Long Term Review: ARB Jack

Greg

Adventurist
Senior Staff
Re-inventing the wheel isn’t an easy task.  Many companies try and try to bring a product to market that completely redefines the standard of a given item, and fail.  So when a company actually comes up with something that brings about considerable increases in user safety, ease of use, maintenance, weight savings, and increased portability over a long-accepted standard you have to spend some time with this new item to see how it really compares to the old standard.  In this case, I’m happy to report that ARB has come up with a worthy successor to the Hi-Lift jack – and they’ve named it after one particularly rugged and dapper looking fellow. Meet JACK.
JACK.jpg
ARB’s JACK competes with the Hi-Lift jack that has been around for more than 100 years, and in that time the Hi-Lift has become the gold standard recovery item that’s carried on all manner of rigs for good reason.  A...

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IMHO as some knucklehead on the internet with no real knowledge...

Looks a lot safer than a Hi Lift but at a 3 pound weight savings and a pretty large price tag. Doubt I will get one as my Hi Lift has been left in the garage for years.

Great write up on the jack.
 
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Actually it's a seven-pound weight saving, which equates to 25 percent. I measured the difference directly when I tested the ARB Jack in Australia. Personally I was impressed with it, and—if price were no object, an important point—would unhesitatingly choose it over the Hi-Lift. As to the Hi-Lift's ability to winch, clamp etc., I know how many times I've actually used it that way outside of showing students it can be done: zero. The ARB is massively superior to the Hi-Lift in its primary function: jacking. Lifting effort is reduced hugely, lowering effort does not exist except in your index finger pushing the lever. Handling and storage are easier since the ARB is only 36 inches long stowed. Increased safety is a given, and impossible to quantify in dollars given the injuries I've seen personally from a second's lack of concentration on Hi-Lift operation. So dissing the ARB on function is futile as far as I'm concerned, and it's certainly not a "joke." As to the price—that's a fair target, and I think only sales figures will tell whether ARB knew what they were doing when they stuck the tag on it. In these days of $2,000 fridges and $1500 driving lamps, I'm not sure it's that big of a leap.
 
Actually it's a seven-pound weight saving, which equates to 25 percent. I measured the difference directly when I tested the ARB Jack in Australia. Personally I was impressed with it, and—if price were no object, an important point—would unhesitatingly choose it over the Hi-Lift. As to the Hi-Lift's ability to winch, clamp etc., I know how many times I've actually used it that way outside of showing students it can be done: zero. The ARB is massively superior to the Hi-Lift in its primary function: jacking. Lifting effort is reduced hugely, lowering effort does not exist except in your index finger pushing the lever. Handling and storage are easier since the ARB is only 36 inches long stowed. Increased safety is a given, and impossible to quantify in dollars given the injuries I've seen personally from a second's lack of concentration on Hi-Lift operation. So dissing the ARB on function is futile as far as I'm concerned, and it's certainly not a "joke." As to the price—that's a fair target, and I think only sales figures will tell whether ARB knew what they were doing when they stuck the tag on it. In these days of $2,000 fridges and $1500 driving lamps, I'm not sure it's that big of a leap.

Yes, 7 lbs lighter is correct and yes, we are impressed too. I'm also in the camp of "if price were no object", and "never used" the clamping or spreading feature on a HiLift outside of classroom style demos. It's really hard for me to NOT carry a HiLift.

That said, the ARB Jack is a very nice piece of equipment.
 
Great job on the unfettered write up guys. We will also note, outside of competitions and demonstrations, we have never used a HiLift for anything other than lifting. However, we are in the business of carrying equipment that possesses dual purposes and will more than likely stick to the HiLift. Having said that, we definitely wouldn't "kick her out of bed" ie... the ARB "Jack"... if we were to get our hands on one.

Billy Ross
BOLD Overland
Owner/Adventurer
I4WDTA Certified Trainer
 
Great job on the unfettered write up guys. We will also note, outside of competitions and demonstrations, we have never used a HiLift for anything other than lifting. However, we are in the business of carrying equipment that possesses dual purposes and will more than likely stick to the HiLift. Having said that, we definitely wouldn't "kick her out of bed" ie... the ARB "Jack"... if we were to get our hands on one.

Billy Ross
BOLD Overland
Owner/Adventurer
I4WDTA Certified Trainer

Thanks Billy
 
In thirty-plus years of off-road misadventures and mistakes, I have used a highlift exactly one time for recovery. And it would have worked . . . if it weren't for the lions.
 
I think I am finally going to bite the bullet on one of these. I am a huge Hi-Lift fan. When I had my 4Runner built to the nines I upgraded to the 60" model and needed every inch of it. Just about every wheeling trip we needed to 'jack and cast' or 'jack and drive', especially with stock JKUs getting high centered. With my current Land Cruiser, I am setting it up for more of a touring vehicle and I think I can get away with the smaller max height of the ARB Jack. And while I will miss the days of abusing my Hi-Lifts I think the weight savings and carefree maintenance (plus storing inside of the vehicle) are nice positives. @Jonathan Hanson is right, the price isn't out of line when compared to other 'luxuries' and gadgets we afford ourselves.

@WashingtonTaco the example you've shown is the one reason I am still hesitant leaving the jack at home. @izzy and I got into a pickle in Georgia that required this same set up. Fortunately we had a few more trees to work with ;). Izzy, posting these pictures is giving me a mix of PTSD and a crazy desire to hit the trails!

Izzy 1.jpg

Izzy 2.jpg
 
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Izzy is a good friend to have on or off the trail!

The 48" will be fine as long as you don't install a tall suspension system or one with a lot of flex.
 
Now Richard, that was a fun day in GA! Wet wet wet, saturated terrain. And that second campsite overlooking the town was awesome. I remember the guys in motorcycles that came up the next morning, wondering how in the hell we drove up there the previous night in the rain when they could barely get up themselves in the dry.

The 48" is cute, but most guys that have them regret it. But still cute, in an Elmo is cute kind of way. It is great for showing it off at the local Whole Foods, suburbanites are impressed. Now, if you need to recover something..... like the fat ass of an 80 that went off the trail.... you will find yourself resetting more often. Of course, staying on trail is the answer, unless the ground decides it wants to move with you on it...

The ARB jack does one job well, it lifts. Lighter too, and great mechanical advantage. Nothing wrong with that. The Aluminium housing for the piston can get damaged with rough handling (like throwing it into the back of a truck and hitting metal "things"along the way), and now it will not work or lift as much as the piston head will not travel past that kink on the housing.
I would still get a 60 Extreme, never leaving home without it. You can bolt the standard on to roof rack, and slide the climbing mechanism off and store it inside the truck and out of the weather. And if you get a 48 and need a 60, all you need to get is a new standard, the mechanisms are all the same.
 
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