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Hydraulic vs mechanical toe jack

beckerkumm

Hot Rolled
Joined
Aug 5, 2014
Location
Wisconsin Rapids WI
Most of my machines are on blocks so I can get a forklift under them but a couple machines stand too high at 4". I was looking at hydraulic toe jacks just to do a vertical lift and lower to reduce the machine height to 1". Is a mechanical jack a better choice to control the descent? The mills are 4500-6500 lbs and I don't want to lose control when lowering. Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. thanks, Dave
 
Most of my machines are on blocks so I can get a forklift under them but a couple machines stand too high at 4". I was looking at hydraulic toe jacks just to do a vertical lift and lower to reduce the machine height to 1". Is a mechanical jack a better choice to control the descent? The mills are 4500-6500 lbs and I don't want to lose control when lowering. Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. thanks, Dave

G'Dad' 44 years B&O, Dad USACE, then me as well?

Literally "grew up on" mechanical "railroad jacks", "farm jacks", screw-type bottle jacks far more than juice-jacks.

I don't like the mechanicals.

Lowering has to lever UPward a skosh at each stroke to clear the ratchet teeth.

My toe jacks are hydraulic. 3/4" toe. 5/8" or even skosh less on the tapered tip if the load is light enough. Logger's wedges or pry bars can "find" that clearance FOR me.

Smaller and easier to position than mechanicals, but generally as heavy if not heavier.

Seals can go bad. Fluid can leak. Not often, though. If concerned, one takes a strain. Leaves it. Comes back after "a while" and measures the leak-down.

My "Asian" ones are OK for 12 hours @ minimal loss?
That's good enough.

If I had to do it over, the change would be to the optional side-stroking pump-piston arrangement.

Sometimes, space is so restricted that even with the swiveling rig they do have, it is hard to find vertical clearance for operating the pump handle.

2 TJ's worth. A matched PAIR is wise.
 
A machinery bar, some hardwood wedges, and a helper and its about a 5 minute job to get those machines on the floor.
 
A machinery bar, some hardwood wedges, and a helper and its about a 5 minute job to get those machines on the floor.

No "helper" here that isn't in a rigging supply catalog. Trained platoon of Combat Engineers I trusted. ELSE not.

Single-handing reduces the "coordination" workload.

Presuming one can keep both side of yer OWN brain from contradicting each other. It only "helps" to be fully ambidextrous, even so! Few ga-ron-tees exist beyond giving a damn every fraction of every second.

But at least if you screw the pooch there is less who-struck-John OVERHEAD as to placing the blame!
 
I use forklifts and pallet jacks to reposition and move. Looking for a one man method to raise and lower the machine so it can sit closer to floor but get raised to fork height when needed. I agree a helper would simplify but generally not available when I need one. Dave
 
The tapered portion of a forklift fork is the best power lifter available. The forklift can be quite undersized and still wedge the machine up. This is not recommended for fancy floors.
 
The tapered portion of a forklift fork is the best power lifter available. The forklift can be quite undersized and still wedge the machine up. This is not recommended for fancy floors.

Even LESS recommended where the "shop" door is eighteen feet wide.. but only six feet tall.. so the FL is OUTSIDE and the load is INSIDE?

:)

We had a triple-articulated "short mast" Towmotor 4K in 'nam. Meant to work INSIDE railcars, box trucks, enclosed cargo trailers and even CONEX containers (not as tall as present-day cargo containers).

It did a lovely job!

But I don't have one NOW.

Closest I have found is one scarce model of a powered stacker made by Crown with about an inch and a half clear.. and SEVERAL of the (Toyota) Raymond speciality unts of the sort used for re-stocking retail convenience stores and fast-food outlets.

One can get those into limited spaces. Some of the clever little devils could probably slither up the sewer pipes carrying a case of burger buns.. but they don't have the lift wanted for machinery use.

Pricey, too, Raymond goods are.
 
My forklift is an old Towmotor with long forks that are great but not thin on the ends. To use it for lifting I would first have to move a bunch of machines which defeats the purpose of an easy task. I usually use an electric pallet jack but they have thick forks too. Everything that can handle weight needs 3.5" minimum. This mill is what I'd like to get closer to the floor. DaveDSCN4070.jpgIG]326403[/ATTACH]

Edit. Machine is higher when upright.
 

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My forklift is an old Towmotor with long forks that are great but not thin on the ends. To use it for lifting I would first have to move a bunch of machines which defeats the purpose of an easy task. I usually use an electric pallet jack but they have thick forks too. Everything that can handle weight needs 3.5" minimum. This mill is what I'd like to get closer to the floor. DaveView attachment 326404IG]326403[/ATTACH]

Edit. Machine is higher when upright.

Time was, I was higher when upright meself. ..... time was..

IF... you were to mount skates.. one @ center-mass, each side, like the paddlewheels on a side-wheel steam boat.. you wouldn't need to use either of a pallet jack or FL.

To make chips:

- Move the ram to where it tips forward.
- Place a cross timber under the rear lip.
- Elevate the front of the base on two jack-pad screws.

... The skate unloads, lifts off the deck by 20 thou to 200 thou.

The machine is stable.

Need to move it? Reverse the process:

- put the load off the jackpads, it transfes load back onto the skates
- pull the rear cross pad
- spin it on the sidewheeler skates in its own length to push-off in any direction.
- on-arrival, see part one.

For my mill (5205 Avoir USMT "Quartet" combo) I can also place the Vestil 10 kilo-lb swivel-top under the nose, adjust balance by moving the ram.

Vestil's OWN website is a disaster-weirding, but you can find images of those type of goods elsewhere.
 
another trick I've seen, prop the machine up on 3 blocks of ice. Tomorrow morning it will be on the ground

Dry ice. Man at each point with a steam lance. Minder directing with a level atop the load. Otherwise.. the heaviest-load point melts faster!
Yes. The trick can also be used to turn heavy stuff OVER.

So can captive sand, arranged to be let out. See "Egypt" and not-only.

Primitive man did not have Harbor Freight.
Only when we GOT it did we begin to become primitive, again.

Go figure we shall keep doing this over until we get it right?

:)
 








 
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