I'm in the market for a creeper. Any recommendations?

 

I Have An Older Model Of This Summit Without The Adjustable Head Rest,Well Made Not To Expensive.

 

FWIW, I used to have a really old (45 year old), hand-me-down wooden Lisle Jeepers Creeper. It used to roll easily over crumbled concrete and joints. I think it had something to do with those twisted spindle casters they used to use. It got stolen out of my garage a few years ago.

I've since tried a few new creepers but none rolled very good and they easily get hung up in concrete joints. These days, I just lay down on a piece of cardboard.

If I were on the market for a creeper, I'd look at the casters more than anything. Large diameter wheels, avoid those tiny wheeled ones.

 

Not this POS. Ironically, the casters are in my junk bin. They are great, ripped right thru the plastic with the quickness.

 

I avoided the other creeper HF sells that looks about like the Summit above, because I've seen more than a few of them with the casters falling apart. Sometimes you can't win.

The HF adjustable POS (probably another to avoid)

 

Yeah not this one. They are not fat man friendly, that's for sure!

 

I've yet to ever find one that's worth is s*%#; either the wheels break or else they don't roll freely enough. I just use large sheets of cardboard I get from Lowes for free; when they get dirty/torn, I throw 'em out and replace them.

 

thanks guys. it appears good creepers are hard to find !

 

I did notice Lisle being offered at Rock Auto. They generally seem to put quality stuff in their tools section.

 

I have a NAPA one that looks like the Pittsburgh one. Works fine.

In reality it never gets used. They end up being a waste of time and too much effort to even deal with. By the time im laying on it I could be under the car already.

I've used it maybe 3 times and each time I just roll it out of the way in the end.

 

It's funny. And I feel your pain. The beauty of the chincy quality is you can cut up what's left with a utility knife so it fits better in the trash can.

 

I just recently bought the 400 lb capacity creeper from Northern Tool, it was not cheap but I am 300 lbs and this is the best creeper that I have ever owned. It is also wider and has the adjustable head rest, which I did not think I would like but I use it all the time. The creeper looks like the Summit one in previous pictures but is considerably wider. Because of the square tubing frame it is easier to get up using your hands, now I am 73 yrs old and this is a plus.

 

OMG I don’t laugh out loud too often but this made my day. 😂

 

Now I’m picturing you trying to slide out from under a vehicle on broken casters and cursing to high hell lmao

 

thankfully had a metal playlist going on Spotify that helped with some motivation, but it happened while putting a T56 in while car was on Jack stands and I was balancing the trans on a car jack and jacking the trans up with my legs LOL. Easily the sketchiest thing I've done

 

Pretty sure we’ve all been there at some point. Would be lying if I said I ain’t never worked a jack handle with my leg/foot lol

 

This is what I have, it is called The Bone. $100 or so. Made in the good ol U.S.A. casters also. Although I have a smooth floor in my garage, I do find myself rolling over the air hose quite effortlessly and not being able to roll back over it to get out as easily. Those large covers over the wheels are like shoulder pads and do get in the way from time to time.

 

This is what I use. It is called "The Box". $0 with purchase of other items. Made in the U.S.A.

Easy to situation, easy to move on. Never gets hung up on rocks. Can't fall off or tip. Won't roll away when you tug on something. Low to the ground so you're not too close to your work. Folds up nice for storage, OR leave on the floor to catch leaks. Can drag heavy objects with it. Can toss tools on it without smacking the concrete. Pads the knees when getting up and down. No mess clean up, just throw away.

Now how damn cool is that????

 

By the way, I'll sell that one if somebody is interested. It's only 2 years old, so lots of life left in it.

 

I use the box our mattress came in for this very thing. It's come in handy so many times I couldn't count how many if I wanted to.

 

Wow.... You have a mattress sized "The Box"??? I'm jealous! That's a hard one to come by.

 

"The box" doesn't work so well when you're trying to drag a transmission though

 

Well, get the transmission it's own "The Box"... Do I have to think of everything...

 

Or maybe use whatever it was that came inside "The Box". Duh.

 

We should all be taking creeper advice from the guy named scooter

 

I use the style similar to the HF model. Working on heavy trucks, the tilt headrest is a must. I also need something that's low profile so it can still run over small things on the floor. It also needs to be narrow enough to get into tight areas such as between a set of dual tires. The first thing to do with these inexpensive versions is to loctite all the fasteners. Screws that hold the bed to the frame. Screws that secure the hinge. Screws that hold the casters to the frame. Once everything is tightened and secured, they don't fall apart as quickly. I've also welded the frame a few times.

As shown above, I'll never buy another plastic creeper. I broke one in 2 weeks.

I use mine every day at work and it gets abused. Typically they'll last around 2 years. Doesn't matter if it's a $50 HF style or a $200 SnapOn/Mac style. They still last about 2 years.

When the wheels are worn out, generally so is the bed. It's cheaper to buy a replacement creeper than it is to buy new wheels. When I'm in need of a new creeper, I wait for them to go on sale. I haven't bought a creeper for full price in over 10 years.

 

Dad had a wooden BluePoint from the 80's when I was growing up. It had the adjustable head rest on it. I never found that very useful myself. My wife bought me a cheap Autocraft (?) from Advance Auto when we moved. It's your standard steel rail, padded bed creeper you see everywhere. I then picked up a second one at a yard sale for a couple bucks.

The wheels are worn pretty bad on it but using it on asphalt at the house, it doesn't seem to be any different from the other one. If I'm doing something that requires me to be on either side of the vehicle, I'll toss both of them out and then just use the one that's on the side I'm on.

I'm pleased with them for what they are. I might look into one with the adjustable head rest sometime in the future when I find one on sale.

 

Pink foam board insulation is nice to lay on. Soft. Somewhat cleanable. Pieces last a long time. Affordable. Warm on a cold floor.

 

Ya guys, I'm know the box trick pretty good, but its hard to roll on your knees with a box. Decided to try this one, seems to get good reviews
My lift only gets about midrise due to garage ceiling, often on my knees and it would be nice to roll in and out with a creeper sometimes (or something with wheels). I'll let you know how it is. biggest concern is knees hitting the outside bars. will also be good for working on my up coming project, oil pan gasket on my other car. be nice to lay down while working on those bolts.