Got a lowered car? Your regular floor jack isn’t going to cut it. To perform any kind of mechanical work under your project car, you’re going tomo need a low-profile floor jack designed exclusively for cars with ultra-low ground clearance.
Low profile floor jacks are stronger, longer, lighter, and thinner than regular floor jacks.
They allow you to easily raise your car from the differential or subframe without the need for car ramps.
If you’re into car mods and if you’re mechanically inclined, you should definitely have one of these in your garage.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about buying the best low profile floor jack.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Low Profile Floor Jack
Even though all floor jacks do the same thing, you shouldn’t choose one blindly because your safety depends on it.
There are several factors that you need to carefully consider when choosing the right floor jack for your garage.
Lifting Range
Lifting range refers to the lowest and highest point at which you can adjust your floor jack. For example, if the specified lifting range is 3 1/2 inches to 14 inches, then it means that it can lift from as low as 3 1/2 inches to 14 inches high.
This means that if your car is lower than 3 1/2 inches, or if you want to raise it higher than 14 inches, then these specifications aren’t the right fit.
It’s important to consider the maximum height because your car needs to be high enough to be able to use jack stands for additional safety.
Construction
Material selection is important when choosing the right floor jack. You want something that suits your needs. If you live in a rainy and humid region, aluminum is your best choice because it can withstand those conditions.
Stainless steel is ideal if want the highest durability and if you don’t mind the floor jack being slightly heavy. For portability though, we recommend aluminum because it’s lighter in comparison with stainless steel.
Lifting Arm Length
The length and the quality of the lifting arm are two important factors to consider. Too short and it’ll be awkward to operate; too long and it’ll take up a lot of space.
We recommend choosing a two-piece lifting arm so that you can shorten the length to save space. But that feature comes at the expense of having to exert more strength when you operate the floor jack.
Weight Capacity
Your car’s weight will determine the type of floor jack that you should buy. If you drive a modified car, chances are that it doesn’t weigh the same as it used to. That’s something to consider.
It’s always best practice to choose a floor jack that can support a higher capacity than what your car weighs. This is really important — having that extra ceiling of safety will go a long way.
Saddle Pad
The saddle pad is the part of a floor jack that actually lifts the car and carries all of its weight. Needless to say, it needs to be very sturdy.
Look for saddle pads that have an anti-skid coating. This will reduce the chances of your car slipping off. If the floor jack that you like doesn’t have an anti-skid coating, you can cover the saddle pad with a rubber sheet.
A rubber saddle pad will also protect your vehicle from scratches and damage while working on it.
Warranty
Always choose a floor jack with a warranty — the longer, the better. Since you’re likely to use a floor jack for a long time, you’d want the warranty to cover that period.
The most common problem on floor jacks is hydraulic oil leakage. Make sure that your warranty covers this.
Some manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty, but that isn’t the norm. Most floor jacks come with a 1 year warranty, so anything above that is a bonus.
Cost
Your budget will play a role in purchasing a floor jack. The one thing that you shouldn’t compromise on is safety. A cheaper alternative might not be the best option because the lower quality could put you at risk.
Besides the risk factor, you also don’t want to be replacing a floor jack soon after purchasing it. Opt for a high-quality jack that won’t need a replacement for years to come.
Rear and Side Handles
Rear and side handles aren’t necessary components, but they do impact the maneuverability of the floor jack.
Poorly designed side handles on a heavy floor jack quickly become a problem when you have to use them all the time.
Rollers and Casters
Rollers and casters are the floor jack’s wheels. Since most floor jacks are heavy, you want to make sure that the wheels make the jack’s maneuverability convenient.
The quality of the wheels is also important. Jammed bearings and heavy rollers don’t get along too well.
Safety Considerations
Safety always comes first when working on cars, and there are some precautions you should take with your floor jack to ensure that you don’t get hurt.
Regardless of how many accessories you use for your floor jack, using it incorrectly can cause serious injuries. Relying on your floor jack alone is a bad idea. Always support your car with jack stands along with wooden blocks under the wheels for added safety.
Even the best jack stands and floor jacks will fail if used incorrectly, or if you purchase them without studying and understanding the spec sheet.
Apart from using jack stands, you should also use wheel chocks to prevent your car from rolling off. Roller seats are worth looking into for added comfort. It serves as an extra layer of protection but also stores your tools.
