outside of purpose built off road jacks, I never found many options for under 300 dollars. Harbor Frieght has a yellow daytona model that features 24" of lift I think. Always use a peice of wood between the jack and the truck. It will help reduce the chance of slipping. https://www.proeagle.com/ These are purpose built but the cost is there.

 

i have been using a princess auto (canadian equivalent to harbour freight) floor jack for quite a few years. nothing fancy, and maybe it wouldn't stand up to weekly use (or maybe it would). the long handle keeps me out from under the truck until i put the jack stands in place.

 

Monster mst 13002 is a real nice jack. Will set ya back a few hundred but well worth it.

 

Unrelated, but important tips:

Use jack stands!

Wheel Chocks

And only store hydrualic floor jacks in the position in which they are meant to be used!, ask me how I know. Bottle jacks - up right, floor jacks - flat on the ground.

 

I've been using a Harbor Freight 3 ton floor jack for a few years. Same deal, works fine for me.

Definitely use jack stands. I have a set of 6 ton, more so for the height than weight.

 

 

I have had a HF 3 ton jack for 5 years and it's still working great, I also have their 4 ton jack and a few pairs of the 3 and 6 ton jack stands. I have never had a problem with any of them, and I have used them on several 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

 

 

Glad to hear you got a good jack and some decent stands, jacks are nothing you want to play around with.

 

 

Dang, thats the one with the extra couple inches of height ain't it? Well my basic Harbor Freight one is atleast 5 years old now. The the hokey puck looking thing for jacking on pinch welds to service you ladie's car and your all set.

 

not saying you did ANYTHING unsafe, ONLY saying due to my paranoia (growing up knowing someone smashed to death), besides jack stands, I often lay an old rim/dry rotted or bald tire assy under the vehicle along both sides under the frame. Sometimes I stack a pair of rims and tires under each frame rail side if it's up real high. I also leave my extended floor jack in place despite having jackstands and rim/tire assy under frame.
Also had couple incidents when I was young, besides growing up knowing of someone killed (small community), of cars flinging a jack stand out when sitting down on it due to slick concrete and misbalance. The loose rim/tire deal is something you really don't think of, but it sure increases the confidence.

 

I have both floor jack and propane heater envy now. I have an alum floor jack from HF and one of their super heavy cheaper 3 tons, and both have issues releasing and lowering cars. I was going to get a new heavy duty floor jack for Christmas, but instead chose a turntable to go with a couple box of vintage LPs someone gave me for helping them clean out rental storage unit. It is amazing how much warmer music sounds compared to CDs.

 

Placing the tire you have removed from the vehicle under is a good practice and one that I personally follow. What is a rim with a tire worth compared to your life after all.

My favorite tip:
If it don't look safe, feel safe, or if you just feel funny about it, put the truck down and redo the lift. While standing back and looking at what I had done to jack my front up for the leveling kit, the truck was on loose rocks and worse a (Slight) slope from right to left, the truck slipped off the unsafe set up and just landed on the suspension, tires were still on. Luckily I was standing far back accessing it and thinking about how to redo it when it failed. That is the reason I knew about the jacks I linked him to.