What Is The Difference Between A Trolley Jack & A Bottle Jack?

Owning a vehicle is a great experience, but it also comes with a responsibility to keep it in the best form. A lot of the parts of a vehicle are tucked below. Therefore if you have to repair, service or change them, you will surely need a jack.

There are various jack options for conventional home maintenance and professionals mechanic use, including trolley, scissor, bottle, and other types of jacks. This article is about the primary differences between a trolley jack and a bottle jack working on the hydraulic principle.

Let's have a look.

Trolley Jack v/s Bottle Jack

Talking about vehicle jacks, the first thing that pops up in people's minds is the basic small one in a scissor's shape. You will commonly find it in cars, but it is best for emergencies due to its compact size and great portability.

However, a trolley jack and bottle jack are for more complicated application and widely used in the car repair industry. These two jacks serve the same purpose of lifting the automobile from the ground. Both are convenient to use and very safe, although you must know which one is best for you as a buyer.

This is because there are so many options, including hydraulic high lift jacks, extra-low trolley jacks, air hydraulic jacks, and more. And as a safety measure, you must use them with mounting jack stands to reduce associated risks. 

Use:

Bottle jacks are more favourable for personal use. They have a coin-shaped lifting surface, and due to their compact design, you can carry them too. They are more suitable for higher vehicles like trucks or SUVs. Bottle jacks are fit for use in smaller spaces.

A hydraulic trolley jack is for more commercial and sophisticated use. They have a long handle that offers quick lifting.  Sometimes people use both of them in combination for more powerful support.

Construction:

A hydraulic trolley jack has wheels, a saddle, handle and a piston. The hydraulic cylinder is placed horizontally. The wheel provides excellent portability. Moreover, you can easily roll them back and forth and reposition them on the fly. But they are bulky so in limited spaces, are disadvantageous.

The biggest advantage is that they sit low to the ground. Consequently, you can easily fix them under vehicles that sit low like a sports car. A low clearance trolley jack is a dedicated one for extremely low vehicles.

On the other hand, bottle jacks are positioned vertically. They are handy if you want to lift a car to a higher elevation. And they have a narrow frame. Therefore, they cannot offer high stability making trolley jacks a more powerful solution in critical situations.

Safety & Price:

Both these jacks are considered safe for use when compliant with the load capacity. However, a trolley jack tends to offer more stability than a bottle jack. A win for bottle jacks is that they are cheaper when compared to other trolley jacks of the same capacity.

Ending Note:

The type of car jack you need solely depends on your budget, needs, load of the car and how frequently you will use them. But regardless, you must buy them from a reliable seller. Calfinn Quality Workshop Equipment is a one-stop solution for tools and equipment serving Australians since 1993.

Calfinn is the sole importer of world-leading brands, including Compac Hydraulik, Sereno Nederland (Go Jak)(Power hand)(RAK-JAK) Scangrip A/S (Canvik). The range of products includes Trolley Jacks, including low and High lift trolley jack, Gearbox Jacks, Hydraulic Presses, Crash Repair Kits, Gojak's, Spring Compressors.