g741.org

im looking to invest in a hi-lift jack, I only want to buy it once whats the best one to buy

and does snapon /bluepoint make one?

Hi-lift is the original I think. Or possibly handy-man. Whatever you get, LEARN TO USE IT. I move houses, and this is the most dangerous tool on the entire job.

I use my hi-lift as a pulling/pushing device. As a lifting tool, it is way too damned dangerous. The best use I've found for it is pulling fence posts.

Thirty years ago, I was working on a concrete foundation crew on summer break from high school. My boss was using a handyman jack to lift the tongue of a trailer full of forms, and the handle got away from him. The handle started flailing around an hit him in the mouth. It knocked all his upper front teeth out. I learned to give the jack a lot of respect after that

The real deal, Hi-Lift is/was produced in Denmark at one time and is pretty reliable as is Jack All. Both are marketed by US businesses and have parts available. I can't say as much for the other 'farm jacks' from you-know-where. Already mentioned, is the very real danger of this jack from the handle flailing. Proper setup is critical to prevent it from failing under load. I have a shackle and a couple of chains to use for pulling, another use for these jacks, in lieu of a winch. Be very cautious while you are getting used to what it can and will do.

I got mine from NAPA-no issues, but as others have mentioned, RESPECT this type of tool in particular or it can kill you.

My handiest task for mine was when replacing my rear springs-I used the Hi-lift and some jack stands to get the weight off the old springs; once replaced, I lined up the spring front anchor and pin and installed it then used a ratchet strap on the other spring end, attaching it down low to the high lift jack to ratchet the other end of the spring and shackle down into place. Worked perfectly with no muscle pain
Gary

High Lift has a newer jack out. It is quite a bit more than a standard jack, but it is set up for more than lifting only. http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-FR-605-Re ... B006BQL4CK

ZGjethro wrote:High Lift has a newer jack out. It is quite a bit more than a standard jack, but it is set up for more than lifting only. http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-FR-605-Re ... B006BQL4CK

wow that's a nice jack and an even nicer price

A 48" Hi-lift under a bumper won't even get a tire off the ground due to the way the springs work.

They are nice for unhooking heavy trailers, tho.

Dennis

PoW wrote:A 48" Hi-lift under a bumper won't even get a tire off the ground due to the way the springs work.

They are nice for unhooking heavy trailers, tho.

Dennis

it will, but if you have the winch bumper installed, and you arent' centered on the end of the frame rail, it can twist the bumper. if you have a long cab it can also twist the cab quite a ways. grandpa had a special adapter made up to lift on the hub, which worked very well

Why not find an original G741 bottle jack?

It fits into the specially-designed axle spring plates.

The truck was really well thought out in spite of most civvy owners.

You probably always wondered what the 'forks' sticking out were for...

I made an adapter for my bottle jack to fit in those forks.

Sometimes the axles are sitting on the ground and a bottle jack won't fit. Would like to see a photo though! Sounds cool. I didn't know there was a jack.

But to answer the original question, maasdam.com makes one that looks very nice

I have a Hi-lift X-treme jack (48"), and it's been an invaluable tool for a variety of jobs. One nice feature is that it can apply force in either direction.

I've even used it to jack a couple of old garages back into plumb while reconstructing the foundations.

It will also fit in the tool box under the M37 bed, but you won't have a lot of room left for anything else.

As others have said, it's a useful tool, but it can be unforgiving if used improperly.

i was gonna mount it on my hard top