I love bottle jacks. We're disassembling a deck to prepare for adding a room to the house & used an ancient bottle jack to separate boards where deck screws broke etc. Thinking back, I don't recall ever using one to lift a car, but constantly use one to lift heavy parts into place, pry things apart, etc. The one I have has been with me forever.

No big deal - just thought I'd mention it.

Hard to get one under an LBC.

Used a few of my grandfather's to push up a 1928 frame house to re-enforce the flooring. Great tools!!! "Jaws of Life" stuff is impressive, too.

My father was with the railroad and had a rail jack - not sure how many tons but we lifted some pretty impressive stuff over the years

Too bad Archimedes never paired oil with enclosed systems!!!

Just used a bottle jack whilst putting the rear spring on the Corvette......28 of those 12"x12"x2" concrete pavers stacked on the rear crossmembers & a bottle jack under each end of the spring allowed me to jack it up enough to hook it to the trailing arms.

Anyone ever rebuild one? O rings? I still have my first jack that dear old Dad gave me the Christmas after I bought my 58 Sprite, I was 16 at the time. I'm sure rebuiding couldn't be that difficult, just orings. I have about five or six old bottle jacks that I can't bear to recycle.

I'm not so sure they are simple O-rings; probably purpose-made seals instead. Getting it apart may be interesting.

But I'm interested to hear of any experiences, as the bottle jack in my press could sure use some attention.

The couple I would be interested in rebuilding are US made, if that makes a difference.