Learn more about hydraulic jacks

In essence, a jack is a device that employs force in order to lift heavy loads. You may have seen them in use before when lifting cars to change tyres, and you may even have had the chance to give one a try yourself. But how much do you really know about hydraulic jacks?

In this variety of jack, the primary mechanism with which force is applied is usually through a hydraulic cylinder. Hydraulic jacks differ from mechanic jacks in that they are stronger and can usually lift heavier loads higher.

These types of jacks rely on pressure-generated force in order to hoist objects. Heavy loads are lifted by using pump plungers to move oil throughout two cylinders. This results in pressure building within the cylinder.

One popular type of hydraulic jack is the bottle jack. Made popular in the early 1900s, the jacks were initially devised to enable an individual to lift up a vehicle for inspection, maintenance or service.

If you are planning on using bottle jacks to assist you in automobile maintenance or construction, consider also hiring small gantries to assist with direct overhead lifting of heavy parts, such as engines, from the vehicle. 

More than just the auto industry

They're still most commonly used in the automobile industry, but there are more uses to bottle jacks than simply lifting up vehicles. They can be used in the medical industry to assist with lifting patients, and in industrial applications such as plumbing, electricity work and even lifting materials in warehouses.

Bottle jacks are versatile, too. They can be secured in a frame or mounted on a beam for a more permanent feature.

Floor and mechanical jacks have a horizontal shaft, making them quite different to the bottle variety. The shaft pushes on a crank connecting to the lifting pad, and no hydraulics are used to help with the lift.

The advantages of using a floor jack over a bottle jack are that it can usually provide a greater range of vertical lift, and often comes in more sizes than the bottle jack.

Whatever you require a jack for, you may want to consider hiring one. Hiring is a great option if you want to save money and may only use the jack for a limited period of time. The team at Kennards Lift and Shift can give you expert advice on the right type of jack for your job.