ARCAN 3-Ton Aluminum Floor Jack vs a steel floor jack: Which Is Worth It for DIY Work

If you do your own car work in a driveway, you already know the question: aluminum floor jack or steel floor jack? I have used both over the years, and I have owned the ARCAN 3-Ton Aluminum Low Profile Floor Jack, model A20019, for about five years. It lives in my two-car garage outside Fresno, and it has lifted my 2011 Ford F-150 and my wife's 2016 Honda CR-V more times than I can count. This comparison is not about which one is better in some abstract way. It is about which one is worth it for the kind of work you actually do. I am not a professional mechanic anymore, but I spent 30 years fixing loaders and graders for a county road department, and I have done my own car work at home long before that. I am not easily impressed by a tool. The ARCAN impressed me.

Short answer: if your cars sit low, if you lift them often, and if you are tired of wrestling a heavy jack out of the trunk, the ARCAN is worth the extra money. If you only change a tire twice a year on a truck that sits high, a steel floor jack will do the job and cost less. I will walk through what I have learned from five years with the ARCAN, and where a steel jack still makes sense. I will also tell you where I think the ARCAN falls short, because no tool is perfect.

	ARCAN 3-Ton Aluminum	Steel Floor Jack
Weight	56 pounds, easy to move by hand	Usually heavier, often 70 pounds or more
Low profile	Slides under cars with 3.75 inches of clearance	Most steel jacks sit taller and need more room
Lifting height	Raises to 18 inches	Most steel jacks raise to 16 to 18 inches
Capacity	6,000 pounds	Usually 3,000 to 6,000 pounds depending on the model
Rust resistance	Aluminum does not rust	Steel can rust if the paint gets scratched
Upfront cost	Costs more	Costs less
Repairability	Fewer parts to fuss with, but less you can fix yourself	Common seals and parts are easy to find
Best for	DIY owners with low cars or mixed fleets	Budget buyers with high-clearance vehicles

Where ARCAN Wins

The first thing you notice is the weight. At 56 pounds, the ARCAN is light enough to carry with one hand on the handle and one hand under the base. My old steel jack stayed in the garage because I did not want to drag it out. The ARCAN comes with me. I have used it in the driveway, in the garage, and at my son Travis's place in Sacramento when he needed brakes. That portability is not a luxury. It is the difference between doing the job and putting it off. I can lift the ARCAN into the bed of the F-150 without asking for help. That matters when you are working alone on a Saturday.

The low profile is the other big win. The ARCAN reaches under vehicles with a minimum height of 3.75 inches. That means I do not have to drive the CR-V up on boards just to get a jack under it. It also raises to 18 inches, which clears the front crossmember and gives me room to work. The reinforced lift arm and the hydraulic bypass and overload valves give me confidence that the lift is controlled. I still use jack stands every single time, but the jack itself behaves. The 18-inch lift height is enough to get the front wheels off the ground for brake work, and it is enough to slide a jack stand under the frame. I set the stands before I crawl under, every time.

Where Steel Wins

I am not going to pretend steel jacks are bad. They have been around for decades and they still do the job. The biggest advantage is upfront cost. A steel floor jack usually costs less than an aluminum one, and if you only lift a truck a few times a year, that lower cost matters more than saving a few pounds. Steel is also easier to repair in some cases. Seals and parts for common steel jacks are widely available, and a lot of them can be rebuilt when they start to leak. The ARCAN's hydraulic unit is not something I have needed to open in five years, so I cannot tell you from experience how hard it is to rebuild. I grew up using steel jacks. They are simple, they are cheap, and they are everywhere. If you are starting out with a limited tool budget, a steel jack is a reasonable first purchase.

Steel jacks also feel more stable to some people. They are heavier, so they do not slide around on smooth concrete as easily. If you work on heavy trucks or equipment, that extra mass can feel reassuring. But for passenger cars and light trucks, the ARCAN's 6,000-pound capacity is already more than enough. The weight of the steel jack is a benefit only if you need it. On a smooth concrete floor, a 56-pound jack can slide an inch or two when you pump the handle hard. A heavier steel jack stays put. I solve that by keeping one foot on the base of the ARCAN while I pump. It is not a problem once you know it is there.

At 56 pounds, the ARCAN is light enough that I actually carry it to the driveway instead of leaving it in the garage.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the ARCAN if you work on cars that sit low, if you lift vehicles more than a few times a year, or if you are tired of a heavy jack that stays in the corner. It is also the better choice if you have one jack and you want it to handle everything from a low sedan to a light truck. The 56-pound weight and the 3.75-inch low profile make it the most useful single jack I have owned. I also think the ARCAN is a good choice if you are buying your first real floor jack. It is light enough to learn on, low enough to fit under modern cars, and strong enough to lift a truck. You will not outgrow it.

