I find it's always in the way for some reason.
I have two sheds and a largish workshop. One shed (yet to be named) has an open space that I use for my lumber as well a closed in section I use for general storage. My yard crane lives there in the back with the lumber. I also have an AgShed what was once a manger for horses. It houses my Hustler, a work bench, a parts washer along with several shelves, my Tym tractor as well as finish mower and more garden tools than I ever want to use. The Grotto, my 20x35' workshop is dedicated to mostly woodworking and a bit of welding. All my automotive tools live there and I have tools dating back to 1969 when I first started. I retired from the automotive industry in 1999, and set out to do other things. I see my tools, automotive and otherwise, as insurance should I ever need to make an honest living again.
I say all that to show that I have more tools than sense and I simply hate it when a tool is "always in the way". It seems that I spend an inordinate amount of time working around these things and so I have set out to organize and re-organize, label the crap out of every thing so when I pass they will be able to see easily what I've accumulated. I seldom enjoy "get me by" tools that seem to be part and parcel of places like Harbor Freight. Again, were I a shop servicing these zero turns, shaving a few seconds off of a job might make sense. As 4getgto pointed out, these tools often get in the way when not in use and that could cost you more than the seconds you might save. I doubt it takes me more than a minute to lift either end of my Hustler with the farm jack or the floor jack. My jack stands are positioned for a quick flick under the carriage, and I'm shimmying under with the tools I need to start the job, or at least to inspect the problem. For the average user, a fancy jack like that is a solution in search of a problem. They end up buried under a mountain of tools gadgets and toys that were the be all and fix all but no longer seem to be needed. I've seen those garages that are so full that you can barely walk through them, much less find a tool and use it. A place for everything and everything in its place.
Your brain is your most important tool. Whenever I have a lifting problem, I think it through first. It's amazing to me just how versatile that farm jack is. Not only does it quickly lift the front end of my Zero turn, but I've pulled fence posts, squared a building, pulled my van out of the mud, lifted my van out of sugar sand, tensioned a light pole I hit with my tractor and more. So when you think about buying tools, buy the best quality you can afford, and choose one that's versatile over a one trick pony. No, not a Swiss Army Knife mentality. A jack should just... you know... jack! My farm jack hangs o the end of a shelf, out of the way until I need it. While not light, it's still incredibly portable and can go with me to any part of my 10+ acre homestead. Since it's not hydraulic, it never seems to fail, either.
