hi what the difference between the hi lift jack and the farm hi lift jack

A farm jack is a hi lift by a different name, essentially the same thing. They generally work by having two pegs which 'climb' a perferated beam each time the handle is pressed down. It works effectively as a lever for each lift. They do work well for what they are designed for but beware that they have a minimum working load of about 22kg. If you are lowering your vehicle then there comes a point where the suspension has taken most of the load and then the jack suddenly drops while the chassis is still raised but the wheels are on the ground. When using the jack always have one hand on the top of the jack and the other hand working the lever. If you need two hands on the lever then the load is too great. There is a shear pin for safety though. I also have a 12" square by 2" thick board with a recess for the foot of the jack to spread the load on soft ground.
The length of the beam, and hence the lift, varies, generally 48" or 60". Try to get one that has a known brand name, I have a Jackall 48" which has served me well for nearly 20 years.
I recently used mine to move a huge safe in a clients office.

My jack has a second 'clamping' head bolted to the top for squashing things. The addition of a couple of shackles and some webbing strops and it becomes a short distance puller that can get you unstuck but it is a lot of effort and a small hand winch is easier and lighter.

ok cheers for that info

Here's another couple of pics from an American off road book from 1975. It show how to use the original Hi-Lift Sheperd's jack for slewing a high centred truck sideways and also how to use it as a winch. Notice the clamping head on the Hi-Lift can be fitted vertically out of the way where as on the Jackall it needs to be removed altogether.

On the topic of Hi lifts, does anyone know where i can get a replacement shaft for mine?

A quick search only came up with Hi-Lift in America as having spares. I don't know, it might be worth emailing them to ask if they have a closer outlet or suplier. Alternatively you could invest in a new jack the same as the old one and keep the old body for spares.

Hi,

Two years ago I had an "accident" with a Hi-Lift and I ended with a bended 60" beam. Being unserviceable (micro-cracks in the bending point) I took a look in the web for Hi-Lift parts, and I found cheaper buying the beam in USA rather than doing it from an european supplier. The only disadvantage was (remember, two years ago) the fact that the only way to pay the beam was by money transfer to their bank in USA, and living in a small city in Spain this was a nightmare.

But the beam finally arrived, and it is still doing its best !

Carlos


P.D. "accident" means negligence. Hi-Lift jack is a very useful tool, but you have to concentrate on what you are doing with it.

And service it reguarly. A bit of lubrication can make all the differance


There are a few diferances between the variuous brands.
One of the nice features of the all cast Hi-ift I have compared to others I have seen is the little leave that switches from raise to lower, it sticks out quite a bit which makes it much easier (safer) to use than some pressed steel variants which barly stick out at all.

They arn't too bad to winch with and for what its worth I keep a couple of hefty ratchet straps to hand. they do a good job of turning a hilift into a winch with minimal effort to rig up and because you take up the stretch with the ratchet you get near as dam it a full length winch with the hi-lift, unlike ropes or chain where the first few inches (or feet) is spent taking up the slack.

So to take this thread to the next level.

Which is the best make/model?

Where is the best price to be had?

I am looking for a 5 Foot version to use with my Dakar.

Steve

My gut reaction would be to go for one with a cast body rather then a pressed metal one. If you skip the Clarkes one in Machine Mart then I only know of Hi-Lift and Jackall. I would rate both as good kit, very capable and well made. I only got the 48" due to space in my first Land Rover but, if we can locate a supplier, I would happily get a 60" beam to swap with it. I am tempted to make a log splitting blade to replace the clamping head as I spend more time working with wood then Land Rovers nowadays.

Just had a look on Ebay and there are some there.

I would say that if you want to use a clamping head then the Jackall head is better as it is a socket that bolts to the beam whereas the Hi-Lift one is a cast plate that bolts to the side of the beam. I managed to bend and break a Hi-Lift clamping head on my friend's jack many years ago - he got the Hi-Lift and I got the Jackall to compare them.

Just like most things you rely on (winches, tools etc) why pay £30 for something that MAY WELL let you down when you need it most when for £50 you can have something that will serve you well for a lifetime (with a bit of TLC). It has to be Hi Lift or Jackall really. And beware the Chinese are able to copy anything these days so if buying from Ebay just make sure it really the a genuine article.

You should also bear in mind that from time to time you may need to buy replacement parts. The pins sometimes get a step in them and this makes them stick (which can be dangerous). The springs can weaken too, and there are repair kits for the more popular jacks.


Les.

As others have said. Only brands worth looking at are Hi-Lift or Jackall. Personally I don't like Jackall's but that's only because I've always used a Hi-Lift (the same Hi-Lift) for over 20 yrs. I've never worn out any parts on my Hi-Lift in all the time I've owned it. It gets a squirt of WD40 every birthday and that's about it!

