Hi-Lift Jack Alternatives | Harry Situations
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- Last month we talked about Hi-Lift jacks, how to use them, and what we like/don't like about them. This month we're talking about some other jacks we've used on the trail. The first thing that you will notice is that these are not shiny tools that just showed up on the front porch, they have all been used for years, allowing opinions to be formed based on real world testing. If you are running Nitto tires the odds are that you will never need to use one of these jacks in order to change a flat tire. A jack is still a handy tool though for fixing broken components under your vehicle or helping to get you unstuck.
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - ARB Jack
04:32 - Bottle Jack
08:00 - Floor Jack
10:05 - Scissor Jack
11:36 - Exhaust Jack
Pro Eagle’s Kratos weighs 60 pounds (more than double a Hi-Lift or ARB JACK) and is bulky, but they offer vehicle mounts and we see people who run with them on the trail. We typically use ours for pit stops in desert and Ultra4 racing, but more than anything the Kratos has become our go-to when we need to perform a trail rescue mission. The big wheels roll over just about any terrain and the skidplate keeps it from sinking in sand and other soft terrain.
Cost- $470
Pros- Easily rolls over all terrain, huge range of lifting height
Cons- Heavy
ARB’s JACK (yes, it is called JACK) has a range of motion similar to a Hi-Lift, but is hydraulic instead of mechanical. It is easy to use, safe and stable, and can lift incredibly high. Lifting capacity is comparable between the two at 4,409 pounds for the ARB JACK and 4,660 for a Hi-Lift, but the ARB JACK can actually lift higher than the typical 48-inch Hi-Lift. It also costs more, a lot more, and like the Hi-Lift the ARB JACK requires steel bumpers or rock sliders to use unless you add an accessory like a Lift Mate, and that attaches to the wheel and prevents you from changing a tire.
Cost- $830
Pros- Super stable, large range of mtion
Cons- Cost, no off-the-shelf mounting options
If you need to lift the vehicle to change a tire, a Hydraulic Bottle Jack is a great option, which is why many manufacturers include them with vehicles. They are inexpensive and compact, making them easy to store, but if your vehicle is lifted a bottle jack might need some boards under it to be tall enough to lift a tire off the ground. Safe Jack makes kits with extensions and different brackets, but you can spend up to $300 on a bottle jack kit from them. At the other end of the spectrum for price and quality, you can pick up a bottle jack from Harbor Freight for $40.
Cost- $40
Pros- Lightweight, compact, inexpensive
Cons- Limited range of motion, can slip off of axle housing if not careful
The beauty of a Scissor Jack is that it doesn’t require hydraulic fluid to operate, they are inexpensive, and take up minimal space. You can even weld a larger base onto your scissor jack so it doesn’t sink in the sand and add a lug nut that matches your wheels to allow you to use an electric impact gun. A scissor jack is typically only tall enough to lift from the axle for most off-road vehicles though, not from the frame.
Cost- $50
Pros- No hydraulic fluid, compact, light, inexpensive
Cons- Requires custom fabrication to be optimized
If you spend a lot of time in the sand dunes or silt beds, ARB’s Bushranger X-Jack may be a good choice for you. The soft bladder packs flat and doesn’t take up much space, or require much room to fit it under your stuck vehicle. The X-Jack uses exhaust gas to fill the bladder and lift your vehicle, so make certain it is compatible with your exhaust before you find yourself stuck. The X-Jack is best used in conjunction with traction boards in our experience, you can’t just drive off of it like you can with a Hi-Lift.
Cost- $240
Pros- Lightweight, low profile, no moving parts
Cons- Must mate to exhaust, vehicle must be running, can be punctured
Just like the rest of your tools, there isn't necessarily a one size fits all answer when it comes to jacks. Armed with the firsthand experience we shared in this vehicle you are certain to find a solution that works for you. Just consider your specific needs, space, and budget before spending your money. Comment below and let us know which jack you use, and don't forget to like and subscribe to the Driving Line CZcams channel.
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We still here! ;) Hi-Lift Jacks are multipurpose recovery tools designed to do more than just lift. Their value is in their ability to lift, winch, spread, hoist, clamp, etc. - at prices that range from $90 - $130. No other jack on the market can do everything a Hi-Lift can do.
That H1 siccor jack is genius, I'll have to find one and modify it. Carry an impact all times for lug nuts make sense to have this too.
I think that there are probably some other applications that use similar scissor jacks. Harbor Freight has them for trailers also but those are rated for static loads so I don’t know if they are as durable.
