Hey gearheads and car aficionados! I’m diving into the world of auto repairs and currently wrapping my head around car tools. When it comes to hydraulic car jacks, I’m a bit lost in the power source maze. So, here’s my burning question: Cigar Lighter or Battery —which team are you on?
Neither. Buy a normal hydraulic floor jack and a decent set of jack stands. Unless you are jacking up 5 cars a day, having a powered jack is just a waste of money and more things that can go wrong.
Thanks a ton for the insight! That’s a whole new perspective I hadn’t considered. Jack stands and a regular hydraulic floor jack it is! Your advice is like a compass in this auto tool wilderness for a newbie like me. Appreciate your guidance!
Have you faced any issues with your powered jack ?
I don’t have one, for the reasons I gave. Adding complexity without getting any benefit from it is never a good idea. This goes for any application really.
A regular hydraulic floor jack will last you for many years without ever giving a problem. Mine gets beat to hell, left out in all weather at times, etc, and never so much as complains, and if it does it likely only needs a little top up of oil. It only takes 30 seconds to jack up the car with one, so what exactly are you saving by getting a powered one? And then when something does go wrong, other need replacing or take 10x as long to fix.