Quite a while ago I asked about trolley jacks and had plenty of helpful responses:
tinyurl.com/y3ekdd
Having borrowed rather than bought one at that time, I really am going to buy one now, so I wonder if anything has come on the market since that old thread or whether opinions have changed at all.
Are they all restricted to up-and-down movement of the lever or can some move sideways? Also, when using the one I borrowed, it was so difficult to get the lever slotted and to remove it (possibly because of lack of use) that I had to use a large screwdriver on the lowering valve, with consequent reduced control, so if any models are good in this respect then so much the better.
Any further suggestions will be gratefully received.
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My 12 years old Halfords one has none of the above problems, is easy to use and still works A1 with no repairs...
madf
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My old Halfords one still works well enough, although it does need topping up more than formerly.
There are two snags with trolley jacks. If you position it a long way under thecar there may be insufficient room to swing the handle. One is reduced to lying under the car trying to move the mechanism with insufficient leverage.
The other snag is inherent in the normal design. The lifting point does not rise vertically, so operation of the jack is dependent either on the castor wheels skidding sideways as the car lifts, or else the car has to shift its position. This last is dangerous if it is also supported on an axle stand.
Is there any kind of trolley jack that has a vertical lift? Perhaps a kind of trolley bottle jack?
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price ranges from £16.00-£60.00 for the lightweight version mine is a 2 tonne jack cost £40.00 back then but i do use it quite a bit!! also some have longer reach so go higher for the 4x4 range where there higher off the floor, end of the day it's up to you how much you will be using it? how big your car is? how much you want to spend? there's plenty to go at and prices go a lot higher if you go into the heavier garage type equipment. good luck.
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My heaviest car is 1.57 tonnes. I don't mind about price. I do mind about good design and any good features, such as horizontal lever action. I'm more concerned with the ease of getting under my Capri 2.8i and MB W124 turbo (with lowered Sportline suspension) than lifting a 4x4.
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Yep, I too have HAlfords one. Works fine but does seem to need topping up with fluid frequently. Friend of mine has very similar one that he got from Screwfix.. might be cheaper?
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This review page may be of interest:
uk.cars.yahoo.com/24032006/45/trolley-jacks-0.html
Having checked my Capri, it looks like minimum height is going to be the limiting factor. The ground clearance of the front cross-member is not much more than 120mm.
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And further searching reveals that the JCB 2 tonne model and the Clarke CTJ2LR are two of the few that come in at 120mm or lower. The JCB also has a 360° handle socket.
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have you tried machine mart?? there web site offers plenty to go at, the majority will fit under the capri etc i used to have a 4 tonne jack bit heavy but good but you had to lift the wing to get the damn thing under not ideal when working alone!!
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I got annoyed with the low ground clearance. Now, I have a couple of 10" x 2" boards I drive up if I want to get the jack under the front crossmember.
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Thanks, everyone.
The JCB is criticised for 26 pumps of the lever to go from low to high. Does anyone reckon that the 360° feature outweighs that minus point?
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I've got a JCB similar to the one in the Yahoo review, bought around three years ago in Halfords, it came in a box though rather than the nifty case illustrated. I was going to buy a Halfords own though the kids persuaded me otherwise, "mum, dads got a JCB!", shows branding works. I like the fact that quite a few pumps are required from min to max because fine adjustment is easier, it is also easy to make fine adjustments when lowering. Not sure what the 360° feature is though.
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Not sure what the 360° feature is though.
Sorry, just worked it out, it is the 70003 that has the 360 feature, mine is the 70011.
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The Yahoo review has pictures transposed, look at this, also erroneous in that it repeats the 70011 text with a different picture though makes it clearer.
www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/producttests/6203...#
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Go to www.westfalia.net They do a very low hydraulic scissor jack plus an exhaust powered jack that can lift a whole car.
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Roger.
That Clarke one you mentioned a few posts back is a damn good budget one. Bear in mind its max lift is a bit low though.
I seem to remember you are something of an enthusiast and would advise a bigger jack unless you have good reasons to say not. The 3 tonne models are made of much heavier plate and most importantly are wider. This is a huge safety advantage. It is possible for the £30 narrow ones to fall over sideways and give a real shock!