Do you really need a five foot model?? They're a stupidly cumbersome piece of iron. Difficult to store and have greater potential for things going wrong if you're using it up high.

A Hi-lift is actually one of the most over-rated pieces of kit you can buy. You'll be surprised how infrequently you use it.

My Jackall had a lot of use before I got a winch. After I got a winch I tended to use it most for wheel changing, spreading and clamping when working on my truck. Then I got a professional 21/2 ton trolley jack and stopped using it for wheel changing.

It now only comes out for those awkward situations where only a Jackall will do the job.

I moved a safe with mine last time and I was on the last few inches of the 48" beam lifting the safe under the top of the safe door frame to get the safe onto rollers. Any bigger and I would have liked a 60" but a few blocks of timber under the foot of the jack would have done the same job.

I'm building a Dakar.
The side steps are the lowest point at 24" and front/rear bumpers are about 33" when standing on level ground.
I think I will need the 60" if I expect to lift it through its suspension travel such that a wheel comes of the ground.

Steve

For stability you might want to have some location for the toe of the jack on the lift points. This could be as crude as a couple of bits of plate to stop the toe from sliding around or it could be a reinforced locating hole as found on the back of a Defender crossmember. You can then use the Defender adaptor on the Hi-Lift.

I seem to recall from when I bought mine that for a lot of Hi-Lifts the rated weight is measured at around 12inches lift and it drops off quickly as you lift higher. Just a thought.

To be honest I've rarely used mine and for general use the bottle jack is preferable under an axle

I used mine to manoeuvre my new AGA into position in the kitchen! Also handy for removing the stock box from my Iveco! Also used for removing a trailer from the landie that still has 2 tonnes of sand and cement in the back.

that's the sort of thing I've used mine for - worked for removing the timber posts from their sockets in the stables too now I thing about it.

So does that mean that Hi-Lifts are now off topic having little to do with Land Rovers?

suggest check straps from chassis to axle. jacking without them is counter productive imo

what are the t-max ones like

Can anyone tell me what make mine is? Its all cast parts but its not Hi lft. I think its Farm Jack but dont know if thats a brandname or a generalisation.

Whatever it is it's the best bit of kit I;ve bought. I;ve used it so many times including as a winch and once a few months ago I lifted a rather big Rigid lorry that lost its wheel down a road side ditch. Same lorry broke my drive shaft while trying to help him and I left him with the police but thats a different story.

The manual for mine indicates the 4ft model has the same capacity all along its length, however the 5ft version has a lower rated capacity for the last foot of travel.

I've used the original Hi-Lift for several years and always loved it. In the beginning, before buying winches, me and my friends used them _a lot_ for winching.

Still we use them quite much. Both for offroad recovery use and for various things in the workshop and at work.

The experience I have from the Jackall is only from use in desert conditions. It has failed us quite a lot. Probably due to dry and sandy conditions. But my overall feeling is still that Hi-Lift delivers better quality and less failures than Jackall.

There seems to be a new Hi-Lift version with a better clamp head.

I have great confidence in this kind of jacks, but you really need to think before using them.

Mine lives in the back, bolted to the rollcage - I use the trolleyjack at home but the Jackall is the one I carry if I have to keep just one with me. They are unstable and dangerous but effective when treated with respect.

Way back when I was too poor for a new starter motor, I always parked on a hill. When I came to bump-start the car, someone had parked about 6ft in front of my Ninety and the Jackall was ideal to cast the front of the car out into the road(!) so I could get a clear run dwn the hill. I couldn't have done that with a bottle jack...

If you do carry one in the car, make sure it's bolted down behind you. In a crash you might think it's your life flashing before your eyes - it'll actually be everything you've left loose in the back.

I find the 48" scary enough at near full height - I really wouldn't fancy a 60" at full stretch!

I use mine lots - probably a couple of times a week while I am working on the RRC - I whip the car up using the jack on the (box section) sill and stick axle stands under it. Much quicker than the trolley jack - and easier too since my working surface is not that level...

A little aside - using a hi-lift on the side of the vehicle is much safer than one the end where - as soon as you get both wheels of one axle off the ground the car slews around and falls off the jack. Which is interesting

Roger

I actually lifted my laplander 60" with mine once. Were stuck in a slope and the carburettor (spelling?) wouldn't get enough gas when I was out of the car. Me and my brother tied the winch to a tree, lifted the back of the car to the top of the Hi-Lift, one pumping and the other holding the car in place, started the car and let it down again witch a piece of wood keeping the pedal at full throttle.
I do have a picture somewhere.

Nothing I would ever recommend, but sometimes what has to be done just has to be done.

We also lifted a small house onto a trailer once, using 4 Hi-Lifts and a whole bunch of people holding the thing steady. Must've been strange sight.

Got the pics now. This is the first time i post an image to a forum, so please have understanding if it mess things up.