Quote:
Originally Posted by colesfamily
That's a good point regarding if the water is deeper than 5 feet it can get dicey using the jack. It's a little deeper than that at the end of the dock. My dock is heavy, its a wood dock about 6' wide and I'm guessing it's 8' or more between posts so when I get back to NH I'll look at it again and decide between using a farm jack vs a small commercial airbag and compressor. After reading one of these recent posts I now understand why my 4"X 4" posts are tilted in different directions, its because the cross members under the dock are mostly missing. This is all great information. I can't wait to get to it now that I don't have to pay someone who probably would charge $400+ and show up with a farm jack and an inner tube. Thanks.
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Thanks—I got a chuckle out of that!
While there are more costly alternatives,
Harbor Freight's farm jack is so versatile, you can actually stand on the dock, and still raise it using this jack.
The tiny operating lever is very stiff, and sometimes a hit from a screwdriver or wrench is needed to get it to move. Gloves would work.
Importantly, if it gets wet, spray the pin mechanism with white lithium grease to keep it working smoothly.
The price for the farm jack (I have
three!) from
Harbor Freight—at $39.99—had never been lower than a week ago. Perhaps from pressure from
WalMart's jack? But, as
Fatlazyless stated, the reviews regarding
WalMart's farm jack are miserable—I wouldn't go near one!
Home Depot will ship one to your house—
or HD store—for free! Not surprisingly, farm jacks made in the USA are 2- or 3- times the price—even those made several decades ago. (Check eBay).
Regarding alternatives, this forum had a long discussion in 2007—and again in 2010.
http://winnipesaukee.com/forums/show...ight=farm+jack
.