Harry is clearly a jack of all trades. I mean, you can’t say he doesn’t know jack about jacks…
🤣🤣🤣
Haha the jack ass didn't tell us the eagle was total crap!
Also, pneumatic-powered bottle jacks are a lot quicker if you've got onboard air.
You guys are crushing these videos - nice work Mike and Harry!
This is one of my favorite upscale offroad channels. You are definitely reaching a certain upper scale audience, but you present the information in a way (in part to your own opinion) that makes it seem like you are telling us what you think is worth the money vs. selling your audience things that the everyman doesn't need. I really appreciate that, considering how much other channels seem like they sell out.
Thanks for the kind words Carson! I really appreciate the encouragement.
Great video Harry! Full of good information! Loving the Ford truck!! Keep em coming!
Great video. The exhaust jack is pretty wild. Great party trick.
Thank god the videographer had a Tacoma so he could demonstrate it…
exhaust jack is great for using against say a body pannel where it distributes the load over a large area so as not to crinkle things so much. also great for soft ground, which i think he mentioned in the video.
My Jeep goes in to Nate on Monday for a lift, new wheels and tires! Thanks for the recommendation!
Great info. Thank you for your time
I’m in Australia and follow a CZcamsr called Ronny Dahl and he done a similar comparisons with jacks. One of his suggestions instead of getting a high lift jack which is big, heavy and dangerous if you don’t know how to use it right was to have 2 bottle jacks. One standard size to suit the vehicle and a larger one. The advantage of bottle jacks also is you can drive off them if need be and just pick up your jack. I have a hilux Ute and a 2ton and 4ton bottle jacks have been all I need and as you say are compact to take with you. Cheers!
Great stuff Harry!
I always carry a piece thick plywood to use as a base. If your tire is flat you might need one jack to raise up the vehicle enough to get the other jack underneath. IE low profile bottle jack or scissor. never trust any jack if you can help it. Let the air out of one of you tires and find out what you will need to change it. might be eye opening. Made me reconsider carrying a high lift.
I'm glad I found your channel. New sub.
Scissor Jack's are my favorite compact and lightweight 🤙🏼
I love my pro eagle. Great for on the trail and at home
I wish you had included one of the long-term staples of off road racing, the Bunderson air bottle jack. The jack is so fast when used with a small compressed gas source (nitrogen, air, etc.).
Unfortunately I don’t have access to a Bunderson Jack. I wish I did!
Beautiful truck brother
I keep a combination jack in my truck. It looks like a jack stand with a flat bottom plate. There's a bottle jack under the Saddle. It also has an extension so you can get about another six inches out of it.
It's the most stable jack I've used, with a wide flat base. The bottle jack is easy to pump up and it locks like a jack stand for extra safety. The only downside is that it is too tall to fit under most cars. It'll only really work with a truck or SUV.
Nice comparison! Love the mid-70’s Ford. Would love to own one, but not a fan of cut flares tho. Thanks for the info.
Great video !!!
Have you seen the Bottle Jack Buddy? A super nifty, compact and inexpensive accessory (under $60). 100% USA made and powder coated. It's probably the best tool (axle saddle) I always keep in my vehicle to be safe.
The jacks are cool and all... but that truck is gorgeous.
The one Jack I will never use is the scissor Jack. I had one fail on me and van fall on me. God was with me and I was able to come out relatively unscathed. I will never use the Jack of death again.
Thanks Harry for the great content. 👍
Wow!
scissor jacks are extremely sensitive to side loading, especially left and right and will suddenly fold like a cheap suit. whatever that means. lol It's best to make sure the vehicle can NOT move creating any kind of side load on the jack. they are also sensitive to placement and easily slip, most are intended for the pinch weld of light cars. then there's the high torque while jacking which twists the jack making for a sketchy situation. I find grease on the screw helps but they are always a sketch fest to use. I prefer not using them unless i absolutely have no choice.
I’ve always wondered about the exhaust jacks. Looks like I’ll be picking one up. Something to note for people not familiar, the higher the capacity rating on bottle jacks the less mechanical force is needed by you to get them to raise your vehicle. But this can also make them slower.
I wouldn't touch any of those after the bottlejack/jackstand combo came out. Maybe still carry a hi-lift for pully reasons
I'll have to agree with you on that the very few times i've used my jack, its usually on someone else's vehicle. The scissor jack is the only way to get under a very low vehicle, or my bottle jack on a tall truck has been more than helpful, granted i can find a 2x4 or 3 to level everything out. I would love a pro eagle or modded aluminum harbor freight jack with skids would be very useful for all terrain, and i think i might get rid of my Hi lift all together.
