Comparison Intertool GT0400 vs Intertool GT0022

— Vertical (bottle). As the name suggests, these jacks have a vertical design and resemble a bottle in appearance. Most of these models use a hydraulic lifting mechanism (see below); this ensures high efficiency and allows for impressive lifting capacity — up to 100 tons. In addition, the advantages include smooth movement and precision of fixation at the desired height. On the other hand, hydraulic bottle jacks are difficult to transport, as they must always be in a vertical position to avoid leaks. Mechanical models of this type are relatively rare. It is worth considering that all vertical jacks have a high pickup height, which makes them poorly suited for vehicles with low ground clearance.

— Screw (diamond-shaped). One of the simplest and most popular solutions, these are the jacks that are installed in the vast majority of modern cars. The design is based on a diamond-shaped frame, the height of which changes due to the rotation of the screw. The main advantages of this type are simplicity in design and use, compactness and low cost. On the other hand, the use of screw models by cars is limited: the maximum lifting capacity, even in the most solid models, does not exceed 2 tons, and the efficiency is low - which means that you will have to spend a lot of effort on lifting.

— Hook jacks. These jacks are similar in design and operating principle to...bottle jacks (see above), but differ in the presence of a side hook located at a low height. Due to this, they are indispensable when working in tight conditions, for which a classic bottle jack is unsuitable (for example, if you need to lift a heavy car with low ground clearance). At the same time, many hook jacks are also equipped with upper platforms and can be used similarly to bottle jacks (although the lifting height is generally somewhat lower). Note that most of these models belong to the professional level and are designed for specific tasks, such as servicing heavy warehouse forklifts.

— Rolling. Jacks with a hydraulic, pneumatic or pneumohydraulic lifting mechanism (see below), made in the form of a characteristic trolley. The cylinder in such units is located horizontally, which allows you to achieve a lifting height of a few centimeters; and the lifting capacity in the most powerful models can reach 70 - 80 tons. At the same time, the design itself is very bulky and heavy, and for its safe use it is very desirable to have a flat, hard surface. In light of this, rolling jacks are used primarily in car repair shops, service stations, large garages of enterprises, etc.

— Scissor trolley. A type of trolley jack (see above), which when lifted takes the shape of the letter "X", similar to how scissors open (hence the name). At the same time, on one side, such a jack, as a rule, has a hook with a small pickup height (and a small lifting height), on the other - a working platform capable of lifting the load to a great height. This design allows you to lift "low-sitting" heavy loads high: first the hook works, then the load is placed on the stand and jacked up with the other side. Thus, scissor jacks are very versatile, but their price is also high.

— Inflatable portable. Jacks of this type are actually inflatable cylinders made of soft and durable material, equipped with a valve system. The load is lifted by inflating the cylinder; the pressure source, depending on the model, can be a compressor, an external pump, compressed gas cylinders or even a car exhaust system. One of the main advantages of inflatable jacks is a very low lifting height: the folded shell can be pushed even into a fairly narrow gap. In addition, the cylinders work well on soft loose soils and in mud, which is especially important for off-road driving enthusiasts. The lifting capacity of such a jack can reach 4-5 tons, and lifting is carried out in a matter of seconds. On the other hand, pneumatic models are generally not very stable, and a sharp object (a stone, a knot, a protruding part on the bottom) can pierce the shell, which is fraught with serious troubles.

— Rack and pinion (High-Jack). In terms of design, the tool consists of a rack equipped with slots and a hook with a lever/handle. The lifting capacity of most such models is about 3-4 tons. The main advantage of "high-jacks" is the large lifting height (up to 1 m and even more); in addition, they are very reliable and work well even off-road. On the other hand, the rack design is considered quite dangerous and requires strict adherence to work techniques; and the tool itself is bulky and poorly suited for the trunks of cars. Rack and pinion models are popular mainly among owners of SUVs, pickups and light trucks.

— Repair stand. As the name suggests, such devices are designed not so much for lifting a car (or other load) “from the ground” as for maintaining an already lifted car in the desired position. True, most of them have a movable rod and a mechanism similar to the Hi-Jack described above; however, such a mechanism is only designed for height adjustment, and its adjustment range usually does not exceed 15–17 cm. Nevertheless, the stand allows you to unload the jack used for lifting and use it for other tasks. This can be indispensable in car repair shops and other places where you have to deal with several cars at the same time (especially since such a device is much cheaper than a full-featured jack).

