I was hoping this Sunex 6855 55/33/16.5 Ton Air/Hydraulic Truck Jack would solve a couple of needs of ours, and it did not disappoint. My husband works in the oil and gas field with absolutely HUGE truck rigs. He was really happy we got this, as this has enough oomph to lift an axle enough to change a tire on the ginormous and super heavy duty rigs they use. (He has a Ford F250, and this obviously can handle that with ease, as well.) Not only that, but we're also restoring an old classic car at home, and it's a pretty low profile one - while this has more than enough strength to lift a car and is designed for much heavier-duty items, it does it SO much better than the other items we were trying to use, and we're able to get underneath the vehicle more easily to work on it. All in all, we're pleased that it helps my husband out at work, and we can also get use out of it at home, as it works really well in all situations for us.
This arrives in 2 boxes, and the shipping weight is somewhere around 150 lbs. Most people ordering this will most likely know that this is a heavy item, but I wanted to point that out, just in case - so be prepared.
Assembly was fairly straightforward for us - my husband and 14 year old son quickly put it together with no major issues. The instructions had an illustrative format to show you how it's supposed to be assembled properly, and I didn't hear any complaints or groans from them, so it must not have been too bad. :) Once put together, all you need to do from there is install the air nipple you'll need in the switch assembly, and use appropriate measures to seal it (with pipe dope tape)...and then get the adapters and the air line quick disconnect on. Obviously, you'll need to carefully look over the manual to make sure you're following the correct operating instructions for optimal safety, but all in all, it wasn't hard to follow to get it up and running.
Some nice features of this hydraulic truck jack that we like:
- Easier to get at more difficult and hard to reach lift spots (due to the low profile and longer reach design)
- This is springless, so you don't have to worry about springs rusting, degrading, breaking, etc. - something you DEFINITELY don't want to worry about happening when you're trying to lift up to 16.5 literal tons of weight!
- Handle is one piece, extra solid, and easy to use (reach of ~50")
- Everything is sturdy and steady during use - no wobbles
- Also has 2 stacking adapters to provide extra inches of reach (almost 5") for maximum of ~55" reach
- Easy to use variable speed control knob to raise/lower it (with full air actuation)
Obviously, not everyone is going to need a hydraulic jack like this, but for people operating lower profile big rigs and heavy trucks, this is certainly handy to have alongside your tools and maintenance sets. It's sturdy and well-designed to get under and lift those really hard to reach lift spots with more ease for your maintenance needs. My husband has had several chances to test it out both at work and home, and he's really happy with its capabilities. Two thumbs up from us!