ARB JACK vs. Hi-Lift Jack

[MikeHenderson]

The Hi-Lift is designed by humans for use by humans. As such, with a human's propensity to make mistakes and fail to pay attention, it is a hazardous design. Sure, if you do everything right, no problem. Even if you discount the base design, the ARB design has less user error hazards and pinch points.

I don't have a ton of experience with a Hi-Lift. Before this video I hadn't used one in a few years. My first experience with one was to jack up my dad's truck when it got high centered only to have the truck roll off it and dent the tailgate. So it took me a minute to remember the sequence, which happened off camera. The ARB Jack, is really self explanatory. Anyone who knows the basic purpose of a jack can walk up to it and figure it out without much difficulty.

If you've never used a hi-lift and were given one to jack up a vehicle you'd have trouble. I have no doubt one could figure it out. But that's the hazard. If you don't take the time to understand the function, then the hazards are harder to avoid.

This thread has made me realize that the ARB Jack isn't made for people like @67cj5. He knows what he's doing, has the experience and skill. It's made for the overlanders who don't have that depth of experience and want a jack that is easy and relatively safe to use in a casual manner on the rare occasion their BFG KO2s give out. They're not going to use it as a winch. They're not going to use it as a lever to walk over a hole. They're just going to use it to crush their factory bumper Then call a tow truck.

-M

 

[67cj5]

I'm honestly surprised by those numbers, that is lighter than they feel for sure, but I am going to stick with my 5lb Toyota Jack. Best 5lbs of pushing and lifting you can get in my opinion. Heck, having more than one would still be lighter than a single hi-lift and allow you to stabilize and lift more complex loads. I have a few ideas for trailer type jacks that I want to try also.

I think it is important to keep trying new things, that is the one thing I can appreciate about the ARB unit. At least they are trying.

Yeah me Too, I was expecting up arounf the 35+ Lbs for the 48" and around 45 for the X-Treme, But they still weigh a Ton in the hand,

ARB was on the right track but they can't compare it to the Hi-Lift because although the HL has been around for decades it just does a lot more, ARB just need to not sell these models and release one that does have 2 way Valving and then they would have a winner.

 

[Metcalf]

Yeah me Too, I was expecting up arounf the 35+ Lbs for the 48" and around 45 for the X-Treme, But they still weigh a Ton in the hand,

ARB was on the right track but they can't compare it to the Hi-Lift because although the HL has been around for decades it just does a lot more, ARB just need to not sell these models and release one that does have 2 way Valving and then they would have a winner.

The ARB jack has some things going for it, even in this basic form.....

-It is more compact. It is smaller to store in the vehicle. A shorter high-lift just doesn't compare. People need room for their fridges, drawers, and espresso makers.
-It is lighter, though not by THAT much.
-It will perimeter lift a vehicle in realtive safety without risk of the handle back-feeding with very little input force.
-It looks nice. People pay a lot for that.

I would not be surprised to see them continue to refine the concept, nor would I be surprised to see clones or evolution of the design from other companies.
I'm gonna stick with my dumb little toyota jack and continue to tweak on that a little personally

The use for an off-road jack is pretty limited in my experience.....and simplier might actually be better a lot of the time.

 

[67cj5]

The Hi-Lift is designed by humans for use by humans. As such, with a human's propensity to make mistakes and fail to pay attention, it is a hazardous design. Sure, if you do everything right, no problem. Even if you discount the base design, the ARB design has less user error hazards and pinch points.

I don't have a ton of experience with a Hi-Lift. Before this video I hadn't used one in a few years. My first experience with one was to jack up my dad's truck when it got high centered only to have the truck roll off it and dent the tailgate. So it took me a minute to remember the sequence, which happened off camera. The ARB Jack, is really self explanatory. Anyone who knows the basic purpose of a jack can walk up to it and figure it out without much difficulty.

If you've never used a hi-lift and were given one to jack up a vehicle you'd have trouble. I have no doubt one could figure it out. But that's the hazard. If you don't take the time to understand the function, then the hazards are harder to avoid.

This thread has made me realize that the ARB Jack isn't made for people like @67cj5. He knows what he's doing, has the experience and skill. It's made for the overlanders who don't have that depth of experience and want a jack that is easy and relatively safe to use in a casual manner on the rare occasion their BFG KO2s give out. They're not going to use it as a winch. They're not going to use it as a lever to walk over a hole. They're just going to use it to crush their factory bumper Then call a tow truck.

-M

Mike, Having lived out in the Bush a person learns to improvise and get out of it the best you can, And as well versed as you review is and to be honest it is a great post, but having done the hard yards I have used everything from those little $20.00 cable hand pullers to Hi-Lifts and even round Logs to get the vehicle out, Now I have 2 Hi-Lifts, 1 Copy 2 Exhaust Jacks and a 1600kg Lifting Capacity " Not Pulling Power" Tirfor Hand Winch that can Pull about 5 or 6 Ton and a 4 Ton Small Cable Puller and even having all that Gear some times even that lot is not enough,

The gear I got is because no two situations are the same, I have Snatch Blocks Snatch Straps but 99% of the time I use Chains 10 and 30 foot Long because getting unstuck is a thing you just want over and done with, And this is why the Hi-Lift is a prized piece of kit, Give me a Choice of it or Cindy Crawford and I'd pick her every time but I can't see her getting out to push when the need arises, LOL.

