Understanding Hydraulic Jacks: Types & Applications

Are you on the lookout for tools that help you with lifting heavy objects easily? Then the answer is Hydraulic Jacks.  They are used by individuals as well as businesses depending on their needs in lifting heavy machinery, automobiles, building components and even more. Designed modestly, these tools make your heavyweight lifting, storing as well as transportation so much ease. One of the initial designs of these tolls were the Ratchet lifts. But these tools utilized manual ratcheting and were a laborious task. Even though they are still available, with the introduction of hydraulic jacks, lifting, storing and transporting has not been an issue anymore.

How does Hydraulic Jack work?

The first and foremost thing to be done with hydraulic jacks is the closure of pressure valves. This is done to make sure that the pressure will remain in the cylinder. As and when the ever is pushed down, the hydraulic fluid that has been on the smaller cylinder gets pushed into the bigger cylinder building a force that makes it move everything on its way. Depending on the type of jack used, lifts tend to force objects up or sideward. Upon completion of the job and bringing back the jack downwards, just release the valve and the jack and the objects will move downwards.

The hydraulic fluid that’s been used in the jacks is reliable, durable and makes the jack long-lasting for lifting objects. A little maintenance is always expected for hydraulic jacks as required for other machines as well. For maintenance pertaining to the oil, seal rings or filters, repair kits are available in the market.

What are the different types of Hydraulic Jacks? 

Different models of hydraulics jacks are available depending on the applications. Let’s read below about them.

Bottle Jacks

Bottle jacks, otherwise called hand jacks, are one of the easiest tools for lifting vehicles for roadside breakdowns or inspection. Bottle jacks are available in different types depending on their size and lifting capacity. Normally bottle jacks are capable of lifting from 45 kgs to several tonnages. Bottle jacks make use of a vertical shaft that supports the bearing pad which will directly hold the load weight while being lifted.  These jacks are handy and are suitable for lifting vehicles and houses. Its compact design is almost similar to a bottle, making it portable and easy to handle. Bottle jacks are usually placed on the floor while in operation.

Floor Jacks

Floor jacks, also known as Trolley jacks, are unlike bottle jacks. They operate vertically in contrast to the bottle jacks and their shaft is horizontal. The shaft gets pushed on a crank that is connected to a lifting pad which in turn is vertically lifted.  The advantage of floor jacks is that they have a wide range of vertical lift in comparison to bottle jacks and are available either in small or large sizes. Just as in the name Trolleys, these jacks run on wheels and are mostly preferred by mechanists because of their easy usage. These jacks are highly convenient when it comes to maintenance of sports cars due to their low clearance feature. They are flexible and can be raised to substantial heights which makes them suitable for high clearance jobs.  These jacks are easy to set up and offer stable and safe operation. These jacks are mostly preferred by DIY mechanics as well as professionals and are generally used in garages.

Application Sectors

The different sectors that employ hydraulic jacks are Automotive, Agriculture, Construction, Marine, Material Handling and Lifting,  Mining and Rail , Road Transportation.v

What are the factors to be considered while purchasing Hydraulic Jacks?

While planning to purchase a hydraulic jack, it’s important to keep in mind that they are more costly and complex in operation in comparison to the conventional mechanical jacks. Since they work on hydraulic fluid, it’s important to give a constant check on the oil. The oil must be filtered in uniform intervals to ensure the purity of the hydraulic fluid as any form of oil leaks can lead to inefficiency of the machine. 

If you are technically not sound about hydraulic jacks, it’s always better to purchase them from companies who have a strong support team and sell quality products. AT YES Machinery, quality is never compromised and being backed up with a strong sales and service team, all your queries will be answered swiftly without having the need to wait for long. YES Machinery, an industry leader recognizes the importance of these lifting tools and aims at drawing customers from all sectors and offering a wide range of services from distribution to maintenance and repair. We hope that this article has been beneficial to you in understanding the concepts about Hydraulic jacks.