You should only ever get underneath your car if you know what you’re doing and if you know how to raise your car safely.
Best Low Profile Car Jacks
There are too many floor jacks out there — we’ve compared several of them and chosen our top favorites.
Without further ado, let’s get into the list that you’ve been waiting for. Below we’ve compiled some of the best low profile trolley jacks on the market.
Pro-Lift F-767
Manufacturer: Pro-Lift
Part no: F-767
Weight: 30 pounds
Warranty: 90 days
Buy on: Amazon
The Pro-Lift F-767 is made of solid steel. It’s a cheap option that, while not as robust as others in this list, should still last a long time.
The manufacturer provides safety release valves for overload protection. The lifting range is from 3.5 to 14 inches, and it has a 2 ton capacity. Another safety feature is the patented bypass device which protects against over-pumping.
The F-767 weighs 30 pounds, so it’s relatively light to move around your garage. It also comes with a 90 day warranty. We consider the F-767 to be the best car jack for the money.
Arcan 2
Manufacturer: Arcan
Part no: XL2T
Weight: 97 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The Arcan 2-ton floor jack is made of heavy-duty steel. Weighing in at 97 pounds, it’s safe to say that portability is not the Arcan 2’s strongest suit. But what it lacks in portability, it makes up for in durability.
The lifting range is from 2.75 inches to 24 inches, making it an ultra-low profile hydraulic jack. That will allow you to raise your car higher than most standard jack stands and the dual-pump pistons will help you to do it quickly.
Arcan made the chassis for this stand extra-long, extending it to 32 inches so that you can use it with great ease.
Also included is a universal joint release mechanism that provides precise control of the jack. The relief valve is for overload protection.
Performance Tool
Manufacturer: Performance Tool
Part no: W1645
Weight: 100 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The Performance Tool W1645 is a heavy-duty floor jack constructed using high-tensile steel. It’s capable of supporting 3.5 tons and has a rubber saddle pad that helps you to lift your car without damaging the mounting point.
The W1645 has a double-pump mechanism that allows you to quickly lift your car without straining yourself. For safety, Performance Tools fitted a bypass valve to provide overload protection.
This floor jack weighs 100 pounds, but its swivel wheels and saddle allow easy maneuverability and positioning. The long frame adds to the stability. It allows it from anywhere between 3.5 inches to 20.5 inches.
Torin
Manufacturer: Torin
Part no: TAM815016L
Weight: 34 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The hydraulic low-profile trolley jack by Torin is made of high-strength aluminum alloy and steel, able to support 1.5 tons. The dual-piston design makes it super easy to jack your car up.
The lifting range is set from 3.5 inches to 14 inches. Don’t worry about scraping the frame / mounting point as this jack stand comes fitted with a foam bumper.
Ergonomics are great too, the side handles make the jack easy to carry. Considering the Torin is only 34 pounds, we regard it as the best car jack for portability.
Sunex
Manufacturer: Sunex
Part no: 6602LP
Weight: 99 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The Sunex floor jack has a lifting range that starts at 2.75 inches and gets maxed out at 24 inches. The dual pump pistons will help you to reach the maximum height in just over six pumps. This floor jack is 18 inches long, making it easier to reach every lifting point under your car.
You’ll find that the maneuverability of this floor jack is relatively easy because it features wide, ball-bearing, swivel casters. It can support 2 tons and has a two-piece pump handle that provides extra leverage.
Omega Lift
Manufacturer: Shinn Fu Company of America
Part no: GQ025L
Weight: 87 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
Omega Lift is a 2.5-ton heavy-duty floor jack that effortlessly combines durability and reliability. The lifting range is set from 3.37 inches to 19.5 inches. You’ll be able to lift your car to the full range real quick thanks to the Magic Lift feature which lifts the car in minuscule 0.25 inch and 0.75 inch increments.
The cast-iron lift arm and the flanged side plates make this floor jack sturdy. The manufacturer has also included a built-in bypass device to ensure that you don’t overload the jack and risk hurting yourself.
This floor jack features a swivel saddle that makes positioning it easy and safe. To top it off, you also get a 1 year warranty.
