One of the main industries in which people are injured in their workplace, is construction. Why? This is due to the large amount of materials being constantly moved around, the nature of construction which is that things are being constructed and hence are not finished and the masses of construction vehicles and equipment that transport materials and people around the construction sites. How do employers and engineers combat this high incident rate? Safety procedures, regulations and regular and thorough maintenance. The best way to provide safe and thorough maintenance is if you have the right tools for the job and in the instance of maintaining vehicles and equipment, one of the most important is the correct jack.
Which jack should I choose?
The type of jack you choose really depends on the type of vehicle or equipment that you need to lift to gain access. Jacks come in different forms usually depending on the size and the weight of the vehicle that they need to lift.
3 Tonne Trolley Jack. Normally you would find this type of jack in a garage or similar trade establishment. Capable of lifting a fully loaded van of up to 3.5 tonnes, the trolley jack is the standard for any car or van that weighs up to 3.5 tonnes. It has a lifting range of 145mm to 520mm and has an American style twist handle release mechanism. This jack weighs in at 37kg. You can find a quality 3 tonne trolley jack such as this at sgs-engineering.com
10 Tonne Long Chassis Jack. This extra-long chassis jack is ideal for use on larger vehicles up to a weight of 10 tonnes. Complete with a pedal lift for faster action and a twist lock/unlock valve at the end of the handle, this jack is perfect for industry or trade use. It has a lifting range of 175mm to 686mm and weighs in at 130kg.
22 Tonne Bottle Jack. This is the smallest of the jacks but also one of the most powerful. With a small compact size, the bottle jack is one of the most portable and one of the most durable jacks. It has a robotically welded base and cylinders for stability and uses a pump action handle. The benefits of a bottle jack is that is can be operated upright, on an angle or even horizontal to accommodate for numerous applications. Lifting range of 269mm to 428mm and weighs in at a dainty 20kg.
100 Tonne Cylinder Jack. The 100 Tonne aluminium cylinder jack is capable of lifting up to 100 tonnes! This is one of the heavy duty jacks of the lot and you certainly pay for it! These jacks will last forever but you won’t be left with any money in your wallet. Lifting range of 298mm to 450 mm, the 100 Tonne jack has one of the smallest lifting range but this is due to the compact size and the high pressures exerted on the metals. Weighs in at 24kg.
200 Tonne Superlift Jack. The certified daddy of the compilation, this jack can lift very large vehicles. Comes complete with your own specific extensions depending on your application and a power-drive system so you don’t have to break your back trying to pump it up with your foot, this jack really can lift most equipment! With a lifting range of 711mm to 1651mm, it has nearly a full meter extension. Weighing 600kg this certainly is by far the heaviest of the lot!
Choosing the right jack for you depends really on the weight of the item that you want to lift. This is just a guide to a few different options you can choose from. There are more options on the market but hopefully this will give you a good idea of what you need to safely get the job done.
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