Any recommendations on a lift/bike stand for my fat boy? On a budget, and more importantly don’t have the garage space for a big “drive on” lift. Thanks ahead of time

 

"Oh No ! " Did you do a search on here? Forums full of answers for you.

 

Thanks. I’ll do that

 

that was a mouthful of Coke that came out my nose..

 

J&S bike lifts and jacks get lots of good reviews here. I don’t own one.
Pricey compared to everything else you will see at Northern Tool, Harbor Freight, Amazon, EBay. But just read the worst reviews on all the cheap ones and they’ll scare you away.

 

I’ve had a J&S for about ten years. Flawless.
yes they are more but I believe you get what you pay for.
I’ll never understand why some one would drop 25 on a bike and then look for the cheapest lift they can find. To each their own

 

Lifts/jacks, tires, batteries and oil; are probably the 4 most discussed topics on this forum so as Kel03 mentioned the search function is the best way to find the info.
However when searched you'll be seeing so many comments you'll likely not figure anything out.

You'll see many post from those who have a JS jack and most rave about it.
Personally if I was to buy a motorcycle jack for $600 I'd likely rave about it too.

JS jacks is probably the best jack available but IMO being the best still doesn't justify the cost.
The jack is just too expensive for a tool that you can spend hundreds of dollars less to get that will do the job you need.

Sure you get what you pay for but is a JS jack 6 times better than a $100 Harbor Freight jack?
I think not no matter how much the bike you're lifting is worth.
Also the JS jack obviously isn't for someone on a budget.

My recommendation is to keep an eye open on Facebook marketplace and Craig's list for a used jack.
I see them all the time for $50 or less. Any of them even if you have to replace the bottle jack will get the job done.

If you want to buy new, then Harbor Freight is the best place to get a budget friendly jack.
Get the cheaper steel one if you have the floor space to park it.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-l...ift-60536.html

Or get the lighter aluminum one if you want to hang it on the wall.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-l...ift-63397.html

I've had them both and they both get the job done.
I sold the steel one and kept the aluminum one as I hang the jack on the wall as I don't use the jack but for maybe 5-6 times a year.
BTW- I paid $25 for the used steel one and $100 for the used aluminum one so if you're not in a hurry just keep your eyes open for a used one.

 

Very helpful response. Thank u

 

Bluraven has a wealth of knowledge and a lot of experience.. his opinion is worth noting...

I will however, have to disagree with the above portion of his statement...

I will admit in advance, that his & my assessments are truly subjective... so there is no wrong or right..

From my experience...

I had a Sears Jack, cost about $100 many years ago. I used it for my 2003 Heritage for many years with no issues...

In 2012, I added a '12 Limited to my garage. The first time I lifted the Limited on that sears jack, it was very obvious it was not nearly as stable as the softail was on the same jack. That extra 200 lbs, even though well within the rated capacity of that jack, was enough to make it much less stable..

The stability difference, IMHO, was enough that there were several things I would NOT want to do to the Limited, that I would do with the softail on that jack... I most certainly wouldn't have wanted to work on the compensator or primary of the Limited (requires high torque for comp & clutch bolts) while on that jack, but had done some primary work on the Heritage on that jack without incident...

I started searching for alternatives, and found the J&S jack... I was able to purchase one. They certainly aren't for someone with a small budget. I have also heard in recent years, some complaints about their customer service having gone downhill and the bottle jack portion of the J&S failing for some people... but the fact is that the J&S jack is significantly more robust, and/or it's design makes it significantly more stable, than the Sears jack I was using...

Is it worth the premium in cost.... ?? IMHO, that would depend on the size of the bike you are working on, the actual service/repair you may be performong, and your risk acceptance level...

I switched to the J&S, not out of concern about the cost of my bike, but for my safety while working on the bike....

I have since bought a lift table, and love it to death... but I still have the J&S jack in the corner of my home bike shop, and use it for several things when the lift is occupied or if I need to lift a bike outside the shop (like when I detail it)...

I believe the J&S is worth the premium you pay for it... at least it was when I bought one around 2013....



PS- I converted my J&S jack to an air/hydraulic bottle jack

 

Yeah, J & S because it will lift your bike, change your oil, cook your dinner, do the dishes and fetch you a beer.
Big surprise: I have a Harbor Freight that works just fine.