Which Hi-Lift Brand to Buy?
- Thread starter rathvona
- Start date
verdesardog
Explorer
hi lift, don't get a cheap knock off.
Tennmogger
Explorer
No body else makes a real Hi-Lift. Other brands of 'farm jacks', sheepherder jacks' etc, just don't compare.
That's sums it up...I had an old farm all jack my dad gave me. It was worm and needed some parts replaced...well u can't get them so I tried to fit some hi lift parts in...forget it. Jack went into the garbage and now my jeep wears a hi lift. Don't cheap out here they aren't expensive.
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
Technically speaking there IS only one Hi-Lift.
XJSuperman
OhIOWAn
Well I have one of those cheap knockoffs, its a Reese Farmjack. Hasn't failed me yet, and its a couple years old, sits outside on my Jeep all year, and has been in the snow, salt, and sun. Works great. I just take it down off the Jeep, spray it with fluidfilm or WD40, and use it. No complaints.
4x4junkie
Explorer
Wrong
There is a "cast/stamped steel" Hi-Lift that comes in 36", 42", 48", and 60" flavors, an "all cast" Hi-Lift that comes in 42", 48" and 60", and a Hi-Lift "X-Treme", in 48" and 60" lengths (which the XTreme is no different than the "cast" jack other than color it's painted, and the accessories it comes with). There also is an "equipment agricultural jack" mentioned in the Hi-Lift booklet that I'm not sure what exactly that is...
So that makes at least 10 Hi-Lifts.
But yeah, get a Hi-Lift, not a "farm jack" or whatever. And make sure you have places on your vehicle you can actually use it too... a 3rd-gen 4Runner (or any gen 4Runner for that matter) doesn't have much in the way of jack points if you haven't put beefier bumpers, rocksliders, etc on it.
superman27344
Lou
I am just gonna echo what most everyone else is saying. The actual Hi-Lift brand jack is not that expensive and really does seem to be the best quality farm jack out there. I have 3 of them and none have ever failed me. I have a stamped steel 48" mounted on my trailer, a 48" all cast in my wife's Amigo, and the 60" Xtreme on my k5. The accessories available for them make them much more versatile. At a minimum I would suggest getting the off road base and the winching kit for one.
verdesardog
Explorer
Even better that the plastic "off road" base would be a substantial metal base:
The yellow one is the prototype I fabricated myself, the others were made by a local fabricator but now would be in the range of $80 each.
The yellow one is the prototype I fabricated myself, the others were made by a local fabricator but now would be in the range of $80 each.
verdesardog
Explorer
Yep, I got the idea from the first responder jack.
Probably no one mentioned the first responder is because of the outrageous price!
Probably no one mentioned the first responder is because of the outrageous price!
When you add up the cost of what a regular jack costs, plus the steel base, plus the tip and attachments that come with the first responder jack, its not that outrageous... I did the math when I bought mine and it was the same price as getting an Xtream series high lift and a seperate steel base plate, so I just got the first responder model.
verdesardog
Explorer
Heavy it is! but it bites into any ground you sit it on from slick rock to soft sand, accommodates 2x cribbing and can be used as the first responder to wedge open stuff. It easily handles the weight of the front of my Cummins powered Dodge Ram. The hilift is heavy to start with.