— Transmission stand. A jack in the form of a high (often more than a meter) stand on wheels, equipped with a retractable piston with a special stand in the form of several characteristic petals. Such stands are designed for use in inspection pits or with stationary car lifts. And the aforementioned stand facilitates the removal and installation of parts and units that need to be accessed from the bottom - primarily the gearbox (hence the name). However, some jacks of this type allow the standard stand to be replaced with other devices.

— Transmission jack. A type of jack that combines the features of jack models and transmission stands (see above for both). Externally, such a tool looks like a classic jack, in which a special stand is installed instead of a platform for safe removal of the gearbox and other similar parts. The advantage of such a unit over a classic transmission stand is that it does not require an inspection pit or a car lift - it is enough to lift the car with a regular jack. True, this format of work is considered less convenient and safe than using a stand, but in some cases there are simply no other options.

— Moto / ATV. Devices for lifting and maintaining motorcycles or four-wheeled off-road vehicles with motorcycle-type steering and seating (ATV — All Terrain Vehicle) in an upright position. As a rule, they are a compact type of hydraulically operated rolling jacks (see the relevant points). However, there are also other types of jacks for motorcycles and ATVs.

— Rolling crane. A specific type of rolling jacks (see above), equipped with an extendable boom for handling loads. The crane in the design of such jacks reveals the potential for multitasking of the equipment - the design can be used in the process of performing diagnostic, maintenance or repair work. Due to the verified location of the center of gravity, proper stability of the rolling crane is ensured, and with a minimum boom reach, the device is characterized by high lifting capacity.

According to the principle of action on the lifting mechanism, modern jacks are divided into the following types:

— Mechanical (manual). In such models, the force required for operation is provided by the customer himself — usually by pumping or rotating a special handle. And this force is transmitted to the lift using a mechanical transmission — usually a screw or rack. Mechanical drives are good because the jack does not require external power sources to operate. And they differ favorably from hydraulic ones in simplicity and low cost, but are inferior in efficiency and lifting capacity and are intended mainly for occasional use (for example, replacing a punctured tire). For technical reasons, this option is used mainly in screw and rack models (see "Type"), although it is also found in bottle models.

— Hydraulic. Like mechanical jacks, hydraulic jacks are driven by the customer's physical force (here, both handles and foot pedals may be used). However, in this case, the force is transmitted by a hydraulic system, which allows for higher lifting capacities and makes the work less tiring. The main disadvantages of a hydraulic drive are its higher cost and greater weight than that of a "mechanic".

— Pneumatic. This type of mechanism does not require any physical effort from the customer to lift the load, but it does require a source of comp...ressed air or other gas under pressure. A cylinder, compressor, or even a car exhaust pipe can be used as such a source. A pneumatic mechanism is by definition used in inflatable jacks, but can also be found in rolling models.

— Electric. Jacks with a drive from their own electric motor. As a rule, such models are diamond-shaped (see "Type"), and the motor rotates the lifting screw; power is supplied from the cigarette lighter socket. An electric drive makes the design more cumbersome and expensive, but significantly saves the customer's strength.

— Pneumatic-hydraulic. A combined option that combines pneumatic and hydraulic operation. In other words, part of the force is provided by the customer through hydraulics, and the rest is taken over by the pneumatic system. This combination provides high lifting capacity with significantly less effort than in the case of “pure” hydraulics; on the other hand, it complicates and increases the cost of the design. As a result, pneumatic-hydraulic jacks are rare, mainly among professional rolling models.

The maximum weight the jack can lift. The perfect option is considered to be such a carrying capacity that exceeds the weight of the car (or other load lifted by the jack). At the same time, do not forget that the load on the jack usually does not have to be lifted entirely, one side of it is most often on the ground. This means that only part of the mass falls on the jack, and the maximum load may well be somewhat less than the total weight of the car being lifted: for example, for a one and a half ton passenger car, a 1 ton model is considered quite sufficient. For each class and weight category of machines, there are rules for choosing jacks according to the minimum load capacity; More details about these rules can be found in special sources.

The parameter shows the minimum allowable distance between the supporting surface (ground, floor) and the jack in the lower working position, that is, the minimum height from which the machine starts to be raised. Before buying a tool, it is important to correlate this parameter with the minimum vehicle clearance.

This parameter shows to what maximum height the jack can lift the load. Usually, on average, this parameter is in the range from 30 to 50 cm, which is quite enough to change the wheel or access the handbrake cable. At the same time, rack jacks are capable of lifting loads to a height of up to 1 metre, although such tasks do not occur so often in domestic use.