Should I buy this floor jack


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Old 08-13-18, 06:25 PM
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Should I buy this floor jack

I don't do much of any work on my car but I'd like to rotate my tires on my own for convenience and to save $$. The lug wrench, jack stands and floor jack will pay for itself after less than 3 rotations.

Do you think this cheap $30 jack will be good enough? My car weighs 2,739 to 3,010 lbs.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-2-...-BLK/303665320
 
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Old 08-13-18, 06:50 PM
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I wouldn't trust it but that's just me. They are not real stable and I would only use it in an emergency. At a minimum I would consider one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-...ump-62584.html
 
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Old 08-13-18, 07:19 PM
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And that one is better because it's wider?
 
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Old 08-13-18, 08:40 PM
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Your's has a 13" lift with a short handle, Rons has a 18 1/2" lift with a long handle and fewer pumps. You'll appreciate Ron's pick after a few uses. HF has 20% off on a quick google search. It'll be easier to position the stands underneath also with more room.

You want to save money? Since your buying the jack and stands do your own oil changes. People flush $$$$ by having someone else do them when it's so easy and convenient to DIY.
 

Last edited by Tumble; 08-13-18 at 08:41 PM. Reason: Yes because it's wider
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Old 08-13-18, 08:54 PM
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You're right about the oil change thing. They charged me $72.49 at the Valvoline place. How much would that have cost me to buy my own oil and oil filter? I guess I need an oil tray to drain it too.
 
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Old 08-13-18, 09:26 PM
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$20 for oil, $5 filter, $5 for oil pan.

Once you know how it'll take you 10 min to put it on stands, 10 minutes to drain (as your inside with the AC drinking a cool one) and refill, 5 minutes to take it down. No scheduling or dealing with sales people, driving to and from, etc.

What's kinda truck/car?
 
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Old 08-14-18, 01:08 AM
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2013 Honda Civic - It take synthetic oil. I watched a video where the guy put what seemed like 4 quarts of oil in there.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 02:48 AM
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You might find that a set of drive on ramps are quicker to use and more stable than jack stands
 
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Old 08-14-18, 02:57 AM
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I have a trolley jack similar to the one linked in post #1. It was my first jack, purchased almost 40 yrs ago and while it still works it is not my preferred jack. I do have a 3 ton HF floor jack and it works well! The longer handle and increased jacking height comes in handy. and as mentioned it is more stable. If I'm not mistaken, HF's 20% off coupons exclude jacks.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 05:27 AM
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" You might find that a set of drive on ramps are quicker to use and more stable than jack stands"

It's hard to rotate tires when you are on ramps ...... :0)
 
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Old 08-14-18, 05:40 AM
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Hmm.......makes perfect sense!

The idea is that when performing potentially risky jobs you want to manage that risk
Jack stands are a useful tool but somewhat sketchy if not placed properly.
Considering how quick, inexpensive and safe they are it is a no brainer to use ramps for a simple oil change.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 05:44 AM
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Video’s can be beneficial, but when it comes to critical information like how much oil, refer to your owners manual, not some guy on the internet. Same goes for type and weight of oil, vehicle lifting points, tire pressure, lug but torque, etc.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 07:30 AM
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And that one is better because it's wider?

No. Because it's lower to the ground plate. I am presuming, it's a Civic you are intending to work on? You MUST have low plate jack. You will find, that jack placement points are very low, quite lower than what you see from outside.
Yes, also, you want to have wide plate, as they you can use jack on various car components. Many times did I use mine on control arms or cross member or rear differential or even shock attachment. But mine is low entry and gets underneath pretty much anything.
Look for a jack with cone shaped gear to release it, not flat star shaped plate. Those suck, in certain handle positions plates won't mesh and you have to get under the car and tap on release plate with hammer and long screwdriver.
If you were to do tire rotations, you need at least a jackstand and hydraulic jack. As you need two ends up in the air same time. Don't save on jack stands. You want solid ones. Little flimsy cheap ones - yeah, they are cheap but... Also, you never know when you will have larger car anyway. Jack stands buy from HFT, they are solid and cheap enough. I have their hydraulic jack for lost count how many years, still working fine. 3 ton low entry.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 07:41 AM
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Per HF jack quality - I bought a 2.5 ton foor jack that worked great for 20+ yrs and then it started to give me trouble. I replaced the seals and got a few more yrs out of it but finally replaced it with a 3 ton jack. The first one leaked down right out of the box but they gave me another one under warranty that has worked fine for the last few years.