In the garage a floor jack. In the vehicles a scissor jack and a rachet I've been welding the lug nuts in the jacks for a while.
I'd love a pro-eagle if they were priced half the cost.
Makes me wonder if I can take an ACDelco and just put larger tires on it. That's really the selling point of pro-eagle.
look up 911 motorsports. They have kits to transform a HF Pittsburg Al floor jack to one of these. Still $$$ but less than the Pro Eagle
Rex here.. Good stuff, as always! Hopefully we'll cross paths on the trail sometime! Hopefully I won't have to borrow a jack! 😉
Awesome stuff man. I would love to see those corresponding fittings on the race rig for the
scissor jack!
It is basically a tube bung on the a-arm in the front and on the truss on the 9-inch axle in the rear.
I took some photos for you Steve but I can’t post them here. Shoot me an email at harry@harrysituations.com.
Throws shade at rooftop tents...... SUBSCRIBE!!
I have a '23 PowerWagon and the ARB Jack. I've used it in the field and it works INCREDIBLY well. It's got a solid foot plate and it comes with a foot plate base in the bag. It was well worth the money. I've even used it to lift a wheel and drive off the jack and because it has a pivot in the foot, it articulates long enough to work and then it just falls over.
A HiLift jack os FAR too dangerous for the uninitiatied. Now, I have seen an HiLift used for crazy applications horizontally and vertically. Still, the torque pressure on the jack handle is a huge risk.
Good info
Love my ARB. One thing you didn't mention that puts it miles ahead of a Hi-Lift is that it's infinite. It can be stopped mid-stroke and will hold its position. No need to reach the next ratchet point like a Hi-Lift or farmer's jack. $800 is spendy but well worth it.
Good point. Another thing I didn’t mention though is that you can’t use it when it is parallel to the ground like you can with a Hi-Lift (for instance if you flop on your side against a rock).
@@HarrySituations
Good point Harry.🤙
@@HarrySituations i've used bottle jacks on their side. you just have to put the pump side up. may be worth a try. * or is it pump down, I can't recall, it's one or the other.
Btw, what cameras are you using? Fantastic clarity
Adam, I shoot all this with Sony a7sii and FX3 cameras in 4k. But the rendering and compression which is usually overlooked but has a greater effect on video quality on CZcams comes from Apple's Final Cut Pro and Compressor.
BTW love the old Ford looks a lot like my first truck when I was a teenager.
I"m a wierdo and have the XRanger jack as well. I find it very hard to keep on the exhaust pipe of my PowerWagon. Very hard. I tried filling it with the ARB dual compressor and it was SUPER slow like you said. I put the canvas bag on thop of the bladder where it meets up with the vehicle. I use the pad below it like you did. Use the canvas bag to prevent puncture from a bolt sticking down or the like.
Good idea with the canvas bag, I’m definitely going to steal that idea the next time I use it.
Look at the magic creeper. It's a more compact and elegant solution than the mat. You can literally use it to easily rull right under your truck, ,front to back.
Thanks I will check it out!
Love my ARB
Could you link those max mats? Could not find them online. And would like to get my dad one since all he use is a thin wooden board to work under cars.
Sure thing it is www.macscustomtiedowns.com/products/macs-utility-mat-773401
You took the crappiest jack (the scissor) and made it great with your personal mods. I love that thing.
On the exhaust jack: Could I unbury an axle and then drive off the balloon to get out? Will the balloon resist puncture from common chassis stuff if it rolls under?
I live in Hollister, I think I've seen your truck.
I haven’t driven off the exhaust Jack, I would be worried about puncturing it. Typically I shove Maxtrax under the tires after I have the vehicle lifted in the air.
Toyota mechanical bottle jack.....large range, no fluid to leak, works any angle, can be modded a dozen different ways to make it even better.
Been looking for a decent bag for my Milwaukee impact. What bag is Harry using?
It’s from Mastercraft Safety. I love it, has room for sockets and a spare battery. Just store the impact with the detent in the middle/locked position.
That’s one sexy truck!! 😍 same comment as the last vids but damn
Good video but you can have my Hi lift when you pry it from my cold dead hands!!!!!!🤣
I'd like to find a shop creeper with wheels like on the pro eagle. Those smallish wheels grab a piece of sand and makes it frustrating.
www.summitracing.com/parts/dae-6031
Thing a out hi lifts, is if you have 20 in of suspension travel you'll need an 8 foot jack lol.
I usually use a ratchet strap to keep the axle from drooping all the way out.
