Here are four reasons to love the new 3 ton trolley jack. This hydraulic trolley jack saves time because it is quicker to use. It saves energy and effort because it is easier to put in the exact position needed. This jack is highly maneuverable and reduces stress. Complete money-saving kits are available which include the jack, two stands and a floor pad or creeper. This adds up to more work being done safely and quickly with a lot less stress.

A car trolley jack lifts automobiles quickly with a few pumps of the handle. These handles allow the user to stand upright along side the automobile in a relaxed and comfortable position. Quick lift jacks are available for people in a hurry, like the pit crew for a racing car. Three or four pumps reach the maximum extension of the jack. A saddle is the lifting device and requires exact placement for maximum benefit. To make lifting quicker, this saddle can have multiple raised positions when there is extra room underneath the lift point and may have a padded top to protect the metal.

Regular trolleys require almost six inches of clearance which is not a problem under most automobiles. Low-profile jacks are available for low riders and other low clearance automobiles. These slip into areas as shallow as three inches. There is a jack available to fit every need. Maximum lift is around 22 inches on specialized units; the normal lift range is 15 to 19 inches.

The 2 ton trolley jack saves effort and time for the mechanic or the do-it-yourself mechanic who needs to place it precisely under the automobile. The handles are one or two piece of pipe up to 50 inches long and may come with a rubber hand grip for easier use. With a handle the jack slides under a car or truck, without the mechanic having to lay down on the concrete or dirt and push another kind of jack in place. Some handles swivel 360° allowing the user to work around obstacles without unnatural body contortions.

These were designed with mobility in mind; the bodies are long and narrow with four or five easy-rolling casters. Many contain roller bearings in the front casters and have ball bearings in the real wheels, which may swivel. A fifth wheel allows quicker adjustments and easier placement. Some units are manufactured with a wider wheel base for more stability. Materials include steel, aluminum and other alloys, specifically designed for these heavy duty chassis to provide maximum support and durability. They are covered with hard baked enamel or a fully anodized finished for easy cleaning and care.

For economy and convenience these come in sets with the trolley and floor jacks. Each set is different and there is one to fit the needs of every mechanic. Floor jacks are used to support the automobile while work is being done and will not allow the unit to fall, if properly placed. A work pad may be included for a softer surface to lie on when under the car. A floor creeper has six easy gliding casters to allow the user to move freely back and forth while underneath the car or truck and may be padded for added comfort.

The hydraulic trolley jack is convenience on wheels. These save time, energy and reduce frustration. The small investment in this will pay for itself quickly.

Until I was in need of a home floor jack due to having a flat tire quite honestly I didn’t know very much about them. I had always used the jack that came with the car. And as you probably know those jacks aren’t very good and can be difficult to figure out how to use.

Fortunately, I have a very nice neighbor who enjoys working on old cars and when he saw that I had a flat tire rolled over his low profile floor jack. It was amazing to me how easily and quickly we were able to jack the car up, change the tire and have it back down again.

That got my attention and caused me to begin to do a bit of looking around and study to find out more about lightweight aluminum floor jacks. These hydraulic floor jacks truly do take the work out of changing a flat tire. And of course that is not the only thing that they are used for but can make it very easy and safe to lift most any car or truck to check for underbody damage or even to do repairs underneath the vehicle.

For most people purchasing a good basic quality floor jack will likely last them for a long time without any need of replacement or repair. A cheap floor jack may not hold up as well and there could be mechanical problems including a leaking floor jack. Like with a lawn mower most people will probably simply throw the old floor jack away and purchase a new one.

If you are a more serious car mechanic or you work on cars a good bit you may purchase a better quality floor jack and decide it is worth repairing. Most floor jack repairs are fairly simple and there are websites that provide floor jack replacement parts as well as what the manufacturer may offer.

While aluminum hydraulic floor jacks can be much safer to use than a standard carjack you still must use them properly. Any floor jack that you purchase will come with safety precautions which should be read and fouled closely. For instance, each floor jack is built to lift a maximum height and weight. You should be sure that you have the proper jack for the job you are doing. If not you can damage the jack itself or even hurt yourself.

Also whatever kind of jack you’re using when lifting a weight the jack should be on a flat level surface. You might also want to place a board underneath the jack if that would help prevent any slipping.

Again like with a lawn mower, some very basic maintenance is needed to keep your hydraulic jack operating as it should and helping it to last a long time. Using the manufacturers specified type of oil you just want to make sure that the jack has the proper level of oil at all times.

On this page we are listing videos, reviews and more about various models of aluminum floor jacks.