Buy a steel floor jack if your budget is tight, if you only change a tire now and then, or if your vehicles sit high enough that a low profile does not matter. A steel jack will lift a truck just fine. It will cost less, and if it leaks in ten years, you can probably find parts for it. There is no shame in that choice. The ARCAN is worth it for me because I use it constantly. If you will not use it constantly, save the money. The steel jack is not a bad tool. It is just a tool for a different set of priorities. If you value low cost and easy repairs over weight and low profile, buy the steel. If you value a jack that is easy to move and fits under everything, buy the ARCAN.

How I Have Used the ARCAN

I have had the ARCAN for about five years. It has done oil changes, brake jobs, suspension work, and tire rotations on the F-150 and the CR-V. The F-150 is a 2011 model I have owned since 2014, and it is not a light vehicle. The jack lifts it without drama. The CR-V is Marlene's daily driver, and the low profile is what makes the jack useful for it. I have also used it to lift Travis's car when he brings it over, and it fits under everything he has driven so far.

One thing I appreciate is the size. The ARCAN measures 30 x 13.5 x 8 inches, so it tucks against the wall of my garage next to the rolling tool chest. It does not take up much floor space. The included handle stores with the jack, so I do not have to hunt for it. The 1-year warranty is not generous, but I have not needed it. After five years, the jack still holds pressure and raises smoothly.

The ARCAN also goes with me when Travis needs a hand. He lives in Sacramento and brings his car over when something needs more than a quick fix. I throw the jack in the truck bed along with my DEWALT socket set, and I know I will have a lift that works. I have used it on his car, on the CR-V, and on the F-150, and it has not met a vehicle it could not handle.

What the Specs Say

The ARCAN is rated for 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds, which covers passenger vehicles, SUVs, and light trucks. The low profile design has a minimum height of 3.75 inches and a maximum lifting height of 18 inches. The item weight is 56 pounds, and the overall dimensions are 30 x 13.5 x 8 inches. The included components are the floor jack and the handle. The manufacturer warranty is 1 year. The 6,000-pound rating is not a number I have to think about. My F-150 is well under that, and the CR-V is nowhere near it. Even if I helped a neighbor with a heavier truck, the ARCAN would still be within its rating.

The features list also mentions a reinforced lift arm for strength and torsion control, and hydraulic bypass and overload valves to prevent over-extension and ensure controlled operation. Those are not marketing words. They are the difference between a jack that creeps down and a jack that holds. I have seen cheap jacks fail. The ARCAN has never given me a moment of worry, as long as I use it the way it is meant to be used. I also like that the handle is included and stores with the jack. Some jacks make you buy the handle separately or keep track of a loose piece. The ARCAN keeps it simple.

Things to Watch With the ARCAN

No tool is perfect, and the ARCAN has a few things to know before you buy. The aluminum body is lighter, but it is also easier to dent if you drop it or bang it against a curb. I keep mine on the concrete floor and I do not throw it into the truck bed. Handle it like a tool, not a football, and it will be fine. The aluminum body is not a weak point, but it is not indestructible either. I have seen people use a floor jack as a wheel chock or a doorstop. Do not do that. Use the jack to lift, use jack stands to hold, and put the jack away when you are done.

The low profile is great for low cars, but it also means the jack sits close to the ground. On gravel or soft dirt, the base can sink a little. I use a piece of plywood under the jack when I work on uneven ground. That is not a flaw in the ARCAN, it is true of any low-profile jack. And remember the jack is a lifter, not a support. Jack stands go under the vehicle before I do. The low profile also means the lifting point is close to the ground. You have to line up the saddle with the vehicle's jack point before you pump. That takes a few extra seconds, but it is the right way to do it. If you are used to a tall steel jack, the ARCAN will feel different at first.

A Note on Safety

I have been a mechanic for 30 years, and I have seen what happens when people trust a jack to hold a car. A floor jack is a lifting tool, not a support. The ARCAN has hydraulic bypass and overload valves, and it has never let me down, but I still put jack stands under the vehicle before I get underneath. That is not negotiable. It does not matter whether the jack is aluminum or steel.

When I lift the F-150, I set the parking brake, chock the rear wheels, and position the jack on the frame or the factory lift point. I raise the vehicle, slide the jack stands into place, and lower the jack until the weight is on the stands. Then I give the vehicle a push to make sure it is solid. That routine takes two minutes and it has kept me safe for decades.

The Bottom Line

The ARCAN 3-Ton Aluminum Low Profile Floor Jack is the best floor jack I have owned for home use. It is light, it fits under low cars, and it lifts high enough for the work I do. It costs more than a steel jack, and the hydraulic unit is not something I plan to rebuild in my garage. I am fine with that trade. I would rather carry a 56-pound jack than leave a 75-pound jack in the corner.

If you are still deciding, ask yourself one question: how often will you actually use it? If the answer is more than a few times a year, the ARCAN earns its keep. If the answer is once or twice, save the money and buy a steel jack. Both will lift a car. Only one of them will make you want to do the job.