Cat
Manufacturer: Cat
Part no: 240109
Weight: 77 pounds
Warranty: 2 years
Buy on: Amazon
The Cat floor jack is a 3 ton unit that ensures durability by meeting ANSI and PALD standards.
It’s meant to withstand extra heavy loads which is the reason they made it from steel and ensured that it was strong and versatile. You can go as low as 3-inches and extend it up to 19.5-inches.
You’ll need only seven pumps to raise the lift arm to full height because of the dual-piston that enables quick pumps.
The foot pump will help you get the perfect positioning. Also included with the jack are a handle pad and a small parts tray.
SATA
Manufacturer: Apex Tool Group
Part no: ST97817SC
Weight: 74 pounds
Warranty: Lifetime Warranty
Buy on: Amazon
Even though the SATA floor jack is rated for 2 tons, some customers reported that it could easily handle as much as 2.5 tons. The dual-piston pump makes things even easier.
The twin-handle design enhances the ergonomics of this unit, making it comfortable to use and gives you a solid grip with better leverage.
SATA weighs 74 pounds, so it’s not one of the lightest floor jacks that you’ll find, but it’s still fairly portable to use around your workshop.
The best part about this jack is that it is backed by a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.
Arcan 3
Manufacturer: Arcan
Part no: A20001
Weight: 62 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The Arcan 3 functions as well as it looks. Weighing in at just 62 pounds, it’s quite impressive to see that this floor jack can lift up to 3 tons. Arcan managed this by combining aluminum alloy and high-tensile steel.
For extra portability, the manufacturer included a side handle that lets you easily carry this floor jack. The 360-degree swivel wheels allow you to rotate and maneuver the floor jack with great ease.
Powerbuilt Xtra Low
Manufacturer: Powerbuilt
Part no: 620479E
Weight: 59 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The Powerbuilt Xtra is a super low floor jack that has a 2-ton capacity load. You can fit it under a car that has a 2.75 inches clearance, making it low profile. Lift is limited to 15.5 inches.
This floor jack is perfect for unibody vehicles where it’s difficult to use jack stand positioning. To make it even safer, Powerbuilt included a steel safety bar that you can use under the lift arm to secure the jack on the raised position.
It weighs only 59 pounds, so moving it around the work area is fairly simple. It’s affordable and also comes with a 1 year warranty.
NEIKO Pro
Manufacturer: NEIKO Tools
Part no: 20272B
Weight: 57 pounds
Warranty: 1 year
Buy on: Amazon
The NEIKO Pro is lightweight yet durable. This is because of its aluminum construction. This floor jack can lift up to 3 tons and weighs a measly 57 pounds.
The lifting range goes from 3.75 inches all the way up to 19.25 inches. Your car won’t be damaged when you lift it because of the rubber saddle pad and a safety valve that prevents overloading beyond the rated capacity.
Neiko Pro also has swivel rear casters to help you easily position it under the car. The side handles make carrying it easy, especially since it weighs 57 pounds.
Our Top Picks of Best Low Profile Jacks
It wasn’t easy but after a lot of consideration, we have our top 3 favorites. We’ve categorized these taking into account affordability, overall quality, and reliability.
Best Overall: Cat
The Cat low profile floor jack is the complete package. Its construction is strong to ensure durability and has a wide lifting range. The foot pump makes raising the car convenient.
This floor jack has a 3-ton capacity, weighs 77 pounds, and comes with a 2 year warranty.
Best Budget Floor Jack: Pro-Lift
The F-767 has everything going for it. It’s light, has a good lifting range, and has great safety features to protect your car and you.
Apart from its durability due to steel construction, the Pro-Lift F-767 is very affordable. You get so many valuable features for the price that you’ll pay to own the Pro-Lift floor jack.
Most Reliable: Arcan 3
Apart from having a 3-ton capacity, the Arcan floor jack is a hybrid, heavy-duty floor jack made from steel and aluminum. That ensures it’s durable while at the same time lightweight.
It only weighs 62 pounds and comes with a 1 year warranty if you need repairs. This is easily the best car jack for the money.
If you’re mechanically inclined and like modifying your car by yourself, then you should definitely have a floor jack in your garage at all times. Whether it’s modifying your exhaust, installing wheel spacers, or rolling your fenders, these tools really help.
And with that, we conclude our list. We’d love to know which floor jack stood out for you and why. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!