I had a BIG RED 2 1/4 ton - Jack - Stand - Creeper combo from Pep Boys that I first started on.

It was pretty useless - b/c I've got a large chest cavity - and I could barely get under my car. Decided I needed a new jack - so I went hunting around without much that impressed me locally - for a price I could spend. I'm still using the creeper and jack stands from the kit though.

After not finding much in my price range - and bad reviews of SEARS Jacks online - I ended up purchasing a 3 Ton Harbor Freight Professional Duty Steel Jack that weighs about 90 pounds. It jacks my car up fine - has a 20" lift ( compared to 15" on my big Red ) - and has a 2 year replacement warranty - and is easy to maneuver. My only beef is it seems that it has 2 speeds - Jacking up - and down. I was expecting I could gently lower my car onto the jack stands while bleeding the pressure off - but in using it twice I've had no such luck. The jack lifts and when I lower it - the car doesn't drop like a rock or anything - but I can't slowly lower it gently on the Jack stands like I had anticipated I could do.

Here's my Jack
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34271

It doesn't drop the car - but I was hoping to have more control on the lowering of my car? Am I expecting too much ? If it's a bad jack - I could replace it - within the next 2 weeks but the price was right - and I don't have 300 bucks to drop on a Jack. The HF Jack I have - was on sale and I used a 20% coupon for 65 bucks out the door with a 2 year replacement extended warranty.

I want a jack that I can rely on - and last for the next few years without worrying about for routine maintenance. The jack I have might be a keeper - I just wanted some feedback from some people with a bit more experience than I've got ( which is slim to none )

Thanks

 

I've got the HarborFreight aluminum jack, and similar trouble. I have to release (twist the handle) very VERY carefully, to avoid lowering too fast. First time it was a real shocker; it dropped like a rock.

If I had known, I would have shopped around. So I guess this is a clue for people who are shopping...

I've sorta gotten used to it, by lowering very carefully. But still I'm not completely happy. I might have paid a bit more for more control lowering, but it didn't act that way when I tried using the jack in the store with no weight.

 

A floor jack is like a clutch pedal. They all release at a different point and you have to practice your finesse or you jerk your car all over the place.

 

Thanks,

I used my Orange beast today - and it worked fine. I was just extra slow when turning the release handle. No fast drops today - went down on the jack stands smoothe and slow.

 

The Husky jack I bought at Home Depot works pretty good, but just like all other jacks I have used, you gotta have the smooth touch on the release valve.