# Handymans Jack



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I picked up a old Handymans Farmers jack. Cost all a $5! I don't have a handle on it, so I'm gonna need ta build onea them. It uses the old rectangular handle. Shouldn't be to hard ta do.

I had a Hi Lift jack until a few years ago an somebody thought they needed it worse en me. All the pins an springs er good an it seems perty tight fer it's age. Get er all cleaned up then make a mount ta put it on my suburban. It even came with a fence post puller. Handy little tools ifin ya know how ta use em.

This en got the small foot base on it, already took care a that though. I have the steel plates they use ta mount rail to railroad ties. It's got a nice big footprint on it an it sure ain't never gonna bend er break!

I get it all put tagether I'll take some pics an post em up.


----------



## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

Those hi-lift jacks aren't cheap, I bought one two months ago, was 4 footer, and was 135 buckaroos.


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Unfortunately, the toys they put in cars these days are useless if you put even 2" of lift on a vehicle and if you buy an older car good luck finding the jack. Your choices are get something that was designed for more lift or run around with no jack and hope you don't need one.


----------



## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

Is that similar to a floor jack? Would you please post a picture?


----------



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

for changing a tire the original jack or a small bottle (hydraulic) jack works best. a hi lift jack does have other uses which could make it valuable. I have owned and used hi lift jacks and I am not a fan. I carry a small hydraulic jack and a come-along in some of my vehicles.
A hi-lift jack must lift high because you hook it to your bumper and lift the vehicle body. When the body lifts high enough it finally pulls the frame up and lifts the tire off the ground. The original jack or a hydraulic jack lift directly on the frame lifting the tire immediately. hi-lift jacks are popular with some but not with me.


----------



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

hiwall said:


> for changing a tire the original jack or a small bottle (hydraulic) jack works best. a hi lift jack does have other uses which could make it valuable. I have owned and used hi lift jacks and I am not a fan. I carry a small hydraulic jack and a come-along in some of my vehicles.
> A hi-lift jack must lift high because you hook it to your bumper and lift the vehicle body. When the body lifts high enough it finally pulls the frame up and lifts the tire off the ground. The original jack or a hydraulic jack lift directly on the frame lifting the tire immediately. hi-lift jacks are popular with some but not with me.


For street use I'd agree, but you need to make sure the jack can actualy get the tire off the ground. If you put a 2" lift on a car and drive it on the street (popular in the north for snow) that can be enough to make the OEM jack worthless.

Hilift jacks also take up a lot of space if you are just driving on the street. Still having one is better than an OEM jack that won't get the tire off the ground.


----------



## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

Here's link to a discussion about High-lift jacks:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/hi-lift-jack-injuries-1017952/

I have never used one. What I read about them indicates that they can whack you with the handle, usually when going DOWN with it. Like the old style bumper jacks, they have ratcheting action. If the ratchet does not engage properly, it can go into uncontrolled descent and knock your teeth out with that heavy handle.

Seems to me the answer to that is simple enough. Keep yer punkin head outa the way, right?

Also, these jacks do not come with a big, sturdy base. I'm thinking about buying one, and my first thought was that it wants a BIG base to lift that high. I read about them and sure enough, they have a bad tendency to tip over. I wouldn't want to use it for changing tires without a jack stand.

I am surprised that this company hasn't been sued out of business by the lawyers who protect the mentally deficient. You know, the ones who got the label put on the push mower that says, "NOT TO BE USED AS A HEDGE TRIMMER".

It looks to me like this is not a tool for the rank beginner. If you have some common sense and some experience at rigging loads, then it could be a very useful device. Sure looks to me like the answer to pulling fence posts.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yup, like any other tool it'll whoop yer butt. They will get wobbly if ya be on uneven ground er soft ground. That be why ya carry a piece of wood (in my case metal) ta make a sturdier base what won't sink inta the ground. 

Dad was usin one ta lift the front end of a tractor up so we could put the front wheels back on an he slipped. Handle knocked his front teeth out. I've learned ta stay outa the way a the handle. There be many different attachments what ya can put on the jack, fence post puller, a strap with a hook so ya can get lower ta the ground an even one what hooks onta a wheel so you can lift it outa the mud er a hole.

Is it the perfect jack? Nope, just like any other tool it has it's place. I also carry a bottle jack. It has it's place but also comes with some a the same drawbacks as do the handyman. In soft ground I've pushed one right inta the dirt unless it had a bigger base under it to. Like I said, each tool has it's place.

