Floor jack advice/recomendations

[APXD 30]

My 14 month old Torin Big Red aluminum floor jack has broken just after the warranty expired.    I went to Sears a couple of weeks ago to buy a Craftsman for the lifetime warranty and found out that there jacks also carry only a 1 year warranty.

The manufacturer sells a $12 seal kit.   Has anyone rebuilt a jack?   Does anyone have any recommendations on a new 1.5 or 3 ton aluminum jack under 40lbs?   I'm not looking for a monster.

Here's the model I had and I really liked the design:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.asp...lang=en-US 

[George3]

 
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Di...mber=91039


 

This one looks similar and goes on sale for $79 fairly often. 

[Brian Minkin]

I have several of the harbor freight jacks .  I buy the better model and get it for $119 when on sale. 2 of them are 4 years old and the only thing I have had to do is bleed the fluid reservoir once.  You do have to keep after the nuts and bolts and tighten them once in a while.

[michael lang]

Josh, mine is the Craftsman. I got the first one about 4 years ago, after about 15 months is would no longer hold pressure. I took it back to Sears and they replaced it. I did have to answer some questions so they really didn't lay down for me but they did give me a new one. I've had that one a little over 2 1/2 years and use it all the time. My opinion is that it is a good floor jack and would buy another for my garage. Since I don't trailer my car, only down side I believe is that it is just a little too big to be lugging back & forth to the track.

 

[vego]

APXD 30 wrote:

My 14 month old Torin Big Red aluminum floor jack has broken just after the warranty expired. I went to Sears a couple of weeks ago to buy a Craftsman for the lifetime warranty and found out that there jacks also carry only a 1 year warranty.

The manufacturer sells a $12 seal kit. Has anyone rebuilt a jack? Does anyone have any recommendations on a new 1.5 or 3 ton aluminum jack under 40lbs? I'm not looking for a monster.

Here's the model I had and I really liked the design:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.asp...lang=en-US

Just an idea, buy 2 jacks from sears 6 months apart. When one dies, return it for a new one and keep rotating them.

[APXD 30]

vego wrote:

Just an idea, buy 2 jacks from sears 6 months apart. When one dies, return it for a new one and keep rotating them.

Thanks for the quick comments guys. This is actually a pretty good hedge that didn't occur to me.

[ccm911]

Alright, I have to pipe in with my "humble" opinion here.  Every single aluminum jack I have ever user has just flat out sucked!  Even at their best, the force required to lift the car is outrageous.  And I have never seen one last over a year or two.

That being said, I would just buy the cheapest aluminum jack I could find and just consider it to be a "disposable item".

Now for the main jack you keep in the garage.......I am on year seven with my Craftsman 3 ton steel beast.  Still works like a charm.

[APXD 30]

George3 wrote:

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Di...mber=91039

This one looks similar and goes on sale for $79 fairly often.

George,

I happened into the HB store in Allentown and, by luck, hit the $79 sale. For an extra $20, I purchased the 2 yr replacement warranty b/c it seems they are prone to breaking.

I'm still considering purchasing the $12 seal kit for my old jack to give my retired father something to tinker with over the winter.

Thanks everyone for your advice!

[George3]

Good going, you were real lucky to hit the sale !!

[George3]

I think I'm going to buy a $25 cast Iron boat anchor for the garage and keep the light weight aluminum one for the trailer.