I have 6 HF jack stands that work great. I also have a couple of cheap jack stands that I won't get underneath anything they support.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 12:47 PM
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Either one will suffice for what you want to do, though neither is needed for tire rotation and oil service. All the pertinent info is already online, oil type, capacity. They'll also work if you want to tackle filter changes, spark plugs, etc. They sometimes break down when getting into the more mechnical aspects of repair.


https://www.amazon.com/Honda-Chilton.../dp/B01CO1BWKO

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-Haynes-.../dp/B01NBVJKHJ
(Note: This is twice the price you can usually get it for)

I'm using my ramps less and less as I can get the car up on stands almost as quick, and there is more room underneath with just the stands. With quality stands, the car might not be theoretically as stable as ramps, but it isn't going anywhere.


Originally Posted by aka pedro
lug but torque
I know what you meant but this had me laughing so hard...
 
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Old 08-14-18, 04:15 PM
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Oh well, at least the b and the n are next to each other on the keyboard so I'll stick with that excuse. Although now that I think about it, I believe that I have come across more than a few lug buts.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 04:54 PM
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What you're suggesting will work but it might not be as convenient and might take a little more care in setting up than the Harbor Freight dealie. I use ramps for oil changes but I have a Craftsman floor jack that's pretty much the same device and I use it (along with jackstands) routinely for tire rotation. I've also used it to do steering and suspension work. Just today I used it (and jackstands) to change a torn steering rack boot on my magic Subaru, a job that requires both front wheels be off the ground. Easy-peasy.
 
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Old 08-14-18, 05:46 PM
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Since you seem to be just getting into the whole tire rotation, oil change thing, you might want to think about getting an electric ratchet gun. I do not know what the torque spec on a Honda Civic is for the wheels. but I DO know that when shops change tires they usually use heavy duty air ratchets that are a lot more torque than necessary, and an absolute pain to remove manually. I have been using 3 ton hydraulic jacks for years, (I use two for an oil change, one on each side of the car, along with big steel jack stands. (lost two high school friends from falling cars) My latest purchase was a milwaukee M-18 fuel electric ratchet,and i will never go back to lug wrenches. I will carry this with me in the truck)
 
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Old 08-14-18, 07:28 PM
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Most times I've bought tires, they tell me that they'll rotate them for free.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 04:07 AM
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FWIW...I use to be an avid oil/tire rotation guy on all my cars. But I no longer DIY. I find taking it in is almost as cheap and saves me a lot of work and time. I don't need to set up or clean up and the oil is taken care of immediately. And invariably sooner or later you will spill the oil and it's a mess to clean up.
Another thing, today's cars are getting harder and harder to DIY service. Leave it to the people who have the professional tool and place.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 04:12 AM
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I agree that many modern day cars are harder to service and while the money savings isn't all that much, at least for me the time savings is significant. Plus doing it myself I'm more/less assured it's done right.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 06:53 AM
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Do it yourself service

A self service lube shop that my company used managed to overtorque my truck oil pan drain bolts twice, which required replacement of both complete oil pans. ( Look up the cost of those on a Ford F-350 with a diesel engine) Fortunately we used them exclusively for that service and they could not argue about whose fault it was, and they paid for the new pans. With my own vehicle, I would not care to go thru the hassle of arguing about who overtightend what, and when. When they forgot to tighten up the transmission oil lines that go to the radiator and left me on the road with just 7 quarts of tranny oil instead of 14 I convinced the company to switch facilities. When I am too old to change my own oil on my own cars and trucks, you will know that I am truly dead.....
 
