Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

The Hi-Lift jack arrived today. (A birthday gift from the missus.) This may be one of the few times I have underestimated the size and mass of a piece of gear. I went with the 60″ over the 48″ because I figured the longer one could do everything the shorter one could do, but not vice versa. And that is, I think, a fairly valid argument. What I didnt really think through was just how big this thing is.

Although it would certainly excel at lifting a vehicle to change a tire, that isnt the primary reason I wanted one. My primary reason was for it’s other features – using as a comealong, being able to clamp objects together, to pry objects apart (“jaws of life” style), and that sort of thing. Someday, the ability to move a very heavy obstacle a few feet to the side, lift fallen tree branches, spread apart a door jamb, or otherwise move something that would normally take ten men to move, will be very handy and useful.

I need to thoroughly read the instructions and watch some videos for this thing. I am told that if you arent careful about how you position yourself in relation to the handle, it can snap back and tear your jaw off. That would be ungood.