What brand bottle jack

[Moby Bill]

I have gone through 2 Chinese junk jacks and am looking to buy a good one. I hope to not pay the $100 plus for professional ones. But I want one that I can trust. Need about 5 ton and would use it for both the truck and trailer. My first one from Northern tool leaked and I returned it. The second, a 6 ton from Wal Mart, also leaked. Left me stranded in a desolate piece of indian reservation in AZ last summer. I couldn't return it to Wally because I hadn't saved the receipt. I understand some good ones come from Japan. USA made seem way pricey.

[Moby Bill]

I have gone through 2 Chinese junk jacks and am looking to buy a good one. I hope to not pay the $100 plus for professional ones. But I want one that I can trust. Need about 5 ton and would use it for both the truck and trailer. My first one from Northern tool leaked and I returned it. The second, a 6 ton from Wal Mart, also leaked. Left me stranded in a desolate piece of indian reservation in AZ last summer. I couldn't return it to Wally because I hadn't saved the receipt. I understand some good ones come from Japan. USA made seem way pricey.

[RichR]

Try a Sears brand-I have two of them and seem to work OK-no leaks.
RichR

[Hoverbug]

I'll ditto Rich's comments. Not only is the Sears a good product, if you don't like it or it fails you can return it no questions.

[Moby Bill]

My thought initially. I have bought Craftsman in the past. However there web site shows a 12 ton "shorty" as there smallest and it only lifts from 6" to 10 5/8". At $65, it may have to be the choice but that isn't much lift for getting a trailer suspension off the ground. Thanks, Bill

[JC2]

I always carry a couple of short pieces of 2x6 or 2x8 boards for setting the bottlejack on. Several of these stacked within reason might give u some xtra height..........

[John Harrelson]

I never leave home without at least 3 jacks.

One scissors jack, one two ton bottle jack and one twelve ton bottle jack..
and a 12" x12" piece of 3/4" plywood along with three 12" long wheel chocks made out of 4"x4".

The scissors jack came off an old truck I had back in the 1960's and the two bottle jacks came from K-Mart sometime back in the 1970's.

Both of the bottle jacks combined cost me less than $20 at that time.
I have never had either of the bottle jacks fail me.. nor have they have ever leaked.

The reason for three jacks is because you never know what type of terrain you will find your self on when having to change a flat tire..

If the 12 ton will not fit under the frame or axle, I simply use the scissors jack or the 2 ton bottle jack to lift the wheel high enough so the 12 ton will fit under..

Also if the 12 ton will not lift the wheel high enough to slip off/on the tire, then I have the extra chock to elevate the jack another 4"..

So far... knock on wood, I have never had a problem that this combination could not handle..

But as we all know... tomorrow is another day with a new set of problems to plague us..

John