HiLift Jack

[Gewehr-Guy]

I have one so old it used a wooden jack handle, and has an eccentric wire clamp built into the head and top, so you can stretch barb wire. One of the first ones made in the 40's . Can't imagine anyone holding up a 25 pound jack to fix the top wire! Learned when you grab a Hi-Lift, get a can of penetrating oil also, especially if it has been in the dust in the back of the truck

[gumbo333]

I've had mine 50+ years. Did a can of WD-40 come taped to it? It should have!

[tazman]

50-60 years ago, my father ran an auto salvage where I helped from time to time.
We had a jack called a Handy Man. That thing was bordering on indestructible.
Quite often, we would lift one whole side of a car or truck off the ground when nothing else could get near it.
When dad sold out his business, he sold the jack.
I have never really needed on since.

[gumbo333]

PS, the jacks that came with the fence wire stretcher were much smaller, and yellow. Anyway any I've ever seen were.

[Thundarstick]

Growing up on the farm if someone said, "grab the handyman", you knew what they where talking about! They put muscles on us! We where taught how they worked, and that they'd break your jaw or arm in an instant! Don't need grease! A flat bladed screw driver is used to help the pins walk the rail! I've got a HiLift brand today thats better than anything we used on the farm, but I sure remember them being lighter 40 years ago? I use one nowadays to pull stumps and post, but there just as handy as ever!

[45workhorse]

This is the one I bought in 1993, have a can of WD-40 handy, otherwise it will bind up and not work. Chock wheels so they can't roll EITHER direction, if jacking a vehicle up. Used as a winch, about three foot at a time. Mounted mine on the outside of my tool box.
https://hi-lift.com/

[hoodat]

I was nearly killed by mine one night when I was coyote calling all by my self. Got stuck but not too bad on a snowy road and decided to chain up. I needed to jack up at least one wheel to get the chain under the tire, and in the process the jack slipped off the bumper and slapped me along side the head and jaw. I woke up maybe a half hour later, nearly froze to death. Crawled into the truck and started it up, and it was completely cooled down. I've never taken a punch like that before or after that episode. I was pretty much a mess, and felt like my neck was nearly broke. Hunting was over for the night, and I wasn't worth much for a week or so. I know if I'd laid there much longer, I'd have froze to death. Don't know how bad the concussion was, but I lived. I decided to get a 4x4 truck after that. jd

[Butzbach]

I was nearly killed by mine one night when I was coyote calling all by my self. Got stuck but not too bad on a snowy road and decided to chain up. I needed to jack up at least one wheel to get the chain under the tire, and in the process the jack slipped off the bumper and slapped me along side the head and jaw. I woke up maybe a half hour later, nearly froze to death. Crawled into the truck and started it up, and it was completely cooled down. I've never taken a punch like that before or after that episode. I was pretty much a mess, and felt like my neck was nearly broke. Hunting was over for the night, and I wasn't worth much for a week or so. I know if I'd laid there much longer, I'd have froze to death. Don't know how bad the concussion was, but I lived. I decided to get a 4x4 truck after that. jd

Yikes!

[kenton]

I was nearly killed by mine one night when I was coyote calling all by my self. Got stuck but not too bad on a snowy road and decided to chain up. I needed to jack up at least one wheel to get the chain under the tire, and in the process the jack slipped off the bumper and slapped me along side the head and jaw. I woke up maybe a half hour later, nearly froze to death. Crawled into the truck and started it up, and it was completely cooled down. I've never taken a punch like that before or after that episode. I was pretty much a mess, and felt like my neck was nearly broke. Hunting was over for the night, and I wasn't worth much for a week or so. I know if I'd laid there much longer, I'd have froze to death. Don't know how bad the concussion was, but I lived. I decided to get a 4x4 truck after that. jd

That is pretty much my experience with them, minus the KO. I have a buddy that thinks they are the solution to every problem, it drives me nuts.

[dverna]

We had one when growing up. I wonder how many people I see with them attached to a Jeep know who to use them without getting hurt...they can bite you.

BTW Randy....nice Jeep!!!

I have ridden a lot of two tracks and never needed one but I know my limits. Had a winch on the Ranger and used it once to get a tree moved off a trail.

But there is a reason they are still around. Nothing beats one for the price when you need one.

