Guide – How Do I Know What Jack To Buy?

What jack should I buy for my car?

What jack to buy? Knowing what to buy generally comes down to how you plan to use it and your budget. If you tend to only work on your car once a year then spending a whole lot of cash doesn’t make that much sense. So you can probably get away with a smaller and cheaper variety. 

But if you’re using it fairly consistently then you are going to want something that can handle more frequent use. Say you’re restoring an old classic car, like modifying your car or are just a car lover that always likes to ensure your pride and joy is in top condition. Then you’re going to be more comfortable with getting something more premium for a better user experience.

Types of Jacks

Like with most things there are a few variations of car jacks. History of the car jack.

Scissor Jack

A scissor jack is perhaps the most common variety you have come across.

These jacks are the ones that usually come with your car and are used for emergency breakdowns, flat tires or, roadside repairs and are designed to fit your car jack points.

They are lightweight and fairly compact and will easily store in the trunk of your car. They use a simple method of turning a screw to raise and lower the jack and allow the jack to pack up flat when not in use.

These really should only be used for changing a flat tire in a breakdown. If you plan to do more frequent work look at buying a floor jack.

Hydraulic Floor Jack

Another is the hydraulic trolley jack, floor jack, garage jack, which most car enthusiasts will have in their garage or workshop. Compared to the scissor car jack these are faster to raise and lower using a lever to pump a hydraulic piston to raise the ram of the floor jack.

These are suited for more frequent use but due to their size and sometimes weight are not practical to be carried in your trunk all the time.

There are also different varieties to suit your car. If you drive a sports car or lowered vehicle you can buy a low profile or even a super low profile trolley jack that will be able to fit under your vehicle.

This type of jack is the most common for a home workshop and in my opinion, is the best car jack to own outside of having a scissor jack in the trunk of your car for flat tires.

Bottle Jacks

Amongst other types, you have hydraulic bottle jacks. This variety has a large lifting capacity, sometimes up to 50 tons or more as they act directly in a vertical motion.

These jacks have a pump and handle similar to the trolley jack but smaller. These jacks tend to have a smaller diameter lifting point compared to other jacks so are often used with a packer or block of timber to help cushion the impact on the car.

Bottle jacks tend to have a relatively high collapsed height usually half of their extended length which usually makes them unsuitable for most normal vehicles but do suit higher and heavier vehicles like 4wd and trucks.

Hi-Lift Jacks

Hi-lift or High Lift jacks are not suited for conventional vehicles but are perfect for off-road vehicles and 4×4’s where extra height is needed.  They are a versatile jack and also known as a farm jack due to their many uses offroad or on a farm.

These jacks use climbing pins with a series of holes and a ratcheting mechanism which allows the jack to raise to impressive heights.

A higher degree of caution is required around these due to lifting a heavy vehicle to a considerable height. 

If you are a 4wd enthusiast you’ll want or need this type of jack for off-road use. Just head to a 4wd track or park and you’ll see a vast amount of these mounted to off-road vehicles.

Vehicle Positioning Jack’s

Vehicle positioning jacks or Go Jacks are very popular in motorsport racing as it allows the vehicle to be moved without starting the vehicle or having a driver inside.

These jacks use rollers to squeeze and lift the tire off the ground with a ratcheting mechanism and have 360-degree casters that allow movement in all directions. 

Usually rated for 1500lb per jack so will have the capacity to move cars, SUV’s and small trucks.

These are incredibly useful in tight spaces and can allow you to free up floor space in your garage.

What size jack do I need?

No matter which type of jack you buy they will all be rated to a certain maximum load. You should never exceed this capacity. 

Since you couldn’t lift your entire car with any of the jacks above you generally would aim for at least half your vehicle’s weight which would allow you to lift two wheels off the ground. 

The smaller trolley jacks usually start at 1.5 tons which is enough for a standard car but me personally, I would have a 2-ton trolley jack. The 2 ton usually has a wider base which provides more stability when lifting your vehicle without the added bulk of a 3 ton.

Depending on your vehicle you may even choose a 3 ton or heavy-duty floor jack to suit your needs. One thing to check is the max and heights. You need to make sure that firstly the jack will slide under your vehicle and secondly raise it off the ground. You may find it might work for your smaller car but runs out of range on your SUV.

Is it safe working under a car supported by only a floor jack?

The short answer is NO!

Never and I can’t stress it enough should you ever place any part of your body under a vehicle that is solely supported by a jack. No matter the type. 

The consequence of doing so could prove fatal. I know that sounds extreme but even the smallest car would crush you if the jack slipped or failed.

Car jack stands are a MUST if you are going to do any work under your vehicle and fortunately are relatively cheap. You can even get them in a combo occasionally.

Please see my page on How to use a car jack safely

Conclusion – What Jack to Buy

After reading through hopefully this has answered some of the common questions when looking to buy an automotive jack.

What jack to buy? The main points come down to What are you going to use the jack for? How much do you intend to lift? And How much do I want to spend?

Chances are you’ll more than likely have a scissor jack already in your vehicle so a hydraulic trolley jack would be what I’d look to buy. I have a 1.5 ton trolley jack and a 2 ton trolley jack but am in the market for a 2 ton low profile jack for the added versatility to get under low cars.