Jack Opinions Welcome

Posted by cjohns716@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 27 comments

Hi all,

I'd love some thoughts on jacks. I am the new owner of a 4th gen Tacoma hybrid (5000 lbs) with the 2.5" TRD lift. I previously had an Outback and got into doing my own maintenance, which I plan on continuing with the new truck. I'm also excited to do harder off-roading and camping and want to be prepared.

I'm stuck between a floor jack that will be very convenient for at-home maintenance and a bottle jack that fits in the same compartment behind the seat as the OEM one and will be with me wherever we are.

Couple things I'm considering:

- I don't know for sure that the OEM bottle jack can't reach with the lift. Need to break it out and check. If not, could I get some mats or a block of wood to put underneath? Been looking at some leveling blocks or similar.

- 3 ton Harbor Freight long reach floor jack. Plenty of height. Enough lifting capacity. Would live at home. Have 25% HF coupon.

- Found this bottle jack kit that seems solid. Plenty of height. Would hopefully still fit in the same spot in the truck. Less than ideal for at-home maintenance (but still better than my old crank I had been using).

- 1.5 ton HF Badlands Offroad Jack. Plenty of height. Weight limit is iffy. I think for some stuff, it would be more convenient to lift the whole front to get it on jack stands vs one side at a time. In theory, it has the capacity for that, but rule of thumb seems to be have a bit of a cushion on top of that. In a perfect world, I could go this route and have a floor jack for some and also take it with me when camping or off-roading.

I'm prioritizing HF because of the coupon. I really can't justify buying both a bottle and floor jack at the moment. I'd love some advice or if anyone has other options they've liked around the $200 mark, would love to hear!

Thanks!

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cjohns716@reddit (OP)

I'm slowly getting there! Part of the reason for this is I waited a while to start doing maintenance (didn't have a garage, or place to store tools, etc) and then did it with less than ideal tools, and now wanting to do it all, and in a place to do so, but convenience plays a bigger part! Appreciate your insight.

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cjohns716@reddit (OP)

Thanks! Yes, I've needed a free minute to actually take the jack out and see how high it goes.

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cjohns716@reddit (OP)

Looks pretty good. Shame its only 11-21".

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cjohns716@reddit (OP)

Like u/fishEH-847 said, yes. In reality, it'll be mostly home maintenance, but obviously would like to not be completely stranded out on a trail, even if its less than ideal. So if a block of wood will make the OEM bottle jack work, I can do that and focus on a better solution for at home.

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mistephe@reddit

Then I'd go with a Tauler jack and stands. Anything will work at home, but its often difficult to use some jack solutions on rough or uneven terrain on the trail.

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graphitewolf@reddit

Harbor freight floor jack at home and a bottle jack for the off-road

ninjawinch@reddit

Floor jack is way too much of a PITA to carry on the trail unless you're specifically taking an offroad one, in which case it's still a PITA but actually very useful.

Bottle jack + a block if needed is the ticket. If you have an OEM scissor jack in what you drive, most of them fit the AEV jack base.

bigtoepfer@reddit

For on the go, or even at home, pick up a 100 series land cruiser jack, and a landcruiser phil jack adapter. Overall safer than bottle jacks likely fits in factory jack spot and goes higher. Double check though because I have no idea how high the new Tacoma jack goes.

Surprised no one has mentioned this given the number of landcruiser owners in this sub.

Also your lift isn't making your jack unable to reach most likely, tire size increase is what will make the factory jack obsolete. If you have never jacked up a truck before look in to how to do it otherwise you'll be waisting a lot of your time when trying to do it he first time.

Alternatively the 1.5T Bandlands Off-road Jack will be more than capable and they make mounts for them to keep them safe.

emejim@reddit

I use a UniJack. It's a combination bottle jack and jack stand. Just a little added safety.

https://www.amazon.com/Powerbuilt-620471-6000Lb-Unijack/dp/B00GJJZ5NI?ref_=ast_bl_cpl_dp&th=1

Interesting-Low5112@reddit

Bottle jack, a couple chunks of 2x6 or 2x8 cribbing if needed, and a jack saddle.

SnooFloofs3486@reddit

This. Toyotas around the world have used the OEM bottle jack for about 80 years. It works. It fits. It's free. If it's not tall enough - add a few 2x6 blocks.

For at-home repairs - floor jack 100%. I have 3 full size floor jacks for when I rotate tires or swap wheels, but that's probably overkill for most people. I just like to do it fast and easy on my various cars and trailers, so when Costco had the nice aluminum floor jacks on sale for $99 about 10 years ago I bought 3 of them.

Good luck!

hammerofspammer@reddit

I really like Safe Jack. They have a good selection of gear and bottle jacks to make lifting your vehicle substantially safer.

Worth a look.

I wouldn’t ever get under my vehicle depending on something from Amazon. God knows who actually made it

Bong_appetit@reddit

You shouldn't get under a vehicle on a jack EVER, no matter where it's made. Did you know that Amazon sells name brands?

I know that Amazon sells things with name brand labels.

I also know that Amazon has had a problem with counterfeits for many years.

You can also buy from name brands on their Amazon store fronts.

In 2026 it's way cheaper and makes much more sense to operate an Amazon store front than a dedicated store page on your website.

If it’s shipping from Amazon (assuming they haven’t materially improved their practices) they have historically commingled inventory such that buying from one vendor didn’t necessarily mean that you knew where the actual item was from

Dan000@reddit

https://a.co/d/050bT7kV

Excellent_Ad_4594@reddit

This is what I use and it works great for all different situations and a couple jack stands for at home maintenance. BUNKER INDUST Portable Hydraulic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK8JTN3L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is the one. Their Traction boards have a spot for the base of the jack on the underside. Makes the small jack base secure on trails.

blindmelon773@reddit

1000% agree

I'm a bit confused. Is your primary intended use for at-home maintenance or on-trail repair?

fishEH-847@reddit

Yes

IT_vet@reddit

I’ve had enough HF stuff not to trust it if it’s my only option. I owned one of their hydraulic presses for a bit. It used one of their bottle jacks and the operation was never smooth or predictable.

It’d be fine in the garage, as long as I have good jack stands to put underneath the truck so I’m not depending on the HF jack to protect me.

I wouldn’t take it out in the dirt and mud where it could strand me.

SignificantOption349@reddit

I dunno I somehow have four different jacks that have just kinda found their way into my arms at some point, and they all get used at different times, sometimes two at a time…. Like a garage polycule or some shit, so 🤷‍♂️ tbh just make sure you have good stands because you can never fully trust a jack if you’re gonna get underneath the thing.

EverydayHoser@reddit

Jacks all service different purposes. Floor jacks are great for almost any work but are big and built to carry around. Bottle jacks are more convenient to carry but really should only be used to change a tire. Hi lift jacks are great for vehicle recovery.

Would you be willing to carry around a floor jack at all times to replace a blown tire? Get a floor jack.

Don’t want to carry a floor jack all the time? Get a bottle or scissor jack.

Want a secondary tool in addition to one of the above that can be used for vehicle recovery? Get a hi lift.

Much_Drip@reddit

Badlands 3ton Or Tauler jack

joey12342323@reddit

If you mainly repair your vehicle at home and go off‑road for emergencies occasionally, your priority choice should be: a 3‑ton long‑stroke low‑profile floor jack for household use (use HF coupons) + factory‑original bottle jack + wooden blocks for emergencies. Do not buy a 1.5‑ton small off‑road jack, as its insufficient tonnage poses safety risks.