A jack lifts a load from underneath, and the type is chosen by where you can get the jack in.
A bottle jack is compact and tall, for lifting under a chassis or beam where there is height available. A trolley jack rolls in low and lifts on an arc, which suits workshop use. A toe jack is the specialist: it lifts from a claw only millimetres off the floor, which is the only way to get under a machine base sitting flat on a slab.
The most important rule is the same for all of them. A jack raises a load; it does not hold one. Once the load is up, it goes onto rated stands or cribbing before anyone goes near it.
Manufacturer specification. Rugged steel frame construction. 360 degree rotating saddle with safety lugs. 2 rear swivel castors for easy positioning. Light and portable for easy storage. Long, low, wide stance for stability. Marked with CE, capacity and product ID mark.
Key Features
- Rugged steel frame construction: As specified by the manufacturer
- 360 degree rotating saddle with safety lugs: As specified by the manufacturer
- 2 rear swivel castors for easy positioning: As specified by the manufacturer
- Light and portable for easy storage: As specified by the manufacturer
- Long, low, wide stance for stability: As specified by the manufacturer
- Marked with CE, capacity and product ID mark: As specified by the manufacturer
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Capacity (kg) |
Weight (kg) |
| GTHFJ2 |
2 |
9 |
| GTHFJ3 |
3 |
33.5 |
Full specification and capacities are given in the manufacturer information sheet.
Manufacturer Specification | LOLER Ready
Rugged steel frame construction. 360 degree rotating saddle with safety lugs. 2 rear swivel castors for easy positioning. Light and portable for easy storage. Long, low, wide stance for stability. Marked with CE, capacity and product ID mark. Under LOLER 1998, lifting equipment and accessories require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months. Work equipment that does not lift falls under PUWER 1998 and must be inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Suitable Applications
Machinery installation, moving and levelling; vehicle and plant maintenance; structural jacking; and any work needing a load raised from beneath. Toe jacks specifically for machine bases, transformers and anything sitting flat on the floor with no lifting point.
More About This Product
Jacks are the most familiar lifting equipment on any site and the most casually used. Almost everyone has used one; almost nobody has read the instructions, and the failure modes are consistent enough that they are worth stating plainly.
The first is working under a load on a jack alone. The second is jacking on a floor that will not take the point load. Both are entirely predictable and both keep happening.
Point Loading and Why Floors Fail
A jack concentrates the entire load onto a base of a few square centimetres, and that is a fundamentally different loading case from the load sitting on its own feet.
A machine weighing four tonnes spread across a wide base plate imposes a manageable pressure on a slab. The same four tonnes on a bottle jack base is concentrated enough to punch through a thin slab, crack a screed, or find a void that nobody knew was there. Floors that carry a static load comfortably fail under jacks routinely, and it happens without warning because there is nothing to see beforehand.
The practical answers are a spreader plate under the jack to distribute the load, and knowing what is under the floor before you start. Expansion joints, service ducts, suspended slabs and basements all change the answer, and none of them is visible from above.
The same applies at the top. Bearing on a sheet panel, a cover plate or bodywork rather than a structural point transfers the whole load into something not designed to take it. Find the structural point, and use a saddle or block to spread the load onto it.
Then crib as you lift, and transfer the load to rated stands before anyone approaches. A jack is a lifting device. Stands are a supporting device. They are not interchangeable and the distinction is what keeps people alive.
How to Use
- Assess the floor before jacking: Point loading under a jack is far higher than the load's own footprint. Look for weak slabs, voids and expansion joints.
- Bear on a solid structural point: Not on sheet panels, covers or bodywork.
- Crib as you lift: Place blocking as the load rises, not once it is up.
- Never work under a load on a jack alone: Rated stands or cribbing take the load before anyone goes underneath.
- Lower under control: Release slowly, watching the load throughout.
- Keep the jack upright: A jack loaded off vertical can kick out.
Warning: A jack raises a load; it does not hold one. Never work under a load supported only by a jack — transfer to rated stands or cribbing first. Assess the floor before jacking, since point loading under a jack is far higher than the load's own footprint.
Safety Information
- Never exceed the rated capacity.
- Never work under a load supported only by a jack.
- Transfer to rated stands or cribbing before going beneath a load.
- Assess the floor for point loading before jacking.
- Bear on solid structural points only.
- Keep the jack upright and square to the load.
- Lower under control.
- Inspect for leaks, damage and ram scoring before each use.
Inspection and Maintenance
Check for oil weeping around the ram seal and the release valve, since a jack that leaks will settle under load — the failure mode that catches people out. Inspect the ram for scoring, corrosion and pitting, which destroys seals. Test the lifting and lowering action through full travel and feel for sponginess indicating air or a failing seal. Check the saddle for wear and the base for distortion, and confirm wheels and castors on trolley types run freely. Keep the ram clean and retracted when stored.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Bottle, trolley or toe jack?
Bottle jacks are compact and tall, for lifting where height is available. Trolley jacks roll in low and suit workshop use. Toe jacks lift from a claw millimetres off the floor, which is the only option under a machine base sitting flat on a slab.
Q: Can I leave a load on a jack?
No. A jack raises a load; it does not hold one. Transfer to rated stands or cribbing before anyone goes near, and before leaving it unattended.
Q: Does the floor matter?
More than people expect. The point load under a jack is far higher than the load's own footprint. Weak slabs, voids and expansion joints are where jacks go through floors.
