Axle Stands/Trolley Jack on a budget

[riplash]

Ill be after a couple of axle stands and a trolley jack soon, so for anyone whose got a little bit of kit at home, what have you got or do you consider a good buy? Brands etc (Draper? Sealey?)

Cheers!!

 

[Barryd]

Goto http://www.machinemart.co.ukwww.machinemart.co.uk

They have x2 axle stands and small trolly jack for about £40 I think. And will deliver.

 

[riplash]

cheers!

 

[5turbo/willy]

screwfixdirect abot £20

 

[rasp]

got mine from halfoeds, 2 stands trolley jacks and chocks for £20, are very good!

 

[BenR]

halfords and small 2 ton jacks are crap, the seals perish and they go sloppy, orrid stuff, plus a high seat hight means no no to low cars.

Just pop into machinemart and pickup a low seat 3 ton jack with 2 axle stands, low seat height version available.

Cheap jacks are that, cheap.

 

[20uk]

yep paid £20 for mine from halfords

 

[Lunner]

Got mine for draper, but i get ewm at cost, think it cost me about £20 for the lot

 

[JAY172]

got a 3 tonne jack and two 3 tonne axle stands for £100.maybe a bit of money but quality costs im afraid.had the cheap jacks before and their reach isnt very high and they soon wear out.having said that though ive still got a cheapo 2 tonne halfords jack thats still going strong.

 

[DTWD]

Argos do em, and you can get one set with a sledge to go under your car. No idea if they are any good, or even if they still do them.



Paul

 

[jimbo]

got a snap-on 3-tonne jack, a 15 year old giant orange 3-tonner and a 2tonne halfords-type cheapo one

technicalyl they are my dads, but theya re in the garage so they nare now mine too, the cheapo one is going strong after about 5 years, bear in mind it gets used all weekend every weekend whilst my dad works on cars, so its had industrial usage and still works fine, its filthy and all the covers ands tuff have fallen off and the handle doesnt clip in properly, but it still works fine!

the snap-on jack of course will never die lol, but it cost some stupid amount of money, he got it as a 50th bday present tho, bout £150 i think

 

[GR7]

From Auto Express product test.










The Test
Motor maintenance is all about ups and downs, as many of the jobs facing a DIY mechanic involve getting the car in the air. Wheel changing, brake repairs and suspension work all call for at least one corner of the vehicle to be off the ground, and the best way to do that is with a trolley jack.

If you have ever had to use the car makers jack in the boot, youll know it is for emergencies only. These generally cheap scissor or bottle jacks are not as user-friendly or safe as the trolley versions. With a cut-off set at £40, we tried seven premium and seven budget trolley jacks to find the best options.

All the models tested had a SWL (safe working load) of at least two tonnes, which is enough for most of us, as usually only one corner is lifted at a time. But more capability is reassuring, and the bigger the chassis, the better the stability. A larger saddle also makes it less likely to slip. Saddle size was a major difference between the budget and premium jacks, making the latter more desirable and worth the extra money. For us, the budget jacks are really only for light tasks.

When buying, its important to ensure the jack will go low enough to get under your car, but still have sufficient range to reach the jacking point and get the wheels off the ground. Checking this is most important if you have a sports car or lowered suspension - or, at the other extreme, a large off-roader.

And remember... safety is paramount. Always apply the handbrake with the car in gear or in Park, and you should make sure the keys are out of the ignition. Work on a flat surface, and always use axle stands in case the jack seals fail.

Safety was key, so the jacks with wider chassis and larger saddles fared the best. Practicality also ranked highly, so we counted the number of handle strokes required to get from fully down to working height. Fewer strokes mean less time and effort, and reduce the likelihood of damaging the bodywork with the handle. We also sought a wide span between minimum and maximum heights.

Halfords Price: £37.99 **FIVE STARS**

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_26/car_portal_pic_13050_t.jpg

SWL (tonnes): 2.5

The priciest of our budget jacks, Halfords 2.5 Tonne model was certainly well specified. At 75mm, it had the largest saddle, which it could raise to a class-topping 420mm. The footprint was joint biggest and its 2.5-tonne rating gave it a 0.5-tonne advantage over rivals here. We found 14 strokes to working height annoying, but wed feel safe working under a car with this one supporting it, so it wins our budget Best Buy award.

VERDICT: In the budget class, Halfords 2.5 Tonne took more effort than the Clarke CTJ 2Q to raise, but was otherwise brilliant. The 2Qs quick action balanced an otherwise average performance. In the premium sector, Halfords gave way to the Omega Rapid Lifts excellent features.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Clarke CTJ 2Q **FOUR STARS**

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/picture_library/dir_26/car_portal_pic_13053_t.jpg

Price: £29.32

SWL (tonnes): 2

LR stands for Long Reach, so it was no surprise to find this was the longest and widest in the budget category, putting down an impressive footprint. The mechanism was well to the rear for reaching further under the car and the 70mm saddle was second best in class. But with 19 strokes to reach 210mm, youd probably forget why you jacked it up at all.