The complete first setup, in order of importance: a pair of jack stands, a floor jack whose lift range comfortably exceeds the stands' lowest setting, two wheel chocks, and a slotted pinch weld pad if your car has pinch welds. That is four items, it is not expensive, and it is the whole kit for every beginner job on this site.
Why heights have to be matched, with numbers
The mistake that spoils a combo purchase is buying a jack and stands separately on price and discovering they barely work together. Here is the arithmetic:
| Pairing | Jack max lift | Stand min height | Working margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcan A20018 + Torin T43002A | 18.9 in | 11-1/4 in | Comfortable |
| Sunex 6603ASJ + Torin T43002A | 20 in | 11-1/4 in | Comfortable |
| Pro-Lift F-767 + Torin T43002A | 14 in | 11-1/4 in | Tight but usable |
| Pro-Lift F-767 + ESCO 10498 | 14 in | 13.2 in | Too tight — avoid |
The last row is the one to learn from. Both are good products. Together they leave less than an inch of working margin, which in practice means you cannot get the stand in without maxing the jack out first.
Pre-packaged kits, honestly assessed
Manufacturers sell jack-and-stand packs and they are a reasonable way to buy, because the maker has usually matched the heights for you. Two things to check before you assume they have:
- The stands' rating basis. Kits often pair a 3-ton jack with stands rated 3 ton per pair, which is a different number than it looks like. See rating basis.
- Whether the kit includes chocks. Most do not, and a kit described as "everything you need" without a chock is not everything you need.
If you are buying one item at a time
1.Stands first
Counter-intuitive, and correct. You can lift a car with the scissor jack you already own; you cannot hold one safely without stands. Best jack stands.
2.Chocks, immediately after
The cheapest safety item in the garage. Two of them.
3.The floor jack
Chosen to match the stands you now own. Best floor jacks.
4.The pinch weld pad
Before the first lift if your car has pinch welds, because the damage happens on the first attempt. Pinch weld guide.
What comes after the lifting kit
Once you can get a car up and hold it there, the next purchases are job specific: a torque wrench for lug nuts if you will take wheels off, and an OBD2 scanner for the first time a warning light appears. The beginner mechanic tool kit sets out the whole sequence.