The Hi-Lift s a No Fuss piece of kit and if you take ya mind off the job then it will bite you, point is if you are going far off the beaten track you need it to be simple and fix able, I won't have cars and trucks with computers because they are a curse out in the bush and the recovery gear which is just as important as the Vehicle you drive and it needs to work every time and is an easy fix along the track, The ARB Jack is unproven and the price is way way OTT, but the HL is the real deal and it's not pretty and it is only as safe as the person using it, and I have used it for fixing Dump Trucks that have over extended their Rams and on Farm Tractors, 4x4's fences and Tree stumps and the list goes on, It's a problem solver nothing else,

 

[whitenoise]

The passion in this thread is great, and interesting perspectives on the merits of the age old solution vs the new. It would all be worth it if the ARB product were priced even remotely close to any other alternative. It isn't a game changer that warrants the price, that's for sure. But what we should all be grateful for is innovation in this market, and companies willing to risk their reputations in favor of building (or in this case trying to build) a better mousetrap.

I personally like OEM bottle jacks with a few homemade accessories (similar to safejack system) and in some cases augmenting that with an inflatable bag (similar to ARB X-jack).

Sent from my Nokia 7.1 using Tapatalk

 

[67cj5]

The passion in this thread is great, and interesting perspectives on the merits of the age old solution vs the new. It would all be worth it if the ARB product were priced even remotely close to any other alternative. It isn't a game changer that warrants the price, that's for sure. But what we should all be grateful for is innovation in this market, and companies willing to risk their reputations in favor of building (or in this case trying to build) a better mousetrap.

I personally like OEM bottle jacks with a few homemade accessories (similar to safejack system) and in some cases augmenting that with an inflatable bag (similar to ARB X-jack).

Sent from my Nokia 7.1 using Tapatalk

I truly believe that the ARB Jack is good at it's job based on it's limitations, But as you say, The pricing is all wrong and it is not a replacement for a Hi-Lift far from it,

 

[krick3tt]

When one is able to buy a HiLift for $80 vs an ARB for $800, the range of dollars spent for what it will do is not even close to proportional. I do have a winch so not needing one for that is not a loss for me but for just lifting a vehicle it appears that many bottle jacks will perform better for less dollars spent, but if you have to have the most pricey thing, who can argue?

 

[HOBBE$]

If you have rock sliders which I still need, and the space for it, I'm not sure why you wouldn't carry a Hi Lift Jack?

 

[Kmrtnsn]

"it is a hazardous design". No, it is not. It is a machine, a very simple machine. Combined with even a rudimentary understanding of physics it is capable of extraordinary things, limited only by the imagination.

I can winch with mine, I can clamp, I lift my bumpers, my sliders, my tires, I can brace, I can cut metal like a car door or a roof, or an A pillar.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

If you have rock sliders which I still need, and the space for it, I'm not sure why you wouldn't carry a Hi Lift Jack?

View attachment 537393 View attachment 537395 View attachment 537396 View attachment 537397

Make sure you get some accessories for it. They only make it even more capable.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Good Idea, I see that on most of ARB's Bull Bars Winch Bars they have "T" Slots cut in to them so you can Lock in the Nose of the Hi-Lift So no adapter is needed and there is Zero chance of Slippage,

There is an Adapter made to fit round Tubing

,View attachment 534987

I have the JakJaw, http://jakjaw.com/

 

[Kmrtnsn]

In this article are some great Hi-Lift jack accessories that should be a part of your Hi-Lift recovery Kit. I own several of these as I am a big believer in maximizing utility. BTW, none of these things fits the ARB Jack......

13 of the Best Hi-Lift Accessories to Make a Better Jack

Turn your Hi-Lift from just a jack into a DO-IT-ALL BEAST! Use your Hi-Lift to winch, lift from awkward points, make it stable, protect it, repair it, and more.

www.roundforge.com

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Uses limited only by the imagination.

 

[krick3tt]

I was in an off road equipment shop the other day and seeing an ARB jack there I examined it. Heavy piece of kit, comparable weight to a HL. Trying to figure how to mount it outside (HL is on my front ARB bumper) as there is no room inside my LR for one.

 

[HOBBE$]

I like the JakJaw accessory above. I haven't seen that before. I have the Hi-Lift Off-Road Kit, Lift-Mate, Bumper-Lift, Off-Road Base. 3"X 15' Tree Strap, Fix-It-Kit and a small can of BP Blaster. I just added a JackMate. It comes with a replacement push pin for the Hi-Lift base. If I chose not to use the base, I can dismount the jack by removing one bolt and the base pin. Base is held by two other bolts. I was not satisfied with Loc-Rac Bedrail mount that Hi-Lift offers.