I've seen more near-misses caused by cheap jacks and rusted axle stands than any other workshop tool. A jack only has to fail once — and the kind of weight sitting on top of you doesn't give second chances. After 32 years on the tools, here's what we'd actually buy with our own money, and what to avoid no matter how cheap it gets on Amazon.
A '3-tonne' trolley jack is rated at maximum lift; safe working load is usually 60–70% of that, and only at its lowest extension. By the time you've lifted a car to ramp height, you've eaten well into the safety margin. Rule of thumb: buy a jack rated 1.5× the heaviest vehicle you'll lift. For a 1.8t family car, buy a 3t jack. For a 2.5t van, buy a 4t.
Aluminium jacks (Sealey AK458DX, US PRO ProJack) are lighter, faster to position, and good for service work. Steel jacks (Sealey 1153CXD, SGS GTJ3T) handle a hammering and last decades. For a home garage seeing weekly use, aluminium is the better quality-of-life pick. For a working bay, steel earns its keep.
Never work under a car supported by the jack alone. Period. Decent axle stands cost £40–£80 a pair and last forever — Sealey Premier, Laser, US PRO. Cheap stands have pressed-steel saddles that can rock; quality ones have machined saddles with a positive notch. Always pair-rated to at least the vehicle weight, ideally 1.5×.
Modern unibody cars have specific factory jacking points — usually a reinforced rib under the sill, marked with a notch or arrow. Pop the boot mat: most cars list them in the toolkit booklet. Never lift on the sill itself (you'll crush it), the fuel tank, the diff cover (cast iron — cracks), or any sump. If in doubt, look it up before lifting.
Scissor jacks are for emergency roadside use only — slow, narrow base, no rolling. Anything more than a wheel swap warrants a proper trolley jack.
Yes — non-negotiable. Hydraulic seals can fail with no warning. The stands are the actual support; the jack just gets you there.
Maybe at a corner, but not safely. Lifting one corner of a 2-tonne car still puts ~60% of the weight on the lifted side. Buy 1.5× the kerb weight, minimum.
Bob's Mechanical Repairs — independent family-run garage in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire. Call 01350 727 276 or email [email protected].