Both your cars are quite heavy really.
Perhaps lugging about your pub mates one put you off though??
David
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having used a few trolley jacks I might as well add my comments to help or confuse.
The size of the lifting saddle is probably more important than most other things including how many strokes it needs to lift etc.
DIY trolley jacks are ok for occasional lifting or roadside repair where light weight is good. but you cant beat garage size jacks under a car if you work on 1 much.
Check out your local car factors, look at Jack Sealey brands among others. You should be able to get good garage jack about 2 1/2 tonnes + for around 60 quid upward.
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Thanks again to all for input.
It's beginning to look like the Clarke CTJ2LR, the height range of which is 110--405mm and the weight 19.5kg. At 250mm width it's wider than comparable machines, which is comforting safety-wise. It's also a best buy in one or more magazines. It's £38 delivered from Machine Mart
I looked at the Clarke CTJ2000G, with a 120--490mm range, but it weighs 38.5kg, which is a bit much to lug (or even push) around in my circumstances.
Most of the Sealey range are at least 130mm lowest point, so not low enough, as is the Halfords model. The JCB lifts to only 350mm.
I haven't yet found any featuring a horizontal lever movement, which surprises me given what an obvious advantage it could be with a lifting point well under a low-slung car (e.g. the front of the Capri).
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except that vigorous horizontal motion sounds like it could be a stability issue - you dont want the jack to move while being pumped up.
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Well, changed my mind in light of a recommendation from another source:
I've signed up at Costco and bought an Arcan 2-tonner. It really is an impressive beast with a very good lifting range from a very low starting point, a wide chassis, and a five-pump lift through that excellent range too. I couldn't resist a three-pack of Magnatec for the Capri while I was there, so I reckon the savings on both purchases have exceeded the subscription fee by quite a bit -- some compensation for what must be the most ghastly chopping experience imaginable.
Spec:
2 ton lift, low 89mm, high 489mm, chassis width 330mm x length 1270mm, handle 1.270m, weight 22kg and a good rubber cushion on the lifting pad. £82.23 including VAT.
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it's a good jack is that they also have the bigger one 3t i think it is. american made, that compressor not too bad 150ltrs nearly bought one!! glad you got what you wanted!!!
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Next Monday Lidl are selling 2T trolley jacks for £9.99. I bought two of them about 3 years ago, they have fully rotating handles which is a very useful feature but I'm not sure whether the ones for sale next Monday have this feature. I also have two full size garage trolley jacks (3.5t and 5t plus a couple of medium size ones at 2.5t) so I'm using trolley jacks on a regular basis. The ones I bought from Lidl are well made and will stand comparison with anything from Halfords,Clarke Sealey etc and are amazing value at that price.
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Be wary of some of the Clarke models-I bought a semi-pro which bent sideways.With no pressing to impart strength it relied on the metal being folded at 90 degs top and bottom,this was not sufficient.Look at the picture of the Clarke on the Yahoo page and you will see what I mean.
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Look what garages use and get one on those.
my epco No 65 has been wonderful for 30 years and has helped me save thousands of pounds over the years.
But always use axle stands as well!!
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At last, a decent name mentioned - Epco - Good quality industrial stuff.
They will outlast and outperform all of the Draper / Sealey / Clarke junk by a lifetime.
As has been said on this site many times, you get what you pay for.
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Dont think Epco are going any more though.
Maybe their jacks were too good and they didnt sell enough ?
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Just spent a wasted hour looking for Epco [of blessed memory] address with no luck.
I had an Epco square bottle truck jack with the long handle in the 1960s, used it dozens of times when my truck wheels got bogged down in winter on boggy building sites, it was hopeless trying to drive out so we used to jack up the back wheels, put a plank or two under and out we'd come. There was always someone who knew a better way - but I found this was the best, quick, simple and out you'd come. I really wanted to say how good EPCO was for reliabilty. I went to Halfords last night, £39.99 for a two ton jack made from folded tin, and as for good trolley jacks eaither pay £400.00 or forget it, looking at how simple they are to make I might make my own using a 10 ton bottle jack.
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