# Hydraulic Floor Jacks



## rwm (Apr 24, 2021)

I am looking for a good 3 ton hydraulic floor jack. It need to be lightweight so aluminum. What do you have? What is the best/worst? 
Robert


----------



## matthewsx (Apr 25, 2021)

I just bought a steel 3 ton low profile jack from Harbor Freight and am totally happy with it. The aluminum one is probably just fine, however for me steel is the material for a floor jack....

John


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 25, 2021)

I’ve had one of the 3tn AL “racing“ HF jacks for going on 5yrs. It has far exceeded expectations. And getting it on sale was stupid cheap. No leaks, no problems.


----------



## rwm (Apr 25, 2021)

I don't mind spending a little more to buy a "lifetime" jack. Does anyone have experience with this?


Of course it may come from the same factory on the Mainland as the HF you mentioned!
Robert


----------



## pdentrem (Apr 25, 2021)

I bought one of the low profile aluminum jacks. I did as other suggested, to remove the cylinder and clean it to remove any debris. Did not really see any, refilled it, lubed all pivot points and been fine for several years now. 
Pierre


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 25, 2021)

rwm said:


> I don't mind spending a little more to buy a "lifetime" jack. Does anyone have experience with this?
> View attachment 363775
> 
> Of course it may come from the same factory on the Mainland as the HF you mentioned!
> Robert


I guess lifetime is relative. I think the HF racing jack is going to last me as long as I’m going to be wanting to work on cars. I’m not to that point yet of not buying ripe fruit, but still.....


----------



## FOMOGO (Apr 25, 2021)

The one in the pic looks exactly like one I bought at Cost Co Years ago IN PR, no issues. Have a low profile 3-ton, also from Cost Co. Not light, but has held up very well. Probably have 5-6 floor jacks, all relatively cheap, and all seem to work just fine, some 40 yrs old. I wouldn't spend big dollars on a floor jack. Mike


----------



## matthewsx (Apr 25, 2021)

rwm said:


> I don't mind spending a little more to buy a "lifetime" jack. Does anyone have experience with this?
> View attachment 363775
> 
> Of course it may come from the same factory on the Mainland as the HF you mentioned!
> Robert


That looks very similar to the Harbor Freight jack.









						3 ton Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP
					

Amazing deals on this 3T Aluminum Rapid Pump® Racing Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com
				




I don't think I'd pay anything extra for a Chinese tool regardless of "branding". Yes they are all made in the same factories, the difference is with Harbor Freight if something isn't right you have a local outfit to straighten it out.

The only really important things to know about floor jacks are to chock your tires, choose a good lifting point, and get the jackstands set up before you go underneath the car. Oh, and always leave it loose because closing the pump and letting it heat up can blow out the seals.

 I still have the one I bought at an autoparts store when I was a young man and it works fine, the only reason I bought another is that one is 2000 miles away. 

I agree, this isn't one of those tools where the more expensive one is a lot better, as long as it lifts your car that's really all it needs to do.


John


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 25, 2021)

I had to break down and buy this HF jack because the jack I’d had since I was 20ysld which friends and family had gotten me for my b-day started leaking. At that time a floorjack was a bigger deal than today. It was really like my dog or a family member was sick. I went to a professional jack service. All it needed was seals and it being metric and odd size not available. It was more sentimental value than anything but 40+ yrs of service it didn’t owe me anything. I definitely wished many a time it was AL instead of steel and cast iron. I ended up disassembling it and repurposing most of it. The wheels and castors are under my welding/plasma workstation and the frame for various projects. Nothing last forever, in its original form


----------



## middle.road (Apr 25, 2021)

I've got two from HF, a 3T steel low profile and an aluminum 1.5T low profile. 10+ years old.
What I've done with them since the day I got them, is every so often with the 3T I jack up the front of my 2500 until the wheels are just off the ground and then I let it sit overnight.
With the aluminum one I jack it up on the trailer hitch a couple of inches and then let it sit overnight.
A couple of months ago the aluminum one lost a snap ring on on of the pins, not sure why, I pretty much use it for 'light' stuff.
Key is to inspect them always.


----------



## Flyinfool (Apr 25, 2021)

I have an old 2T that I got more than 40 years ago. I have no clue as to brand since all decals wore off decades ago. It has never been used on pavement always gravel or dirt, sometimes I would put a piece of plywood under it if the ground was real soft. It started to leak down faster than I could pump and get a jack stand under my truck. Is it worth while to try to rebuild it? all of the pivot points are pretty worn so it is a bit wobbly.
I think I just talked myself into it.
I am also in the market for a replacement. I am after the highest lift since I have a big 4x4 truck. It seems the low profile ones are the ones with the highest lift, go figure. But the low profile have smaller wheels which would make it harder to move around on gravel or dirt and the small wheels will sink farther into the ground.
I have been watching for a sale at HF for the 3T low profile. I am still not sure if I can wrap my head around an aluminum jack with 3T on it that does not look much different than the steel jack.


