Top 10 Best Floor Jacks for All Your Lifting Needs

1. Editor's Pick: Powerbuilt 2 Ton Xtra Low Profile Floor Jack

This floor jack is an extra low profile model that would be perfect for people who work on custom cars, modified cars, or classic vehicles. It can slide under a vehicle with just 2.75 inches of clearance and can lift up to 15.5 inches. It also features a safety bar to prop up the jack in its highest position. With a 2 ton capacity, it might just be the best fit for your lifting needs.

2. Craftsman 2.5 Ton Low-Profile Floor Jack

One of the key selling points of this Craftsman floor jack, other than the great promotion we’re seeing on it right now, is all about price. Basic yet well built, this guy is marked down to only $50 right now, and Sears is even offering $50.50 in cashback! That’s right, it’s the jack that basically pays for itself… Sort of.

3. Powerzone 3 Ton Aluminum and Steel Garage Jack

This jack has a hefty 3 ton (6,000 lbs) lifting capacity and is made with a mix of lightweight and sturdy materials. The body features lightweight aluminum, while the lift arm uses heavy-duty steel. The saddle is padded with rubber, and there’s a set of wheels and castors to help move this 59-pound tool.

4. Powerbuilt Heavy Duty 2 Ton Triple Lift Jack

This two-ton lift has a unique design and features a number of interesting innovations. For example, its large square saddle is versatile with either a lift or rails. Like some of the other jacks on this list, it features a locking safety bar to hold the lift in place at its highest position.

5. Arcan XL20 Black Service Jack

The Arcan XL20 and XL2T are low profile jacks with a 2 ton (4,000 lbs) capacity. They feature a dual pump that helps the jack raise very quickly, and the jack is made from heavy-duty steel. It’s a bit heavy weighing in at 67.2 lbs.

6. Blackhawk 3.5 Ton Fast Lift Service Jack

This jack isn’t for the faint of heart. With a 3.5 Ton (7,000 lbs.) capacity, it will leave very few vehicles grounded. It’s built from heavy-duty steel, which ensures its durability, but that means it’s pretty heavy at 85 lbs. To ensure its longevity, it has a bypass device to prevent damage from overpumping, and a built-in internal safety valve and vent plug.

7. Performance Tool 2 Ton Low Profile Floor Jack

This floor jack is a do-it-all kind, with 2 tons of capacity, and a low-profile design. It uses a sturdy heavy duty steel frame, which bumps up the weight to over 70 lbs. But it features dual pistons for fast lifting action. It also sports a cool yellow paint job.

8. Pittsburgh Automotive 3 Ton Steel Heavy Duty Floor Jack

This jack from Pittsburgh Automotive may sound a bit heavy at 78 lbs, but it’s extremely capable with a 3-ton lift rating. It has a fancy dual parallel pump system that allows you to lift most loads in just three and a half pumps. To release the twist valve needs just half a turn. It’s a workhorse that’ll suit anyone’s needs.

9. Nesco Tools 3 Ton Aluminum Low Profile Floor Jack

Here’s another heavy duty 3-ton jack, which should be strong enough to lift anything you have. Despite it being so capable, it features a lightweight aluminum frame and weighs just 58 lbs. It also reaches its full height in just 9 pumps, which is pretty efficient. It’s also a pretty sweet shade of blue.

10. Sunex Tools 2 Ton Aluminum Service Jack with Quick Lifting System

This is a unique 2-ton jack that’s sturdy and efficient. It can reach its max height of 19.3 inches in just 7 and a half pumps of the lever. It’s also has a handy two-piece lever, that’s foam padded, making it easier on your hands. Thankfully its also very light with a posted weight of 50 lbs.

Everything You Need to Know About Floor Jacks

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A floor jack is an essential part of a DIYer’s garage, and a good one can make a huge difference in how you wrench on your car.

Floor jacks come in a few shapes and sizes and can be a huge help for big jobs or small ones. If you just need to change a tire, a certain type of jack will do the trick, but if you want to do more than that, like change your oil or change your brake pads or rotors, then another kind of jack will be more appropriate.

