I am hoping to buy an older, air operated bumper jack. We're they made in smaller sizes ? I want to find an older, U.S.-made jack that would be able to be rebuilt indefinitely, but only if they are smaller than the ones we used to use years ago. The ones I used to use were massive, and not practical for my little shop. Thanks.

 

I have seen some that were about the size of a heavy (refrigerator dolly) hand truck. The still weren't small.

 

Do you recall the brand?

 

No, I do not. They were blue, but I'm not sure that was the original color.

 

A good friend of mine past away recently and he had a blue one that went in the estate sale. May have been a Watco? It seems OTC used to make them too but now their stuff is made off shore I think!

 

They pop up locally (to me, anyway) on craigslist from time to time. They tend to go for a bunch of money, too. I picked one up a while back. It is a Gray brand and looks similar to this one.

 

Wayne, do you like the one you bought? I found out the one the guy is selling is a Hein-Werner. He is asking 180.00. Worth the money?

 

I love it. Years ago I worked in a shop with two of them and I got spoiled. When I found this one, it brought back memories and I had to have it. It lifts the front of my 85 F-250/460 with ease. No fumbling around lifting one side of the twin I beams one at a time with a floor jack to do service under there. It has stops to hold the load up without air pressure so you don't need jack stands, but I still slide a pair under there anyway, just in case. If the one you found works good, it's easily worth $180. I think I gave 2 bills for mine and thought it was a good deal. In my neighborhood, when they come up on craigslist, they seem to run closer to $400 now.

 

Hein-Werner used to be a good brand.... before they sold out to import.

 

Havi, this one's about 20 or so years old. Was it US made then?

 

If it's orange, it's likely the original Hein-Werner. There was a big buy and sell-off frenzy going on back in the late 80's and 90's, where Walker, Lincoln, Blackhawk, HW, etc... all basically ended up going downhill. Basically they were all Lincolns painted in different colors, labeled as HW, etc.... Gray held their ground, and are now probably the best out there.

 

It is orange. Thanks for the info. Other Hein-Werners I've seen for sale were, I believe, blue in color, so I had doubted if this was what he told me it was.

Have to travel this weekend, but will try to buy it, assuming I can test it out, after I return.