Rental counters hire the heavy end of this category rather than the light end: air hydraulic service jacks, high tonnage bottle jacks and machine toe jacks, at roughly $25 to $90 a day. A small garage jack for a car is cheap enough to own that many yards no longer stock one, so say what you are lifting when you call.
What a yard keeps behind the counter
Expect air over hydraulic service jacks for trucks and buses, bottle jacks in the ten to fifty ton range, toe jacks that slide under a machine base, and jacking beams for workshop use. The light two wheeled trolley jacks sold in every auto store are the ones you will struggle to hire, precisely because they are cheap to buy.
Tonnage, and the lift height nobody checks
Choose tonnage well above the share of the load you are actually lifting, then check two heights: the minimum the saddle collapses to, which decides whether it fits under the vehicle or machine, and the maximum, which decides whether you reach a working height. A jack that will not go low enough is useless whatever its rating.
A jack lifts, stands hold
Nothing should ever be worked on while it is supported by hydraulics alone. General equipment rules require gear being repaired or serviced to be blocked or cribbed so it cannot fall, and jack stands, cribbing or blocks are hired alongside the jack for that reason. Ask for them at the same time and put them under the load before you go near it.
When the answer is a different machine
Lifting an engine out is a hoist, not a jack. Raising a whole vehicle for a full day is a set of stands or a pair of ramps. Moving a machine tool is a toe jack and skates. Tell the counter the object, its weight and what you are doing to it, and the right item is usually not the one you asked for.
Questions people ask about floor jack rental
Can I rent a floor jack for a car repair?
Sometimes, but many general rental centers no longer carry light automotive jacks because the purchase price is low and the counter demand went away. Call first, and be ready to be offered a heavier service jack or to be pointed at an auto parts loaner programme instead.
What tonnage jack do I need for a pickup truck?
For lifting one end or one corner, a jack rated at three tons or more is comfortable, since you are lifting a share of the vehicle rather than all of it. Heavier trucks, campers and anything loaded want a larger air hydraulic jack of the type yards stock.
Are jack stands included with a rented jack?
Not usually. They are a separate item and often cheap, and no yard will object to hiring them together. Treat the pair as one hire, because using the jack without them is the mistake this equipment is famous for.
What is a toe jack for?
It has a low lifting toe that slides under the base of a machine or a heavy plate, letting you raise it an inch or two to get skates or rollers underneath. It is the standard tool for shifting machine tools and heavy cabinets, and it is a rental item rather than a shop purchase.