Buying A New Jack

[TaffyTim 6]

I need to get a new Jack, last time I lifted my Honda it twisted my long serving halfords one.

 

I've got a halfords, GSF, and euro car posts closer to me.

 

Am I right in thinking the halfords one will be the better of the three?

 

[welshpug 1,666]

Machine mart

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

last time i was in halfords they had £40 off one of the low ones that lift with one pump (oo-er) a 'race' type one nearly bought it but after lifting it I realised it weighed about 5 and a half metric sh*t tons, and not very handy for me as I need something portable.

haing said that, ive got a small 1.5 ton trolley jack i got off ebay a year ago for £20 and thats a good little thing, light weight so easy to keep in the car. Just need to make sure all the bolts are tight every now and then

and then Ive got a halford 2 tonne one which has served my maybe 5 years now and still going strong!

[marksorrento205 80]

Having used one of these a few times now, this is what I will be buying next if / when my current one packs up.

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/ctj1250a-11-4-tonne-aluminium-trolley-jack

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

I have this jack

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-2-tonne-trolley-jack-ctj2001g

 

It has done 8 years of regular use, I would buy another with no hesitation.

[welshpug 1,666]

Yep, i have the same one as tom, bit heavy but fine if you dont need to cart it about.

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

I've one of the Costco Arcan aluminium low entry height specials.

 

 

If it's good enough for touring car teams, it's good enough for me. Was only about £70 I think.

[Rock Lobster 28]

My mate bought the one from costco or somewhere similar and its a nice bit of kit. Low entry and lightweight, I'll be picking one up when mines has had enough.

 

I use one of the Halfords quick lift ones, mainly because I got it for about £30, can't fault it but it does weigh an absolute ton!

[welshpug 1,666]

I have never heard great things about the cheap alloy jacks tbh, leaking usually and all the fixings coming loose, the later I can cope with but shouldn't really happen, but the former can be dangerous! For an occasional diy user it might be fine, not a pug owner though

 

A friend has bought a 3 ton alloy jack recently however, and it wasn't cheap so we shall see how it fares, it will be used every day as he's a mobile mechanic.

[Baz 421]

Mine gets a fair amount of use and has been fine;

 

I've one of the Costco Arcan aluminium low entry height specials.

 

 

This is what i have, it's the boll0cks. Recommended, just check the nuts/bolts periodically(although i haven't personally had a problem) and the rubber pad does break down after use/time, but don't they all...?

Edited September 7, 2012 by Baz

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

You have now. It's had one hell of a hard life and never missed a beat.

[tartanbloke 35 1 Cars]

I bought a halfords one around 10 years ago and still going strong, even after being used on the Family Espace (almost 2 tonnes) many times

[GilesW 41]

Yep big thumbs up for teh Arcan jack from me too.

[TaffyTim 6]

if I thougth i'd need to use it more than what I will then I'd most probabaly get a £90+ jack. But its going to be so rare that I'll be using it I cant see the justification of spending double or trebble that ammount of a good jack.

 

My Halfords one that just died lasted me an age so I'll be going down that route again me thinks, I'll just have to live with jack envy of you lot

[marksorrento205 80]

I guess it's like any tool. Look after it and check it over every now and then and it will have a better chance of lasting.

 

I have one like Tom's at the min. Had it years but every now and then it sinks if left with load on it. Bottom line is I always use axle stands and never go under a car on just a jack so it is not an issue.

 

What a like about them alloy ones in the low entry. It is good to hear both good and bad things about all of them and at the end of the day it will be down to personal preference.

[Baz 421]

Just don't buy the cheaper ones like halfords offer, utter s*ite that don't lift very high at all and barely last.

 

I have a 'family heir loom' one that's only just died, was a cheapy but 40 or so years ago! Just proves how things were built to last back then, the little cheap ones I have bought since an barely used are utter crap, one's already died!

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Good luck finding a Costco one any more - I grabbed one, and glad I did (cracking value and a lovely piece of kit) but they just got cleared out in no time. And I'm reliably told by the Costco peeps no plans to restock any time soon. My neighbour has just bought a Bluepoint one and, bar some different rolers, it looks fudging identical!

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

My local branch would occasionally stock it, remove it for a while and then stock them again. I went in yesterday and had a browse down the car aisles and noticed that they do a large steel 3 tonne affair now but not the aluminium ones.

[TaffyTim 6]

I hadnt thought of Machine mart but have on 1 mile from me too.

 

Looking at their jacks they have a long one that i might:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/ctj2l-2-tonne-long-diy-trolley-jack?da=1&TC=SRC-jack#reviews

 

They are olso going to be stocking a low entry one which isnt in yet:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-ctj2000lp-2-tonne-low-profile-trolley-j?da=1&TC=SRC-jack

 

Also has anyone used sgs engineering jacks?

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/hydraulic-jacks/trolley-jacks/tjl2jsr-low-entry-trolley-jack-axle-stands

[MiniGibbo 142]

I've got a low entry alloy machine mart one and it's ok but does fall to bits after a couple of years DIY..

 

 

[welshpug 1,666]

SGS stuff looks identical to the clarke ones, that looks a good deal, I bought a 2 ton jack and axle stands as a package from MM years agop, axle stands still fine though the jack is dying after 7 years.

(hence the 3 ton CTJ3000G I bought 2 years ago, thought it was the same as tom's but I bought the 3 ton as it went marginally lower and a fair bit higher, for hardly any more cash)

 

MM used to do a package like that but can't see it any more.

[TaffyTim 6]

I've got a low entry alloy machine mart one and it's ok but does fall to bits after a couple of years DIY..

 

You're not the chap that used to work in Astute are you minigibbo?