A floor jack is one of the most indispensable tools in your garage. It lifts your car, truck or SUV off the ground so you can work on it. You can do a lot of the most common maintenance and repairs with a jack, including changing tires, swapping out wheels and performing other under-car tasks. The right jack is also useful for tinkering under the hood or in the engine bay.
The best floor jacks are sturdy, reliable and powerful enough to support the weight of your vehicle when you’re working underneath it. They are also easy to maneuver and leave plenty of space for you to move around and under the car if necessary. Some of the best jacks come with built-in safety valves that prevent overloading and failure. Others have long handles for easier positioning. They also usually have a low profile when collapsed, which allows them to reach jacking points in the corners of the car.
There are two types of floor jacks: hydraulic and mechanical. Hydraulic jacks use hydraulic fluid to generate the lifting force, while mechanical jacks use gears and other mechanisms. Both can be effective, but the hydraulic jacks are generally preferred because they are easier to operate and provide more lifting power than mechanical ones.
Choosing the best floor jack also depends on the type of work you plan to do in your garage or shop. If you only plan to change a tire or do other basic maintenance, a compact and lightweight portable jack such as the Blackhawk B6350 might be fine. It has a low profile and a fairly high lifting capacity of up to 7,000 pounds, which should be sufficient for most personal vehicles. If you’re planning to work on a larger vehicle, look for something with more lifting power and a higher lift height, such as the Torin T43004B 8,000-pound floor jack.
Before using your jack, read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and follow any safety precautions they recommend. It’s important to keep the hydraulic oil topped up in your jack, and it should be changed at least every two years or so. It’s also a good idea to have a pair of jack stands handy when using your jack. Jack stands will help you avoid potentially dangerous accidents and ensure that your vehicle isn’t dropped while you’re working on it.
The Torin T43004B jack stands are the strongest and most stable jack stands we tested, and they’re designed to support up to 8,000 pounds. They’re easy to set up and are made of steel and cast iron, so they should be able to handle any vehicle you want to jack up. They’re also less expensive than most other brands we tested. However, they do have some minor shortcomings that you should be aware of before buying them. For one, they have a tendency to tilt slightly if you’re not careful when positioning them. The other issue is that some customers have reported receiving jack stands with missing parts. This appears to be rare, but it’s worth keeping in mind when shopping for them.