----------



## silverhawk (Apr 25, 2021)

Go out and buy a used hockey puck or two from a sporting goods recycling. Use that as a block between these racing Jack's and the frame/ jacking point. It will serve you well. 

Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 25, 2021)

silverhawk said:


> Go out and buy a used hockey puck or two from a sporting goods recycling. Use that as a block between these racing Jack's and the frame/ jacking point. It will serve you well.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk


I’m as likely to find a unicorn as I am to find a new or used hockey puck around here.


----------



## silverhawk (Apr 25, 2021)

C-Bag said:


> I’m as likely to find a unicorn as I am to find a new or used hockey puck around here.


You'd be surprised.  You are split dead even between three professional hockey clubs.  The biggest challenge is that all of the dealerships often arrange pickups of old pucks from local programs.  I'd probably hit up the local high school.  They may have a bunch just sitting around.  If they don't, I'll send you some.


----------



## rwm (Apr 25, 2021)

I don't think a unicorn would work as well...
R


----------



## Janderso (Apr 25, 2021)

If you want the best, Hein Werner.
It will set you back $600 + for a 2.5 ton, but it will last 20+ years in a busy shop.
Light? Heck no.
So why bring it up? Anyone had one? When they do finally blow a seal. Buy the kit for another 100,000 miles..


----------



## rwm (Apr 25, 2021)

Those look solid. 
R


----------



## rwm (Apr 25, 2021)

Amazon.com: HXXF 2 Types Jack Stand Pads Adapter 4 Ton Universal Rubber Slotted Frame Rail Pinch welds Protector for Jack Stand (Black): Automotive
					

Buy HXXF 2 Types Jack Stand Pads Adapter 4 Ton Universal Rubber Slotted Frame Rail Pinch welds Protector for Jack Stand (Black): Floor Jacks - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 25, 2021)

silverhawk said:


> You'd be surprised.  You are split dead even between three professional hockey clubs.  The biggest challenge is that all of the dealerships often arrange pickups of old pucks from local programs.  I'd probably hit up the local high school.  They may have a bunch just sitting around.  If they don't, I'll send you some.


Nearest ice rink is 26mi away. The local schools don’t have hockey programs, but hockey pucks are very interesting. Did a search on the biggest sport shop, Dick’s, and they don’t stock them but you can get them online. What’s really interesting is atleast 70% of all the reviews is using them for jack pads! Who knew!


----------



## C-Bag (Apr 26, 2021)

So this opens up a lot of questions Silverhawk. What’s the difference between a practice puck and a real puck? Of the bad reviews on the site they said they thought the pucks were synthetic. What kind of rubber are pucks made of? I’ve not tried looking on eBay yet, but I was thinking of adding some kind of block rubber to my CL “engineering supplies“ on CL and this might be a source I’ve not thought of. Rubber is great for forming copper on with my arbor press, and I had a couple of chunks I used for my first experiment with copper forming. As usual here I go derailing.


----------



## silverhawk (Apr 26, 2021)

C-Bag said:


> So this opens up a lot of questions Silverhawk. What’s the difference between a practice puck and a real puck? Of the bad reviews on the site they said they thought the pucks were synthetic. What kind of rubber are pucks made of? I’ve not tried looking on eBay yet, but I was thinking of adding some kind of block rubber to my CL “engineering supplies“ on CL and this might be a source I’ve not thought of. Rubber is great for forming copper on with my arbor press, and I had a couple of chunks I used for my first experiment with copper forming. As usual here I go derailing.


The puck should always be vulcanized rubber, inside and out. If it's synthetic, I don't know how it would behave, so I just assume they are all the same. When used on ice, they are frozen before games but that is simply to reduce bounces. Here is a picture of the puck on my harbor freight jack. It is slightly smaller, but sufficient.

From the looks of it, I might need to replace it, finally. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk


----------



## silverhawk (Apr 26, 2021)

Thinking about practice versus game pucks... I was reminded of an old "how it's made" episode about making pucks. 



 is what went through my head. Practice pucks are simply going to be lighter or slightly smaller. You might see different colors of pucks, they just have different specialties (different weights, or making it harder to see so the player has to feel the puck rather that see it).

Avoid anything street hockey related - they are much too hard. 

Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk


----------



## WobblyHand (Apr 27, 2021)

I bought some pucks from Howie's Hockey.  I bought a pack of 12.  At the time they were under $2 each.  I used 4 of them to make feet for my mill. It was kind of fun turning them in a lathe, although messy as all get out.  Made jack pad out of one, need to do 3 more.  They are pretty study suckers.  Howie's sells regulation pucks. They are vulcanized rubber (and smell like it too).  Just looked and they still cost $2 in single unit quantities.  Pucks They seem to be about 75mm wide and 24mm thick.  I'm sure there are other places that sell them as well.


----------



## Flyinfool (Apr 28, 2021)

When machining rubber or other soft material, it helps to freeze it first and then machine while frozen.