Additionally, seeing a mechanic for these simple forms of maintenance can add up, especially when you can just do it from the comfort of your own garage. With all the resources out there to learn how to perform routine maintenance on your car, it makes a lot of sense to get a jack and start wrenching on your car yourself.

There’s a lot to consider when buying a jack, from budget to weight rating and materials. This guide will help you understand the different types of jacks out there, what they’re best used for, and help point you in the direction of a good floor jack for you to buy.

What is a Jack?

Simply put, a Jack is a tool that can safely raise and lower your car so you can perform some maintenance. Jacks are essential tools if you need to change a tire, but they can also help with a number of other tasks like when you need to get under a car to change the oil or perform other repairs. A good jack can quickly turn your small workspace into a versatile garage.

Why Buy a Jack?

Car owners who need to change tires seasonally can benefit the most from having a jack. It can help save a lot of money on tire changes, and tire changes aren’t too work intensive, especially if you have the right tools. Additionally, a good jack can help you perform an oil change with ease, or help replace other wear and tear items like brakes and rotors. In more extreme cases, a floor jack is useful for transmission repairs as well.

How do Floor Jacks Work?

Floor jacks work with either hydraulic power or mechanical power. The latter are typically smaller jacks and are easy to store, but have a lower lifting capacity and can require a bit of elbow grease to work. They’re typically powered by something called a leadscrew. The hydraulic models are usually bigger and heavier, but because they use hydraulics, they’re easier to use and have more lifting capability.

The Different Types of Jacks

Beyond just mechanical and hydraulic, there are three main types of jacks out there, each with their own sets of benefits and drawbacks.

Floor Jack

These are what are typically found in garages or workshops. Big and heavy, they’re probably the strongest and more capable jacks available. Due to their size, it’s unlikely you’d be transporting one of these around in one of your cars for an emergency situation. However, to make moving them around a vehicle easier, they typically have castors or wheels. As a result, they work best on flat and level ground.

These kinds of jacks typically operate with a lever, that will raise an arm that connects with the vehicle’s jack point and will then raise the chassis as needed. Afterwards, you can use a jack stand to keep that point lifted, or you can lower the car.

Bottle or Piston Jack

Another more portable jack is a bottle jack, which uses a piston mechanism to raise a vehicle. These can also be pretty easy to use and are often operated with a lever as well. It’s a helpful type of jack, but it’s limited in terms of its height. These can only raise the vehicle twice the height of the device. Additionally, these devices can be kind of tall to begin with, so it might be difficult to put them under sports cars or other lower vehicles. They’re mostly recommended for use on vehicles like SUVs or equipment like tractors.

Scissor Jack

The scissor jack is what most people are familiar with, as they are found in many spare tire kits (if the car is equipped with such a kit). These are typically only useful for changing tires, and not for more exhaustive repairs on a vehicle. Although they’re very lightweight and portable, they are sometimes tiring to use due to mechanical winding motion required to lift with them.

The Benefits of a Floor Jack

Floor Jacks are the ideal choice for automotive applications. They can be used on a wide variety of vehicle body styles and sizes and can fit in most garages and workspaces. Sure they’re not as portable as other styles of jacks, but they’re safe and capable.

They are also pretty easy to use. They have wheels or castors to move them around a car, meaning it’s easy to place them under a jack point. Then, using a lever they can quickly lift a vehicle, and then when you’re done your work, you can lower the vehicle just as easily.

These kinds of jacks can also be used for more intensive purpose like lifting a transmission, that is if you get a transmission jack adaptor.

Floor Jack Accessories

In fact, there are a few really useful accessories for floor jacks that enhance their capabilities.

Most floor jack owners would really benefit from some Jack Stands, which are ideal if you’re going to leave your car up to work on it. It’s advised to never go under a vehicle that’s only being held up by a floor jack, so jack stands are essential to performing bigger maintenance tasks. You use a floor jack to raise a vehicle, then slide your jack stands under the car, and then lower the vehicle onto the stands. Some Jack Stands are adjustable with a pin, while others are static.

