I just got my FSM and it's time for next steps. Don't know much about floor jacks and stands - any recommendations on best manufacturers and vendors? Thanks in advance, as IU'm not inclined to put safety at risk with cheap/unreliable stuff.
Floor Jack/Axle Stands - Recommendations Needed
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I just got my FSM and it's time for next steps. Don't know much about floor jacks and stands - any recommendations on best manufacturers and vendors? Thanks in advance, as IU'm not inclined to put safety at risk with cheap/unreliable stuff.
Craftsman for the price, reliability and warranty, quick search on your local Craigslist may yield a good find. I found a MATCO floor jack using CL, then purchased (4) 6-ton MATCO jack stands.... safety is priceless, you are on the right start....
Costco has a decent floor jack at a good price. I got a pair of the 6-ton Big Red jack stands from Tractor Supply. http://www.tractorsupply.com/jack-stands/big-red-6-ton-jack-stand-1161621
Scan your local craigslist. I like the Weaver brand. My 2 ton Weaver is as stout as you will find. It may be old but they really don't make em like this anymore. There are some great new jacks built but are BIG $s. Weavers appear on CL for $150 and under, are totally rebuildable, easy to disassemble, parts readily avail, AND lifts to 25"......almost all you see lifts to 19-20".
Look at www.garagejournal.com and search for Weaver. Great website and lots of great info from alot of tool nuts over there. Poster that goes by Hyball is the resident jack guru and can help you with all your parts needs.
Also.....US Jack frequently has their 6 ton stands on sale for under $90/pair. Some folks freak out at that price but IMHO you can't put a price on safety. Plus they are super nice. Puts my old 5 ton Hein Werners to shame.
Whatever you do ALWAYS lift with the jack and support with stands. A local got killed this summer as he was lifting and supporting with a jack only. It failed and crushed him. Terrible to even think about. We have all been there at one time or another....I will only be a minute, don't want to drag out the stands, etc. I feel bad for his family but we can all learn from this.
Look at www.garagejournal.com and search for Weaver. Great website and lots of great info from alot of tool nuts over there. Poster that goes by Hyball is the resident jack guru and can help you with all your parts needs.
Also.....US Jack frequently has their 6 ton stands on sale for under $90/pair. Some folks freak out at that price but IMHO you can't put a price on safety. Plus they are super nice. Puts my old 5 ton Hein Werners to shame.
Whatever you do ALWAYS lift with the jack and support with stands. A local got killed this summer as he was lifting and supporting with a jack only. It failed and crushed him. Terrible to even think about. We have all been there at one time or another....I will only be a minute, don't want to drag out the stands, etc. I feel bad for his family but we can all learn from this.
Craftsman jacks suck.... My friend bought one last year and the seals blew out of it 3 times, I've had a 3 1/2 ton autozone jack for 5 years and has served me well, also have some 6 and 12 ton jack stands
Good luck and years of use from my Craftsman floor jack and jack stand under a very heavy cruiser with mods.
RUN, RUN, RUN away from anything Harbor Freight in this area! Local here in Socal was very fortunate with just a shoulder injury awhile back with what I recall was HF junk failing.
RUN, RUN, RUN away from anything Harbor Freight in this area! Local here in Socal was very fortunate with just a shoulder injury awhile back with what I recall was HF junk failing.
I went through two of the aluminum jacks from craftsman, they are junk. The Arcan jack from Costco has served me well for 3 years.
I use the 6 ton harbor freight set I have most of the time when working on the 80 they're heavy duty and solid but my rig is on 35's. I do have a few sets of the craftsman 3 tons I've used for years as well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-jack-stand-set-38847.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-jack-stand-set-38847.html
I got the same ones too and they work great on a lifted 80.
Harbor Freight 6 ton jack stands have worked well for me.
I agree with others that the Arcan 3.25 ton jack from Costco is the best bang for the buck right now. Lifts high but is low enough to fit under my Acura too. I bought mine to replace a Craftsman 2.5 ton "Professional" jack that had lost its seals after 10 years of light use. The Arcan is far sturdier and easier to use than the old Craftsman. The Craftsman had a smaller lift height but wouldn't fit under my car.
Anything new under $200 will be made in China, regardless of brand.
I agree with others that the Arcan 3.25 ton jack from Costco is the best bang for the buck right now. Lifts high but is low enough to fit under my Acura too. I bought mine to replace a Craftsman 2.5 ton "Professional" jack that had lost its seals after 10 years of light use. The Arcan is far sturdier and easier to use than the old Craftsman. The Craftsman had a smaller lift height but wouldn't fit under my car.
