Want to buy a jack but don’t know which ton is best that meets your needs? If so, you’ve reached the right spot. This article lets you decide between the 2-ton and the 3-ton jack.
A good rule of thumb is to cross-check the load you want to lift with the jack, and if it’s less than the jack’s load capacity, go for it. In most cases, a 3-ton floor jack wins over a 2-ton.
Let’s go through it in more detail below.
How Much Weight Can You Lift with a 2-ton and a 3 ton floor jack?
A 2-ton jack can raise up to 4,000 lb (1814 kg) and 6,000 lb (2721 kg) with the 3-ton jack. For safety purposes, you should never overload the jack. The load should always be less than the jack’s capacity.
Let’s take an example of your car since most people use floor jacks for raising their vehicles to change a tire or do some maintenance. If it weighs 3,000 lb, you will need a jack with a 3000+ lb load capacity. In this case, both jacks will perform better. Now you have an option either to pick a 2-ton jack or a 3-ton.
Let’s say you have a truck that weighs 5,500 lb, you would probably be looking for a higher lifting power jack, which is the 3-ton jack, not the 2-ton.
To know your car’s weight, search it on Google since you’re already here, no need to look for it in the manual or elsewhere. What if your vehicle – which probably would be a truck – weighs more than 6,000 lb? Let’s answer it.
Can You Lift More Weight than the Floor Jack’s Capacity?
The safest case is that the weight should be less than the jack’s capacity. However, when it comes to a car and a floor jack, there isn’t the standard situation always, especially if you have a heavy-duty truck.
A vehicle’s weight is on the four wheels. The load is divided on them. Yes, the front wheels will have more weight because of the Engine and stuff in there. The weight is still divided. A floor jack – when lifting a car – can raise a load 25% more than its capacity.
This case is between a vehicle and a floor jack only because of the division of the load. If your truck has an 8000 lb load, you can still raise its one wheel or two by a 6000 lb or 3-ton floor jack. That end of the car will weigh around 4 – 5000 lb, which comes under the capacity. And this is the reason most floor jacks have around 2.5 – 3.5 ton load capacity.
Can You use a 2-ton jack on a 3 ton car?
Yes, you can use a 2-ton jack on a 3-ton car if you’re lifting one wheel of it. Because that one end will not have all the weight. It will be less than 6000 lb and will lay around 4000 lb which comes in the capacity of a 2-ton jack.
If a floor jack has a load capacity 3/4 times the car’s weight, you can use it for raising one wheel. Try not to lift two wheels at a time with the 2-ton jack. Raise one tire each time, place a jack stand, then go for another end.
Is a 2-ton floor jack enough?
Yes, a 2-ton floor jack is enough for lifting a 4000-lb vehicle. You can use it for a 5000 lb car as well if you want to lift one wheel at a time which will have less weight than the overall. The ideal case is to have a floor jack with the same or more load capacity as your car’s weight.
Is a 3-ton jack enough for a car?
Yes, a 3-ton jack is enough for a car. Most vehicles weigh less than 6000 lb which can be lifted with a 3 ton floor jack. Sedans and SUVs weigh in the range of 5000 lb or 2.5 tons. So you need a jack with sufficient capacity to lift them, which is the 3-ton jack.
What ton jack do you need?
What ton jack you need depends on the load you want to lift with it. The weight should not exceed the jack’s capacity. Bottle jacks have higher load capacities than floor jacks. If you’re looking for a bottle jack to lift heavy loads since it can raise loads in 30, 50, and even 100 tons, your jack should have the same or more capacity than the load.
Floor jacks, on the other hand, have 2 – 4 tons capacity and are used for lifting vehicles only. And cars also weigh in this range. So cross-check the jack’s capacity with the load, and pick a jack accordingly. The safest decision is to have a jack with more capacity than the load you’re going to lift with it.
Conclusion
You can lift 4000 lb with a 2-ton jack and 6000 lb with a 3 ton jack. We would recommend you go for the safest case – less load, and more jack capacity. Most cars weigh under 6000 lb, even some pickups as well. So cross-check the load with the jack’s lifting power, and go for the high-capacity jack.
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