[JohnPaul]

I don't do a ton of wrenching, but when I do, I'm embarrassed to admit that I use the scissor jack that came with my car.

I know, I know, I'm basically asking to be pinned under the thing after the jack folds in on itself. So I'm looking to get something better.

The problem is, I can't make sense of the price range for floor jacks. Beyond the weight rating, there still seems to be huge variation in prices - anything from $100 up to $700 in the flyers and stuff I've found online.

I noticed Autoguide already put together a Best Floor Jacks ranking for 2023 (https://www.autoguide.com/best-floor-jacks), and the top rated model is actually sold under a bunch of different brands (Jegs/Sunex/Arcan, and apparently a couple more). The lowest price of these that I can find is still not cheap, but if its worth it over a budget option, I'd love to hear why.

Any experts here who can spell out what to look for and what to run away from?

 

[Hudouc]

If you are super cheap, keep on using the scissor jack. Just make sure to use jack stands. I made sure to have 4 jack stands before I ever bought a proper floor jack. Use a jack stand regardless of what Scotty Kilmer does in his videos.

 

[WiiMaster]

There's really nothing inherently unsafe about using the scissor jack to lift the vehicle for work, provided you're still using jack stands to support the vehicle afterwards, it's just inconvenient to use a scissor jack for this due to how weak it is (it was never meant to lift the whole vehicle up). The problem arises when you are going under a vehicle that is only supported by the scissor jack.

I don't own any vehicle lifting equipment either. I don't do work that requires the vehicle to be lifted for that reason. It's probably something I'll invest in at some point, but my garage isn't the most convenient for this either, as if I park the car facing inside, there's not going to be any room to get a jack in the front. So whatever side I want to work on would be easiest to have facing out.

 

[14v6]

I've found the Harbor Freight Daytona jacks good enough for DIY use. The take up space but are sturdy. For an Accord something low profile would probably be best. I've found that I have little reason to go under the car with the wheels off so I make cradles. Lift the car from the center points (front and rear) and let the wheels rest on the cradles. A cradle is nine (3 rows of 3) 16 inch 2 x 4's screwed perpendicular to each other for about a 4.5 inch lift. After the Harbor Freight recall of their jack stands cracking I figured cradles were another choice.

 

[easymike]

I use a Pittsburgh hydraulic jack 3 ton Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP with questionably safe jack stands

 

[Jon Does]

Check out the garage floor jacks at your nearest Harbor Freight store and purchase the one you like.
Select one with a tall enough range so you can jack up the front & rear of the car.
Also select a jack with a low enough profile so you can reach under and jack up the car with a flat tire.