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Jack-Mate:
the Hi-Lift Jack Accessory* -
by Bill
Burke
Product review of an amazing tool! -
I rarely get over-enthused about a new
product. I try out items once in awhile and either recommend them if I think they are a
good addition to the aftermarket accessory line and do all that they claim to do, or I
send them back if they don’t pass the test. Some things, like the Pull-Pal, Hi-Lift
Jack and RUD Grip 4x4 Chains are brilliant enough designs that I am in awe when I sit
around the campfire talking about them. The latest item I can honestly add to the list of
wonder tools--the Jack-Mate--falls into my "in awe" category!
Tim O’Connell, a veteran firefighter,
designs innovative tools for extrication and heavy rescue used during emergency life or
death situations gives us his latest item, the Jack-Mate. It is used in conjunction with
the Hi-Lift Jack as a "Jaws of Life" type tool. Not everybody who travels
off-highway has a fancy hydraulic power tool, but almost everybody has a Hi-Lift Jack.
The Jack-Mate slides on either end of the
Hi-Lift Jack bar using quick release pins. It can be stored on the top end, replacing the
"top clamp" on the top of the bar. The Jack-Mate can be installed on the base of
the Hi-Lift by removing the existing base using the quick release pin that comes with the
Jack-Mate and sliding the Jack-Mate on that end.
As a top clamp, the Jack-Mate
adds greater strength and support for the bar and has a handy slot for 3/8" chain and
a 1" hole for clevis attachments. There is also a clamping support for those needs
like stringing barbed wire or holding the axle to the frame when a spring breaks.
When used at the base end of
the Hi-Lift Jack, the Jack-Mate has some gnarly teeth that will dig into logs or rocks
offering greater support than the existing base. The Jack-Mate will also add a bit more
lateral support in the area of the bar it is installed. No more using a bolt on the board
to keep the Jack from sliding around; the teeth just bite right in!
I was really stuck out in Moab last month and
had the opportunity to use this tool every which way. I got wedged into a very soft gully
"V" groove and the winch was not an option. I (and my student) had to use the
Hi-Lift Jack for almost 2 hours. The Jack-Mate really made a difference in the support and
attachment places available.
©Bill Burke’s 4-Wheeling America LLC
*www.expeditionexchange.com/jackmate
to order your Jack-mate.
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Bill
Burke's 4-Wheeling America LLC
