I have what I think is called a high lift jack. I liked it at first but the more I use it the more it sucks!!!! I just tried using it to raise my ice house off the ground as it had settled over the summer. Even on ground the jack would lean and twist and just not work. Oh #$%$%$%!!!!!!
Jason ( Hunters ) highly recommends rail road jacks. I have looked in stores and can't find them. I found some on ebay but shipping is very expensive or they have to be picked up in person and I'm not even sure they are the right kind as several different styles come up under RR jack searches.
What do you guys use???? Where can u find them???? Can you put up pictures of the jacks that work for you. Does any one have a RR jack for sale?
Jason would you guys be up for a preseason ice fishing flee market before we have ice and would members here be interested in attending or selling unwanted ice gear?
-- Edited by iwalleye on Saturday 13th of November 2010 02:00:21 AM
Hi, I have a suggestion but dont know if the application will help you or not but for $350 on Ebay we landed 4 electric screw jacks that we use to raise and lower the fish house to the ice. Keep in mind our fish house is an 8 x 16 footer with a V-nose so over 20 feet long. I am guessing its around 3,500 lbs completed so if your house is not over the 3,000 lbs per jack totalling 9,000 lbs for US as we use 3 and keep the 4th for a spare. You may want to check out the post on fish house with electric lift under Formica Flats. In the original post you will see the trailer moving and can see what the jacks look like for size ( tiny). Hope that helps.
iwalleye - Jason is right, I have a HEAVY cast steel RR jack and it's awsome! not sure where you find them these days - had mine for 20 plus years. I will post a picture tomorrow. I keep it at home - to valuable to lose.
I finally found a RR jack at a United Rental in Roseville. It's a Simplex 5 ton and I got it for $100.00. Their last one!!!!! It had a little surface rust and cleaned up great. I think that was a great price as I have seen them on Ebay for several hunderd dollars. It looks like this but black, shorter and without the handle near the bottom. Thanks everyone!!!