My Dad and I use an old Walker jack that he's had since the early 60s. So many months ago the jack went out on us and we spent about $150 in parts to try and fix it ourselves. We succeeded but it now it has a slow leak on fluid but is doing what its supposed to again. I'd like to look into buying a second car jack for us. What are some good solid built jacks out there? Not interested in what Harbor Freight would have :smash:. Thanks,
I've got nothing against them on most things but we did buy a jack from them a few years ago and after a few times of use, the hydraulics would not work. So I'd shop at Harbor Freight on some things but never again on jacks. Maybe we were just unlucky and bought a lemon that time..
Recommend a minimum 3 ton jack. Robert, I understand that you may be a little doubtful about Harbor Freight, but I have found some excellent tools there. They may not be production quality, but for a home hobbyist, they'll work just fine.
I bought a quick jack set up a few years ago and wish I'd bought it sooner. Raises the whole car up by the frame about 24", it's portable and sets up in minutes. You can take wheels off and go down the center unobstructed. In most garages it won't raise your car high enough to hit ceiling. And, it's electric/hydraulic, push a button up or down. A little pricy, but I love it!
I have a big red at the house and although I don't use it like the shop ones I can say it moves a lot faster. A buddy of mine has the HF low profile jack at work and it seems to work ok. Has a great feel to it.
I have one that my dad bought from sears over 40 years ago and still works flawless
I also bought a low profile from HF 6 years ago and it gets used 2-3 times a week . no problem so far
I've had horrible luck with aluminum jacks. Bought a HF 2T a few years ago and took it straight back after it wouldn't lift the front of my 2WD Dakota. Then bought a Sears 2T which worked for a year or so before the let-down valve went out causing "crash-downs" from 2 feet up with ensuing damage. I now have a steel 3T NAPA (Walker?) which has been flawless and is rebuildable should the need ever arise...
you definitely don't want to be pushing over the rear end of a car with an aluminum jack under the rear axle. Your wheel might come flying off. I've done it many times with my big red. I'd say the mark of quality is the hydraulic seals. Does it pump fast? Does it keep it's height with weight on it?
Walker jacks are among the best and Napa can get them, but really Harbor Freight is not bad. I've had one of their old standard 3T jacks since 2010ish. It just works and keeps going
I used a sears shop jack (used to sell them in a package with 2 jack stands, believe it or not mine is from '98) for everything. It was good/reliable but old/big and the release was scary (you turn the handle and all of a sudden the car would just drop, it was very hard to bring it down under control).
I ended up finding that the Arcan XL35 was being sold at costco for right around $100 (Really really cheap for the quality). It's actually larger than my old shop jack which I still have but sits lower, has the quick pump under no load, lifts higher and has is sturdier than the craftsman. I have no issues using it with my big cummins ram or my lowered Trans Am. I really love this jack. In the meantime, I haven't been able to get a car in the garage so it's seen a lot of driveway duty and when it turns into a project I'm ashamed to admit it sits out there, in the sun/rain... the casters have some surface rust on them where the pavement has worn off the paint, the paint has faded (they're red from costco, black from everywhere else, MUCH cheaper at Costco), but even the foam padding on the handle hasn't been affected by the sun and it works great still. Honestly, it's out in the driveway under the TA right now in the rain :-/
The one thing that I don't like about it is that it's HEAVY, add a hill in the driveway, obstacles... a lot of the time I just don't want to move it. Recently the HFT aluminum race jack was on sale for $54 and I got one and I hate to say it but I love it. It's light enough that I can literally pick it up by the handle, small enough that I wouldn't hesitate to throw it in the car, has a good lifting range (nothing like the XL35 but they are completely different classes of jack). It will lift the cummins but there are few good jack points it will reach (it sits on 36's). This has become my go to jack for "it's out in the driveway or street and I just need to get it off the ground quickly/rotate the tires/check the brakes..."
The Arcan gets pulled out if it's going to be sitting on it for a bit, heavier work, if I might try to do something like lift one end of the car and try to roll it... The Sears sits in the garage in case I need a second big jack or a friend wants to borrow a shop jack.
Shopping floor jack now, it has come down to one of two choices.
1st and has the right saddle 6.5'' and 3 ton
HeinWerner HW93652 3 Ton
2nd goofy 4.5" saddle & 100 bucks cheaper is NAPA 3.5 ton
You may wonder why this one is considered. I'm told its DNA is Walker, of course that's NAPA saying it. Was unable to verify the statement.
HW has the design advantage, larger frame just stouter looking over all. Leaning in this direction.
