This probably borders on stupid question territory, but what the hell.
Have a rare (small) bit of cash to spare, so today I started looking around online for prices on cheap jacks. All I have right now is the jack from the trunk, and I'd rather not keep using that every time I need to raise the car.
I see AutoHole has really cheap bottle jacks listed on their site. $8.99 for a 2-ton, $13.99 for a 4-ton, and $16.99 for a 6-ton. (all supposedly in stock) The floor jacks on wheels really don't seem like the best option for my situation, because my driveway isn't paved. Anyway.. I can spare the cash right now for any of these jacks.
What I'm unsure of is this: Would I be better off buying one of the 4- or 6-ton jacks, or using the same cash (I'd have spent on a 6-ton) and get a pair of 2-tons? Are there any reasons why I wouldn't want the 2-ton jacks?
I'm really tired of not having adequate tools around here.
If all you need them for is to change oil and stuff like that then the 2 tons are fine. But if you need to actually get under the car to work then the 2 tons don't really get the car high enough.
Hadn't thought about lift height. AutoHole's site really doesn't say anything about it, either. (typical)
I have a pair of ramps now for getting under it to change the oil and such. Also have 3 (go fig) py jack stands. (as opposed to 1 py jack stand before) Seems like the tires just barely fit in the depressions in the tops of the ramps, though. Also doesn't help that I get a wee bit paranoid when working under there.
Even though my driveway is probably firm enough to support a jack on its own, I usually stick a large (as in, big enough that it has an outline of black paint from where I painted my V6 valve covers on top of it) ~3" thick block of wood under the jack.
Make sure the bottle jack will collapse low enough that you can get it under the car to begin with. You can't jack it up if you can't get the jack under it...
I like the trolley jack myself, and have used it on both paved and gravel driveways. If you're worried about using it on gravel get a chunk of 2X8 to put under it...
i have a craftsman 2ton i keep in my car, it works great for what i use it for
Don't know exactly how much you can afford to blow, but if you can sears sells a craftsman floor jack with a 20" or so lift. Works great for doing simple things under the car or giving you the most height for jack stands. It also compresses low enough that it would work well for outside ground work.
Well, I saw a couple of you mention Craftsman, so I decided to check out Sears' website. They had a deal that was just about to end in like 10 minutes from when I found it, so I jumped on it. $29.99 for a 2 1/4-ton floor jack plus a pair of 2 1/4-ton jack stands, where the jack itself normally lists for $39.99 and the jack stands normally list for $14.99. I'll pick it up Monday from the Sears in the mall a couple miles away.
Jack (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950523000&subcat=Lift+Equipment) and stands (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950182000&subcat=Lift+Equipment)
Thanks for all the responses. Decided to go ahead with the floor jack vs. the bottle jack esp. with the 2x8 comment.. remembered that I still had a pair of 2x12s that I used as ramps to get the lawn tractor in the shed before we had a ramp poured for it. Can always use that if I don't like rolling it around on the driveway. (it's a 40+ year old hard-packed dirt driveway with a bit of gravel left)
i had one of thse and i blew the piston in it trying to pick up my dads car. now i have a jack you see the nascar guys use. and it works wonders. got it from advance auto actually i forget how mutch though. but its a 2 1-2 ton jack and lifts my car high enough for me to fit under.
thats what i have in the trunk of my car
get floor jack and put a sheet of plywood down and u will be ok.
I would not trust bottle ones for anything they are prow to tipping over.
Just picked up the set a few minutes ago. Gotta love going somewhere really really early and being the only one there to pick anything up. I wasn't even there 5 minutes.
Huzzah! Back in the saddle again, so to speak. Even at a time when I'm going through another sleep time correction, I couldn't help but go out and make use of the jack.
Finally got the '88 Bird up on jack stands to get at its exhaust. (the 3 py ones) Got some PB Blaster on the exhaust bolts. Still quite paranoid about raising a car, and working underneath it.. but 3 jack stands, a half-height cinderblock, and a 6' 2x12 for support helps.
Made the mistake of grabbing a tool catalog while I was waiting to pick up the package.. so now I have even more dollars spent before I've made them. :p
Anyway.. now that we have a working search feature, maybe we can get a little more future use out of this thread. Feel free to use this to dump off any product recommendations, warnings, horror stories, whatever. If you don't see the point, consider that some of ya talked me into getting a floor jack when I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been happy with one, given my working conditions here. Hell, feel free to tell me that what I bought is , if you think it is. :D