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Old 08-15-18, 07:02 AM
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Many modern cars & trucks come with and recommend synthetic oil. Without starting a contentious debate over oil brands, specs & grades; suffice to say oil change places charge top dollar for syn oil while you can buy it far cheaper at department stores.

My car AND truck both require 7-8 qts of oil. Doing it myself saves me about $40 for each service.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 07:06 AM
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...and I've had the same Sears floor jack for 40 years and it still works great. Don't cheap out on tools that involve convenience AND safety.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 09:07 AM
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regarding rotating tires. doesnt your shop offer lifetime rotation?

that being said i never go to them because its 1 hour of my life i cannot get back. do not buy the jack in post 1. i had one like that long ago. you will regret it

i have a jack similar to the 2nd one. i even got mine at HF a few years ago for about 60 bucks . fewer pumps is better and longer handle and good leverage and all that. i change my oil at least 4 or 5 times a year so get a lot of use out of a jack

i want ramps given how often i change my oil but i'm scared. if you look at reviews on amazon of the ramps you get at WM it shows some collapsing. the plastic kind. but the good kind are a fortune. tough call.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 09:53 AM
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have any of you seen a floor jack that was made with a notched accessory to lift Mopar Cars and even an 88 Tbird lol I made a set of notched blocks to lift the car(s) at the suggested jacking points mimicking the notch in the emergency jack that came with the car(s) These don't smash the surrounding plastic body parts like a floor jack plate does. Just a thought....
 
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Old 08-15-18, 10:47 AM
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I've got some somewhere I made for the merc my wife used to have. They worked well.
 
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Old 08-15-18, 11:53 AM
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Price

Great price, I like that it is steel, not aluminum. Will be fine for lifting one side of the vehicle with the weight you have for wheel changes and such basics. More important is the jack stand you use.

Also, make sure you put wheel chocks to keep the car from rolling forward or back while lifting, and I assume you would only lift on a flat concrete surface. Make sure your car is not so low that this one can't fit under the jack point.
 
  #29  
Old 08-16-18, 04:06 AM
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Several posters here mention that service centers will sometimes over torque the lug nuts or strip the oil pan plug threads. And it cost a lot more to than DIY for a simple oil change and tire rotation. And taking a car to a service center is an hour lost that they will never get back. All of these are true to a point.

Mistakes can and will happen, even if you DIY. It's not the rule or a common thing. The cost is not a big difference if you choose the right place. And that lost hour is the same hour you spend under the car getting grease and dirt all over you. But you get the satisfaction of doing the job yourself, or read a magazine or have a conversation with the guy next to you. The hour is not lost.

As I mentioned earlier I was an avid car maintenance car DIY'er for most of my life (Remember changing points and condensers? Yea, I did that too, along with brakes, mufflers, gas tanks, wheel bearings, heater cores and radiators and so forth).

So why have I changed my way of life? Two reasons...One, I'm getting old and lifting those 18" wheels with tires on them for rotation is a pain. But two, more important is that today's cars are more complicated and much harder to work on, so find a shop you can trust (not necessarily the dealer, and stay away from the fast lube places), Get to know them and become a regular customer so that they know you. The benefits will far out weight the cost difference to have the trust and service for a loyal customer. And when an emergency service is needed, they will fit you in. My particular shop will even let my bill slide if they think I can get warranty service pay back. Some will provide shuttle service for preferred customers. So is it worth the cost? For me, now days it is.

But I give credit to those of you who will continue to DIY car maintenance. But here's the downside. When you run into a problem or a repair that you can't handle, what to you do? Use a dart board to choose a repair shop or bite the bullet and bring it into a dealership and hope they know what to do and do it right? This is when a shop that knows you is worth all the few extra bucks for that oil change.
 
