Lets talk Floor Jacks!

It looks like a decent jack, but I hate Pittsburgh tools. I haven't found much that they make that's worth putting in my shop. I've spent some money in Harbor Freight, don't get me wrong. I just try to limit what I buy in there.
 
You may be able to take the NAPA jacks apart and take the cylinders to a hydraulic shop. Just because NAPA doesn't sell a rebuild kit, doesn't necessarily mean they cant be rebuilt. Just an idea; Never can have too many good jacks.
 
believe it or not harbor freight makes a pretty darn good jack.
 
HF 89 dollar 3.5 ton lasted me for about 10 years abused heavily... dirt and rediculous weight.
I have 2 matco beast jacks now for about 2 years and they seem pretty decent. I bought the beasts aftrer pretzeling 4 carquest $189 china jacks thinking they would be the equal to my hf jobby.
I also have an old school long Weaver I got it for free throw away at work. Just had it gone through works awesome. Very heavy though.
 
CREED1 said:
Well I've had heartburn here recently over dang floor jacks I've had a pair of napa 3.5 tons for last 3 years or but just recently in last year really started having trouble with them leaking down etc.. No rebuild kits available so I'm told plus there heavy as hell. Last week I went to sears in search of a new one the only jack they had available in 3 ton or better was a $100 package deal with creeper and 2 jack stands I was in need to get by for the day so I bought it.. Granted it has a year warranty this thing is about as unsafe as they come and a big pos!!
So i guess my question I'm not against spending money on good shop tools so doesn't have to be dirt cheap but reasonable would be nice.. Something 3 ton or better and possibly aluminum to easily throw it in truck and take to races with us etc.
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Looking up info on my jack and stumbled on to this for your NAPA jacks if you haven't scrapped em yet. FWIW:

http://www.hcrcnow.com/shop/seal-kits/balkamp-napa/4191

http://www.hcrcnow.com/shop/seal-kits/balkamp-napa/5182
 
Huh, I love my Napa 3.5 ton. We have one at the shop, I have one at home and we have one up at camp also.
 
We have 3 of the napa 3.5 ton jacks and have had them for 3 years without any issues. They are very heavy though.
 
I get the low profile 2.5 ton jacks from harbor freight when they're under 70 bucks. Work great. Some even have the foot pedal.
 
Like others above, Harbor Freight FTMFW. I've have several HF jacks and they work perfect! I will never by another jack from Sears again.
 
Harbor Freight sells a lot of low end stuff, but their jacks seem to hold up. I've got one of theirs that's over 20 years old, and it still doesn't leak down. The last Crapsman I bought didn't make it a year.
 
I have a Sears 2-ton (USA) that I bought new 1979 and used and abused for years. Still works like new. It will lift at least 5,000 lbs.

It's made of steel, all of it, and weighs 80lb.

No floorjack I've bought since then (I have about 3 working, 3 broken) has held up as well.

But none weigh over 60lb.

Weight and country of manufacture are the best indicators of quality.

I would guess that any floorjack under $300 isn't going to be high quality or durable. The Sears was $100 35years ago.
 
CREED1 said:
Well myself and a buddy stumbled into harbor freight on the way home after tx2k14 rainout saturday and picked up a couple of jacks. We both grabbed there 3 ton alum. racing jack and decided to split the 2 year warranty cost lol SUCKERS didnt both have to buy it.. Looks like a pretty nice jack and works well enough for my liking!

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-aluminum-racing-floor-jack-with-rapidpump-61386.html
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have the same jack

no issues with it, lifts my trucks, and trailers with ease, and is light to boot.. over 2 years on mine and still works great...
 
CREED1 said:
Just ordered 2 kits cant have enough spare jacks luckily they hadn't made it to the scrap pile yet.
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Good deal. Glad you could keep em in action. If they're good jacks, its worth the investment. Let me know how the rebuild goes; I'm going to be restoring an old Ausco that I got from my grandfather and was looking for rebuild kits for it when I found that link.

The one I've got looks very close to the one in the foreground of the pic below:
IMG_0011.jpg


Supposedly its only a 4000 lb capacity, but as it was built in the 60's at the earliest, its way overbuilt. That thing weighs as much as two 2 ton jacks you can buy today. Has a pretty good lift height as well. I can remember dragging that thing around in my grandfathers garage as a boy. Heavy bastard. LOL

Its just starting to leak down a little when I lift the truck.

My plans are to blow it apart, rebuld the cylinder, paint and reassemble. Might need to get new casters for the rear. I figure once i do that it'll be good for another 50 years.

I still might pick up a new aluminum race jack for the low stuff; like you said, never can have enough good jacks around.
 
24vriviera said:
Arcan xl35 3.5 ton and low profils as well.. Costco gas then as well as northern tool.
I love mine. It will pick up either half of a rig Welding truck
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I think that is the same floor jack I have as well. I bought it at Costco MANY years ago and it have worked flawlessly every time I have used it. It is low profile in the front so it gets under lowered cars/trucks easily but is strong and has a high lift range so I can also use it on our lifted trucks!!! Dual lift hydraulic cylinders help it to lift fast too!
 
Milwaukee Hydraulic jacks are supposed to be top notch also.

Tobin
 
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