vehicles! They are just plain too dangerous.

With a proper floor jack, I only have to raise my axle 2" or so to change a tire, not jack the bumper 3' or more in the air to get the spring loaded wheel up off the ground.

The original Jack-All or it's imitation, the High Lift are 'great' farm tools, they pull fence posts, lift buildings so new foundations can go under and even work for the railroad workers lifting boxcars up for repairs or new wheels, but under a Jeep, nope.

I carry a 2 ton floor jack tucked behind the passenger seat. It is locked in place and works well.

Just my $0.02

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos:
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Reply to
Mike Romain

Really? I guess that's about how long my jack lasted, but is that really everybody's experience here? My dad has a Craftsman jack he bought something like 25 years ago. I was hoping to get something with that sort of longevity...

Tom

Reply to
aetmos

Mine still works but leaks from the pump, and apparently there is no way to buy a seal for it. We are talking occasional home use here. Yeah, a professional would expect to get less time out of one, if he is picking up cars every day with it.

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

They were pre- Chinese. The old shops we see still have their original

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)Hughes III

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