We've used em before ta lift up small buildins what were gonna be moved. Works good fer strecthin wire, winchin a vehicle outa the mud (it's slow, but can be done) liftin logs, thins like that. Just learn the short cummins a the tool an how ta properly use it. We've always put a bolt through the last hole under the lift mechanism when we got whatever lifted just so the mechanism can't suddenly drop ifin sumthin shifts. An yup, keep yer head an body parts outa the way a the handle. Common sense. Course common sense ain't real popular these days. Also, anytime yer jackin sumthin up, ya should be usin either jackstands er sumtin else ta support that load before ya get around er under it.

They come in handy (thus the name  ) durin disasters fer liftin er movin rubble. One a the main reasons I got another one.

As fer pictures, I'll try an get one on here taday. Been busier en a two legged dog treein a **** lately. Ever time I got work ta do it rains. Stuff be pilin up!


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

machinist said:


> *It looks to me like this is not a tool for the rank beginner*. If you have some common sense and some experience at rigging loads, then it could be a very useful device. Sure looks to me like the answer to pulling fence posts.


Hi-lift jacks or jack-alls as we call them are NOT idiot proof! It is very easy to get hurt using them if you are not careful and really think about what you are doing.

On the other hand they can do a huge range of things that no other tool can really match. Hydraulic jacks (not floor jacks) are great and on the farm they are the go-to tool for lifting machinery, but, their stroke is limited by their height so if they are short enough to actually fit under what you want to lift then they likely aren't going to lift it very high. This leads to jack, block, jack, block and on an on. Floor jacks are heavy and really only meant to function on a hard, flat, level surface I have seen many destroyed by trying to use them otherwise.

The jack-all on the other hand can lift right off the ground up to several feet high. It can also be used to pull things with chain or cable surprisingly well, although not very far at a time. It can also be used to push things together kind of like a press if you can reverse the shaft.

So yeah, not an inherently safe tool but it can be a useful one.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Not mentioned so I'll toss it out.

Most hydraulic jacks don't work horizontally. A good ole mechanical jack does.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I've used a lot of different jacks and had safety issues with all of them. Like any tool awareness and caution go a long way.


----------



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

> Most hydraulic jacks don't work horizontally.


Just a note - most do if the pump is on the bottom. 
Maybe I was a little strong condemning those hi-lifts. They certainly work and like I said I have used them in the past. Currently I do not own one and I do nor foresee ever buying another.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

21601mom said:


> Is that similar to a floor jack? Would you please post a picture?


----------



## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I think I'll stick with my new floor jack...at least for now


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

machinist said:


> Injuries:
> http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f27/hi-lift-jack-injuries-1017952/
> What I read about them indicates that they can whack you with the handle, usually when going DOWN with it.





OldCootHillbilly said:


> Yup, like any other tool it'll whoop yer butt.


When I showed my wife what one was - and how to use it - I told her I have heard them called "widowmaker" jacks.

Go Talk to lots of old farmers and you'll find a few here and there that have a story to tell about someone getting killed.

I have one really old one I am rebuilding, and one made by American Forge that is truly forged parts. My dad had one years ago that was all welded together from bent/formed steel plate parts and probably made in china, it was a worthless hunk of trash.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

LincTex said:


> When I showed my wife what one was - and how to use it - I told her I have heard them called "widowmaker" jacks.
> 
> Go Talk to lots of old farmers and you'll find a few here and there that have a story to tell about someone getting killed.


Around me, that's what they're normally called (widowmaker jack). I don't recall anyone I know dieing from one but most everyone I know who's used them with some regularity in their life (myself included) will admit to getting hurt by one.

I just picked up a nice one last weekend. It was mounted to the tongue of a trailer I got to do the tilt. Not as good as hyd but better than by hand.


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Here's a picture of the Jack my wife uses.


----------



## hashbrown (Sep 2, 2013)

The only time I use a high lift is if I want to piss myself off or I want to smash a finger! Not a fan.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I have a rail road jack (which is mechanical) , a chain fall, 1 ton bottle jack,2- 2 ton floor jack, A twenty ton bottle jack & a port-a-power set & an old mechanical foot jack.
But I use the two ton mini floor jack on a 4 X 4 block when on soft ground or 1 X 6 board if the tire is flat.
I have jack stands also.


