3 tons jack enough for 12,000 lbs tractor?

[hondarider]

My tractor weighs about 12,000 lbs. I would like to jack the right rear wheel off the ground using a 3 tons jack. Is this possible?

 

[bp fick]

very likely. You won't be picking up the entire tractor, dead lift. Just a "quarter" of it and you will have leverage. Once up, be sure and block it. Those jacks melt down pretty easy.

 

[beenthere]

Seems it would be marginal, as there may be more weight in the rear. If you can get the jack under an axle so just one side of the rear is being lifted, then there may be less than 6000 pounds, and the jack may do that.

Let us know if it works that way.

 

[careyo63]

IMO yes A 3 ton jack is capable of 6.000 lbs. half your tractor.Your only lifting 1/4 3.000lbs But I Would have a set of jack stands to relieve some of or not all of the weight and it would be much safer.Sorry BP beat me to it but I do agree with him .

Carey

 

[CurlyDave]

I agree that the 3-ton jack can lift one wheel.

I also want to warn you that jackstands are frequently rated by what a pair will support. My 3-ton jackstands are only good for 1.5 tons each. You will need 6-ton jackstands for one stand to match your 3-ton jack.

 

[hondarider]

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[QRTRHRS]

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I tried my three ton rated floor jack on a front corner of my ~13.5k Freightliner and instantly blew a seal, lol!

 

[bp fick]

Better immediately than later in the process. If it's gonna blow, just as well to get it over with!
Come on over. I got a 20 ton bottle you can borrow.

 

[SPYDERLK]

It will depend on where you place the jack. You usually have to lift from a point on the axle between the tires. You therefore lift more than 1/2 the weight that is on the axle.
larry

 

[RickB]

A 3 ton jack will be marginal for lifting a rear wheel on 12K tractor. It will become apparent when you realize how much effort it takes to pump the jack.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I would go as far outboard on the axle towards the wheel as possible. hondarider, what sort of maintenance are you doing by the way?

Re: my floor jack episode. Actually, I had the back axle sitting on blocks while rebuilding the brakes. I only wanted to lift the front corners enough to check the play in the wheel bearings and king pins. So, rather than use a bottle jack with the rear wheels off, I thought the floor jack would offer stability.

 

[GE222]

Will the jack work, probably, if it is close to the wheel.

I would suggest getting a jack with a higher capacity. I'm sure this won't be the last time you use one.

I often use on my large farm tractor, screw jacks. The have a high capacity, and cannot fail like a hydraulic jack can. It eliminates the need for a jack stand under the tractor. New ones a pricey, but used ones are available at most auctions, and on ebay.

 

[wushaw]

I tried my three ton rated floor jack on a front corner of my ~13.5k Freightliner and instantly blew a seal, lol!

I used my 2 ton floor jack under the aft pumpkin on a T2000 last week with no problems...must be a jack thing.

 

[wushaw]

I would go as far outboard on the axle towards the wheel as possible. hondarider, what sort of maintenance are you doing by the way?

Re: my floor jack episode. Actually, I had the back axle sitting on blocks while rebuilding the brakes. I only wanted to lift the front corners enough to check the play in the wheel bearings and king pins. So, rather than use a bottle jack with the rear wheels off, I thought the floor jack would offer stability.

It just puts more weight in a smaller area with the a bottle jack, I used a 20 ton bottle jack to ck the king pins on that T2000 a few weeks ago with no problems. King pins were shot but at 987k origional, I think she got her monies worth.

 

[some zilch]

A 3 ton jack will be marginal for lifting a rear wheel on 12K tractor. It will become apparent when you realize how much effort it takes to pump the jack.

yeah, ok

a 3 ton jack (6000lbs) lifting one rear tire of a 12klb machine is well within its capabilities. there cannot be more than 6klbs of weight over that rear tire, and i bet its not even close, or the front of the tractor would come off the ground everytime he let the clutch out. even if its 4klbs over each rear, and 4klbs on the entire front axle, the jack is still only at 66% capacity. also, the jack is tilting the load, not purely raising it, thus less force.

yes, the handle might be hard to push down..........

 

[RickB]

yeah, ok

a 3 ton jack (6000lbs) lifting one rear tire of a 12klb machine is well within its capabilities. there cannot be more than 6klbs of weight over that rear tire, and i bet its not even close, or the front of the tractor would come off the ground everytime he let the clutch out. even if its 4klbs over each rear, and 4klbs on the entire front axle, the jack is still only at 66% capacity. also, the jack is tilting the load, not purely raising it, thus less force.

yes, the handle might be hard to push down..........

Have you ever looked at how the left rear tire of a tractor unloads when you jack the right rear? I didn't think so. Your statement about "tilting the load, not purely raising it" is total nonsense. There is more to jack safety than its load rating. The base of a 3 ton jack is far smaller than a 6 or 8 ton jack. Jacking the rear of a tractor usually requires most, if not all the stroke of a jack of the 3 ton size assuming you want use a jack that small. The small base, probably sitting on blocking as well, coupled with near-full extension is nowhere near as safe, easy and effortless as using a higher rated jack that costs little more than the puny 3 ton jack if you shop around. I said it would be marginal, and I stand by that statement.

 

[Carykong]

the further you place the jack away from the center of gravity (away from the centerline of the tractor or axel) the less weight resistance on your jack. I used 2 ton jacks in triplicate to split a 48" log.

 

[roamrdb]

i dont know if hes talkin about a bottle or floor jack, but i think when you try to raise a corner of a 6T tractor off the ground with a 3T jack whichever kind it is, you are gonna find that your jack looks mighty puny. if it is a bottle jack i would not screw the extension out at all, i have seen them bend like butter if they get off center. i have a lot of experience with using hyd jacks and just cause it says 3T does not necessarily make it so. there is a real difference in quality and cheap jacks. on the issue of the handle being hard to push, jack, whatever you wanna call it, this is a very good indicator of how hard your jack is having to work at the task, i would be very careful, you may not have another chance. why all the fuss, be safe, just use a larger jack.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I had bought my 3ton rated floor jack back around 96 or 97 from Sears. Without going out to the garage and looking, I would say that it was made in Taiwon not China at that time. It is pretty stout but was never an easy jack to work with just about anything.

Anyway, testing the "waters" with a jack is one thing, crawling under is another. If you blow a jack, it's just a minor inconvieniance as long as you are at "arms length". I would hope that anyone doing this type of maintenance would exercise safe blocking/supporting practices even if they had a 20 ton rated jack?

 

[RickB]

I would hope that anyone doing this type of maintenance would exercise safe blocking/supporting practices even if they had a 20 ton rated jack?

I would hope that as well. But every year people are killed proving us wrong.