That ARB looks like a water pump. 😄
behind the scenes footage would include "hey remember that guy that said he couldnt concentrate because the round head lights, lets shoot this entire video with those front and center"
🤣🤣🤣
Check out the Harbor Freight off-road jack new product. It's very well thought out. $300.00
Harry that scissor jack is sweet where did you get one for a hummer?
From a hummer
My friend Sam raced with Rod Hall for years when they were racing Hummers.
You can send that high lift jack over to me 😉
How is the ARB any safer than a hi- lift?
It doesn’t auto ratchet down and knock your teeth out?
Question: The provided instructions say not to store the ARB Jack on its side or it will leak. Yet they are all shipped on their side. They also are stored on their side at the distribution warehouse and in delivery trucks. Mine arrived covered in oil because of these reasons. Further, how are we to store the Jack outside the vehicle if it comes in a storage bag that is without mounting hardware and which causes one to assume that the Jack is to be stored IN the vehicle, where it almost always can only be stored on its side, because of its height? Why isnt there mounting hardware specific to the Jack, designed/sold by ARB that is 1) meant to be mounted on exterior and that, 2) incorporates theft resistant features (e.g. lockable hardware)? I'm in the states. These are very popular here but that is changing quickly. I just returned from the Overland Expo and my question above, includes the 2 most heard complaints about this product and are the reasons why so many are now turning to other products. The number 1 complaint however: storing this on its side should not allow oil to leak/this is a very poor design feature! I love ARB but this is money I'm now seeing that was poorly spent, due to an incomplete design and a lack of mounting options, which ARB should've addressed prior to releasing this product. ARB, please address these 3 things, or I fear ARB will see this products interest lose steam. ARB is a solid company but the mark was missed on this one big time.
Great questions. I share many of your concerns. I do have a clever friend who mounted his Jack upright in the bed of his truck using snowboard binding straps to securely hold it in place.
"totally worth it though" LOL Classic
Amazing after all these years and nothing is as versatile as the high-lift. The the only jack you need to carry.
What year is the Ford?
It is a 1977.
Hi Lift for the win.
The arb hydraulic jack still needs some work. It’s too expensive. It breaks pretty easily and it isn’t too reliable. It’s definitely a luxury item and I wouldn’t keep one on board over a hi lift and bottle.
HOLY TOLEDO- My Scout isn't worth 900 bucks anymore- sheeesh-
Paint your rusted Hi Lift Jack: czcams.com/video/diVusl36hqA/video.html
“Probably wont get a flat running nittos” HA, our new 4runner running Terra Graplers with 72 miles got a flat, from a screw yes but still, kinda funny
They push , pull ,.lift an squeeze...
Ya just gotta be smarter than what your working with !!!
An a few tricks help !!;
Truck didn’t roll your jack sunk in the sand. I use bottle jacks daily leveling building foundations. Need a larger base for that jack.. would suck to give bad advice and have a truck fall on someone… just don’t use those jacks off-road. If it were my show.. I’d say use them in a shop with a hard level surface. Something it won’t sink into.
Diferentes tipos de gatos
not one other jacks lifted the truck so you could get the wheel off, to why are you out of breath?
If the ARB is akin to the ARB Locker then the Hi-Lift would be a Detroit. And while I agree, the ARB is nice, the price is a bit cost-prohibitive. I carry a few different jacks though. I've found that bottle jacks also like being stored upright. I've had a bottle jack leak out especially in hot weather. I too have a scissor jack as well. Been thinking about trying a modified HF race jack. Take the wheels off and just use a skid...
That is probably a better analogy. The truck in the video has Detroits front and rear BTW. ;)
mechanical bottle jack is the answer and since no fluid, no leakage.
might be good to carry a bottle of hydraulic jack oil as well. seems hydraulic jacks are always low on oil when you need them most and all the stores are closed.
I hate bottle jacks. Had one slip out and got my hand crushed while i was removing a wheel. Never again.
Getting a face full of carbon monoxide! LOL!
Free vaping
I appreciate the demonnstrations.
lol that silly ARB at $800, that thing cost $30 to make in Chyna.
Tell me you’re broke without telling me you’re broke. Stay mad poor boy.
Exhaust Jack: Exists
Nazis: 🤔
I bought that eagle jack and it is a complete piece of junk! Worked for a little while then wouldn't work....... company says bleed it..... I did..... like every time I use it. Totally unreliable and company won't help..... do not buy this junk! Oh and the tabs break off for the extension even with the rubber pad on there. It's just overall a really expensive paper weight.