I've read through several threads about suitable alternatives to the LR scissor jack..the MB Sprinter jack is mentioned and seems popular but...

Hoping the collective wisdom of the panel will help me decide if either of these would be suitable. First is rated to 4t and is 610mm fully extended (closed height 265mm) whilst the second is rated at 5t with a lift height of 500mm (closed height 225mm).

My concern is storage in the vehicle…would prefer for them to be in the well with the tyre if at all possible.

I've looked at these off and on for a while and happened to look when they are half price.

Any thoughts?

4t - http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equi...ottle-jack

5t - http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equi...ottle-jack

Initial thoughts are it's tall and narrow. Stability might be an issue.

I have the 10-ton version and I'm very happy with it. The 4-ton one is a little on the high side, so I'd opt for the 5-ton from those.

My reasoning behind the 10-ton was the lowest minimum height possible, because if it has to be used on uneven ground, every extra cm might just cause a problem. It's also very sturdy and gives great piece of mind! (Not so easy to store though and I can't comment on whether you'd fit it in a FF.)  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Food for thought regarding stability- this 10t? http://www.sgs-engineering.com/garage-equi...ottle-jack

However, the one from SGS come with a minimum two year warranty and are serviceable etc. A brand new Sprinter jack from MB costs a fortune (for what it is) and ones from other sellers have no or little warranty or back-up. I've not seen a Sprinter jack so don't know its measurements but its closed size looks about the same as the SGS ones.

Agree, Lost for Words, the 5t looks about right.

Yes, that's the 10-ton one. It is quite a lump though so do consider its dimentions carefully (also very light to use which is sort of good but a little slower).

I don't think stability on the 5-ton one would be too differen't to other bottle jacks, though the 4-ton one is certainly on the skinny side. Another member on Disco3 has the 5-ton one, and IIRC has been very happy with it.

 Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Landyman, the MB Sprinter Bottlejack will store in the wheel well, even with a 20" spare wheel.

I wrap mine in a thick old towel and then put it all in a plastic bag and - as you look into the well - I position it to the left, between the tyre edge and the well wall, keeping the top of the jack diagonally upright and the scissor jack remains in situ where it's meant to be in the well too. The Bottlejack doesn't move around, doesn't leak and that way, takes up no boot space either.

That storage method has worked for 2 years withou any hassle and as a jack, it is excellent.

i suppose the real issue is what do you actually need the jack for.

The standard scissor jack is just designed for changing a wheel at the side of the road (it's not very good at that).

I bought a Sprinter jack, there are loads of new ones on ebay because a lot of fleets remove the spare wheel and tools for liability reasons. I have had another sprinter jack i acquired in about 2003, it's been used and seriously abused for all sorts and it still works fine (i even used it the break out some tree stumps!). They're EU made by Webber Hydraulic, they're really good quality jacks. So if you just want something for changing a wheel they're more than adequate for it. Another option if is the VW LT jack, which is a mechanical bottle jack (screw thread one). It stores very easily in the boot of the car beside the wheel.

If however if you want a jack to use for regular home maintenance, you'd be far better off with a trolley jack as they're much more stable, high lift ones are fairly inexpensive.

The minimum you need is a 1.5 ton jack (as per LR's workshop manual) as you only ever lift half the car's weight. Most average trolley jacks are 2 or 3 ton so well in excess of the minimum. Obviously it makes sense to have a little extra margin over the minimum, but a 4 ton bottle jack is well over that.

Lots of sound advice to consider.

Yes, the idea is to have a jack for punctured tyre wheel changes only. I would rather put my faith in a bottle type than scissor type jack…LR ones are not the only type I have heard of collapsing. As such, it would go in the car for emergency changes and for maintenance/cleaning etc, I would use the trolley jack and axle stands by default.

EDIT/UPDATE: On the basis that the Sprinter one definitely fits in the well alongside the tyre and is suitable, I have found ordered a brand new one. Following the collective findings on other threads about jacks, I've also ordered the jack pads (one in aluminium and one in plastic) and will use/adapt the one that I prefer.

Many thanks for everyone's help on old issue.

Last edited by Giantlandyman on 19th Dec 2015 3:30pm. Edited 1 time in total

Just to be 100% accurate (and a bit pedantic) here, for the sake of safety:

Quote:

The minimum you need is a 1.5 ton jack (as per LR's workshop manual) as you only ever lift half the car's weight.

It would be possible for greater than 50% of the weight to be lifted on vehicles with an uneven weight distribution or on uneven ground in off-road conditions etc.

Personally, I always look for a significantly "over-rated" (or otherwise tried and tested) jack. You would never think it would be the case, but where heavy vehicles are concerned, it's been known for jacks to fail under their rated weight. For example, over on Disco3 we advise people NOT to purchase the Clarke 3-ton "Quick Lift" jack, because it's known to fail under such weight, despite its 3-ton rating. I find it nearly unbelievable that jacks could be made of cheese like that, but that's how it is. I guess it's much the same as LR and the OE jack.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Thanks, Lost for Words.

My philosophy when it comes to most things is that there is no such thing as over-engineering or over-specifying. It is one of the greatest fears in life to have a jack or stand collapse so I always go way way over minimum specification and steer well clear of items of indeterminate or dubious quality…buy cheap, buy twice but also buy cheap, risk everything when it comes to safety and that is most definitely not my cup of tea.

I also use the bottle jack as another safety measure when the car is in axle stands. No way I'd get under a car that was only on a jack though. I'm also wary about axle stands moving or giving up the ghost too... My paranoia keeps me safe though, touch wood

Giantlandyman wrote:

Thanks, Lost for Words.

My philosophy when it comes to most things is that there is no such thing as over-engineering or over-specifying. It is one of the greatest fears in life to have a jack or stand collapse so I always go way way over minimum specification and steer well clear of items of indeterminate or dubious quality…buy cheap, buy twice but also buy cheap, risk everything when it comes to safety and that is most definitely not my cup of tea.

But where do you draw the line, you could have a 1000 ton jack, when does it become over kill?

the sgs ones will just be the generic Chinese made jacks you get everywhere, despite their slightly misleading "precision engineering by sgs" with union jack logos. on the webpage.

It's whether you can trust the ratings written on the jacks, 2 or 3 ton should be well over the minimum. But anyone can stick a 4 ton sticker on a jack.

Quote:

It would be possible for greater than 50% of the weight to be lifted on vehicles with an uneven weight distribution or on uneven ground in off-road conditions et

Quote:

I'm also wary about axle stands moving or giving up the ghost too...

^ You MAY be correct.

I found this on their site "We only ever stock brands we love and trust." and it is their gas struts that are manufactured in the UK, not all their items.

That was a close call. Glad I opted for a known quantity.

I mean don't get me wrong, not everything made in China is rubbish, in fact a lot of it is pretty good. SGS may well test their jacks and have them manufactured to their spec in china, but i don't like the slightly misleading implication they're UK made with the banner they put on every item's page.

sure they give you a 2 year warranty, but that just means if your £50 jack fails every 6 months they'll send you another one. You could buy a £15 one and buy a replacement 3 times in 2 years.

These are the people who make the Sprinter jacks for Mercedes.

http://www.weberuk.com/bottle-jacks/

I've got one of their workshop trolley jacks, it's far superior in finish and use than the generic ones you can get.

ive got a 4 ton bottle jack from halfords that I keep in the boot purely for an emergency flat tyre situation ( I use my 4 ton trolley jack all other times ) bottle jack easily lifts the corner of the car. the base is a little small so I keep a 3/4 inch piece of ply wood in there as well to give a better footprint and stability , approx 200mm x 200mm