Hey guys

i was looking into a good set of stands for the car (i really dont want to work on it with the factory jack... :S) and i was wondering if this craftsman set would be any good to use with our cars... :)

Craftsman floor jack and stands (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950138000&subcat=Lift+Equipment)

thanks :)

Some people on OdyClub love those...my 2 1/2 ton Crapsman just blew a seal :(

Some people on OdyClub love those...my 2 1/2 ton Crapsman just blew a seal :(

thanks for the quick reply... so would you say that since its on sale for $35 i should buy it? or invest in a better one?

thanks for the quick reply... so would you say that since its on sale for $35 i should buy it? or invest in a better one?
That's up to you...people on OdyClub have said their $20 Craftsman jack lasted them nearly a decade and still going. For me, I'm looking for a better jack, maybe in the $100 range...I want the 3 ton capacity and extra quality since I could use it on our ML320 4500lb SUV. Have to think about your circumstances and how long you plan to use it, and how often. Also 17" reach isn't enough for me. Mine was only 14" and I was kissing the oilpan.

thanks! i think i'm gonna get it... its only going to be used on this car so... :)

I just bought the Craftsman 3 ton SUV floor jack this past weekend for $60. It has a 21" lift and will go down to 6" so it fits under the Accord jack point. I have the 3 ton jack stands already (Xmas gift from son-in-law), but couldn't get the car up high enough using the supplied scissor jack to use them. Take a look at this 3 ton. I got it over the 2 and half because the other vehicle is a toyota Highlander, but I don't think it is too much overkill on the sedan.

At Sam's Club, I got a "Michelin" brand 3 ton jack for $60. I've had it for 3 years now and it's going fine. It raise the car at good 18" - 20" inches. More than enough for the fleet. (Accord, Civic, Prelude). If it craps out, I can't remember what the warranty is like - I'll just buy a new one. Probably Craftsman just because Sears is so accessible. I wonder if the Craftsman life time warranty covers car jacks?

The Prelude is too low to the ground to use the jack. I have to drive her up on blocks of wood to get it under.

I also picked up (4) 3 ton stands at Sears. I figure I'd rather have the extra capacity than not enough. The cars have to be lifted off the ground before you can get these jacks under. I've left Wagon on all four corners for 2 weeks and the jacks were just fine. They'll hold my 06 Accord solidly, too.

Probably Craftsman just because Sears is so accessible. I wonder if the Craftsman life time warranty covers car jacks?

gonna question them about that and let you know... :)

The Prelude is too low to the ground to use the jack. I have to drive her up on blocks of wood to get it under.

I also picked up (4) 3 ton stands at Sears. I figure I'd rather have the extra capacity than not enough. The cars have to be lifted off the ground before you can get these jacks under. I've left Wagon on all four corners for 2 weeks and the jacks were just fine. They'll hold my 06 Accord solidly, too.

a stock 6mt coupe should have not problems fitting under this jack should it? the page does not give a minimum height but most of them are around 5.5in-6in and i'm thinking that should be enough. right?

i'm gonna go out today maybe if i have time before class and check them out. :)

You should really measure and make sure that your car has enough clearance. Some people run into problem...better safe than sorry.

Unfortunately Craftsman does not have a lifetime warranty on most of their jacks that I saw. I went looking for them and their warranties vary. You CAN buy a lifetime warranty jack from better companies, but they'll cost you $300. We use those in auto shop and they still crap out on us...but they sure are smooth.

If you're serious about working on your car, get youself one of these (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950240000&subcat=Lift+Equipment)!

4" minimum height and raises to 19.5". It's perfect for lifting the whole front or rear end up by the middle jack point and the "jack plate" is big enough not to harm the frame. The 5' handle makes lifting easier and faster.

I got one a few months ago and love it! It's much better than the smaller jacks out there.

If you're serious about working on your car, get youself one of these (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950240000&subcat=Lift+Equipment)!

4" minimum height and raises to 19.5". It's perfect for lifting the whole front or rear end up by the middle jack point and the "jack plate" is big enough not to harm the frame. The 5' handle makes lifting easier and faster.

I got one a few months ago and love it! It's much better than the smaller jacks out there.

this was going to be more for oil changes and stuff... but maybe at a later date i would use it for other things. :|

this was going to be more for oil changes and stuff... but maybe at a later date i would use it for other things. :|
That's cool... My little $20 jack lasted me for 8.5 years before crapping out on me. In the meantime, my tool selection grew so much that it just makes more sense for me to get a better jack. :) The jack in your original link should be fine for the next few years, then.. :)

I have the jack shown in the first post for autox. It has worked OK for a couple of years, just jacking up one side of the car. I have a basic Craftsman 3-ton for work at home and it is so much better. I think it would be a real pain using that small jack to get a car up on stands more than once in a blue moon. Also, I've seen those stands and they look very fragile compared with the Craftsman 3 1/2 ton units that I got for about $20. I feel much safer under the car with big sturdy stands. I think you could spend $100 and get a much better jack and stands, and it would be worth it in the long run unless you need a light jack for portability.

At Sam's Club, I got a "Michelin" brand 3 ton jack for $60. I've had it for 3 years now and it's going fine. It raise the car at good 18" - 20" inches. More than enough for the fleet. (Accord, Civic, Prelude). If it craps out, I can't remember what the warranty is like - I'll just buy a new one.

My grandpa has one of these jacks & seems to be pretty good. I would recommend this if you are wanting a good jack at a good price.

Where do you guys jack the car and where do you place the stands? I usually jack from the designated jack points in the owner's manual and then kind of take an educated guess as to where I can place the jack stands.

I jack it up from the middle jack point (under the radiator) and put the jack stands in the normal jack points. For the rear, I jack it up by the rear tow hook.

Next time I get a chance I'll take a look under the car. I'm pretty lucky in that I have access to a hoist, but for small things like putting on winter tires or summer tires, it's more work putting the tires in the trunk than actuall changing them.

If you're serious about working on your car, get youself one of these (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950240000&subcat=Lift+Equipment)!
I got one a few months ago and love it! It's much better than the smaller jacks out there.
Sears runs a good sale on these at times. I won't pass it up again :thmsup:

Sears runs a good sale on these at times. I won't pass it up again :thmsup:
I picked up mine at $90. :thmsup:

What about those really cheap Bottle neck jacks at walmart, my mom has a miatia and she lost her jack that came with her car? dont ask how, and i was wondering if a 2 ton bottleneck jack would be good for a replacment for her?

What about those really cheap Bottle neck jacks at walmart, my mom has a miatia and she lost her jack that came with her car? dont ask how, and i was wondering if a 2 ton bottleneck jack would be good for a replacment for her?
They sell scissor jacks and small jacks that would be better for her car... The bottle jacks are probably not going to fit under the car.. Most of them have a minumum height of 5 1/2 inches... I'm sure the Miata is lower than that (Probably 5" - 5.5")...

FWIW . . .
http://www.vorshlag.com/tech_jacks1.asp

Any opinions on this jack?
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200311820_200311820
Blackhawk was recommended to me as a good jack. Not sure about the foot pedal, but it seems like a useful feature. It's on sale today, so I'll probably bite the bullet.

I was looking hard at the aluminum jacks, but the drawbacks were:
1) 1-1/2 ton was in my price range, but on the light side for minivans and trucks. Higher capacity got expensive.
2) Didn't see one with a steel saddle. Aluminum saddles have been know to fail.

Check out Harbor Freight if you have one in your area. All of the jacks are made in China, so why pay for a "brand" name?

I don't think all jacks are made in China - some are made in Taiwan, some in the USA. Some use different seals that are more prone to failure (Chinese ones).