Jack-be-nimble
These two new jacks do everything the older ones do but incorporate some welcome clamp characteristics
A year or two ago I talked about some new jacks not intended for changing tires and lifting cars, but for woodworking, carpentry and construction applications. Jacks have been around for centuries, but rarely would you see one used for woodworking, since typical jacks are too heavy and way overpowered for that. Those new jacks changed that.
Since writing that blog, more manufacturers are offering them, but few have made notable improvements that I’ve seen. Until now.
Bessey Tools, famous for one of the most extensive lines of clamps around, has joined the club. The result — the Bessey “BEYCEP Lifting and Assembly Tool” — is worth a look. Klein Tools, meanwhile, has also introduced a nice updated version of its “Heavy-duty Construction Jack.”
Like other lifting jacks designed for the trades, the Klein and Bessey offerings operate the same way: Placed beneath anything you need to lift, such as during cabinet installs or door hanging, you simply squeeze the handle to start lifting. Those earlier jacks lifted up to 340 lbs., although the cheap ones handled a lot less. These new ones up the ante a bit, with the Bessey rated to 400 lbs., the Klein 350 lbs.
Most notably, these two new jacks do everything the older ones do but incorporate some welcome clamp characteristics. For example, where earlier jacks were bare metal on the base and lift plate, Bessey and Klein added protective pads to both. No marring on cabinets or other objects being lifted, and no scratching up finished flooring underneath.
And although the older jacks could be used as spreaders, these go a step beyond by being reversible for use as traditional heavy-duty clamps. On the Bessey, the lift mechanism is designed to be easily removed and flipped around, while the Klein uses a removable base that mounts on either end to achieve reversibility.
I was impressed when I first saw these lift jacks a couple years ago and never expected anyone to really improve them. They were just so simple. Glad to see I was wrong.
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.