Recently jacking my truck and the jack I have having the hockey puck saddle. Slipped rearward and got hung between the sway bar and rear cover.
Not having that again
So basically I am interested hearing any comments regarding the HeinWerner product, from users please.
Did my home work, but there in only so much one can learn from the advertisers.
IIRC Hein Werner bought out Lincoln and Walker jacks, creating the Hein Werner sold today, some jacks being based on the old designs ( that go back decades ).. So they would be about the very best available, but the question is do you need the very best, and I doubt anyone really does. Jackstands hold the weight. don't cheap out on those
Jacks originally made by Walker were later made by Lincoln and now by Hein Warner. Made in the US all along. The current H-W jacks are made in the US by a Chinese company by the name of Shinn Fu or something similar to that. I've got a Walker 1.5 ton from the 70's, which is the same jack as the current 2 ton H-W 93642. Walker's model number for that jack 40 yrs ago is the same as the H-W model number today, and it has used the same seal kit (about $45 on Amazon) from first production to the current day.
IMO the NAPA 3.5 ton is pure Chinese right down to the little round saddle. The only "Walker DNA" in that jack is the yellow and blue paint job.
Like Silverback, I bought one of the HF 1.5 ton race jacks a while back. Fifty-some bucks well spent IMO for the convenience of not having to drag out the 100# plus Walker to lift one corner of a car or pickup that's parked a hundred feet away from the garage.
Added... The H-W jack available today is a much better jack than the original 1.5 ton H-W's made years ago. Those were a little smaller physically than the Walker, and a little cheaper too. They were sorta the standard jack in thousands of gas stations back in the day. The problem with the old H-W's is the riveted attachment of the strut that makes the saddle lift level where it attaches to the frame. With use, the rivet head wears and because its thin it can pop off, letting the strut come loose. Its not difficult to fix using a low head grade 8 bolt and locknut, but it can create a dangerous situation if it happens while the jack is loaded. We've got a couple of them at the shop and I've had to make this repair on both even though neither one of them has had near as much use as a 1.5 ton Walker that also lives at the shop. Just thought this was worth mentioning in case anyone has one or looks at buying a used one.
"Chinese company by the name of Shinn Fu or something similar to that."
This I also have found. ^
However FWIW I am not sure it is china, could be jap. Reading manufacturer comparisons the jap manufacturers have a much better history of lifting the advertised weight than the china product.
What I'm driving at is this, there is a major difference in machines produced by taiwan as compared to china, think lathe here. Fit finish and accuracy.
Good tip on the rivet :thumbup:
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123pugsey
"It sure doesn't look like it's worth 1300 bucks."
And it's not, even the Milwaukee T40 does not hit that mark, best of brand as I read/see.
Adjust your search engine, google sucks,:nono: That's 3 times the price I'm seeing LOL
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matt167
"the question is do you need the very best, and I doubt anyone really does."
That becomes a personal preference. I'm not after the very best, if that were true I'd get the Milwaukee T40.
I do want reliability and consistent function, that takes a little extra, would you not agree?
" Jackstands hold the weight."
True, getting things in the air is before the jack stand. I raise the whole truck off the ground to rotate the tires, every oil change. I use both at the heavy end.
Less than half the price for you guys. I should be used to bending over by now.....
It does look like a nicer jack than the others I've seen.
I'm running a Chinese 3 tonner and it works OK and doesn't leak. Only problem is the handle sticks when closed and if you crack it to open, it comes down quick.
Picked up the jack Friday, put it too work this weekend. I can say that this is the right tool for the job. Lifted the truck, felt solid, sturdy using it.
How do I write that, under load right off noticed the jack rolling to the truck easily, the casters and wheels are bigger. Other jack struggled at that, and was part of the cause for the jack coming off the rear and jamming the hockey puck in behind the gear cover and sway bar.
I did have a learning curve using it the first couple of times. Found that I was having trouble controlling the lowering speed, float it down it wanted to dead drop.
Figured out that this jack requires, a lighter touch closing the valve. Maybe when under pressure it take a more positive seat.
Using it as I do the others, the same torque used closing the valve required the same to open.. Not with this, I did that at first, one hand tighten nothing extreme.
Using the same, it took both hands to back off, crack it open to lower. Of course you can conclude it set the lowering speed to fast, caught it ok. But not satisfied, with the lack of control.
Found it takes just enough pressure on the seat to raise the saddle, coming down it can be floated or eased to the ground or stands.
Can recommend this jack, I'll continue to use the the others for the HotRods , there fine for that. I have read there are saddles that can be had to replace the hockey puck.
Greg
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