Another important part of using a floor jack is to chock your wheels. These accessories help prevent a car from rolling while it’s lifted, a worrisome thought that should creep into the imagination of anyone sliding underneath a car.

On the other hand, a roller seat is pretty useful if you’re going to be working under the car. This is basically a seat or a plank with castors or wheels on it, so you can slide underneath the car without much trouble. It’s definitely helpful if you find the act of getting under a car tiring. When you’re not using it for car repairs, it’s also a lot of fun to tie up to your dog and have a small scale chariot of fire event in your backyard or neighborhood.

Finally, as mentioned before, if you want to do more exhaustive repairs, a transmission jack adapter is pretty handy. This will help the floor jack support a transmission and can lower it from the vehicle or move it if needed.

What to look for in a Jack?

There are a few important things to consider when buying a floor jack. First, what kind of vehicle are you trying to lift? A sports car, sedan, and SUV might all need different types of tools to lift them.

For example, take into consideration the ground clearance of the vehicle. A bottle jack can’t fit underneath all vehicles but may be perfect for a lifted truck. On the other hand, a floor jack would be perfect for a sports car, because many are low profile and can slide right under there.

Another important factor to think about is weight. Jacks are commonly rated by how much weight they can lift and support. So if you have a bigger, heavier vehicle, you may want to spring for a jack with a higher weight rating. Jacks are most commonly rated for 2 or 3 tons, which should be enough to support many cars. Bigger vehicles like large luxury sedans or SUVs may need something like a 4-ton jack. It’s also important to realize that the jack won’t be supporting 100 percent of the vehicle’s weight, but it will be doing a lot of work the closer to the engine it is.

One final thing to consider when looking at a jack is what material it’s made out of and how nice the build quality is. Jacks with more metal components, and with nice even paint finishes or fancier materials are showcasing their construction, and will likely last longer than models with sloppy paint jobs and plastic components. This item is going to lift your car off the ground, it should be sturdy and robust feeling, rather than cheap and toylike.

How to Safely Jack Up a Car

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You don’t have to go to the gym to get jacked, at least when it comes to your car. You just need a solid jack to do the job and you can finally understand all those “bro, do you lift?” memes.

If you want to change tires, brake pads, rotors or even get to your oil pan to change your oil, then you’ll want to jack up your car. A jack is a handy tool, and many cars come with a scissor jack to help someone change tires, but that kind of jack is only suitable for changing tires and not bigger jobs. It’s not the easiest item to use and doesn’t have a great weight rating. In comparison, a floor jack would do the job much quicker and easier.

But quick and easy is one thing, safe is another. This guide will explain how to safely use a floor jack to lift your car.

1. Only use jacks on flat and level ground. Gravel and sand-covered surfaces aren’t a good place to use your jack because the loose nature of them can lead to instability, which can cause a lifted vehicle to feel unstable on a jack. Then use chocks or bricks to brace the wheels of the car. Finally, apply your car’s parking brake.
2. From there, find your vehicle’s jack point. For the best information on where they are, check your car’s owners manual. There are at least four of these jack points on a car and they’re typically on the chassis, on the driver or passenger side of the vehicle and close to the wheels. You can usually spot them because they have a slight indent or perforation along the chassis rail.
3. Line up the jack point to the flat part of the floor jack, and start pumping the lever. This will raise the jack up to the jack point and begin lifting the vehicle. If you’re using a bottle jack instead of a floor jack, then the lifting process is very similar, but if you’re using a scissor jack, like what’s commonly found on spare tire kits, then you’ll need to screw the jack to lift it. 
4. Once the wheel is in the air, line up your jack stands under the car, someplace close to the jack point. You need to then lower the vehicle onto the stands, either by releasing a valve or using the lever to lower the lift. While it’s on the stands, you’re home free! You can remove the tire as needed or use a roller chair or mechanic creeper to get under the car, and when you’re done, you can raise the jack to lift the vehicle off the stands, then remove the stands and then use the jack to lower the vehicle.

Be sure to remove the chocks before driving the car away after lifting and lowering the vehicle! Or else you’ll be in for a nasty surprise.