HEAVY LIFTING

We test the new TacJack tactical jack

-  Verne Simons

Having a good off-road jack when you are out on the trail or on the side of the road is very important. There are many off-road jacks available, from the venerable and classic Hi-Lift to offerings from Pro Eagle, ARB, the Tauler Jack Kit from Brennan's Garage, and more. A new jack that we recently got to spend a lot of time with is the 7-Ton TacJack Tall Jack from Redridge Industries.

The jack we tested was a prototype and that's why it says 6½-ton in some of the images, but we've been assured by Redridge that our prototype is the same as the production 7-ton jack. There is also a 7-Ton Short TacJack from Redridge, which is shorter than the 7-Ton Tall TacJack but is otherwise identical. Both jacks are very light in weight (the one we tested was 15 pounds), yet with a high weight capacity (7 tons is twice the weight capacity of the Hi-Lift Cast/Steel Jack, for reference) and remarkable travel, allowing these relatively short (when collapsed) bottle jacks to be used successfully on off-road vehicles. These jacks were built for the military and as a result are manufactured to a high standard. The only downside to this jack is its cost, which reflects the quality of construction and the fact that this jack is proudly made in the USA.