----------



## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

Don't knock the ole hi lifts, they have a place. They are dangerous. An old neighbor of mine, a WWII vet, and maybe a thousand head of cattle, had one laying in a scrap pile. Looked perfect. I asked why that jack was in the junk pile. He said "You can have that thing." I could just tell by the way he said it, so I didn't ask any questions. I have seen the handle fly if you have it in the down position after raising a load and you flip the direction lever down with the handle in the down position.....watch out. If you use them on old vehicles with home made bumpers, weld a bump or two under the bumper edge so when you have your vehicle lifted, and the bumper is on an angle, you can have the jack on the downhill side of that bump, so it won't slide. Also, chock your wheels good, I have seen these jacks rip out a grille or mess up a good tailgate because the truck rolled.

As far as having to move your vehicle so far up to get the wheel to clear the ground. Just put a piece of chain over the frame and under the axle to limit the suspension droop. I have jacked many a tractor up and shoved it over sideways to get out of some ruts. I usually have a hi lift and a more power puller with me. I moved a trailer house awhile back. When I got in, I was tired and didn't want to un hook, so I jacked the tongue up with a hi lift to relieve the stress on my old F 250. It was kinda sunk down in the rear. Trailer houses are heavy. Bobcat skid steer wouldn't crank and the bucket was down. Ran a chain around it, raised with the hi lift, put some blocks between loader frame and body, then I could move the bobcat.

The first one I ever had was a find. They were cutting some timber down the road from me. I was there cutting the tops for pulpwood, back when they did short wood. The landowner said to check around because there was some junk laying around in the woods. So we poked around and just moved it all out of the way. I found this jack laying there under the pine straw, in the sand. It had been there twenty years. He said I could have it. I took it home, cleaned it up, and was good to go. Didn't even need springs. Then a few years later, our shop burned down. My dad built houses and had a cabinet shop behind the house. It was big, two buildings with a breezeway between. He just had one end with a big door and my brother and I could do all our vehicular projects there. Plus it had a floor drain, so we cleaned deer, welded, maintained equipment, just whatever. That jack go so hot in that fire that the top drooped over and went down to the floor. The base was still flat on the floor. It took a lot of beating with a sledge hammer to straighten it out, but it's straight now. 

These things are dangerous. Very dangerous. Usually the accidents with them are not minor. Anyone unfamiliar should have someone familiar with them show about the do's and dont's of operation. I had an uncle show me when I was very young. He passed away and I have his hi lift too.

I did break down and buy a new one once. Never had used it, still brand new in the shop. A friend stopped by and needed to borrow a jack. So I gave him my best new one. They were going to move a building. His dad built portable buildings. They got stuck, laid my brand new jack across the rut, put their jack on mine and jacked thier truck up. Of course, it looked like a horse shoe when it was returned. Oh well....


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

ZoomZoom said:


> Not mentioned so I'll toss it out.
> 
> Most hydraulic jacks don't work horizontally. A good ole mechanical jack does.


yeah almost all of them do you just have to know the secret, which hiwall just let out of the bag.

As to jack alls or hi lift jacks: these are a tool for the skilled operator, they weed the rest out really quickly, either you love em or hate 'em, I love 'em and try to have several on hand, they are not really handy for changing tires on things with suspension travel. more of a tool than a automotive jack. I have one with a big solid base welded on, it is kind of handy in that it will stand up by it's self but for the most part, I prefer the pinned on base that can swivel a bit to follow an arc or whatever.


----------



## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi-Lift/wagon jack/ handi-man jack what ever you wish to call them, there is one in my truck and one in my wife's Jeep. She has the extension for curved bumpers. If you get stuck in a snow drift - shovel along side of where you're stuck and jack your vehicle up and push the jack over, just so you don't have to shovel under your vehicle - a terrible pain in the drain. We came across a young man with his dad's pick up wedged with a road grader's blade between the cab and box. He had tried passing in a blizzard and slid sideways. Jacked it up pushed it over - not a problem. Pulled a large chicken coop onto a tandem axle trailer. Do you want to get yourself out of a mud hole you shouldn't have tried in the first place? Jacking on a bumper beats digging and crawling under to place an axle jack where it needs be.
When you're jacking it down keep pressure on the handle as you throw the switch and all the time you are lowering it. Keep your face away from the jack- when it goes "auto" it will give you a start but it won't fix your face.
As some knowledgeable readers pointer out a couple of heavy plywood pieces help with flotation so it doesn't sink in the mud. They should be predrilled with a couple nuts, burrs, and washers. Chocks, either homemade or purchased help stabilize the vehicle.
The son-in -law has one on his Jeep as does my brother. They are dangerous when we get careless, but I can not think of a more practicle piece of gear for a truck. The standard height is 48" ,but shorter and taller ones are available.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

ZoomZoom said:


> Not mentioned so I'll toss it out.
> 
> Most hydraulic jacks don't work horizontally. A good ole mechanical jack does.


