Manufacturer	Model	Capacity	Cost	Weight	Min Ht.	Max Ht.	Our Rating

The hooked, stamped steel plate saddle [the jack head] has both good and bad aspects. The 4 hooks along the edges of this style saddle can be strategically placed to more securely grab edges of control arms, or to straddle frame rails or crossmembers. If you are not very careful with their orientation, though, these raised hooks can crush unibody frame rail metal like paper, when loaded. Some frame rail widths do not led themselves to this jack head style at all, and a spacer of wood or rubber is necessary to avoid damaging thin metals, making the minimum height even worse.

The test numbers for this low cost unit were not spectacular - it came in last place in most categories. The picture below at full extension shows that maybe seal leakage kept it from reaching full stroke anymore, which may explain its dismal maximum height and some cursing when used towards the end of its lifespan. It needed to go on to the Great Junkyard in the Sky, and shopping for its replacement was the reason to write this article. The narrower front wheels [when compared to the 3 ton unit] make for better under car clearance in some instances, but can attribute to tipping when loading the jack laterally [I have managed to load this jack up to where one wheel was over 1" off the ground - scary!]. This Larin model is a very basic jack that barely works in most applications, but has nothing spectacular about it. I was ashamed of it - and eventually threw it away.

Manufacturer	Model	Capacity	Cost	Weight	Min Ht.	Max Ht.	Our Rating

McCall's 3 ton floor jack is so battle worn that the manufacturer's name cannot be read - no matter, you've probably seen a hundred jacks like this one under various maker's names, all coming from a Central Asian country that shall go unnamed. The chassis, hydraulics and saddle are identical to the crap-ass Larin 2-1/2 ton unit we tested above, with bolts in the same places, the same clunky hydraulic gear drive release, etc. This 3 ton unit has wider front wheels, a different ratio hydraulic ram, and a higher load rating than the 2 to 2-1/2 ton unit above. These 3 ton units became more popular in the late 1990s than the smaller wheeled 2 ton full sized jacks, and the main difference in the two is weight and wheels. The wider front wheels [over twice as wide as the Larin's wheels] make for a much wider front footprint, reducing jack tipping when cross loaded (laterally). The same companies that used to sell narrow frame 2 ton units have mostly superceded that older design with this wider, safer, but heavier chassis style. Its still essentially the same junky jack as the Larin, but since it has higher minimum and maximum saddle heights, we included this unit for testing.

The wider front wheels are also taller, which is what makes the same chassis design used in the narrower style Larin sit higher overall in this unit. This makes for higher minimum saddle heights [5" minimum], making some jacking points unreachable without significantly increased ground clearance [ramps or boards under the tires]. McCall says that he typically uses his 3 ton jack with the saddle removed, for a simple substitute for a flat saddle and a decreased minimum height of 4.45". The narrow, flat steel area that is left when the saddle is off is not going to be the most secure point to lift with, so be very careful if you do this. I'd stick with a jack that uses a flat rubber saddle if I need a flat jacking surface. The rubber surface has better friction than flat steel, and is much less likely to slip during use. With the low cost of the Craftsman 50240, there really is no reason to ever buy a cheap jack like this anymore.

This 3 ton unit shares the same clunky hydraulic drive as the 2-1/2 ton Larin, with similar notes about sticking under load and difficulty lowering a car smoothly. Nearly identical hydraulic ratio is achieved from similar pistons and chassis lever ratios - it takes anywhere from 11-15+ pumps to raise these units to their near 20" maximum heights.

We can only recommend these low-end jacks for people who are severely retarded, yet they are immensely safer to use than the tiny $20 portable mini steel jacks [like this one], screw jacks, or bottle jacks. They are big and wide, especially the 3 ton style, and are at least safe enough to lift most cars and trucks, if poorly. Just be prepared to deal with sticky and sloppy hydraulics, heavy overall weight, many unreachable jacking points, and jeers from your friends that have high-end floor jacks. ;) How much is $20-$100 in savings worth on a tool you use almost every time you do any car work? When you are raising 3000+ pounds over your head? Just think about what a nicer, safer, stronger jack is worth to you in the long run. And read on...

Manufacturer	Model	Capacity	Cost	Weight	Min Ht.	Max Ht.	Our Rating

The 2-stage hydraulics on this jack have since been copied, but this was the first model I saw with this feature. Slide it under the car, pump once and *thunk* its touching the chassis. Press again and it switches to the second hydraulic ratio, which has less effort but more travel. This allows for quick "take-up" and yet normal effort for loaded lifting. To go from min to max height only takes 3 effortless pumps, when unloaded. I am completely spoiled by this feature now and can no longer stand using a slow jack with 1-stage hydraulics!

This jack, which I purchased in 2004 (and another in 2005!) is my new favorite shop jack, and I use it occasionally as a track jack. It is the ultimate dual-purpose jack for people that can only afford to have one - light enough (58 pounds is half what the Matco weighs) to lug in your trunk or tire trailer, but strong enough to use every day in the shop. I have 2+ years of shop use with this 50240 model Craftsman and it is the FIRST one I reach for when I need to lift something. I loved it when it was $119, and bought another when it dropped to $89 (sale price that I see so often, in stores and online, that I made it the default price for the charts). Only downside is the steel front wheel can rust if it gets wet - but I use it so much that I knock off this surface corrosion frequently, so it always looks squeaky clean.