milkyspit
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've been putting off buying some sort of hydraulic jack for a while now, but I can't wait much longer. Since some of you seem to have some garage expertise, maybe you could point me in the right direction?
I'll tell you some uses I'd have for a jack. First the obvious, of course, of jacking up my cars for simple things like tire changes while they sit in our driveway. (The driveway's level but consists of small, packed gravel, if it matters.) Beyond this, I need something I can use to raise the front of my riding lawnmower enough to get decent access to the underside of the mowing deck so I can clean impacted grass out of it, change the blades, install or remove the mulching inserts, etc. I'm sure I'll find other uses for a jack in the future, but for now these are the main two, with the mower probably being the more immediate need.
I'm only a homeowner who needs an occasional workhorse here, not some sort of auto enthusiast. That said, I prefer to buy a decent piece of equipment that will last for a long time; can't stand buying junk that fails in a year or two. I'll also mention that my grandfather used to do his own repairs on his cars and once had a hydraulic jack fail on him, pinning him under the car and nearly choking him to death. (A rod was pressing against his throat.) I'd like a jack where I can count on such a thing NOT happening! At least to the extent that I can count on anything.
So the question would be, what do you folks suggest I buy, and how much should I expect to spend?
I'll tell you some uses I'd have for a jack. First the obvious, of course, of jacking up my cars for simple things like tire changes while they sit in our driveway. (The driveway's level but consists of small, packed gravel, if it matters.) Beyond this, I need something I can use to raise the front of my riding lawnmower enough to get decent access to the underside of the mowing deck so I can clean impacted grass out of it, change the blades, install or remove the mulching inserts, etc. I'm sure I'll find other uses for a jack in the future, but for now these are the main two, with the mower probably being the more immediate need.
I'm only a homeowner who needs an occasional workhorse here, not some sort of auto enthusiast. That said, I prefer to buy a decent piece of equipment that will last for a long time; can't stand buying junk that fails in a year or two. I'll also mention that my grandfather used to do his own repairs on his cars and once had a hydraulic jack fail on him, pinning him under the car and nearly choking him to death. (A rod was pressing against his throat.) I'd like a jack where I can count on such a thing NOT happening! At least to the extent that I can count on anything.
So the question would be, what do you folks suggest I buy, and how much should I expect to spend?