Hi-Lift: How many people NOT running them?

[Lead K9]

I don't have one but others I run with do. When I was considering purchasing one, one of the more experienced guys said he used his once in all his time wheeling. He recommended I get a good bottle jack and grab his or another's Hi-Lift if I ever needed it on the trail.

I may regret not having one some day when I am on the trail alone. But between my winch and other recovery gear I hope I have enough tools (and knowledge!) to get myself out of trouble in a self-recovery situation. So far, so good.

 

[Road]

Here's a great story about the advantages of knowing how to use Hi-Lifts and having one--in this case two--on the trail with you:

https://hi-lift.com/2017/10/offroad-enthusiasts-recover-truck-from-cliffs-edge-with-quick-thinking-and-hi-lift-jacks/

 

[Scott]

Imagine that, a positive story about hi lifts on the hi lift website.. There's no bias there at all... I'm sure for some a hi lift has uses, but I've seen too many injuries or close calls to consider a hi lift a necessary piece of equipment.

Here's a great story about the advantages of knowing how to use Hi-Lifts and having one--in this case two--on the trail with you:

https://hi-lift.com/2017/10/offroad-enthusiasts-recover-truck-from-cliffs-edge-with-quick-thinking-and-hi-lift-jacks/

 

[Road]

Imagine that, a positive story about hi lifts on the hi lift website.. There's no bias there at all... I'm sure for some a hi lift has uses, but I've seen too many injuries or close calls to consider a hi lift a necessary piece of equipment.

Dang dude - it's an unsolicited letter sent in from an end-user. It's not about bias at all, or being 'a necessary piece of equipment,' but the advantages of having one if you know what you're doing. Hell, if anyone has a business, it's simple common sense and good marketing to print positive reviews about your product.

 

[MOAK]

I used to carry one around up on the racks of my jeep for the cool factor. I thought I had matured somewhat and took it off and stored it in the barn. Then, before a trip to Moab my wife proclaimed that the h-lift would be traveling with us. If she was going, so too would the h-lift. It's a good thing. We blew a spindle on our trailer in Kansas. The nearest place to get a replacement axle was 100 miles behind us in Hayes. Using the h-lift was the only way to lay that trailer on its belly, go get a replacement axle, lift it back up and install new axle. Later on that same trip we ripped a stem on a rock, (think of the odds of that happening) and using our bottle jack to remove and replace the tire was impossible. Then just last year we used it to lift my son-in-laws, high centered sitting on the frame 4runner up high enough to build a rock bridge in order to winch him off. The high-lift is like having a spare tire or a fire extinguisher. Gotta have em, just hope you don't have to use em. I never leave home with out it.

 

[MOAK]

I cannot help but to respond to those that think the hi-lift is a dangerous piece of kit. Of course it is, a bottle jack is dangerous as well, and while I'm at it, need I remind everyone that the rigs we drive and what we do with them is extremely dangerous? Our rig weighs in at right around 8,000 lbs loaded. Does anyone believe using a bottle jack in an off camber, non level situation is safe? Is a winch safe? C'mon, nothing we do is safe, unless we take the time to learn how to use our tools and equipment in a safe manner. If a few guys wanna pile on the anti hi-lift bandwagon fine. This tool has been around nearly as long as I have been alive, and dare I say just as dependable as I.

 

[Scott]

Dang dude - it's an unsolicited letter sent in from an end-user. It's not about bias at all, or being 'a necessary piece of equipment,' but the advantages of having one if you know what you're doing. Hell, if anyone has a business, it's simple common sense and good marketing to print positive reviews about your product.

I agree.. It was a good move on hi lifts part to put it on their website. I'm not saying it wasn't. Good for them. But There is still going to be some biased there. If it had been the same story written in an offroad magazine about the advantages of using a hi lift, to me that would be a little less biased.

 

[MOAK]

I cannot help but to respond to those that think the hi-lift is a dangerous piece of kit. Of course it is, a bottle jack is dangerous as well, and while I'm at it, need I remind everyone that the rigs we drive and what we do with them is extremely dangerous? Our rig weighs in at right around 8,000 lbs loaded. Does anyone believe using a bottle jack in an off camber, non level situation is safe? Is a winch safe? C'mon, nothing we do is safe, unless we take the time to learn how to use our tools and equipment in a safe manner. If a few guys wanna pile on the anti hi-lift bandwagon fine. This tool has been around nearly as long as I have been alive, and dare I say just as dependable as I.

OOOPs This tool has been around since 1905, my first memory of seeing one used was when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I've been using one or another since then...

 

[Kent R]

These are some photos of a class we put on last summer that taught how to safely use all types of jacks. So if you are nervous about any one type of jack please get some training before you need to use it in a bad situation.

 

[JDGreens]

I don't have a high lift yet, maybe some day. It's like the best boat to own is your neighbors (right?). but in all seriousness I remember when my dad used wood working tools when I was young. I was scared he would cut his hand off. He was so scared of using them that he was shaking while he worked with them. Since then I have worked with all kinds of tools that could seriously injure or even kill a person, but not without obtaining the knowledge and training to do so. I would love to learn from a work shop on the use of a high-lift jack and also the proper way to use a winch. I think it would be very useful and then I wouldn't shake like a leaf when working with these tools!

 

[Road]

OOOPs This tool has been around since 1905, my first memory of seeing one used was when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I've been using one or another since then...

You mean you weren't 7 or 8 years old in 1905? *grin

I first used a Hi-lift (we called them farm jacks) on a dairy/tobacco farm in Kentucky some forty years ago, though should say I helped the dairy farmer use his jack. He always had utmost respect for his tools, his herd, and his buildings. I learned a lot from him.

