The 10 Best Bottle Jacks

Editor's Notes

April 11, 2019:

Standard bottle jacks are a relatively familiar tool to many people, and they offer a lot of leverage for lifting vehicles, framing joists, machinery, and a lot of other heavy objects. The Torin Big Red, OTC Stinger, and Craftsman are the most traditional, with the standard Big Red possibly offering the most versatility, simply because it comes in so many different sizes and isn't too costly. The Powerbuilt is an interesting choice because it combines a jack and a stand, making it ideal for sustaining heavy loads. It's an incredibly useful tool to have around when you're building a house. The Sergeant is a nice collection of high-quality components, and its dependability as well as its appearance wouldn't be out of place in the back of a burly off-road vehicle. The Strongway High Lift is especially useful if your vehicle is lower to the ground than average, thanks to its dual cylinder that gives it a full 8 inches of lift in a body that's only about 5 inches tall. The Central Hydraulics and Big Red Clevis model are a bit unconventional, but for the purposes they serve, they're about the best around. And if you don't need to move objects very far and don't have much room to fit a jack, check out the BVA Hydraulics, which is remarkably small for a bottle jack, although it has a throw of only three quarters of an inch, and as such isn't terribly useful for common tasks like working on cars.

As a final note, remember that if something is heavy enough to require a good jack, it's heavy enough to cause damage if it falls or malfunctions. Always follow proper safety procedures no matter what you're working with. In the garage, make sure vehicles are supported by jack stands once you've lifted them up in the air. On the job site, always wear the necessary safety equipment. And always pay careful attention to the job at hand.