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