I bought a COSTCO Arcan brand workshop car jack

$175
Aluminium light weight
90mm low height

I have tried it and it is very good for home use.
It will suit some people in it's size and shape. It will suit some people for it's price. I worked in the tool industry for a while, and the only comparable similar Chinese made aluminium jacks are about $300.

Google Costco Arcan jack and see if it suits your needs. Good Xmas present.

Just what i'm after !

what load rating is it ?

Where did you buy it from?

1500 kg load rating
Has Aus/NS Standards approval
91mm low height
498 high height
22 kg net weight for unit

Twin speed. Pumps fast to load, then easy lift.

It is like most other Chinese jacks of the same description, but half the price.

Guess I'm going without then... No Costco here...

any good non china jacks?

We just got some BAHCO one's at work, look like quality stuff, come with BAHCO pricing though... and probably from the same factory as the one mentioned above...

They don't last all that long even with home use, my son bought one a about a year ago, its not working now

on the other hand, I am using my half brother's jack from when he worked in the broad of works. He had it since the early 70s.

Never needed any attention other than the wheels be oiled once in a while.

think its a 5 ton? I would not trust any jack made today. Guess when a jack decides to stop working? yep, when you are using them. too dangerous!

I have been looking for a 2nd hand jack like this one for years, but no one will part from them.

I can find countless new non working jacks though



I have a SCA engine crane of my own. Thinking of getting the ram pulled apart and rebuild with better seals, valves, polish the shaft etc.. It goes down over night new out of the box. I would hate it to fail when lifting in an engine in to a car. the damage it would do to a car would be enormous.

I would be kicking in some peoples faces if that happen.

Its so stressful loading engines knowing I rely of china made crap.

my chinese one has been going strong for 7 years

Hi

I have SCA engine crane, never had an issue, maybe put some new seals in yours, I always store mine fully collapsed.

I have a Blue Beast??? sold by Snap on floor jack, its about 15 years old, no problems.

Steve

Here's one for the "Don't make 'em like they used to" file. My Apac floor jack [Aussie made] is over 30 years old - and looks like it - still works like new. Apart from a bit of oil now and again, it never gets any attention.

The problem with the SCA one is the shaft isn't polished or finely finished, its like rough gravel like grinding. Rough as guts!
As it moved up and down, fine particles of rubber come out of the ram a the top along with small amount of oil. I have polished the shaft since but the seal are likely damaged from the 3 times I have used it.

its annoying as it goes down slowly when an engine is on it. without an engine overnight its on the floor.

with my half brothers jack, I can leave a car on it for weeks without any loss of height.

I've got a small floor jack that I bought at a garage sale about 12 years ago and it looked old then, no idea where it was made except that it looks identical to the Chinese ones sold at Super Cheap now, only problem I have had with it is that it refused to raise the car once about 2 years ago, checked the fluid level and it was very very low, had no hydraullic fluid to top it up so put in some engine oil (on top of what was left of the hydraullic), works a treat to this day including holding up the back end of the wench for nearly a week about 2 weeks ago.

it probably an oldish quality jack what you have there.

anyway, here is a jack that you want.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Jack-floor-hydraulic-Large-Vintage-/151177990743?p...

how old is this thing? old! and still works and probably safer than a new jack.

having something like this rebuild by a hydraulic expert to ensure all the right seals are used and general mechanical check over/service this jack would last a life time.

A friend of mine had a jack that often went down on him......he wouldn't sell it to me.

A jack itself is not dangerous. If it goes up, you put it on stands.

My costco jack is over a year old. Never let me down.
The other day i lifted my sprinter van with 2.3 tonnes i thought thats it. Nup tough little bugger.

It fits under my lowered bug with a bit of help
I saw the same jack a while ago at Repco with a different label sticker over the top of the costco type for $500. Costco was $165.