Northern Tool Vs. Harbor Freight Off-Road Jacks: How Do They Compare?

People often love to go outdoors and enjoy nature. For some, that's as simple as taking a walk in a park or a leisurely bike ride along a maintained bike path. Others like to get farther from civilization by driving their off-road vehicles deep down mountain Forest Service roads and desert two-tracks.

Before setting out on your first off-road adventure, there are some things you should know. Aspects of trip planning like letting someone know where you're going and when you'll return are common across all types of outdoor adventures. However, there are some specific items you should keep in your vehicle in case you get a flat tire or have some other trouble. An off-road jack like those carried by Northern Tool and Harbor Freight could come in handy on an off-road trip.

Harbor Freight and Northern Tool offer bargain prices on their store-brand tools and equipment, although Northern Tool sells some name brand products as well. In the off-road jack category, Harbor Freight offers its line of Badland jacks, while Northern Tool sells its store brand Strongway Off-Road Jack in addition to a selection of Hi-Lift brand jacks.

If you've watched any off-roading videos or thumbed through a magazine dedicated to the pastime, you've likely seen an offroad vehicle with a perforated steel bar strapped across the hood or upright to the spare tire. Rest assured that, despite its appearance, it's not (usually) any sort of military-grade weapon, it's what is commonly referred to as a farm jack, or by the common brand name, Hi-Lift.

Farm jacks use long handles to gain enough mechanical advantage to lift the mechanism (or lower it) from one hole in the perforated bar to the next. Some farm jack disadvantages include a small ground contact patch that can sink in soft conditions, and its relatively short lifting arm making it difficult to place under the vehicle. However, in off-road applications they've become widely used due to their benefits. These versatile tools can not only lift a vehicle to change a flat tire, but some models can also lift nearly four-feet high. They can also act as a winch, a clamp, and a spreader given the right configuration and accessories.

Harbor Freight offers two versions of its Badland Farm Jack, a 48-inch model sells for $94.99 and the larger 60-inch model priced at $104.99. While both versions have a working load rated at 5,000 pounds, the 48-inch Badland Farm Jack has a maximum lifting height of 41 inches and weighs 34.4 pounds. The 60-inch Badland Jack has a maximum lifting height of 53 inches, although the working load reduces from 5,000 pounds to 3,300 pounds at heights over 40 inches. The larger jack weighs 38.2 pounds. 

Northern Tool sells two versions of the Hi-Lift brand farm jack that are widely popular for off-road use, each having a 7,000-pound tested load capacity. The smaller 48-inch Hi-Lift Jack, model HL-484, is priced at $134.99, weighs about 25 pounds, and has a maximum lift height of 37.5 inches. The 60-inch Hi-Lift Jack, model HL-604, is priced at $129.99, has a maximum 47-inch lifting height, and weighs under 30 pounds. Both versions have a "Rated Load" capacity of 4,660 pounds, winching capacity of 5,000 pounds, and a clamping capacity rated at 750 pounds. 

Other farm-jack style off-road jack options from Northern Tool include 48-inch 3.5-ton rated options from Strongway priced at $114.99 and Field Tuff, model FTF-48FJSB for $109.99. These offerings have similar specs to the other 48-inch farm jacks we've reviewed here.

Off-road hydraulic floor jacks, while not as versatile or lightweight as farm-style jacks, do have some advantages. One advantage is they can roll underneath the vehicle to lift at the axle instead of from the bumper or side of the vehicle. Another advantage is their large footprint thanks to a skid plate on the underside of the jack frame which can prevent, or at least minimize sinking in soft ground.

Harbor Freight's $319.99 Badland 3-Ton Off-Road Jack features steel and aluminum construction, weighs 72.2 pounds, and has a maximum lift height of 29.06 inches. Premium touches like a dual piston hydraulic pump, steel axles with sealed ball bearings, 7.8-inch rear and 5.8-inch front flat-free tires, and an integrated carrying handle with rubber grip make this hydraulic floor jack suitable for off-road use.

Northern Tool's Strongway Off-Road Jack features a 3-ton capacity and 29.06-inch maximum lift height as well. Regularly priced at $319.99, it's sometimes seen on sale for $299.99. In addition to steel axles, sealed ball bearings, and a full-length skid plate, the Strongway jack also uses aluminum components in its construction but tips the scales at 88.11 pounds.

It's important to note that both of these hydraulic off-road floor jacks employ an extension to achieve the advertised 29-inch lift height. That extension increases the clearance required for the jack to roll underneath the vehicle to over 10 inches and without the extension the maximum lifting height is dramatically reduced.