----------



## WobblyHand (Apr 28, 2021)

Flyinfool said:


> When machining rubber or other soft material, it helps to freeze it first and then machine while frozen.


If your SO doesn't kill you for putting in a stinking hockey puck in your freezer...  The pucks I have still have a very strong aroma!  Wrap them in foil or something, to minimize the stench.


----------



## Flyinfool (Apr 28, 2021)

Don't tell her and learn to DUCK!


----------



## Nogoingback (Apr 28, 2021)

They do sell pads for floor jacks.  This one has been on there for decades: no cracks or chips yet.


----------



## Crow Horse (May 20, 2021)

I have a HF 2T aluminum jack that I converted into an "off road" floor jack. I have a gravel driveway and no garage. Dragging my old steel floor jack around was near impossible. After I converted the HF aluminum jack, moving and using it is easy peasy. I used the axles, saddle extension and wheels from Pro Eagle and adapter plates I made. It works extremely well........


----------



## brino (May 20, 2021)

middle.road said:


> What I've done with them since the day I got them, is every so often with the 3T I jack up the front of my 2500 until the wheels are just off the ground and then I let it sit overnight.
> With the aluminum one I jack it up on the trailer hitch a couple of inches and then let it sit overnight.



.....but then I'd think my transmission was shot the next morning!
-brino


----------



## Flyinfool (May 21, 2021)

Crow Horse said:


> I have a HF 2T aluminum jack that I converted into an "off road" floor jack. I have a gravel driveway and no garage. Dragging my old steel floor jack around was near impossible. After I converted the HF aluminum jack, moving and using it is easy peasy. I used the axles, saddle extension and wheels from Pro Eagle plus and adapter plates I made. It works extremely well........
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have also been shopping for a new 3T jack and was planning on getting the HF 3T low profile, But I will have to make these mods. I also have gravel and no garage and wrestled with my old one for a lot of years. 
Right now they are out of the 6 inch front wheels.


----------



## Crow Horse (May 22, 2021)

Addendum to my HF floor jack conversion -  Just before I started the conversion  I retired from working in a large metal fabrication shop. Bad timing but it worked out in the end. The only item that I had my former co-workers do for me was to cut the 3/8" aluminum flat stock to size. Other than that, using the Pro Eagle parts was pretty easy although expensive. I don't have a lathe (not yet but working on it) and had to use their already made axles. If you had a lathe, you could turn your own axles and that would cut some of the cost. Some have suggested that I could have used HF wheels but the Pro Eagle wheels are proven and I'm a firm believer in that safety is an arena where one shouldn't economize.

I've used the converted jack quite a bit over the past year and it works great. Pulling it over my gravel driveway is almost effortless unlike dragging my steel floor jack. That was almost impossible.

I removed the original handle because it was located poorly for balance and it interfered with the front wheels. The handles I used I found on Ebay. The original 8.8 hardware was replaced with longer 12.9 fasteners.

Pics during the conversion for the rear wheels.....


----------



## Flyinfool (May 23, 2021)

A question on the rapid pump jacks. In all of the vids they always show the jack lifting a small car that probably does not weigh more than 2000 lbs and they are usually lifting near one tire so they may be actually jacking up less than 1000. How is it pumping up something that is near the weight limit of the jack? My truck weighs ~7000 lbs with a half tank of gas according to the drive on scale at the local gravel yard. So that means that if lifting one side I am lifting ~3500 lbs. The fewer the pumps needed the more force needed on the pump handle. I don't want to be like a racing jack where you see the jack man with both feet off the ground throwing himself at the jack handle to raise the vehicle.

My thoughts seemed to follow yours. I looked at a bunch of different wheels and decided that for safety the Eagle pro parts are the way to go. I am on the list for them to email me once they are back in stock. guessing from the pics the axle is from Ø3/4 stock so it looks like just the material will cost half the price of one of their axles. So just getting their axles may be worth it.


----------



## Crow Horse (May 23, 2021)

I can't answer your question completely, but the HF aluminum rapid pump floor jack does require a little more effort. My truck in only 4500#'s so it doesn't really compare to your 7000#'s. Assuming the required effort isn't that much more, the mobility factor outweighs the required increase in effort to lift.


----------



## C-Bag (Jun 11, 2021)

silverhawk said:


> The puck should always be vulcanized rubber, inside and out. If it's synthetic, I don't know how it would behave, so I just assume they are all the same. When used on ice, they are frozen before games but that is simply to reduce bounces. Here is a picture of the puck on my harbor freight jack. It is slightly smaller, but sufficient.
> 
> From the looks of it, I might need to replace it, finally.
> 
> ...


Whoda thunk this thread would have taken this detour but as usual I’m glad it did as I’d never learned about hockey pucks! I got my pucks in the mail and finally got to use one for one of my present projects. I’m doing some sheetmetal work and the pucks are working perfectly. It’s funny this came along just as I was wondering where I could get a big piece of rubber to form metal on.
Thanks Silverhawk!


----------

