Types of Hydraulic Jacks & Their Uses

A hydraulic jack is a mechanical device that is used to lift a heavy weight by applying force through a hydraulic cylinder. Hydraulic jacks are used when the application calls for lifting heavy loads with precision and efficiency, making them indispensable in various industries such as automotive repair and construction.. There are two types of hydraulic jacks- trolley hydraulic jacks and bottle hydraulic jacks. Both of these jacks perform the same function but have differences in their functioning and making.

Pascal’s law is applied to calculate the force of a hydraulic jack. Two pistons inside a cylinder that mainly work for lifting heavy weight are what hydraulic jacks consist of. The bigger cylinder and small cylinder are connected. The small piston will force the fluid to lift the big piston. The two ball valves work like a check valve that allows flow and stop while pumping.

Pressure = Force X Area

When a bar is inserted to the handle socket and pumping motion is enforced, the hydraulic fluid is forced by the piston and will go through a one-way valve, and then the fluid force acting to the bottom of the bigger cylinder and the ram will go upwards. The other valve is blocked so pressurized fluid can’t back until it is unscrewed. This is how the hydraulic jack works.

Components of Hydraulic Jacks

  • A Reservoir
  • Pumps
  • Cylinder
  • Piston
  • Check Valves or Ball Valves
  • Release Valve

Power Source of Hydraulic Jacks

  • Hand Power
  • Air (Compressed)
  • Electric
  • Gas

Common Applications of Hydraulic Jacks

  • Lifting Industrial Heavy Loads
  • Lifting the Car and Vehicles for Clamping
  • Lifting or Clamping of Machinery Equipment’s

Types of Hydraulic Jacks

  • Hydraulic Jack (Bottle Jack and Floor Jack) *Most Commonly Used
  • Scissor Jack
  • Hi-Lift Jack
  • Motorcycle Jack
  • Trolley Jack
Types of Hydraulic Jacks

Floor Jack

Types of Hydraulic Jacks

Scissor Jack

Types of Hydraulic Jacks

Bottle Jack

Bottle Jack

The name bottle jack comes from the appearance of it looking like a milk bottle. It rises weight with a vertical shaft that is pumped by a hand lever. Bottle jacks are commonly used in the automobile industry for lifting cars. It is secured by a frame and simply used as a free-standing piece of equipment to allow for repositioning. One of the main advantages of a bottle jack is that it can fit in small and compact places.

Floor Jack

The floor jack shaft is operated horizontally. When the handle is pushed down, the jack lifts the object upward. There are two types of floors jacks, one of them is a mechanical floor jack and the other is a hydraulic floor jack. The main advantage of a floor jack is that it can seat low to the ground and operate speedy.

Mechanical Floor Jack: this type of floor jack is developed with a screwing mechanism. The screw mechanism is used to lift the weight.

Hydraulic Floor Jack: this type is developed with check valves, cylinders, and pistons which help lift the weight.

Scissor Jack

Scissor jacks are smaller in size and easy to store. Turning the lead screw helps lift the weight. You are able to tighten the lead screw by a small crank to draw the linkages together. It is most commonly used to aid in changing tires for cars and vehicles. Scissor jaks tend to operate relatively slow and are somewhat lightweight making them less desirable to use on heavy duty vehicles.

Hi-Lift Jack

Hi-Lift Jacks are commonly used for farming vehicles rather than cars or trucks. Hi-Life Jacks were designed by Bloomfield Manufacturing Company 100+ years back. There are two climbing pins that work alternatively into the Hi-Jack lift, one pin will hold the load and the other is freed and moved to the next whole while lifting. This type of jack is dangerous if you don’t know how to correctly use- please advice a professional before using.

Motorcycle Jack

Just as the name mentions, this type of jack is used to lift motorcycles for cleaning and modifications. It was developed for lifting motorcycles safely and also tends to be used for lifting ATV 4 wheel style vehicles as well.

Trolley Jack

The Trolley Jack was developed to lift a vehicle to be able to work under it to repair or regular maintenance. It is usually designed to lift vehicles and hold into a safe position for a short period of time. The wheels of a trolley jack make slight movements to make up for the shift in the car during weight distribution.

Hydraulic jacks really have many different uses and can be used in to many different ways- whether it’s changing a tire, lifting up your vehicles to look underneath for repairs or maintenance, or even lifting a piece of heavy equipment for repairs. A hydraulic jack allows for the user to exert a large amount of force and power through a small, and simple movement making your next mechanical project just a whole lot easier.

All Phase Hydraulics is proud to carry American Forge & Foundry hydraulic jacks for our customers. AFF is proven to be durable, reliable, and affordable, all while getting the job done efficiently. Check out our line of American Forge Jacks that we offer. 

If you’re looking for assistance on which Hydraulic Jack is right for your specific application- feel free to Contact Us today!