Hydraulic Jack & Hydraulic Scissor Jack – Uses & Benefits

Which Jack Should You Choose?

Hydraulic Jacks or “floor jacks” and Scissor Jacks or “screw jack” are two extremely useful tools with the same general outcome. So which one is right for your project? Which one should you be trying to obtain for the trunk of your car in an emergency? Both jacks have some amazing benefits and fulfill their own unique purposes.

A hydraulic jack is an impressive tool to add to your disposal, they are most commonly used in household settings to lift cars for maintenance & changing tires. On a larger scale, other forms of hydraulic jacks are used in so many things that we do, in construction equipment, in platform liftings, material handling & even earth moving. The hydraulic jack works off of the base of Pascal’s law; if you don’t remember much from High School science class, we have you covered. In brief, “A small force is applied on a smaller area of hydraulic fluid and that force generates some pressure in the fluid. That pressure is then applied to a wider area at output so that adequate force is generated to lift the load.” (Club Technical 2018)

American Forge Jacks 2

How A Scissor Jack Works

A scissor jack operates with the help of a lead screw. You tighten the screw with a small crank to draw the linkages together. This raises the jack – when you loosen the screw (also by crank) the linkages will grow farther apart & the jack will lower. Although there are many benefits to a scissor jack, they also have a few disadvantages. Scissor jacks are relatively slow to operate…you may have to spend a little more time raising & lowering in order to get the desired result. The other disadvantage is that they are somewhat lightweight & are not recommended to be used on heavy-duty vehicles.

So, what makes a hydraulic floor jack different and/or better than a common scissor jack? Here are some advantages that we’ve found. One of the biggest advantages is speed, a hydraulic jack can attain the same height that a scissor jack can in a matter of seconds! They are also a little heavier duty, trust-able with many different vehicles & a little heavier duty objects. Lastly, although the hydraulic floor jack may not be as mobile friendly, because they have wheels they are generally easier to roll around on a floor without needing to stress your back to pick it up!

Overall both pieces of equipment are relatively easy to maintain & keep, and depending on your reason & usage, either could be a viable option.

At All Phase Hydraulics we offer several types of Hydraulic Jacks for you & your project!

Need Help Finding the Right Hydraulic Jack For Your Project?

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