3 Budget-Friendly Transmission Jack Adapters For Home Mechanics

Floor jacks are great additions to any home mechanic's arsenal, but they can't tackle every situation. If you're working with a transmission, you'll want to get a jack designed for that. Instead of buying a second jack to work on transmissions, you can save some cash and go for an adapter for your existing jack. Quality varies greatly, and you might be better off buying another jack if the price is too high. However, if you're only working with a transmission as a one-off job, the adapter can save money. If you see a warning sign on your dashboard, it's cheaper to grab an OBD2 scanner to pinpoint your problem than to pick up a jack and go under the car or go to a mechanic.

Each jack adapter on the list is from a reputable brand backed by solid user reviews. If you want to go dirt cheap, that's certainly an option but with your transmission on the line, it's best to stray away from the super cheap and poorly reviewed options as those can result in disaster. You can get by with knockoff brands in some situations, but this is where you'd want to avoid doing that if you can. A more in-depth explanation of why these jacks were picked can be found at the end of the list.

The Performance Tool brand, owned by Willmar Corporation, is a solid choice for budget-conscious shoppers. For $88.48 from Amazon, you can pick up the company's transmission jack adapter. It's compatible with all floor jacks with a 1-5/32" removable saddle shaft, so while that covers most bases you'll need to double-check and make sure that's the case for you. 

A big hangup here is the 3.6 out of five user score based on over 900 reviews. That's not a terrible score, but it's not what many people want when looking for something to hold their transmission. Many negative reviews include things like missing parts or not working with specific jacks, like ones from Harbor Freight. These complaints might not affect you personally, so things could be better for you. Speaking of Harbor Freight, a transmission jack is available for $124.99, so this adapter only saves you around $40. If that's not too much of a leap, you may be better off getting a jack designed for the job instead of an adapter.

Power Torque Tools is the in-house brand at O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the company carries many different tools. Most of the power tools appear to target the budget shopper, so it's a good brand for someone getting started with their collection. Tools can get costly fast, so this is a good brand for many DIY mechanics. Power Torque Tools carries a transmission jack adapter that turns your regular garage jack into a transmission jack. The manufacturer says it's rust-resistant to give it a longer life. If you run into problems you can take advantage of the one-year limited warranty.

This transmission jack adapter has a 3.6 out of five user score on O'Reilly Auto Parts' website, albeit with just seven user scores at the time of this writing. It's a serviceable score, but at $114.99 you're able to buy a jack built just for transmissions for just a couple of dollars more. The adapter works, but it's not the most cost-effective choice you can make.

Jegs has been a staple in the automotive world since its debut in 1960. The store prides itself in being your go-to choice if you need high-performance auto parts, and the same goes for a transmission jack adapter. Jegs carries one you can buy online for $93.49, and you can use it to turn your regular floor jack into something that can handle a transmission. It can handle up to 300 lbs, but a user review on Jegs' website notes the adapter made it too tall to fit under a truck. Remember a regular transmission jack can support far more weight, with Jegs' traditional jack holding up to 1,000 lbs, and a stronger one going up to 2,000.

This adapter only has a handful of reviews from buyers, so it's tough to get a real glimpse at how it performs. Between being too tall or the order missing parts, as some reviewers point out, there's nothing about it not doing its job once you get it set up. With Jegs being a reputable brand many people trust, chances are better than not you're getting a solid adapter. 

Transmission jacks are plentiful, and you can find many reputable ones in several different stores online or in person, but the same can't be said for a transmission jack adapter. If you already have a floor jack and want to save some cash, the three adapters on this list are solid options. All three come from known brands, so that's what you should prioritize while shopping around for an adapter. 

You can easily go on Amazon and find cheaper choices — something you might think is easier if you see signs your transmission needs a fix — but they come with risks since you've never heard of the brand making the adapters. It's a lot of trust to put into something, and you can rest much easier knowing you picked something up from a name you've at least heard of. Price is the biggest factor here as you can pick up an actual transmission jack for around the same price as some adapters, so you have some decisions to make.