Types of Hydraulic Jacks

A hydraulic jack is a useful tool that is employed every day by many different industries. Applications can range from automotive repair, low-rise elevators, and moving heavy loads. Their usefulness even extends to industries such as medical care, where hydraulic stretchers are used to aid the lifting and moving of patients, as well as the raising and lowering of dental chairs.

Hydraulic Jack Types

There are several different types of hydraulic jacks, but all of them serve essentially the same function: lifting a load. Two common types of jacks include:

Bottle Jacks

Named for the shape of their cylinder, which resembles a milk bottle, this type of jack is commonly used in the automotive industry. It is a simple way to raise and lower vehicles in the automotive industry. They have found other uses in other fields with use as stretcher lifts, cable slicers, and warehouse load lifters. The configuration of a bottle lift is simply a vertical shaft with a lifting platform on top, which carries the weight of the load. Bottle jacks also come in manual form, with a handle that users pump in order to raise or lower the load. A range of lifting capabilities are available with bottle jacks, ranging from four to fifty tons. Larger versions of bottle jacks are commonly known as barrel jacks, due to their significantly larger size.

Floor Jacks

With castor wheels to facilitate easy movement, floor jacks use hydraulics to raise and lower heavy loads that can include cars and trucks. The shaft of a floor jack is mounted horizontally, and pushes a crank which will then raise the bearing pad vertically. Generally, floor jacks provide advantages over bottle jacks by providing a greater lifting range, and the capability of lifting a larger amount of weight.

 

Additional Info

Another unusual application for floor jacks is their use in providing support in homes that have sagging foundations, or walls that are on the verge of crumbling. The jacks are used to support floor joists of the house, preventing the floor from sagging, and stabilizing the house. Other types of hydraulic jacks are available, providing many different benefits to the users. Deciding on the type of hydraulic jack that you need will depend on the application and weights being lifted. Contact our team at Metro Hydraulic Jack Company today to discuss your needs. Our experts will assist you in selecting the hydraulic jack that is right for you.