How to choose a jack: tips and the best models of 2020

A jack is a necessary thing in the garage, and in the trunk, and at a construction site, and even in the country. Without it, it is impossible to replace a punctured wheel, to pull the car out of the mud and not to lift a heavy load at all. How to choose a decent jack for your needs and what jacks got into our independent Top-7, read on.

What to look for when choosing a jack

Jack type. Depending on the design features, there are several types of jacks:

• bottle jacks - hydraulic lifters, the cylinder of which resembles a bottle. They are not very stable and have a small footprint, so they are not very suitable for use in a car, but these are very productive models, which will always be used in a garage, somewhere at a construction site or in a garden plot;
• screw - the simplest mechanical jacks, very light and compact, and therefore very popular among motorists. To lift a load with such a jack, you need to tighten a special screw that attracts two folding metal supports to each other;
• rolling jacks - hydraulic models equipped with wheels and designed specifically for use with cars. They are found both in "road" and "garage" versions: the former are lighter and more mobile, the latter are more powerful and reliable;
• rack and pinion - mechanical models in which the load is lifted with a lever with a special rack. These jacks are distinguished by a very high level of lift, they are often used by fans of extreme driving on off-road, since often only rack and pinion can raise a jeep bogged down in the mud to the desired height constructions;
• inflatable - jacks, which are cushions made of durable rubber, inflated with air or vehicle exhaust gases. They are not always convenient, but sometimes they are simply irreplaceable.

Lifting mechanism type. On this basis, jacks are distinguished:

• mechanical, which in work use the muscular strength of a person. To lift the load, you need to swing the lever or turn the knob. These are the most reliable and inexpensive models, however, limited by the capabilities of the human body, and therefore not the most convenient and lifting ones;
• hydraulic jacks - they lift loads using the pressure of the fluid in the cylinders, which pushes the piston up;
• pneumatic - similar, but they use compressed air or other gas. For example, quite often there are car jacks that are connected to the exhaust pipe and use the exhaust gases of the car itself;
• pneumohydraulic - something between the two types of jacks above: here compressed air pushes the working fluid, and it already moves the piston;
• electrical - taking energy from the electrical network at 220 or 380 volts.

Carrying capacity. Since the main and only task of any jack is to lift the load, it is the carrying capacity that can be called the main parameter when choosing. An insufficient lifting jack will not lift the load, and can be dangerous both for values ​​and for a person. Better jacks are selected with a small margin of carrying capacity. For example, 2-3 tons should be enough for a passenger car.

Lifting height. The maximum height the jack is able to lift the load. If you choose a car jack, then this parameter should be at least 10-15 cm higher than the clearance of a car with inflated tires.

Pickup height. The minimum height from which the jack can lift a load. For an auto-jack, it must not be lower than the clearance with flat tires.

Rating of the best jacks

1. Stella-Technician NM 50

Low grip hydraulic jack, which can work not only horizontally but also vertically. The lifting of the load is carried out using a convenient long lever with a force of 400 N, and in order to smoothly lower the load, it is enough to turn a special valve. The maximum lifting capacity of the device is 5 tons with a weight of 25 kg, the pick-up height starts from 25 mm, and the lifting height reaches 368 mm. Easy to maintain, but very effective mechanism, for which they ask for a little more than 15,500 rubles.

Price: ₽ 15 677

Stella-Technician NM 50

2. Kraftool Double Ram 43463-6

Bottle hydraulic jack with a maximum lifting capacity of 6 t and a weight of only 5 kg. The minimum lifting height is 170 mm and the lifting height can be up to 420 mm. The main technical parameters make it ideal for use in a garage or small auto repair shop: the manufacturer positions the model as intended for work with passenger cars cars. The device is completed with a two-piece composite handle. You will have to pay a rather modest 3,500 rubles for this unit.

Price: ₽ 3 400

Kraftool Double Ram 43463-6

3. Stels 51132

Rolling car hydraulic jack from the category of those that are convenient to always carry with you in the trunk. Provides a lifting capacity of 2.5 tons, a lifting height of 140 mm and a maximum lifting height of 385 mm, so it is ideal for a passenger car, but with an SUV, most likely, they will start Problems. The jack comes with a storage and carrying case. The price of the issue is about 5,000 rubles.

Price: ₽ 4 890

Stels 51132

4. BISON Master 43040-2

Classic mechanical screw jacklike Beethoven's fifth symphony, designs. An extremely simple device, high reliability, affordable price and elementary operation, which even a child can do, make such jacks invariably popular for decades. With a weight of 3.5 kg, the device is capable of lifting a load weighing up to 2 tons. At the same time, the minimum pick-up height is 120 mm, and the lift height is 395 mm, so for most passenger cars its functionality will be more than enough. The price is predictably democratic: a little over 1,700 rubles.

Price: ₽ 1 682

BISON Master 43040-2

5. matrix 505175

Mechanical jack with rack and pinion lifting mechanism. It has a payload capacity of 3 tons, which is serious for a mechanical model. The minimum lifting height for this design is 135 mm, and the maximum lifting height reaches an impressive 1016 mm, which gives a working stroke of 881 mm. These possibilities are quite enough to pull an SUV stuck in a swamp out of any bog (if you take care of a sufficiently strong support platform, of course). It's not the most compact, but very functional toy, and it's not a pity to pay 5000 rubles for it.

Price: ₽ 4 968

matrix 505175

6. Sorokin 3.694

Pneumatic Inflatable Cushion Jack. With a weight of 3.5 kg, it can provide a lifting capacity of up to 4 tons, a minimum pick-up height of 50 mm and a lift height of up to 880 mm. Such, without exaggeration, outstanding capabilities make this model suitable for passenger cars and SUVs, and even for small trucks. The jack comes with a storage and carrying case. The price in the region of 7000 rubles allows us to call the device one of the most interesting offers on the market.

Price: ₽ 6 999

Sorokin 3.694

7. KRAFT KT 850000

Universal electromechanical screw jack, which can be powered by the vehicle battery or powered by the muscular strength of the operator. The lifting capacity of the device is 2 tons, the lifting height is 120 mm, and the lifting height is 350 mm, therefore, for a passenger car, it is the best fit, but it is better not to count on anything more. The set includes a case for storage and carrying, a remote control with a built-in flashlight, a 4.3-meter electrical cable for connection jack to the cigarette lighter, an adapter with clamps for connecting directly to the battery terminals, three spare fuses and a crank for manual work. The price of the device is about 8,000 rubles.

Price: ₽ 7 860

KRAFT KT 850000

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