 

[TerryD]

Since being introduced to the off-roading world around 2005, I have owned and used a Hi-Lift jack. From pulling it off the top of my Jeep to repair a collapsing shelf or using it to fell a tree in the direction we needed it to fall to breaking down a tire to clean debris out of the bead or lifting a truck to stack rocks under the tires to get the diff off a rock, they have proven handy.

They can be dangerous, as with any tool. The key to them is keeping them clean and lubricated. I store mine with the base off under the back seat. If you store yours outside, I would suggest oiling them regularly. Don't use grease, that will attract dirt and cause then to jam or stick. Motor oil or a graphite spray work well but I've found a spritz with WD40 before use does wonders for them.

I still recommend carrying a bottle jack that will lift your tire off the ground as well. They have also proven their worth off-road. Being able to lift a tire without having to completely extend the suspension travel is nicer for repairs and safer when it can be used.

It's like anything else, everyone has their opinion and neither is wrong or right. You have to look at the situations you've been in and decide for yourself if one suits your needs. I won't be without one, while others won't see the need. Just be safe and have a good time out there!

 

[MA_Trooper]

Opinion Alert!!!!! This is my own opinion!!!!
I had a Hi Lift. Used it on the ranch to remove T-Post. Never liked using it on the rig, Takes up a lot of space, heavy and cumbersome. I have a come-a-long and snatch blocks for winching and a bottle jack for repairs. They fit better inside the rig so I don't have to worry about rust. They are purpose built, which to me means easier and safer to use for their intended purposes. I like a good multitool as much as the next guy, but my winch and jack don't need to be the same thing. my opinion.

 

[blackntan]

Well blow me over just used mine for the first time in years to lift a heavey work bench up a few inches to put some bricks under it. In my garage only because i was o idle to go to my truck and get my bottle jack Still as clumsy and heavey as ever back standing in the corner now , Are they safe. What is safe , safety is using some thing that you can use safely , yes i can use it safely But for all the reasons on the other thread i leave were ive left it in the garage We all have opinions and experiences I was brought up in tractors and trucks , combines and heavy plant and in my 56 years on the planet only ever seen hi lifts used on and by 4x4 utility off roaders Seen some big bottle jacks lift bridges powerd by hydraulics seen all kind of plant lifted by all manner of jacks the hi lift has become a toy nothing more nothing less for the 4x4 Look good on the truck fad and in my opinion a dangerous one unstable At best a loaded lever at worst there are more capable methords availible Lighter , smaller And above all user friendly , Any lift can be dangerous Stand back and work it out risk assess it lift and chock it up do what you need to do and lower , In the modern world we are two clicks on you tube away from learning why take the risk Leave them were they belong As a winch one hell of a lot of work to move inches at a time lol , Unless your some explorer who goes deep into the congo on your own any without hope of salvation due to your over wellming urge to be indiana jones Travel with some one with a winch Even a cheap trailer winch is far more capable , Only my opinion

 

[Homeguy]

I’ve got a 48” HiLift Jack and used properly it is a very useful tool. I’ve used mine lots.


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[KSTrekker]

I’ve got a Hi-Lift that I carried for years with my Hummer H2 and H3. They had nice big D-rings that you could use for lift points. Now my rig is a Land Rover LR4. Other than the trailer hitch, there’s nothing non-plastic to grab onto with a Hi-Lift. Bottle jacks are so much more practical and easier to carry. Sure, you can’t make a come-along with a bottle jack, but they are also much safer.

What bottle jacks are recommended? There are so many cheapies out there that I wouldn’t trust to hold my vehicle, they leak fluid, or you can’t get the ram to retract. US Jack is the only made-in-the-USA bottle jack I’ve seen, but they are insanely priced. I’ve heard Norco from Japan is a good jack and reasonably priced.

 

[NotGumby]

Carried mine for years and never used it. Loaned it out once on the trail so someone else could use it. Thinking of trading for a ARB x-jack or the Takla air jack for weight reduction and ease of storage.

 

[Lindenwood]

My hydraulic jack actually stopped working, so I just have the hi-lift and my factory 4Runner screw-type bottle jack. I have used the hi-lift several times, with a lift-mate kit (to lift from the wheel), with great success. Even if I had to change a tire, I would still prefer to lift from the wheel and then place the axle on jack stands. I find things are much more stable with the jack affixed firmly to the wheel. For the same reason I intend to weld on or cut out slight notches on my bumpers and sliders to keep the jack in place should I need to lift from any of those points.

My hi-lift stays on the vehicle, and the accessories (my home-brewed combined wheel lifting and winching kit) stay in the back as well.

I see a few comments about hardly using them on the trail...I honestly think as a single piece of equipment you can get out of more situations with a hi-lift and a few accessories than you could with just a winch. I think winches look cooler and are easier to imagine as being useful, so more folks flock to them than is, IMO, really necessary.

All that said...

Guns are dangerous, too, but I know how to (and not to...) use them, so they're all over my house ;) .

 

[JDGreens]

Funny I would get an up-date on this subject. Went wheeling with a group yesterday and was doing an obstacle I should not have tried. Blew up my front driveshaft on one side of the Dana 30 and blew out the U-joint on the other side. I had everything to fix my XJ on the trail except a cheater bar to get the spindle nut off. One of the guys let me use the handle from his high lift jack. He said he has never used his jack for anything until now???? and what did we use it for? Was glade he had it.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

I used my Hi-lift a few weeks ago in the driveway when changing rear diff fluid. Lifting the rear bump 6-8 inches lowers the rear axle making it easier to get to all the bolts.