Anything new under $200 will be made in China, regardless of brand.
I have a variety of jack stands (Craftsman & Harbor Freight) and all have worked well for years. I usually use the 4 craftsman ones because they are the biggest/tallest ones that allow me to use on the frame. Small ones I use on the axles.
As for floor jack I used to have a craftsman but it crapped out so I just got the HF one for $69 with the coupon. It's been great. Now I wouldn't get under the truck using it without stands but I wouldn't do that with any floor jack.
As for floor jack I used to have a craftsman but it crapped out so I just got the HF one for $69 with the coupon. It's been great. Now I wouldn't get under the truck using it without stands but I wouldn't do that with any floor jack.
I should have prefaced my craftsman comment.... I used a craftsman floor jack and jack stands for much of my pre-cruiser vehicles, once the cruiser came along much of everything was upgraded. 
I never had an issue with either craftsman items, but developed plans to eventually upgrade once I discovered MATCO. After discovering a great deal on a MATCO floor jack through a local CL buy I bought it and gave the craftsman floor jack and stands to a friend. Maybe the issue that has been noted with craftsman is the degrade in some of their product line quality over the years?
I never had an issue with either craftsman items, but developed plans to eventually upgrade once I discovered MATCO. After discovering a great deal on a MATCO floor jack through a local CL buy I bought it and gave the craftsman floor jack and stands to a friend. Maybe the issue that has been noted with craftsman is the degrade in some of their product line quality over the years?
I thin you are right, my Dad has an old craftsman from the 70s that is still going strong today. Wonder how many dif manufacturers they have used since then?
If you search around online you will find a lot of negative comments on the newer craftsman jacks. They are made overseas hince the low price point. Its all about price though, if you want the quality and USA made then you are gonna spend upwards of $300- $500. However that jack will probably last you 20 years or more and many are rebuildable. You can also check craigs and ebay for used American made jacks, maybe find a deal there. Good luck.
< the daughter made me put it there.
< the daughter made me put it there.
Arcan XL35 floor jack here, as it fits under my Audi, yet still can do the heavy lifting with the Cruiser (the jack weighs over 100 pounds). Also went with their 12 Ton rated stands. The Cruiser is a pig, and I would never get under it without over-spec stands.
http://arcanusa.com/lifting.html#
Steve
http://arcanusa.com/lifting.html#
Steve
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This is just the type of info I was looking for - thanks everyone! When it comes to keeping 3+ tons off my cranium, I'll default to:
- New, US built, and rebuildable (Weaver, US Jack, etc)
- Sounds like 3 - 6 ton rating is sufficient?
- And the ratings for Jack Stands are similar? 2 tons per Jack stand is enough?
This is good info, and enthusiastic noobs gotta build the right foundation before crawling around down there...
- New, US built, and rebuildable (Weaver, US Jack, etc)
- Sounds like 3 - 6 ton rating is sufficient?
- And the ratings for Jack Stands are similar? 2 tons per Jack stand is enough?
This is good info, and enthusiastic noobs gotta build the right foundation before crawling around down there...
X20..... My 2 Craftsman jack has last me through a Suburban, a F250 Super Duty and now my Cruiser
They normally run a sale with Jack and Stands...
This thread ( https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/338374-12-ton-jack-stands-arrived.html) has pretty good discussion about the stand.
As for the jack, I love the Arcan 3.5 ton jack. You can get it from Costco. You can also keep an eye on local garage sale. I picked up this vintage Blackhawk S4 a while ago. Next to it, the Arcan likes a baby...
As for the jack, I love the Arcan 3.5 ton jack. You can get it from Costco. You can also keep an eye on local garage sale. I picked up this vintage Blackhawk S4 a while ago. Next to it, the Arcan likes a baby...
The costco jack is legit.
I had an alum craftsman that I used for years until the seals gave out
I had an alum craftsman that I used for years until the seals gave out
I picked up 2 oldschool Walkers from craigslist, $80 for the pair. Both need a rebuild, but parts are apparently still available aftermarket - I went ahead and got a kit for the newer one. Head and shoulders above anything you could get new without it costing you an arm and a leg.
And +1 to supporting the vehicle properly. If HF uses bad metallurgy on a screwdriver or a ratchet, there might be a few more quarters in the cuss jar, but if someone uses inferior steel in jackstands, that's a much bigger deal. Get the good ones...