which car lifting kit.

[Baked_bean]

Hey guys,
I have just moved out of the parents house so no longer have access to my stepdads wealth of tools for car maintenance.

I am looking at buying a basic jack + axle stand set up to start with. I'm not going to be performing gearbox out jobs etc just basic stuff like wheel bearings, oil changes etc.

Can you guys recommend any set up's? This one looks ok:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

I am only going to be working on smaller cars, no jeeps or barges.

[SpeedBump]

£49.99 bargain

[hyperblue]

I've been using one of those jacks for years with no problems.

Just be aware it won't fit under a lowered car though.

[sim16v]

It's good value for the amount of kit you get, but the jack is pretty limited.

If you have access to Costco, they have some of the best "budget" jacks out there.

The big alloy one is near enought £100, but it is much more useful than the Halfords one.

They also sometimes do non alloy ones that are brilliant as well, and usually around £30-50.

[anonymous-user]

Go for a 'proper' jack.

I used that Halfords one for a few years and then upgraded to the Alloy Costco jack and the difference is night and day. Well worth the extra and I wish I had did it years ago. In fact using ANY other jack is a frustrating experience. I'm half tempted to buy one just for work being the heavy duty sealy one seems rubbish in comparison.

[Jamz3k]

I have used this kit and don't rate it, I just didn't feel safe with it unlike the draper axle stands and trolley jack I borrow from a friend.

[bababa]

I have the axle stands and jack from that kit. I don't have a problem with the axle stands, they seem pretty robust, but the jack hasn't really had much use and is already weeping oil out of the piston when it is pumped up.

Additionally, the jack doesn't go much higher than allowing me to put the axle stands on the first notch, which was a PITA whilst I was trying to snake the rear anti-roll bar out recently.

I'm thinking of abandoning it altogether and looking out for the Costco one everybody is raving about!

[ShampooEfficient]

I got a Clarke jack from Machine Mart - well worth a look.

[NHK244V]

i use a sealy 2.5Tonner for my home stuff, big but bloody great! i wouldn't use a smaller jack except for emmergency wheel changes ect
All my work jacks are 50 or 60 year old bradburys, you can still rebuild them easyly, seals are easy to get ect

[HereBeMonsters]

ShampooEfficient said:

I got a Clarke jack from Machine Mart - well worth a look.

+1, Machine Mart ftw.

[grimfandango]

I've been using a £15 2 ton Lidl jack for the last 8-10 years or so, its had a lot of use lifting all kinds of things it probabley shouldnt have lifted. even lifts the tractor, although I realise that I really shouldnt be doing this!

Only real problems are it slowly goes down on its own and it wont fit under lowered cars, but I just drive the cars onto two thick planks of wood. Before this I had a £40 2 1/2 ton jack that only lasted 3 years!