Which Trolley Jack to Buy

[mrgobby]

Wondered what recommends were out there for trolley jacks.
Been looking at SGS ones, they do an alloy one and a steel one I'm interested. I've used a Clarke 2.5t alloy one recently which was good and similar cost. Anyone got either of these?

Links
Alloy one
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/trolley-jacks/tja25-jsr-aluminium-trolley-jack-axle-stands

Steel
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equipment/trolley-jacks/tj2-5lp-jsr-low-profile-garage-trolley-jack-axle-stands

Clarke one - Bit lighter
http://www.clarketools.net/clarke-25-tonne-aluminium-garage-jack---ctj2500qlg---7621802-12379-p.asp

[luggsey]

Depends how heavy your Volvo is!
I went for this one as 2.5 t is about the weight of the car so I got a 3t.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000RA2YRK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Dippydog]

I suppose really it all depends on how you want to use it and where.Many years ago I bought a small trolley jack[rated at 2 tonnes]which I always carry in the boot in case of a puncture[I've never liked using the crappy manufacturer supplied affairs]it will lift a corner of the Omega-a 1700kg+ car-high enough to get an axle stand under it and has never failed me yet.It generally doesn't matter how much your vehicle weighs as you're not actually trying to lift the whole thing off the floor in one go....or are you?

[60041]

If you know anybody who is a member of Costco, they do a very nice 2 1/4 tonne aluminium one for about £90. It is light enough to throw into the back of the car and has a wide track which makes it very stable.

[Dippydog]

Forgot to mention bought mine from a local car spares/fast fit type place and paid £18 for it.Mind you that was above 10yrs ago!

[mrgobby]

Had a std run off the mill one for over 25 years just past it's best by date and looses oil. Having tried friends alloy clarke it was bigger felt safer and just nicer that the little steel affairs but read a few things saying alloy ones can break. I don't use them much though, not a regular mechanic myself (used to be a car enthusiast but work and children take up all the time these days) it would be used on the drive stored in the garage not looking for a raceday jack although its nice if they are lighter and can be transported I guess. Tossing the coin between steel and lighter alloy one I guess.

[savabill]

The kerb weight of my car is around 1500kgs my jack is rated at 2.5 tons. Just a cheap one £20.00. Had it about 10 years. Does the job.

[canis]

Modern hydraulic jacks will all lift a regular volvo. It's not really about their rated load capacity, more about the amount of lift it can reach.

The problem, in real world use, is that when the car is up on stands high enough to crawl under, the average small trolley jack will show it's limitation. It's then we start resorting to blocks of wood, or bricks or something, in an effort to offer a heavy part to the car. And this is where it gets dangerous, a bit like standing on a castoring chair, it's liable to slide away.

Bottle jacks are much smaller, and tend to be capable of bearing greater weights, and can lift vertically without slippage. Standing these on blocks is safer therefore. But, of course, you can't roll them around.

The only solution to trolley jack lift height limitations is to go ever bigger. But by the time you scale up a trolley jack to be capable of the height described above, it'll be back-brakingly heavy and won't fit in the boot without removing it's handle. The other advantage is it has a much bigger pan so can ballence heavy stuff like gearboxes more easilly. Providing it gets low enough to slide the gearbox under the car on the jack and still reach high enough...

So there's lots to consider.

The second one looks like the one I have, albeit a different brand, and it's brilliant. Mine has rubberised wheels, which is actually rather annoying, but the lift height is excellent. Just looked again, and at that price it's a good deal, and you get stands with it too. I'd buy it.

[wimorrison]

Really good one in Costco today for £97 (that may have been ex VAT though)

[id5]

I have one, a 2.5 tonne but it is only tall enough to do the front wheels on an XC60, make sure that you get one that is tall enough for whatever you need.

[Rooster]

I bought a 3 ton draper trolly jack about 5 years ago,

http://www.drapertools.com/product/53089/Heavy-Duty-Trolley-Jack-(3-Tonne)

It would happily lift a 02 plate S80 D5 under front subframe from floor to both front wheels off floor,

I needed something abit better than a halfords special as it does get abit of use

[green van man]

I baught a draper 3 ton garage jack, lifts the landrover no problem. Was on offer for £84 inclusive.
Have a halfords 2 ton one which I will use if I have to and another I keep in the caravan, no way on gods earth am I using a scissor or bottle jack to change a wheel at the side of the road, just sit in it without the stabilisers down and see how much passing traffic makes it rock and sway.

Paul.

[SIAMBLUE]

Do a search on SGS that's why I didn't buy one from them, you cannot buy serviceable parts from them,
I had a good search for a decent one, looked at all the alloy ones, in the end, I went for a Taskmaster 500mm lift twin piston 3 tonne jack, I am glad I did, you can pump it up with 2 fingers, it's a bit heavy to lift but if you want to drag the jack around it's fine,
I would say around 30kg weight, but it lifts my V50 up no problem when I jack it on the tow bar point. As I said 2 finger action and letting the jack down you twist the handle so you have control over letting it down, think it was around £120 new.

[StatusRed]

My car weighs 1.8 tonnes but I bought a 3 tonne trolley jack - Sealey, cost about £38 and seems to work fine!

[wimorrison]

When you jack up a car weighing 2 tonnes to change a wheel, or similar, you are not lifting 2 tonnes, you would actually be lifting around 1/3 of the weight jacking at the front and about 1/2 of the weight jacking at the rear :) (assuming engine and gearbox is in the front)

[StatusRed]

When you jack up a car weighing 2 tonnes to change a wheel, or similar, you are not lifting 2 tonnes, you would actually be lifting around 1/3 of the weight jacking at the front and about 1/2 of the weight jacking at the rear :) (assuming engine and gearbox is in the front)

Slightly worryingly the whole entire side of my car seems to come off the ground when I start jacking it up..

[AngryScot]

Do a search on SGS that's why I didn't buy one from them, you cannot buy serviceable parts from them

If you phone them up you can buy service parts from them. :thumbs_up:

[wimorrison]

Slightly worryingly the whole entire side of my car seems to come off the ground when I start jacking it up..

In that case you are lifting half the weight of the car :)

Just noticed that I should have said when jacking the rear it is 1/4 the weight for each wheel, 1/2 weight if you're jacking up the whole backend :)

[andrewpain]

there was a useful review on Auto Express a couple of years ago when I was looking for one to make it easier to change winter/summer wheels on my Leon. I was more concerned then with getting a low-entry one so it would fit under a lower-than-standard car with a flat!
But the Leon's gone, and when the XC60 arrives my priorities will be different - I know the review's old, but worth a read...

[colwyn]

Whats the limit of the oem jack, seeing as it lifts half the car?

I was quite happy with orange halfords 2 tonne till it started folding sideways each time it was used, mind you I did buy it in 2008

Im looking at another basic 2tonne just need to have decent lift height

[mrgobby]

Spare parts availability sounds useful though what parts might you need and will they be available in 5 yrs time when you need them! Problem with so much these days is they go out of production or change etc - blimey I sound old! The heavier SGS one goes down to 75mm thats pretty low, the other is 100mm which seems fairly common. I guess with a sportscar and a flat youd want it to go as low as possible but with an XC90 its height your after more.