Aluminum floor jacks single pump vs. double pump

[orangebluegreen]

QUESTION: Anyone know if the double pump jacks are any easier to pump vs. single pump? I'm uncertain if the double pumps are just to make them more reliable, faster, or easier? I don't need faster.

Just bought this single pump aluminum jack yesterday and was surprised how much leverage\effort it takes to jack up the front of my minivan. I weigh about 170 or so and it takes all my weight on the end of the handle to lift the vehicle. Obviously a smaller vehicle would be easier but I don't think I'm over the weight rating. I was after light weight to be easy to carry around and it fits that bill nicely, also extremely easy to maneuver
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I considered this one because it's rated higher and has two pumps rather than one but it was 10lbs heavier. Already having a 100lb+ Craftsman (that needs fluid on every use) weight was my main concern but now I'm not sure that was a good idea as ease of pumping and reliability are concerns as well.
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I'll bet Dargo has dozens of them and crawls under his machinery without jack stands with these quality China works of art...ha!


Couple others I'm considering. My local Home Depot doesn't seem to stock the aluminum one but its specs (nice capacity and lift height) and some reviews are very favorable.
LARIN 2 Ton Dual Pump Aluminum Jack - AJLD-2 at The Home Depot

Torin Aluminum Double-Pump Race Jack 1 1/2-Ton, Model# T81509 | Rapid Lift + Race Jacks | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Dargo]

I'll bet Dargo has dozens of them and crawls under his machinery without jack stands with these quality China works of art...ha!l

Hey, I saw that!

You're gonna laugh, but I have two 5 ton (way too heavy to pickup easily) floor jacks that are likely older than me. I picked those up when I was in high school and my dad took me to an auction where a medium duty truck place went out of business and was selling everything off really cheap. I don't know what I paid for them anymore, but they still don't leak and don't leak down that I'm aware of. Yeah, I had to buy my own stuff even in high school! My dad wouldn't let me touch his Craftsman floor jack and I had to buy my own. Anyway, those jacks take what seems like dozens of pumps to lift something. However, they have a foot pedal that you can pump with your foot to raise the lift pad quickly to get it up to where you need it.

Otherwise, yeah, I have 2 Bend Pak 11k two post lifts and one 10k 4 post lift. But you're right, I am paranoid about crawling under something without jack stands being in place. You pegged me. It's like a phobia of mine. I've had nightmares of being half crushed and stuck under a vehicle and not able to move or call for help. Yeah, weird, I know.

But to the subject, I have no idea which jack would be better for you. I kinda envy you now because you have one of those cool NASCAR lightweight floor jacks and I don't. Believe me, sometimes I don't feel like putting a vehicle up on a lift or dragging one of those heavy 5 ton floor jacks out. Like today for example. I needed to look under my daughter's little Civic to see if it was leaking oil since there was a big spot where she'd parked it the day before and I didn't know if it was from her car or from someone else who'd parked there over the weekend. I dragged out one of the big ole 5 ton jacks only to discover it wouldn't fit under her car. I then had to go through the trouble of putting it up on a lift just to find out it wasn't her car leaking after all.

So, if you figure which lightweight floor jack is the best, let me know. My birthday is Tuesday and you KNOW my dad likes to buy me stuff for my B'day at HF!

FWIW, I think that 2nd one you listed from HF looks really cool!!

 

[wushaw]

This is one of them cases where you get what you pay for. I purchased a 2 ton Snap-on floor jack ( aka Lincoln now Hein werner) 22 yrs ago and still use it regularly, had the cylinder rebuilt 10yrs ago and it needs it again.

A floor jack is suppose to be easy to use not difficult like your experiencing, a quality floor jack is $$$$ but will last many years and parts will be available for them years later when or if you need them.

If you were to use one like this you would see what I mean. Hein-Werner Service Jack – 2-Ton, Model# HW93642 | Floor Jacks | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[orangebluegreen]

But you're right, I am paranoid about crawling under something without jack stands being in place. You pegged me. It's like a phobia of mine. I've had nightmares of being half crushed and stuck under a vehicle and not able to move or call for help. Yeah, weird, I know.

I use jack stands also. I've never had a jack go down but once had a heavy panel truck somehow kick the jack out from under it and shoot the 100lb jack back at my leg like it was a toy. I must have flexible bones because my leg should have broken. I figured you wouldn't like the HF jacks for anything, that's why I was ribbing you. Btw, just picked up some deep well metric sockets from Northern, they look the same as those from HF so they should be awesome for torquing off that notoriously tight Honda V6 crankshaft balancer nut! I'm getting ready to do a timing belt, tensioners, idlers, water pump etc on my Honda. Not sure if your daughters Honda is the same but noticed many complaints of broken motor mounts on the minivan that are oil filled and leak. I might be suffering that also, I was thinking I had a harsh 1-2 shift but now realize I might be feeling a broken mount, haven't checked it yet.