[mongo40]

Randy that sure is a nice clean looking CJ 7 you have pictured there! You've obviously put some work into that Rig!!!. As far as highlifts go I've only used them to pull fence post so far but have seen youtube videos of all the different ways they can be utilized.
Hoodat! thats a pretty scary story and you were very lucky as you well know and state that could have ended very badly!!!
Chris Wilson

[tdoor4570]

I have two of the handyman's 1 with the wood handle and 1 steel picked up both at yard sales when my son took the hi-lift. out here they go cheap around $10.00

[Harter66]

I can tell you that there are Handmans , Hi-Lifts , and Lift-Alls . Added to those 3 brands there are a host of Farm jacks .
I had 1 Hi-Lift and it was a kicking out , unlocking , face slapping , every horror story ever told about about a ratcheting bumper jack delight . I ended up with a 12" plate on the foot and 1/4" bolts sticking out about about a 1/2" to stop the sink and slide . It had a stamped body . NEVER AGAIN !

I can't find a brand on the one I have now but it is a gift to even the concept . It has a scalloped "hand" on the cast body mark MS-37 and a 1-1/4 welded steel handle . I've lubed it in nothing but silicone or teflon for the 30yr if had it . It ride in whatever I'm driving . It's changed 100s of tires on big trucks , little cars , trailers and a couple times I'm pretty closer to 9k than it's rated 7k lbs .

Winch duty it's done a bunch too not so much with 4x but I've spent more of my life knocking around the boonies in a $500 2xs than 4xs more often than not street tires vs AT . I loaded a bunch of 12-16' 18-24" logs last spring with it and have pulled a few T posts with it . It's a better jack than the one Dad left , a cast Lift All .

I've used all 4' of the lift rail more thank care to admit for getting a truck in stuck . There was this time when a wash bank collapsed and left my 2x Explorer hanging on about a 6' drop off by the left rear wheel and the shock mount and the right front . Both were stuffed about as far up as they would go and the left front was not on the ground . With the bumper corner up at the top of the jack and some creative rock stacking I was able to drive it out . I don't care to much for 40° tilt . The jack has fallen over a few times but usually on cue jacking a truck out of a hole in sand or suck mud slop .

Handle slap unloaded slides it all the way down the jerk and drop handle brings it up to bumper hight and locks it in . The pins are still 95% sharp and square but the 5/16 pin holes in the handle are closer to 3/8 these days . The lift rail is on its last flip/reverse for wear as about 60% of the holes are peened more round than the original oval on 3 side sides . It was second hand to me without a lable but I expect it's a genuine Handy Man . I won't be without one even if the vehicle requires a soft strap and a frame tie down adaptor to use it .

My best advise , regardless of brand don't buy the stamped version . If you're more likely to use it like a winch than a jack buy the 5' version . Get one with a dog ear on top stamped is as good cast maybe better really . Buy 4 good screw type 3/8 chain links , a 3/8 chain hook , a similar sized tow hook , and at least 1 2000# 2" ratchet strap with hooks not hands . Leave at least one chain link on the bottom of the lift hand , 2 with the hooks attached is even better . Get the cast one with the foot closer to 6" square and semi pyrimidal . You can oil them if you want but keep the wet stuff off of mine please .

[Gewehr-Guy]

I used to find them in the junk yard in various states of disrepair, and I'd take them home and fix them. Mostly bent, and broken cross pins and missing springs. Like Harter said, you can reverse the rail, to get a fresh hole for the pins to seat into. Parts are kind of high on their website, like the pins, but at least you can still buy them. Most modern companies would tell you it had to be serviced by a factory technician
The company also shows a good video of their use by first responders, using a special model, in doing extrication work on cars.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have been 4 wheeling for about 30 years now. I have had one of those jacks for about 30 years now. It sits in my garage in case I really really need it. Everytime I touch it it tries to bite me! I haven't touched it in 15 years. I'm afraid of it.

I also have several Warn Winches. The one for my Yellow Jeep has been used exactly twice in 25 years. Once to pull down a tree in my front yard down and once to move a big rock in my front yard.

I have been on just about every tough trail in the Western US. No one in my club has ever used a winch on a trail, and the closest we ever got was winching a Jeep with a Busted Knuckle onto it's trailer. The winch was on the trailer. Properly set up Jeeps with Locking Diffs and big tires don't get stuck unless there is serious mud or you think it will go places that are Physically Impossible to navigate !

I get a kick out of the guys who have big roof racks with all kinds of recovery gear attached to them on their Jeeps while they drive around town. It is of absolutely no use whatsoever in town and only kills your gas mileage. Plus that your nice and very expensive equipment Rots and is killed by the sun. Leave it in the garage until you actually go 4 Wheeling,,, it will last longer. I especially like the ones mounted to the cowling in front of the windshield where it will get every bit of dirt and debris that comes over the hood packed into it. And since they will never use it, it will probably will be rusted solid long before they need it. Garage?

