Don't know how to ask/don't know what I want.

Thanks for the responses, folks, but I'm not sure I described my wants very well. I have a no-name lift I won in a contest on another forum years ago probably explains this. The valve to lower the lift is a tiny (1/4" or so) round thing with a crossbar that's maybe 1/16th" and is painful to hold and turn when trying to release the pressure, like practically all of the floor jacks I've dealt with. When I've applied enough force (and pain) to turn the valve, it releases pretty suddenly and drops the load with almost no resistance and usually too far. Then I get to jack it up to the position I wanted originally, to line up with an engine stand for example. The sudden release isn't much of an issue with a floor jack as I'm letting the load all the way down, not positioning it.

I've modified the jack handle rod with a cross slot like most of the floor jack handles I've dealt with for years, so I can use both hands to just barely open the valve. This is better, but what I really want is a way to raise and lower the load with some measure of control in both directions. I've been wondering if a hydraulic pump (air/pneumatic or electric) would allow adding and releasing oil to the cylinder.

Any further thoughts will be deeply appreciated.

BC