Your Own Jaws of Life

The HydraWedge is essentially a 60-ton jack with a very small angled (wedge) end that spreads under jack force.  Think of it as a hand-pumped version of the “jaws of life” that emergency rescue teams carry.

Sure, it’s not cheap — try $1,135 — but this strikes us as one of those tools that when you need it, you need it bad.  The company that sells it, the Jack-X-Change, says that they have thousands of them in operation in the field used for tasks such as lifting heavy machinery from a very low clearance (like on the floor), spreading pipe flanges, and (or course) for rescue.

We can imagine it coming in handy for all sorts of uses in the shop, though granted you’d have to find your own particular need before laying out the dough.

The 60 Ton HydraWedge – Standard [Jack-X-Change]