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Old 08-16-18, 05:46 AM
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The jack referenced at the beginning is not a real floor jack. Note it is called a trolly jack in the description. The kind originally mention. often requires pumping to max lift. then blocking the car lowering the jack, putting blocks on the jack then jacking again. This may take three or more times blocking and of course the blockong must be reversed to lower the car. A real floor jack usually lifts high enough with no blocking.
 
  #31  
Old 08-17-18, 09:13 AM
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anyone have real life long term experience with ramps. also i dont know if i could even use them. when i back into my garage i have about 2 ft behind my trunk and less than 1 ft in front of my car until i hit the garage door.
 
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Old 08-17-18, 09:19 AM
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No long term experience but my son has a set of steel ramps that he left at the house for awhile. IMO it's a little unnerving to drive up on them ... and they're usually in the way. I prefer jack/stands.
 
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Old 08-20-18, 07:42 AM
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I've been away for the weekend but can still give my 2 cents about ramps. I've been using the same set of ramps for all my oil changes (2-4 vehicles) for the past 40 years. They're nothing special--just fairly heavy 1-piece stamped units. I'm leery of the bolt-together type. I also have the add-on plastic pre-ramps for vehicles with very low spoilers.
You need more room than you have inside the garage but driving up on ramps (go slow, with your head out the window watching your tire) is much faster than jacking the corners & placing stands. Ramps are not in the way for an oil change unless you have the rare vehicle where the filter is accessed sideways thru the fender liner.
 
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Old 08-20-18, 09:30 AM
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I'll try posting again-


I'd suggest getting three pieces of equipment
1) the highest lifting jack you can reasonably affor
2-3) a pair of steel ramps.


My thinking is, steel ramps are effectively interchangable with jackstands.
If the ramps are not quite the right height, then you use a block of wood and a rag to makeup the height difference. Basically, think "JENGA" with up to six 4" x 4" x 8" pieces (per side) to makeup the height difference. That gives you 4", or 8" or 12" of additional 'jack height".


Functionally, you'll get more use out of a good pair of steel ramps and a jack, than you will from a jack and a pair of jack-stands.
 
  #35  
Old 08-21-18, 06:03 AM
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so it sounds like ramps arent for me. even if i turn my car facing in the garage. i have a big lip on the garage because i have a gentle slope going from one side of the garage to the other on the driveway. so you gotta gun it to get it in the garage every day to make it up the 'hill' lip so to speak

now if i could put the ramps under the car where it stands then drive up. then id be golden.
 
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Old 08-21-18, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by luckuydriver
now if i could put the ramps under the car where it stands then drive up. then id be golden.
Eh, if you have 1) a jack with enough lieft height, and 2) ramps and 3) some scrap wood, then you can easily do that. I have a bunch of 4"x4" blocks accumulated from cutting up broken mail boxes over the years.

Set the parking brake, put the car in park, put a 4" x 4" block behind the tires on the far side. Place the jack dead center under the front cross member.
Lift 4.5 inches, put three 4x4 jenga blocks under the tire.
Lift 8.5 iches, put another row of blocks running perpendicular.
LIft 12.5 inches, put another row of blocks perpendicular to the top row.
LIft a bit higher, and you should be able to slide the ramp under the tire.
If it still needs a little extra height, I'd put a single row of 4x4 blocks in the ramp, most ramps have a shallow well and flanges that will hold the blocks in place.

When you're at the right height, slowly release the jack and make sure the car is stable on the ramps.
I usually relocate the jack to another place on the frame, and snug it up again as a backup.
But, you only do that if you've got a heavy duty jack that you're sure will hold the full weight.

One other consideration, old steel ramps may actaully be too steep for newer cars.
I've got a 2015 Corolla, I have to put down a 2" thick board infront of the old ramp, because the chin spoiler is so low that it would scrape getting on and off the ramps.
 

Last edited by Hal_S; 08-21-18 at 10:41 AM.
 

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