My new Jeep Scrambler is approaching completion, and it's only taken 16 years to go from Concept in my head to a drawing to being driven in the real world. All because they wouldn't sell Diesel Powered Jeeps in the US. They make them here and then send them everywhere else in the world,,, Except here!!!! It has one Jeep part on the whole car. the Grill. I built the rest. Just finishing up the Rear Bumper/Tire Carrier.

High Lift jacks are nice to have if you need one. I don't need one very often.

Randy

maybe where you live but i use my wranglers winch proably 3 or 4 times a year up here. Use my high lift jack a couple time a year too. I wouldnt have a jeep without a winch on the front and a high lift jack behind the seat. Theyve saved me REAL LONG walks home many times. For the 500 bucks one cost its silly not to. My jeep has a 2 inch lift and 35s on it. That said id rather have NO lift and skinny stock tires and a winch then a lift and big tires. You have a nice jeep there but you sure can tell its a CA jeep. Even your wheel wells look spotless. By the way those big tires and lift take a much bigger toll on gas milage then a rack with a high lift jack. But then up here if you carried a jack like that it would be a rusted piece of junk in one winter. If you want to see what a winch is for come on up here and ill take you really 4 wheeling. Weve got your rocks and instead of some sand we have mud holes that will swallow a jeep. By the way you can get a diesel in a wrangler 4 door. but you aint going where i go with a 4 door.

[kootne]

Haven't used one to get unstuck since about 1971. That was when I bought a '52 Willy's 4x4 wagon. But I remember getting bogged down in a wet spot with a friend in his 2wd '66 ford pickup. The Handyman just pushed it's self deeper every jack on the handle. So we scratched our heads for some thing to pad under it with. Tried the spare tire. Worked like a charm. Also, if you are out way on the far side of nowhere and those pins stick and drag, use your dipstick, 1/2 a dozen dips, squeegee the oil onto the pins each time with your fingers and your jack will work like new again.

[Cast_outlaw]

Dumped this rig in a ditch twice last fall
High lift jack would have been helpful second time but I got a receiver winch for it and made a custom mount after I spent two hours messing around with straps ropes and come alongs at first light on my first day of hunting. I wrecked one come along (cheep cable one) getting out of the first ditch glad I had a backup. Winch got me out of the second one n a few min at last light the last day I was out. But ended up getting two hilift jacks for $80cnd used just discovered the best price I could get at the auto parts store here is $325cnd I’ve since sold that truck and got this one now it’s 14years newer just need to make my front mount fit and lift it and add my jacks

[Mal Paso]

Do you have a name or link to the one you liked? Rather have one that someone has actually used. Thanks.
Ron

Yes. I bought the All Cast 5 foot tall HL-605 Hi-Lift Jack. I had the 4 foot stamped steel originally. The 5 footer in addition to the extra foot of range offers better leverage when working a vehicle back up onto the road. I'm not sure I like the seller but they had a good price. LOL https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK guys first off Its a CJ-8 Scrambler. It was built from scratch. Meaning I built the entire undercarriage, Frame, drive train, axles etc. I bought the Fiberglass body which doesn't rust. Yukon Denali Seats, A/C etc.

It has a Cummins 4BT, TH400, US Gear OD, and Atlas Transfer Case. I made all the adapters. HP Dana 44 front with Airlocker, and HP Dana 60 rear with Airlocker. 4.10 gears 37" Goodyear MTR's All 3/4 ton running gear.

The reason why the wheel wells are so clean is that I painted them white so you could see the dirt and it hasn't been off road yet. Since I built the whole thing, it has been driven on road to work out all the bugs, cuz when you build a car from scratch, there will be bugs. It's getting pretty reliable and after a long trip to see how it does running continuous for several hours it should be ready to tour the Desert. Then who knows where I'll go in it..
It will have one of my Warn 8274's on the front but it will be easily removable so it can live in the garage when not needed. There's plugs on both ends to plug the winch into.

If you are interested you can see the entire build starting with the frame on wheels in 2008 at,,,

https://www.4btswaps.com/threads/her...crambler.5310/

There are over 1000 posts and many pictures of the entire build. It has been a good project that has kept moving forward for the last 16 years and has been on the road for a year and half,,, 2500 miles so far. That thread has 305,000 views so far and is the longest running thread on that site.

If I lived where there is Mud, it would have 37" Super Swampers on it, and it has enough power to turn them easily and get the wheel wells nice and dirty.

Still haven't seen the Diesel Wrangler they've only been promising them since 1992. They have them in Egypt? Made in Toledo!

Randy

[MrWolf]

Yes. I bought the All Cast 5 foot tall HL-605 Hi-Lift Jack. I had the 4 foot stamped steel originally. The 5 footer in addition to the extra foot of range offers better leverage when working a vehicle back up onto the road. I'm not sure I like the seller but they had a good price. LOL https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you Mal.