Is a Jack a Jack or do I buy Hi Lift??

J

JethroJK

New member
So I am looking around at jacks. Of course Hi Lift is on the top of the list but does it really matter?? I seen a brand, Haul Master, for 50 bucks at good old Harbor Freight but the quality....probably not so much. :thinking: Then there is the choice of which Hi Lift to buy if I go that route.

Opinions? We all got one so blast away...:yup:
 
Hi liFt.... I'm working with non hi lift jack and they don't work well as the hi lift do! They are VERY well made! Worth the price,( not expensive anyway)


From Québec
 
badassbrass said:
Hi liFt.... I'm working with non hi lift jack and they don't work well as the hi lift do! They are VERY well made! Worth the price,( not expensive anyway)


From Québec
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I agree it is worth the few extra bucks but curious about the others. Thanks for the info.
 
I talked to someone that had the H F one and they were not happy. I don't have any experiance with them.

EVO 4G WAYALIFE.
 
I'm not a huge fan of hi lift style jacks, at least not for changing tires. Sure, they have other uses but there are a lot better ways to "unstuck" a vehicle and a good bottle jack (or even the stock jack on a raised base) works better to change tires. Plus, hi lifts can't always get a lifted Jeep high enough to change a tire because getting suitable jack placement on the Jeep can be difficult.

They look cool on the Jeep though.
 
I would say hi lift. A buddy of mine had the harbor freight one break on him while on the trail. I have the hi lift extreme and it has been great.
 
As long as one person in your group has one, no need to carry one. I quit carrying one because my buddy carries one and we don't need two or more.



Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Sharkey said:
I'm not a huge fan of hi lift style jacks, at least not for changing tires. Sure, they have other uses but there are a lot better ways to "unstuck" a vehicle and a good bottle jack (or even the stock jack on a raised base) works better to change tires. Plus, hi lifts can't always get a lifted Jeep high enough to change a tire because getting suitable jack placement on the Jeep can be difficult.

They look cool on the Jeep though.
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x2 well said. I try to avoid using a high lift whenever possible. I have both, hi lift and the one from HF. both are the same to me, a steel stick thats unstable and usually maxes out before it can be useful. I dont even carry one most of the time. 6ton bottle jack and a block of wood is what I carry.
 
Sharkey said:
I'm not a huge fan of hi lift style jacks, at least not for changing tires. Sure, they have other uses but there are a lot better ways to "unstuck" a vehicle and a good bottle jack (or even the stock jack on a raised base) works better to change tires. Plus, hi lifts can't always get a lifted Jeep high enough to change a tire because getting suitable jack placement on the Jeep can be difficult.

They look cool on the Jeep though.
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Most bumpers have jack locations.

There are accessories to help you out along the way which should address your concerns:

http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/lift-mate.html

http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/off-road-base.html

http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/bumper-lift.html

 
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If you're gonna get one, get a Hi-Lift. Having said that, I own 3 but try hard NOT to use them. Hi-Lifts have a place and can be a very useful tool but for MOST applications, a good bottle jack will do the job better and safer. Of course, that's just my opinion.
 
wayoflife said:
If you're gonna get one, get a Hi-Lift. Having said that, I own 3 but try hard NOT to use them. Hi-Lifts have a place and can be a very useful tool but for MOST applications, a good bottle jack will do the job better and safer. Of course, that's just my opinion.
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Definitely agree. :thumb:
 
cpowill said:
I have hi lift style one wade by Reese. Seems good but have ad to use it yet. It was a birthday present from SWMBO.
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I have the Reese "Farm Jack" as well. I keep mine lubed with White Lithium greese and it works just as well as the hi-lift jack I sold with my old JKU. The key is to keep them free from rust and lubed .

I bought the Reese as a temp jack until I could order a HI-Lift, I used it once decided to keep it.
 
wayoflife said:
If you're gonna get one, get a Hi-Lift. Having said that, I own 3 but try hard NOT to use them. Hi-Lifts have a place and can be a very useful tool but for MOST applications, a good bottle jack will do the job better and safer. Of course, that's just my opinion.
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Thanks for your opinion, I was thinking about a bottle jack but you hear and see Hi Lift on every Jeep and assume that is the way to go.

I will have to look at bottle jacks, any recommended brand?
 
1yellowjk said:
I have the Reese "Farm Jack" as well. I keep mine lubed with White Lithium greese and it works just as well as the hi-lift jack I sold with my old JKU. The key is to keep them free from rust and lubed .

I bought the Reese as a temp jack until I could order a HI-Lift, I used it once decided to keep it.
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I learned long ago that most stuff will last if you properly maintain it. Keeping it free from rust and properly lubricated is a must.
 
Jethro71 said:
Thanks for your opinion, I was thinking about a bottle jack but you hear and see Hi Lift on every Jeep and assume that is the way to go.
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And, the reason why you hear and see so many Hi-Lifts on every Jeep is because they heard and saw so many Hi-Lifts on every Jeep and assumed that was the way to go too. As I had said, Hi-Lifts have a place and can be a very useful tool but for MOST applications, a good bottle jack will do the job better and safer, or, at least, that's what I have found.

I will have to look at bottle jacks, any recommended brand?
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I have a 6 ton bottle jack that I got from Napa and it's always worked great for me. However, I wouldn't hesitate to use one from Harbor Freight too. If you're really built up, you might want to get a higher capacity jack as they will go taller. I carry cut down blocks of 2x4's that fit into my trunk cubby so that I have more options to work with - bigger footprint, need to go taller, etc.
 
wayoflife said:
And, the reason why you hear and see so many Hi-Lifts on every Jeep is because they heard and saw so many Hi-Lifts on every Jeep and assumed that was the way to go too. As I had said, Hi-Lifts have a place and can be a very useful tool but for MOST applications, a good bottle jack will do the job better and safer, or, at least, that's what I have found.



I have a 6 ton bottle jack that I got from Napa and it's always worked great for me. However, I wouldn't hesitate to use one from Harbor Freight too. If you're really built up, you might want to get a higher capacity jack as they will go taller. I carry cut down blocks of 2x4's that fit into my trunk cubby so that I have more options to work with - bigger footprint, need to go taller, etc.
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Funny, it is like a domino effect...but I agree they do have their purpose.

They are all priced about the same about 30 bucks for a 6 ton. With my 2.5" lift I think the travel of most is about 18.5" and with some 2x6 and 2x4 pieces I should be able to do most applications. Thanks for the info. :rock:
 
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