Craftsman 3-ton floor jack

What it is good at

• Raising a corner of the car quickly with a long handle and a foot pedal
• Rolling into position on a hard level surface such as concrete
• Sliding under a low car, where a ramp would catch the bumper

Check before you buy

• Rated capacity against the vehicle weight, leaving margin instead of matching the figures
• Lift range and saddle height against the jacking points in the owner manual
• Condition of the saddle, the wheels, the frame welds and the release valve before each use

Who it is not for

Gravel, dirt, sloped driveways and soft asphalt. A jack needs a hard level surface, and without one the job belongs in a workshop.

The floor jack is the tool that starts a wheel-off job, and its whole purpose is to move the car a few centimetres so that stands can be placed. The rating printed on the frame is the number to read first: compare it with the vehicle weight and keep a margin.

Long-handled low-profile models reach under cars with a low front lip, while a taller saddle suits trucks and lifted vehicles. Both need the same surface and the same inspection habit, because a jack that leaks down slowly is a jack that has finished its working life.