3 Ton Floor Jack – Craftsman Professional Aluminum Floor Jack

Throughout this site, we have tried to emphasize safety measures. There are a few more and some reiteration.

The beauty of a floor jack is that it is much safer than using the old jacks we use to have in the back of our cars (and still do) … but only if they are used properly. By the way, you don’t ever, ever want to get under a car with only the standard car jack.

For additional safety, along with a good sturdy floor jack, you can use jack stands.  You jack the car up with floor jack and then a place a couple of these under support points underneath the car. Then you let the jack down and the jack stands hold the vehicle steady.

Have the right size jack for the weight of your car.

If  you don’t have the right jack for your size vehicle, then don’t force it.

Once you have the vehicle jacked up, test the sturdiness by giving the car a little shake.

Here is another video to take you through the steps of jacking up a car safely. There’s nothing like actually seeing the process:

If you prefer reading, see the link below for a workshop on safely using a floor jack (does have color photos as well):

Safely Using a Floor Jack

Most people who work on their own cars would be prone to want to fix things rather than replace them. Some people just don’t want to throw things away, and with today’s emphasis on conservations and keeping the landfills empty, there’s something to be said for that.

So if you want to fix your broken aluminum floor jack, you can get the necessary floor jack parts and get it done.

Should You Fix Your Aluminum Floor Jack?

Before mentioning some of what is available in replacement parts, you may want to consider your options. Whether you ditch it or fix it really depends on a few factors that I can think of off the top of my head.

Like what is wrong with the unit and how much it will cost to fix it. Is it worth your time to fix it? You have got to figure what is wrong with it, get any replacement parts and actually do the repair. Maybe time is not a factor so much and you take a lot of pride in figuring things out. Whereas the guy down the road throws things away, you give them new life! And rather than sit in front of the TV all day watching the depressing news, you would rather be out doing something constructive with your hands.

Another question you might ask yourself is how long have you had it? Maybe for years, which means you can feel like you got your money’s worth out of it. Manufacturers are also upgrading their products, and you might find a new and improved model that you would like to have. Do you know what you doing? If you don’t, you could hurt yourself trying to fix the thing.

I have read on some of the forums related to floor jacks, that some people like to buy the cheap floor jacks and just replace them when they wear out. I’m sort of that way with lawnmowers. But I’m not sure it is the same thing. There is a safety issue here. It was mentioned on another page that when you use a floor jack you should also use floor stands for extra protection. If you do, then you may not be as concerned about a sudden floor jack failure. And the less expensive jacks may be fine for you if you are shade tree mechanic type. Others warn about the cheap jacks, usually identified as Chinese manufactured. Again, just a decision you’ll have to make.

If You Decide to Repair Your Floor Jack

Now about parts for floor jacks. You may want to check with the place where you bought your unit. I am thinking that you got a Craftsman floor jack from Sears that you could check with them first if you have a local store.

I see a lot of mentions of getting a reasonably priced aluminum floor jack at Costco. Costco doesn’t sell replacement parts as far as I know. My guess is that the owners manual and information that came with your purchase would have some information about getting floor jack parts.

My next suggestion is that you find a forum thread on floor jacks and ask a question about how to resolve your particular problem. It seems that sometimes it is an easy repair that you could do without necessarily having buy additional parts. If you do need parts, you can get some direction as where to find what you are looking for if you mention your model in the forum. A picture of your jack can help too.

I was unable to find a video about repairing floor jacks. Maybe someone will take the hint.

What are the keys for correctly operating an aluminum floor jack?

Note: These are only general guidelines. You should completely follow the directions that are provided in your owner’s manual for the jack you have.

First, you need to park the vehicle on a completely flat area.  A driveway for instance with no slope.  Put it in park and put on the emergency brake.  You can also use a triangle block to place under the wheel for extra safety and to keep the vehicle moving even an inch.

Next you have to decide where to place the jack stand and what support points you’ll use on the vehicle. If you don’t know for sure, don’t do it.  Check the owners manual for direction.  Do the wrong thing here and you could hurt yourself seriously or at least damage the car.

When you are finished working and ready to lower the jack, make sure everything is clear. Then lower the jack slowly and gently.  If you do it suddenly and something is’nt right, again you could do some major damage to yourself, someone else nearby or what you are working on.

If you have never used the jack before, you can try raising and lowering it a few times before actually using it just to get a feel for how it operates.

The video below gives some basic operating instructions for using an hydraulic aluminum floor jack, or any floor jack for that matter.  Nothing like seeing, and this video of about 1 minute in length will give you an overview of using a floor jack.