This is why I own a small Port-a-power hydraulic system, it will work off a hose, so the pump can sit level, no matter where the jack plunger is placed.
My 20 ton bottle jack cost $20.00 many year ago, never had to use it, but still wish I had bought two of them.:dunno:


----------



## Ozarker (Jul 29, 2014)

ZoomZoom said:


> Not mentioned so I'll toss it out.
> 
> Most hydraulic jacks don't work horizontally. A good ole mechanical jack does.


 Zoom Zoom, my GF would never go for that, you have to wait for the aspirin to dissolve anyway. 

I carry a hydraulic jack and a couple small lengths of 4x6s, might swap the wood off for a jack stand it would look better for anyone passing by me.


----------



## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

I try to have all that I can scissor jacks hydraulic mechanical (farm jack)
and like was already posted some blocks 4X4 6X6 and I have a chain fall
and a length of extra chain and a lifting strap and a windlass steel cable winch and a couple of block & tackle sets.

You never know what or where your going to get stuck or what you may have to deal with even pipe and rolling stock for levers or rollers.

of course not all in the vehicle but I do carry one hydraulic and 
a scissor jack and a block & tackle.

I am going to get some plate steel and make a base for my windlass 
that goes over the trailer hitch ball and a snatch block.
sometimes you need to control decent as well as move a load or stuck vehicle.

if you ever loaded a pig trap car / leaf spring with a spike and a trigger stick it takes a hell of a pressure to cock one the only reason it is good 
is you can carry a few of them old trailer leaf spring or such and a all thread bolt 2 nuts to make the point bolt with a lag bolt to a tree pull back and use a hold stick pig kicks out stick skewers self OK for a 1 man operation, tools are ratchet to fit lag bolts or all thread with extra nuts 
and a hatchet to start / pound in the lag bolt.
A block and tackle is indispensable and can raise the animal to field dress 
and keep it high enough to evade being a meal for other animals.
also works well to raise a hammock with enough tension and you can
adjust from your reclined position.

I like my jacks to raise logs so you can cut freely without locking the blade of a saw.
I would ask PrepperNurse about setting a leg using a scissor jack to do a dead pull on the leg or reorienting a dislocated limb, you can smack them 
across the head with the hydraulic handle to keep them quiet.

and you can make a fruit press in a drum oh what fun...


----------



## BobR1 (Jan 13, 2011)

I still have and use one I bought from Tharp Hardware in Norwood Missouri in 1973. It has road many a mile in the back of my truck, and on the front bumper of my old FJ40 Land Cruiser. That would be the old original Land Cruiser that was useable as an off road vehicle.
I have a second one that was shortened to fit in my old Cherokee. The Cherokee had real bumbers on both ends.
If you have trailers, tractors, etc they are handy to have. 
They are dangerous, you just need to keep that in mind, and stay aware of what you are doing. 
A can of WD40 or something else along that line is handy to have when you own one. I need to hose mine off before use now and again.

Bob


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BobR1 said:


> A can of WD40 or something else along that line is handy to have when you own one.


Mine have only been fed a steady diet of used motor oil for decades.


----------



## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

I have an old jack that is about 4 feet tall on a 3 leg tripod and a 2 foot cranking arm on the top.. I think it used to be a truck bumper jack from the 50's but I am not sure. I have been using it as a fence pole puller.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Just bought another jack. This en is perty new an I don't thin been used much tall. No rust er nothing. Handle be missin, but this en be round so a good stout piece a pipe will fix that.

Paid $20 fer this en, still a mighty good deal.


----------



## headhunter (Nov 21, 2008)

Sure, Ol' Coot, I figure ya jus' snuck up to one of us ol' farts when we was sleepin' an' sweet talked grandma in to lettin' ya have that rusty ol' hunk of steel that twern't good fur nothin' anyhow 'cause part of it was a missin'. Shame on you bein' a growed man an' all!
Congratulations they be really gud things ifin ya own an old 'nough vehicle that has some steel ta grab. Always somethin' ta use one fur like liftin' the side of a chicken coop ta put a block or two under.


----------

