Archived from the Tools In Action forum (In The Shop). This thread is read-only.
About 30 years ago I purchased a used / rebuilt / old commercial Hein Warner hydraulic floor jack.
This has been a dependable workhorse tool for me. This has been my go to jack for all my automotive service projects. I REALLY love the large, stable, heavy-duty frame.
My automotive work that requires the vehicle suspended in the air ALWAYS includes blocking two wheels, lifting the opposite end of the vehicle from a chassis member, then lowering the vehicle frame onto a pair of heavy duty jack stands on a stable surface. If required the process is repeated for the other vehicle end.
Recently I decided to retire / upgrade / sell my old Hein Warner and replace it with a new Hein Warner HW93657 4 ton floor jack. Other than the cost I am very happy with that decision.
The new and old are similar but different. The biggest difference is the method for using the handle to position the far end side-to-side. The tool is massively heavy so positioning the far end requires the large handle lever to lock from downward movement, so additional downward pushing raises the wheels near the saddle, permitting moving the handle left / right to move the saddle right / left. The old jack had a locking pin control near the tee handle, locking the lever in several positions.
The new tool doesn’t have ANY lock and initially I was lost for how to effect that required positional movement. Instead the new tool has the expected tee handle knob that rotates to release or hold hydraulic pressure, but it also may be pulled to release a pin. The pin permits changing the pump arc position. The 90° pump arc, from the large handle pump lever vertical to that lever horizontal is segmented into three ranges. This permits using the large handle pump lever to arc to the bottom of one of the three ranges, then push down further to lift the wheels near the saddle for positioning.
It initially sounds confusing, but after using it several times it becomes very intuitive.
The tool has VERY smooth movement when raising or lowering. When going from hydraulic turned from the hold pressure stop position there is a “large” (less than one turn) dead zone before affecting the saddle height begins. It is super easy and very controlled to get the desired position / speed result.
Dimensional Info:
Front wheels / axle:
12″ wide – outside to outside of front wheels
4¼” diameter
2¼” wheel width
Rear Wheels / “Axle”
12″ wide – outside to outside of rear wheels
2¼” diameter
Saddle
7″ Cup OD
5-3/8″ Cup ID
1″ Cup Depth
½” Cup Lug Height
3/4″ Cup Lug Width
Handle Pump Lever
48″ Lever Length – Pivot to Tee
11½” Tee Handle Width
2″ – 2¼” Knob OD
Frame
6-3/4″ Wide
½” Side Plate Thickness
Chassis Length:
49″ Long Specification
Min / Max Saddle Height:
5″ / 25-3/4″ Height Specification
Mass:
219 lbs, Gross Weight Specification (Unbelievably Heavy)
[External image (live.staticflickr.com), not copied]
[External image (live.staticflickr.com), not copied]
[External image (live.staticflickr.com), not copied]
[External image (live.staticflickr.com), not copied]
Looks like a nice heavy duty Jack. I have been looking for a jack for a while. Not that I use it a ton but always nice to have it when I need it. My wife had a flat about two ago and would have been so nice to just use a jack like this instead of the junk one that comes with the car.
Agreed, mine is not used frequently, but it is (has been) sooo nice having a LARGE frame jack for the greatly increased stability and safety when compared to the standard homeowner jack.
100%, the large frame is much better.