I have an old steel floor jack that keeps going for years. But any newer jack I have picked up in recent years, aluminum or otherwise, last less than 3 years. Any recommendations?

The AC brand floorjacks sold by Pelicanparts are awsome quality. A little expensive maybe but it will last you longer than you will remember the cost.

I know HF products have a bad reputation but I'm a fan of their Daytona jack.

I've had no issues with it whatsoever. Spent quite a bit of time comparing this to the Snap-On equivalent. Very close. I believe both products probably come off the same factory line in China and HF simply rebranded the same product. Happens all the time in China. So close, that HF was sued by Snap-on. Eventaully they settled and the terms of the settlement weren't shared publicly which indicates to me that Snap On knew they couldn't win the case and was probably falsely claiming their jacks were US made.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of counterfitting but it is very common to have a single factory in Taiwan or China making machine tools for various maufacturers (Enco, Jet, MSC, South Bend, etc) and having only minor changes (if any) between the brands at vastly different price points determined only by marketing strategy.

I sort of suspect that Snap-On provided the plant the original design but didn't have an airtight contract / agreement with the plant not to share it and/or make it for someone else. Let's just say that having anything manufactured in China is a bit of a dice roll since "contract law" and patent infringements are'nt viewed in the same way as they are in the US. Remember China is still a communist country. Everyone that does business there knows this.

Don't get me wrong, I buy and support Snap-On too but usually thier products are clearly different, and superior. I couldn't find the differences in my looking at the products exterior and design though I admittedly haven't done a tear down on the internals.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-Ton-Profess...Duty-63183.html

https://biztimes.com/snap-on-harbor-freight...loor-jack-case/

I’ve had my 3 ton harbor freight jack for a couple years now. $80 on sale. Always works great. It’s a tank and very stable. We have 5 of their 1000lb lift tables at the shop. None have failed. I think their stuff has gotten much better than in the past and their sales quantity keeps prices down. The store near us is always busy.

I like this one. Got mine for $100.00 with free shipping. Also holds a motor cycle and is great for dropping engines on the 914.

Buy the top of the line Harbor Freight.

I've been in the same position. I've got a 30 year old Craftsman that's finally started leaking down. I've looked at trying to rebuild it, but can't get it apart :^( Probably couldn't find a seal kit for it even if I could get it apart.

I've got a relatively new Harbor Freight 2-ton jack that seems to work fine and is light enough to sling around. Still wish I had a heavier, higher lift jack in some cases. I really miss not having two when it comes to tire rotations and such.

I'm really tempted to go Harbor Freight again.

Yes! I have had mine for a couple of years and love it. Light, strong, stable, easy to use--especially with the foot pedal.

These guys carry seals for most jacks...

Lazzar's

I do not regret my AC jack that I got from Pelican. It is a tool that should last my lifetime.

I have been through 8 Craftsman aluminum 2 ton jacks. I had purchased 4 at different times and warrented each one. Sears was asking me if I was a commerical mechanic. Ben using the hf aluminum jacks ever since. Currently have a 2 and a 3 ton.
Not a fan of hf and I would like to quote Dr Evil at this point and say " I don't buy anything at Harbor Freight that plugs into a wall or compressor."

Click to view attachment

Just came from Harbor Freight.

No excuses...buy TWO

Oscar

Click to view attachment

I'm a bit of a tool snob, but I actually think the HF jack looks a little nicer than the Snap-On one.

I have the same Craftsman 1 1/2 ton floor jack that I bought on 12/14/86. (No shit, I just checked the receipt!)

It has worked flawlessly that whole time, but the pivot holes in the side plates are starting to oval out. Probably time to replace it, even thought it has never leaked internally, or externally. I wish we could buy "heirloom" products like that still.

I have the AC Hydraulics Long Reach Hydraulic Jack

It is (almost) tall enough to reach the bed of my pickup to get heavy stuff in and out.

It is also nice if you want to jack the car from the middle to get both wheels of the front or back off the ground.

(Rumor -- it also has enough capacity that some teams would jack an entire spec Boxster off the ground for pit stops)

[quote name='ValcoOscar' date='Nov 15 2019, 09:43 AM' post='2762314']
Just came from Harbor Freight.

No excuses...buy TWO

Oscar



I have this very same jack. HF low and it gets hight in there. So har so good 2 years

Bob B

Love my HF aluminum racing jacks. I have 4 of them. So cheap, lightweight and have been reliable.

So the Harbor Freight 3 ton jacks.....aluminum vs steel?

Aluminum a bit lighter, but not that much (63 vs 70 lbs).

$130 vs $180 for the price.

Lifting height is similar....as is minimum height as long as you get the low profile steel one. Aluminum is already low profile.

Any recommendations between the two?

The aluminum ones are nice if you need something that can travel. I remember Bob Russo got one of the smaller ones for the trailer since he was moving the 962 and Mirage to different shows and historic races. Even though it was a smaller one (probably 2K) he ended up using in the shop quite a bit.

If you have a store nearby, I would just go there and see what you like best.

AutoZone sells a 5000lb aluminum jack, works like a charm.