It's a great looking tool and seems to be very well designed. I just have to agree with the others that it is overpriced especially considering that, as you said, it doesn't replace all the functionality of a high lift.I've had one for about a year. Yes, they are expensive and no, the Hi-Lift jack isn't even close to the lifting jack that this is. Very smooth and easy to operate. Kids can even use this jack without much issue.
At the 2019 NW Overland Rally, Mule Outfitters had one set up and the young gal pictured took her turn at lifting that big overloaded Ram pick-up and did it quite easily.
I got mine soon after and even though we've never had to use it in an emergency, the wife loves that she can easily lift our Jeep if she needed to change a tire or help get us unstuck.
Will it ever replace a Hi-Lift Jack? NO, the Hi-Lift jack is one of the most useful tools that most people will never use to all it's capabilities. Lifting, winching, stabilizing, clamping etc.
The ARB Jack is designed to do one thing and it does it very well: Smoothly and easily lifting and lowering a vehicle. BTW- They also making breaking the bead on a tire real easy, but it's the same lifting motion, so I still count it as one.
If I'm out teaching a Hi-Lift class, I bring them both, just to give others the chance to see/use them both and see the differences. 11 out of 10 people will tell you they would rather lift their vehicle using the ARB Jack.
I don't normally spend $1200 on a bumper.. but when I do... it will have an ARB badge on it.I have one. Incredible quality. I’ve never had an ARB product that I didn’t find superior vs a competitor actually.
apples to volleyballs comparison but I had an ARB bumper on a TJ that survived a 6 point strike at 70+ Mph in ad to 3 accidents, two of which totaled the other car.
ARBs werent the most expensive bumpers back then and they aren’t now. Theres also far more to the bumper than the badging. nonetheless some people get by just fine with cheap shit and some dont.I don't normally spend $1200 on a bumper.. but when I do... it will have an ARB badge on it.
I've not seen any specs on the thickness on ARB's marketing for the "classic" bumper, but at nearly 200lbs, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that even if the skin is 1/8", there's more going on under the outer layer. Plus, it looks almost factory and is one of the few heavy-duty bumpers out there with a cover plate where the winch goes (my wife doesn't want a winch on her JL, but... has hit a deer near our house). Anecdotal evidence suggests that those Aussies know how to make a suicidal-animal-proof bumper.Not sure why....since they are 1/8" material, there are far stronger options out there...although I do believe ARB crash tests theirs.
I get by just fine with cheap shit... my wife is another story.ARBs werent the most expensive bumpers back then and they aren’t now. Theres also far more to the bumper than the badging. nonetheless some people get by just fine with cheap shit and some dont.
iirc - The main skin of the ARB bumpers are 4mm, which would be .157"-ish, so thicker than 1/8" (.120) more like halfway between 1/8" and 3/16".I've not seen any specs on the thickness on ARB's marketing for the "classic" bumper, but at nearly 200lbs, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that even if the skin is 1/8"
No they don't and that's not what they're designed for.Well, whatever they're using doesn't hold up well to dents/dings from rockcrawling...IME of course.