Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Handi-Man still the best out there

Fencing, pulling posts, jacking up tall lifts, maybe even jacking up the truck?

Maybe. If you can find a spot stout enough on a pickup to use it.

Yeah, bumpers are made of tin foil these days.

I used to lift from the bumper, but anymore I use the Lift Mate wheel attachment. Easier and faster since you are lifting the wheel directly, and not dealing with suspension droop.

Or, I lift from the receiver. Preferably with a receiver shackle.

Useful as a winch in a pinch also.

If you're new to them...they get dirty riding in the back of a pickup or hanging in a carrier. If the mechanism gets real dirty, the pins will hang up and you can't get the jack back down. ALWAYS keep a can of WD40 or something similar in the pickup. A quick spray will have the jack working like new in a hurry.

Good point Chuck. Standard operating procedure should be to spray before using.

I recommend wd40 in a pump bottle, not an aerosol can. If the propellant bleeds off under the pickup seat, you can end up with a full can that won't spray.

I've been known to use oil off the dipstick

I said WD40 OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. When the jack's stuck, oil is similar enough. I've used it, too. But later you need to use a solvent to get the oil off or it gums up with dirt worse than ever.

Not this ARB.......

If I keep my Tundra, I will most likely get an ARB front bumper. Just not sure how much longer I'll keep the truck, or what I'd buy for a rear bumper.

Ain't no tin on this bumper. Rio7

Grew up around HI-LIFT jacks on the farm. Spent many hours using them to lift farm equipment, fixing fences, jacking up pickups to either get them unstuck or changing tires. That being said, those are one of the most dangerous tools around. I know at least 3 people who have had teeth knocked out, one broken arm and one broken leg from those jacks. Not saying it is all the jacks fault, but you have to have hands on those things all the time. you just have to have a lot of respect for them. My dad had one come back and bite him one time and he said that when he woke up the sun was a lot further west than he last remembered.

I had one smack me in the jaw once. Stayed conscious but was seeing stars for a spell.

Keep one in the cj7 and one in the ram 1500, front tow hook work great on the truck for the hilift

A Hi-Lift widow maker demands respect, but can be a useful tool for those who use caution.

That said, a bottle jack or exhaust jack can be handy too. And less dangerous for those who don't understand the risk(s) of this type of jack.

With training and common sense, the Hi-Lift is a great tool.

Jason

Some guys at work used one to chain up a twin screw truck. They got it up but it was too heavy and they couldn't get it down. We had to scrounge up a couple big bottle jacks to lift it to get it down.

they scare me....................

The maximum load for one is 7000 lb. When getting up toward that, the handle gets a bit stiff. It's not a powered lift that just powers out. You can keep adding more muscle until something gives.