Bottle Jacks

The types of bottle jack in this category

Standard hand-pump jacks

The Zinko ZN series and the Norco 765xx series are the conventional shape: forged or welded steel base and a screw extension on top of the ram. Norco specifies a two-piece zinc-plated handle. Zinko's ZN sheets state the models are usable upright, angled or horizontal, and that a needle valve controls the rate the ram comes down. Norco's sheets describe a "Uniweld" no-leak construction with a lightweight forged base and Parkerized pump piston, ram and extension screw. Capacities in these two families run 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 12-1/2, 22, 35, 60 and 100 tons; the only 20 ton hand-pump model here is the Zinko ZNP-20P steel-base jack with gauge.

Low-profile and low-height jacks

Same working principle, shorter cylinder. These exist because the lift point is under a loaded truck, a forklift or a piece of farm equipment and there is no room for a 10 in. jack. The Zinko ZNB-12 collapses to 6.70 in. against 9.44 in. for the standard ZN-12 of the same 12 ton rating. The Norco 76512B (12-1/2 ton) collapses to 6.6929 in., and the 76820B (22 ton) to 8.2677 in. On the air side the Gaither Tool G432021 is the shortest at 5.75 in. minimum height, followed by the AME 14461 at 5.8 in. and the ESCO 10399 Yellow Jackit at 5.83 in. You pay for that clearance in travel: the G432021 has 2.62 in. of hydraulic stroke against 5.71 in. on the full-height G432020, a little under half.

Mini bottle jacks

Zinko's ZMJ series is a different animal, and it is what most people are looking for when they search for a small or mini bottle jack. The ZMJ-5C is 5 tons in a body 2.36 in. tall with a 3.70 x 3.50 in. base. The ZMJ-50 is rated 50 tons at 5.51 in. collapsed. These are not vehicle jacks in the usual sense: the ram lift is 0.78 in. on the ZMJ-5C and 1.18 in. on the ZMJ-10, ZMJ-20 and ZMJ-50. Zinko describes them as suited to centering heavy equipment and making fine adjustments, usable upright or horizontal, and usable as a spreader with just over 2-1/2 in. of clearance. The ZMJ-5P is the same 5 ton mini jack supplied with the Zinko ZPG-25A pressure gauge.

Air and air/hydraulic jacks

Twenty-four of the 67 models run on shop air. This is the tool ESCO and AME both position for the heavy-duty tire service market - commercial truck, bus, tractor and farm equipment - where a hand pump is simply too slow. The Zinko ZABJ-05M, ZABJ-12C3 and ZABJ-35M, all four Norco air models (76312B, 76320B, 76720B, 76721A) and the four ESCO Pro Series jacks are dual-mode: they pump manually when air is not available. The Zinko ZABJ-22PA sheet does not state manual operation. The ESCO Pro Series (10380, 10381, 10382, 10383) ships with a 4 ft. swivel-end air hose and a handheld push-button trigger with a 1/4 in. NPT air inlet, an in-line air filter and an airflow latch for constant flow while raising; the Yellow Jackit models (10446, 10399, 10450) specify a 4 ft. air hose and their sheets do not list the trigger package. Zinko publishes a lift-time-by-air-supply figure on three of its four air models: 40 no-load and 125 loaded on the ZABJ-12C3, 50 and 195 on the ZABJ-22PA, and 60 and 210 on the 35 ton ZABJ-35M. The heavier the jack, the longer the rise. The spec tables give the numbers without stating a time unit, so confirm on the model sheet; the ZABJ-05M leaves both fields blank.

Gauge models

Five models put a pressure gauge in the circuit so the operator can read the force actually being applied: the Zinko ZN-12PG, ZN-22PG, ZNP-10P, ZNP-20P and ZMJ-5P. Zinko's ZNP-10P sheet describes a 4 in. gauge. The Norco 76520BG is the 76520B with a gauge hole rather than a fitted gauge, which matters if you intend to add your own. This is worth the money on press work, straightening and machinery installation, where the load is unknown and overshooting it is expensive.