The nice thing about that second jack is the rear lift handle, that would be the most useable place for me.

Talked to Torin service guy today and he claimed the double pump jacks are mainly to make it go up faster but he didn't sound totally certain. The service people at Harbor Freight tried to find out why but after 10 minutes of looking no answers the reason for double pumps. I figure it's a reliability thing, surely two pumps must take half the beating of one. The Torin guy did think the reason it is hard to pump is the van is too heavy and he thought it would blow seals. It's not bypassing though. I lifted the back of my Kubota B2410 and it was perfect for that. I'd rather have your vehicle lift for all of it though. My Craftsman has leaked for years after I let it sit out in the rain and the pump got rust on it, some day I'll take it apart and see if I can reseal it.

The one from Home Depot is apparently online only but shipping is only $15. It appears the same jack or its equivalent turns up at some Costco's, mine didn't have them however. I suspect that is a better jack. One thing I would certainly avoid is the lighter weight 14.5" lift aluminum jacks, all the pieces are about half the thickness of what's on mine. I will say the fit and finish on the jack I bought is very nice, probably the best looking China product I've seen. That said, looks (especially from China) can be deceiving. I had a tile cutter that looked fine and after a few cuts the piece that breaks the tile snapped in half, it had a hollow spot in the casting. The pump works instantly at any position also, a complaint about some of the Craftsman's was they only pumped in the final third of the stroke (that could be low fluid or air also). Guess I'll have to use this one a bit and see if I want to keep it, HF has a 30 day money back guarantee.

Some interesting comments on jacks here:
HYJACKS.COM/FLOOR JACKS BACKGROUND PAGE/H2.HTM

 

[orangebluegreen]

A floor jack is suppose to be easy to use not difficult like your experiencing

Yeah, it's kind of a trade off, is it more difficult to fix the leaking 100lb jack I have and drag it around, or is it more difficult to put up with the extra effort of pumping for ease of moving around the aluminum one. My garage has a tractor\tool\workshop on one side, a carport with more elbow room for working on the opposite end, and dog kennels in the middle of the two. The floors in the kennel are a nice two part epoxy shiny smooth finish so I hate dragging the heavy jacks over it as it leaves marks.

 

[aczlan]

my dad has a double pump jack that I got him from HF in 2004, my FIL has a single pump jack that he got from Advance Auto Parts last summer, they are both ~3 ton steel jacks. the double pump one lifts faster (especially when it is all the way under the car and you cant move the handle much), and takes a little less force to use, perhaps the pumps are closer to the fulcrum of the handle? dunno. they both work, they are both quite heavy, and they are both MUCH better than a "skinny" jack.

Aaron Z

 

[wushaw]

Yeah, it's kind of a trade off, is it more difficult to fix the leaking 100lb jack I have and drag it around, or is it more difficult to put up with the extra effort of pumping for ease of moving around the aluminum one. My garage has a tractor\tool\workshop on one side, a carport with more elbow room for working on the opposite end, and dog kennels in the middle of the two. The floors in the kennel are a nice two part epoxy shiny smooth finish so I hate dragging the heavy jacks over it as it leaves marks.

I don't know, is the 100lb jack easier to pump? Is a seal kit available? I don't have the obsticales (sp) as you do for moving jacks around so what works best in your situation is what I would go with.

I will say though a good floor jack is an absolute must for me around the shop.

 

[Sackett2]

While I want a GOOD floor jack, I can't seem to spend the 400 dollars asking for one. I have a 2 ton craftsman -$100 8 years ago with two jack stands. It works great, and I realize it would cost more to repair it than buy another. That's how I ended up with this one-my last craftsman died after 15 years and had a un-rebuildable cylinder- and parts were not made anymore.
Infact after I bought Jack number 2, I asked sears parts the cost of a new cylinder for the new jack-- it was 25-50 dollars more for the part than the entire jack

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I have a Walker 3.5 ton that I have had for 20years and still works great. A coulpe of years ago I bought an aluminum 2 to Craftsman. When you pump it, it goes up real fast untill it gets a load on it then seems to operate like my Walker. Almost like it has a 2 stage pump?. I have had good luck with it also.
Bill

 

[kmdigital]

A big part of your problem is that you bought a "rapid" floor jack. By this it means that the vehicle goes up fast with each pump. Ever watch NASCAR? Notice how the jackman throws his full body weight on the end of the handle to lift the car with only one pump? You have essentially the same jack, and it requires a lot more force due how fast the vehicle lifts.

As someone else stated, really expensive jacks can be 2-stage, where they go fast unloaded, but then slower when there is weight on the end. However, IMO, this is hard to justify for the average DYI person, but would be great in a shop where it it is used all day, every day. But any "rapid" jack is going to require a lot of force on the end of the handle due to simple physics.