Pro tip: don't trust a three year old floor jack from a yard sale in Omaha

Alice West · 2026-04-09T11:20:07.539814+00:00

Last week, I was swapping the winter tires off my truck in the driveway. I had the rear end up on that jack, and I heard a tiny hiss. Next thing I know, the whole thing just sank, slow and steady. The truck bed dropped about six inches before the axle hit my backup jack stands. My heart was in my throat. I bought that jack for 40 bucks back in 2021, and the guy said it was 'barely used'. How do you even check the seals on these things before you buy them used?

sean_murray5mo ago

Honestly, I always pump a used jack a few times and look for fluid leaks around the base. That cheap jack probably had a dried-out seal.

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piper1755mo ago

Old tools can be just fine with a quick check.

5

taylor9295mo ago

Man, that hiss is the sound of pure dread. I once bought a 'barely used' air compressor that sounded like a dying goose for ten seconds before it just quit forever. Some stuff you just can't trust secondhand, especially when it's holding up a couple tons of truck. Glad you had those jack stands.

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