Toe jacks, long-ram and two-stage

Four Zinko ZHC toe jacks lift from a steel toe that sits far below the head. The ZHC-2V has a toe minimum height of 0.63 in. and a head minimum height of 9.44 in.; the ZHC-15V is 1.26 in. at the toe with a 12.63 x 10.15 in. base. Zinko specifies a 360-degree turn lever socket so the handle can be worked from any direction, and positions them for machinery installation and plant work rather than automotive service. Note that the model names carry two figures (2/5, 5/10, 12/24, 15/30) while the spec tables list a single Capacity value of 2, 5, 12 and 15 tons; check the model sheet before you assume which figure applies to your lift point.

For height rather than tonnage, the Zinko ZMHL-2-2 long ram jack is 2 tons with 18.89 in. of ram lift, collapsing at 21.65 in. and topping out at 40.55 in. Zinko positions it for engine removal and for mounting on cranes. The Norco 76402B goes further at 41.9 in. maximum with a 19.3 in. stroke, and Norco describes it as original equipment for shop cranes and lift tables. Separately, the Zinko ZHFD-10F is a two-stage 10 ton jack designed to work in close quarters such as forklift maintenance: 4.75 in. collapsed, 8.66 in. extended, 3.93 in. of ram lift with a 1.50 in. saddle diameter.

Reading collapsed height against maximum height

Tonnage alone does not tell you whether the jack fits. Collapsed height decides whether it goes under the load; maximum height decides whether it gets the wheel off the ground. Both matter, and they trade against each other in every family here.

Compare three 12 ton Zinko models. The standard ZN-12 is 9.44 in. collapsed and 18.50 in. extended, with 5.90 in. of ram lift and a 3.15 in. screw extension. The low-profile ZNB-12 slides under at 6.70 in. but tops out at 13.38 in. The ZT-12 econo model sits between them at 9.50 in. and 18.63 in. Same rating, three different jobs. The same pattern holds on the 22 ton Zinkos: the ZN-22S is 10.63 in. to 20.13 in., while the ZNB-22 is 7.08 in. to 12.00 in.

The screw extension is the part buyers overlook. On most standard jacks it adds real reach before the ram ever moves - 4 in. on the Norco 76312B, 3.25 in. on the ESCO 10380, 3.15 in. on the Zinko ZN-12. Several models have no screw extension at all, and it is not only a matter of tonnage: the Zinko ZN-35, ZN-60, ZN-100, ZNB-35, ZNP-20P and ZABJ-35M and the Norco 76535 and 76560 show none on their spec tables, and neither does the 1-1/2 ton Norco 76402B long-hand jack or the Norco 76721A, which is built without one to get a lower profile. Check the spec table, not the capacity.

What you need to run one

A hand-pump jack needs nothing but a flat, load-bearing surface and clearance for the handle. An air/hydraulic jack needs a regulated shop air line, and the required pressure is not the same across brands. Norco's air models specify 100-130 psi. ESCO's Pro Series specifies 110-125 psi through a 1/4 in. NPT air inlet fitting. ESCO's Yellow Jackit models specify 100-145 psi. Zinko lists 40-140 psi on the ZABJ-05M, ZABJ-12C3 and ZABJ-35M, and 80-140 psi on the ZABJ-22PA. AME's 14455 includes an in-line regulator that limits inlet pressure to 94 psi to prevent air bypass. The outlier is the Mahle CBJ-10A, which requires 200 psi - well above a typical shop compressor setting, so verify your supply before ordering it.

Floor condition matters more with bottle jacks than with service jacks because the base is small. Base areas in this category run from 4.33 x 2.56 in. on the Zinko ZN-2 up to 12.52 x 10.43 in. on the Zinko ZN-100. On soft or uneven ground the answer is a plate: the AME 14455 ships with the AME 14453 jack plate, a 10 x 10 in. 50 ton plate, for weight displacement on non-compacted surfaces. The ESCO Pro Series jacks address the same problem with base thickness, listed at 1.25 in. on the 10380, 10381 and 10382 and 1.5 in. on the 30 ton 10383.

