I’ve had one of these for at least a year and is fine for working on my Mk1 along with a couple of axle stands. Didn’t feel the need to spend more for the limited amount I use it.
I think I paid £27/28 in September last year for the trolley jack and two axle stands. Have used all three bits quite a few times now with no problems.
The trolley jack I use is OK, but if I ever buy another, it’ll be because I want one that’ll reach further and lift higher.
Putting my car up onto jackstands is quite a chore. First lift is under the front crossmember, which means kneeling in front of the car in the tight confines of the garage, easing the jack under the front lip and locating its lifting pad under the front crossmember with the aid of a torch. Lift the front to the max and place the front stands, then do a second lift under the differential. Then with the rear stands in place, repeat the front lift to gain a few more inches height…
You will never regret paying extra for a trolley jack that reaches a few cm further under the car or raises it a few cm higher in a single lift. You will only ever regret not paying even more and gaining a fraction more lift.
(PS Working under a car that’s sitting on four jackstands is not
necessarily safe. I do so, but cautiously, and with a large block of
wood as a last line of defence.)
I really like the look of the Clarke one that got 5/5 in that Auto Express review. I like the idea of the single lift that brings the pad under the lift point in one go, real handy.