BIG RED Hydraulic Trolley Service Jack, 2 Ton

I purchased this jack to be able to perform routine maintenance on my car, in my apartment building’s parking garage. I made sure to bleed the jack and purge the hydraulic system of air before first use. There are instructions in the package as well as several YouTube guides on how to do this.

I was able to lift my BMW E46 which weighs around 1,700kgs. Therefore this jack is more than suffice at raising one corner at a time. However, I did not feel safe raising the car from the engine jacking point raising 2 wheels. It managed the task but I did not feel comfortable doing so. Raising one wheel at a time using the car’s jacking points/chassis rail felt safer for me.

Of course, I used 2 x 2 ton jack stands – also made by Big Red – to support the car using the jacking points. I then used this trolley jack to provide secondary support on the jacking point under the front subframe just as a safety measure. I also placed wood blocks (around 20cm in height) under the front wheels as a third safety measure.

I have used this jack about 9-10 times over the past month for various maintenance tasks, and it has held up extremely well. It’s compact size means I can keep it in the boot without sacrificing too much trunk space. If you intend to lift both wheels (either front or rear) at the same time, or have a heavier car i suggest opting for a full size 3 ton shop jack instead, preferably low profile. These are significantly more expensive however. This jack not only has weight restrictions but also will not lift your car high enough for any job besides tire changes. My BMW E46 sits quite low to the ground and i actually had to use the factory scissor jack to raise it a bit in order to be able to slip this under the jacking point/chassis rail.

I used this floor jack the day I received it. The storage case is strong and the jack & pump handle fits right in and the lid closes & latches every time. No struggling getting it to fit right.
The low profile is very nice.
The jack is impressive. Very well built. I believe I can foresee that this floor jack will never need replacing or have any issues with.
Very glad I purchased it.

Great jack for a great price. Bought this to do some basic maintenance work on my Nissan Altima and am pleased with the jack’s performance.

PROS:
The jack itself seems to be sturdy and well-built. There are definitely higher-quality jacks out there but they are significantly more expensive. If you just need a jack for emergencies or occasional maintenance work on your vehicle, this will work just fine and you won’t break the bank. As with ANY jack, make sure you use jack stands (or some other type of support) for work under your vehicle. ANY jack can fail at ANY time. Make sure you also follow the simple directions to “set up” the jack by relieving the hydraulic pressure prior to using it for the first time; this will make sure it works properly and safely. Setting up and using the jack is simple and it’s lightweight enough to carry around which being strong enough to get the job done.

CONS:
The case that the jack comes in is thin plastic and is not very durable. If you’re just using the case for storing the jack between occasional uses or to keep the jack in your vehicle, it will be fine. While the jack would have no problems with most standard cars, if you have a low-profile vehicle or a taller truck/SUV, you may want to look at options that are better suited for your vehicle height.

This jack does the job just fine. I recently changed the brake pads and rotors on my car, and this jack was up to the task with no problem. It withstood some torquing and moving with no problems (although it’s always recommended to use jack stands if you’re going to be working for extended periods of time on a car). The big advantage is how fast it is to get your car off the ground – seconds, literally, is all it takes to lift your vehicle. It is a HUGE improvement over the basic/cheapo jacks that come with most cars. It comes in its own case, and is portable enough that you could carry it in your trunk if you wanted to.

Amazing little jack. Just like others mentioned in previous reviews. To lift larger vehicles such as a pilot you need to add height to the lift. I used a stacked of wood to lift the vehicle. Worked fantastic and worth every penny. I do not regret the buy.

Please stay far-far away, unless you’re simply looking to change a tire.

I started the day by going out to my recently purchased 1987 Honda Accord LX, which is simply a secondary car purchased for $525 that I can work on and learn how to repair and maintain my future vehicles. It’s a 5-speed and in relatively great shape, driving me home safely 80 miles from where it was purchased; it’s honestly fun to drive. I perfectly admit I’m not a master of the shop, but I do own a fair amount of tools and enjoy engineering, science, and mechanical topics.

I was looking forward to changing the oil, transmission fluid, oil filter, and the primary fuel filter near the gas tank. I started by jacking up the car at the specified lift point per the Honda shop manual (1,000 pages of information). After about 25-30 lever swings, it was finally at maximum height. I went around to the side to place my driver side Torin jack stand in the lowest jack stand position, and to my surprise, it would barely fit. I had to budge it in and after two minutes, finally got it into position. Then I went to the passenger side and the jack stand simply would not go in position. There was no room, by about half an inch or so. By that time I was pretty much out of options, defeated by the jack handle simply having nothing more to give and not nearly enough height to place the stands and get under there to do my work.

So, I went to remove the one stand that I managed to get in and it wouldn’t come out (the stand is roughly U-shaped where it contacts the car, so the part of the stand closest to under the car was catching and not sliding out underneath the support point). Over the next thirty minutes I struggled to remove the stand, as the jack would be raised as much as possible, I would go over to the stand to try and remove it, but the jack was losing some pressure and lowered by an eighth, quarter, or maybe a half inch, but I didn’t measure. It wouldn’t remain at its full height for more than a second. Eventually I slid some two by fours under the jack to get some more height and finally got the stand out from under the support point.

Measuring the maximum height inside I found it to be just under 11 inches from the ground to the highest point, and not the claimed thirteen. I honestly have no idea how anyone could rate this thing five stars unless the one and only thing you’re doing is changing a tire. I’ll use the scissor jack that came with the car and just about every other car in the US to do that, so I expect this jack to do more than one job (tire change).

Pro’s

– Cheap.
– Not 100 pounds (like the high quality steel 3-ton jacks).

Con’s

– Takes forever to jack up to maximum height (~25 pumps).
– The maximum height is pitiful at 11″ for my model.
– Good luck doing anything other than changing a tire.
– The contact point on the lifting arm isn’t rubber and easily slips.

I will simply admit defeat, return this to Amazon, and purchase an expensive quality product to do my oil changes. I’m going with one of these with decision emphasis on quality and lift height rather than lifting weight, since my current and future vehicles will be under 4,000 pounds: OTC 1533 Aluminum Racing Jack Kit with 2-Ton Jack and 2-Ton Jack Stands, 80th Anniversary Edition, Arcan ALJ2T Aluminum Floor Jack – 2 Ton Capacity, Arcan Quick Lift Professional Service Jack – 3 1/2-Ton, Model# XL35, Powerzone 380044 3 Ton Aluminum and Steel Garage Jack.