2022 test8 productsAuto Parts & Repair
Which Floor Jack Brand Wins?
We compared 8 floor jack options head to head. Daytona DJ3000 came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Daytona DJ3000
Price shown in test: $280
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Runner-up
Pittsburgh
Price shown in test: $160
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Background | Build quality | Minimum height | Maximum height | Pumps to full height, no load | Weight | Handle pressure to reach 3 tons / 6,000 lb | Max lift capacity (jack dyno) before bypass valve released | Pressure drop after 5 minutes under load | Rolling resistance under about 1,500 lb load | Pumps to lift a loaded pickup truck to max height | Reach at 7.75 in of clearance | 24 hour hold test at about 3,500 lb | Wheel diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Daytona DJ3000$280 | sold at Harbor Freight, marketed as a super duty high performance professional grade jack designed to compete against the Snap-on, all 3 ton capacity like the rest of the field | lift arm centered and properly aligned, welds look great with no gaps or sloppy work, described as the best build yet at that point in testing; five grease fittings (two front wheels, lift arm shaft, two handle socket shaft) with a generous helping of grease throughout; subjective build quality rating of 1.5 | 4 in | very close to 23.25 in, the second highest of all 8 jacks behind only the Snap-on | 4.2 in (also stated later in the video as 4.3), tied for the fewest pumps with the Snap-on | 103 lb, heavier than every jack except the Snap-on | 108.5 lb, about 11.5 lb more than the Husky | 6,855 lb, about 450 lb less than the leader (Pittsburgh) | 310 lb, about 50 lb more drop than the Husky | 88.5 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, moved into the lead over the Arcan at that point in testing, second best overall behind only the Snap-on's 81 lb | 28 pumps, tied for the fewest with the Snap-on | 50 in, no issues | survived without a problem | not tested |
| 2Husky$179 | not tested | welds a little sloppy but much better than the Maasdam; grease fitting in the same location as the Maasdam and Pittsburgh, just above the lift arm shaft | right at 3 in, tied with the Maasdam for the lowest of all 8 jacks | right at 20 in | 7.5 pumps | 76 lb, the same as the Pittsburgh | 92.5 lb, the least effort (best result) of all 8 jacks | 7,042 lb | 261 lb, described as the best result up to that point in testing (later beaten by the Arcan's 195 lb) | 105 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, by far the best result up to that point in testing (later beaten by the Daytona and Snap-on), 15 lb better than the Pittsburgh | 31 pumps, the same as the Pittsburgh | 50 in, plenty of handle travel, no issues | survived without a problem | not tested |
| 3Pittsburgh$160 | sold at Harbor Freight; presenter notes it looks almost identical to the Maasdam apart from color, stickers, and using a lock clip instead of a bolt to secure the handle, speculating both may share a factory or parts source | much better than the Maasdam despite the similar look: lift arm properly aligned and centered, no gaps or seams in the welds, presenter doubts the welds will ever fail | just over 3 in (stated elsewhere as 3.38 in) | just under 20 in, pretty much the same as the Maasdam | 6.3 pumps, very close to the same as the Maasdam | 76 lb, just 1 lb heavier than the Maasdam | 97 lb, almost the same as the Maasdam | 7,301 lb, the highest of all 8 jacks, described as the leader | 319 lb, about 40 lb better (less drop) than the Maasdam | 120.5 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, a little better than the Maasdam | 31 pumps, the same as the Husky | 50 in, performed just fine | survived without a problem | not tested |
| 4Snap-on$1,000 before taxes and shipping and handling | not tested | welds look great, described as the work of a professional welder; five grease points (two wheels, lift arm, two handle socket shaft), same underlying design as the Daytona with a larger saddle and different frame; subjective build quality rating of 1, the best possible rating, tied with the Arcan | will not go lower than 4 in | 24 in, the highest of all 8 jacks, three quarters of an inch better than the Daytona | very close to 4.2 pumps, the same as the Daytona | 110 lb, the heaviest of all 8 jacks | 105 lb | almost 7,300 lb, very close to the leader (Pittsburgh) | 304 lb, very close to the same as the Daytona | 81 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, the best (easiest rolling) result of all 8 jacks, attributed to its large wheels | 28 pumps, tied for the fewest with the Daytona | 50 in, performed very well | survived without a problem | 4.2 in, the largest front wheels of all 8 jacks |
