What’s a Ratchet?

Print anything with Printful



Ratchet jacks use incremental force to lift heavy objects and come in various shapes and designs. They are made of heavy-duty steel and can hold up to 20 tons. They are used in construction, mining, and storage facilities, and comply with OSHA standards for safety.

A ratchet jack is a tool that lifts a heavy piece of equipment, vehicle or other object on the principle of applying force in small incremental processes. Jack is a type of jack, a lever machine, that uses a ratchet method to lift the load. Ratchet ratchets come in many different shapes and are used in many industries.
Different ratchet jacks use various forms of engineering to lift a lot of weight from a relatively narrow position. A “jack and ratchet” setup might include a technology where a screwing motion spins a bolt and steadily lifts the load. Many of the ratchet jack designs need a separate steel rod to operate them.

In many cases, a jack has a small “reverse lever” that determines whether the jack will raise or lower a load when the operator pushes down on the steel level arm. Those who operate the jack simply flip this switch to reverse the direction of the load. Ratcheting jack manufacturers often include the reverse lever near the base of the jack for easy location.

The best ratchet jacks are constructed of heavy-duty drop-forged steel or alloy steel. Heat treated components generally perform better under pressure and extensive testing provides greater operational safety for this type of device. With this type of construction, some ratchets can hold and manipulate up to 20 tons of material.

A jack with a wider base often offers more stability for adjusting large loads. Some models of ratchet jacks are even specially made so that operators can use them in small areas. Depending on their design and purpose, ratchet jacks can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to well over a thousand dollars each.

Ratchet jacks are often used in many different fields including a wide range of building and construction industries as well as heavy lifting operations such as mining. Metal fabrication shops or other in-house facilities may include ratchet jacks in a tool set for moving tools, equipment or goods. A retail warehouse or other storage facility can also keep ratchets on hand.

The ratchet and ratchet design represents some of the latest technology for safe and robust lifting. Many of these designs comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for a safe workplace. Workers should always use all precautions spelled out in the user manuals to have the best chance of operating the ratchets safely and contribute to an injury-free workplace.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content