Two models carry their own handling solution. The Gaither Tool G432003 is rated 22 US tons (20 metric) and is supplied on a cart, at 56.6 lbs net. The Mahle CBJ-10A is a 290 lb air-operated unit, 26 in. wide by 27.5 in. long, with a built-in vehicle support stand, multiple saddle widths (6.25 in. standard, 9.875 in. wide), 2.5 in. pin increment positions and a removable handle; Mahle states it can be used in pairs with an air valve T-connector for spring, tire and brake work on agricultural sprayers.

Overload protection and declared standards

Every Norco jack in this category carries the same statement: safety bypass and overload systems prevent cylinder damage and prevent the jack from being used beyond the ASME/PASE load-limiting standard. The AME 14461 states it meets ANS/ASME PALD and CE/GS standards. The remaining brands describe the mechanism without naming a standard: ESCO's Pro Series jacks (10380, 10381, 10382, 10383) are fitted with a safety valve to prevent overloading and use a double-spring design for controlled descent, while the Yellow Jackit sheets do not state an overload device and the 10446 and 10450 list return springs for faster descent; Zinko's ZABJ air models have a built-in safety valve to prevent overload. Some Zinko sheets (ZN-100, ZNB-17, ZT-12) carry the note "safety valve device protects the hydraulic system from overload damage (for 35 ton model and above)", but the ZN-35 and ZN-60 sheets do not list it. If a named standard or an overload device is a requirement on your job, ask us for the model's documentation before ordering rather than inferring it. Every Norco and ESCO listing in this category carries a California Prop 65 notice on the product page.

Comparison of representative models

Frequently asked questions

What capacity should I buy for a car or light truck?

Match the capacity to the corner load you are lifting, not to the vehicle's total weight, and then leave margin. Norco lists the 2 ton 76502B for automotive, agriculture, construction, mining, mobile home, oil field and marine work, and Zinko positions its 2, 3 and 5 ton ZN models for automotive, machinery and construction use. For commercial truck and bus tire service, ESCO and AME position their 20 and 30 ton air/hydraulic models for exactly that work; the Norco air models are listed for heavy duty trucks, farm, construction, mining and oil field applications, and the Gaither air jacks for general garage and workshop service.

Why does the Gaither jack say 20 ton in the name and 22 in the spec table?

The Gaither Tool spec tables use a "Cap U.S./Met." column and list 22T/20 for the GT-20MSLP, G432020, G432021 and G432003. That is 22 US tons, which is 20 metric tonnes. The product name uses the metric figure. Where a product name and a spec table disagree in this category, the spec table is the reference.

Can a bottle jack be used lying down or at an angle?

Some can, and it is stated on the sheet. Zinko says the ZN models are usable upright, angled or horizontal, and that the ZMJ mini jacks work upright or horizontal. Gaither describes the G432020 and G432003 as dual-position for horizontal and vertical operation, and Zinko says the ZMHL-2-2 long ram jack can be used vertically, horizontally or at an angle. Do not generalize this to a model whose sheet does not say it.

What is the shortest jack you carry?

By collapsed height, the Zinko ZMJ-5C at 2.36 in., followed by the ZMJ-5T at 3.34 in. Among jacks with usable lifting travel, the shortest manual model is the Zinko ZHFD-10F at 4.75 in. with 3.93 in. of ram lift, and the shortest air models are the Gaither Tool G432021 at 5.75 in., the AME 14461 at 5.8 in. and the ESCO 10399 at 5.83 in. On the manual side the shortest Norco is the 76512B at 6.6929 in. Toe jacks reach lower still at the toe: 0.63 in. on the Zinko ZHC-2V.

Do the listed weights always match the spec sheet?

Not always. The shipping weight shown on a listing and the net weight in the manufacturer's table often differ - on most of the Zinko models here they do not match, and on the ZMJ-5C they disagree outright. Treat the manufacturer's spec table as authoritative and ask us to confirm before you plan freight around a number.

Is a bottle jack enough on its own to work under a vehicle?

No. A bottle jack is a lifting device, not a holding device. Support the load on stands or on a purpose-built support before anyone goes underneath. The one exception in this category is the Mahle CBJ-10A, which Mahle describes as including a built-in vehicle support stand; every other model here is a lift-only tool.