| 5Arcan Professional Tools$280 | made of aluminum, unlike the steel construction of the other jacks; bolted together instead of welded; no grease fittings, though most moving parts arrive pre greased | described as excellent, lift arm centered and properly aligned; subjective build quality rating of 1, the best possible rating, tied with the Snap-on | very close to 4 in, the same as the Daytona | very close to 19.5 in, the lowest maximum height of all 8 jacks | 6.5 pumps, very close to the same as the Maasdam and Pittsburgh | 55 lb, the second lightest of all 8 jacks | 97 lb, relatively easy to use given its light weight | 7,029 lb, within 300 lb of the leader (Pittsburgh) | 195 lb, the best (least drop) result of all 8 jacks | 98 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, took the lead over the Husky at that point in testing (later beaten by the Daytona and Snap-on) | 35 pumps, four more than the Pittsburgh and Husky | 49 in, almost as good as the jacks that reached 50 in | survived without a problem | not tested |
| 6Maasdam$139 | a 3 ton low profile jack marketed with a speedy lift; one grease fitting located just above the lift arm shaft; available at Home Depot | poor: presenter says 'you could tell that it was built on a Monday,' the lift arm is not properly aligned and badly favors one side, several welds are incomplete and others are sloppy; presenter notes the welds will probably never fail but questions why settle for this when better built jacks are available | right at 3 in, tied with the Husky for the lowest of all 8 jacks (advertised as 3.125 in) | just under 20 in, as advertised (about 19.75 in) | 6.3 pumps, a huge improvement over the Blackjack's 47 pumps | 75 lb | very close to 98 lb | 7,269 lb, easily beating its own 3 ton rating | 359 lb (from 7,269 lb down to 6,910 lb) | 124.5 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, quite a bit better than the Blackjack | 30 pumps, finished third best of all 8 jacks | 50 in, functioned just fine | survived without a problem | not tested |
| 7Esco$340 | out of the box the handle was bent and the halves would not go together, requiring the presenter to straighten it before assembly; the only jack in the test with plastic wheels instead of metal; no grease fittings, though the oil port cover can be removed without tools | welds look pretty good but not quite as good as the Daytona's; lift arm assembly properly aligned; rear caster is pretty stiff for about half of its rotation | 3.75 in | 20.25 in | 9.5 pumps with the handle jack, or 17 pumps using the quick lift pedal | 87 lb, the second heaviest jack at that point in testing | 109 lb, quite a bit of effort, almost the same as the Daytona | 6,499 lb, the lowest of all 8 jacks, about 800 lb less than the leader (Pittsburgh) | 207 lb | 100.5 lb of force to roll forward 3 in; presenter notes the rear caster wheel isn't providing all that much support | 44 pumps, 13 more than the Pittsburgh and Husky, the most of any jack in this test | 30 in, limited because the handle tilts upward, one of only three jacks (with the Arcan and Blackjack) that could not reach 50 in on this test | survived without a problem | 2.95 in front wheels, the smallest measured; plastic rather than metal |
| 8Blackjack$93 | made by Torin; right out of the box the handle was split and very loose; the handle rotates 360 degrees and includes a safety bypass to prevent overloading; requires a separate extension adapter (2.5 ton maximum capacity) to reach full lifting height | not tested | 5.75 in without the adapter, the highest (worst) minimum height of all 8 jacks | claimed 20.875 in without the adapter, but actually reached 21 in in testing | 47 pumps, by far the most of any jack tested, attributed to its short handle; the jack also does not return to the home position without some manual assistance | 44 lb, the lightest of all 8 jacks | 132.5 lb, the most effort of any jack tested | 6,336 lb | 327 lb | 141 lb of force to roll forward 3 in, the worst (hardest to roll) result of all 8 jacks; during the test the left rear caster wheel lifted off the ground, the frame twisted noticeably, and the caster wheel appeared to have some camber | 58 pumps (47 baseline plus 11 more under load), by far the most of any jack tested | 22 in, limited because the jack handle tilts upward, one of only three jacks (with the Arcan and Esco) that could not reach 50 in on this test | survived without a problem | 3 in front wheels |
How it was tested
- minimum and maximum lift height measurements
- number of handle pumps to reach full height, unloaded
- weight of each jack
- handle pressure (lb of downward force) required to lift 3 tons / 6,000 lb
- maximum lift capacity on a jack dyno before the bypass valve released pressure
- pressure bleed-off after holding a load for 5 minutes
- front wheel diameter
- rolling resistance: force required to roll the jack forward about 3 in while supporting roughly 1,500 lb
- number of handle pumps to lift a loaded pickup truck to maximum height
- reach/clearance test at 7.75 in of ground clearance
- 24 hour hold test supporting about 3,500 lb (half of a roughly 7,000 lb hay baler) per jack
- controlled pressure release test
- subjective build quality and weld assessment
“If I had to choose just one jack, I would definitely go with the Daytona when you consider the value price as well as the performance.”