Cordless impact to crank trailer jacks

[Hay Dude]

I have read about someone else doing this. My trailer landing gear is new and fully lubricated. I have 2 speed jacks. Its a heavy trailer and cranking it on low speed is pretty hard. On high speed, its easy, but takes forever.
Someone once may have posted here that they found a way to remove the handle and use a cordless impact with an adapter to raise/lower trailer.
I carry my cordless impact everywhere, so thought Id ask if anyone has done this?

 

[4570Man]

I’ve been going to make an adapter for my trailer. But I’m afraid of damaging it with the impact. I’d probably opt for my cordless drill instead.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’ve been going to make an adapter for my trailer. But I’m afraid of damaging it with the impact. I’d probably opt for my cordless drill instead.

Either one works for me! :laughing:

 

[TractorGuy]

I would think a cordless drill would be a better tool for the task.

 

[nisaacs]

I would think a cordless drill would be a better tool for the task.

That's what I used, but even my 1/2" drill is only powerful enough to run the jacks empty. But that helps but kinda isn't worth it. You can buy a motor kit for the jack, they work fair. My brother put one on his tilt deck.

 

[not2old]

I have used a cordless 1/2" drill on my small 5th wheel for years with no problem. When I switched to a 1/4" impact, I broke the adapter I had been using to hold a socket. It took awhile to find someone with a ratchet to borrow to raise my landing gear so that I could leave. The moral of the story is have a back-up ready.

 

[4570Man]

That's what I used, but even my 1/2" drill is only powerful enough to run the jacks empty. But that helps but kinda isn't worth it. You can buy a motor kit for the jack, they work fair. My brother put one on his tilt deck.

The center mounted jack on my equipment trailer is a pain to get the spring loaded foot down. I usually just put a 6x6 block under it and crank the rest of the way. Even if it would only do the no load part it would save a lot of effort. But it’s not very hard to turn with no load on the trailer I don’t think a good drill would have any trouble doing it. I’m pretty sure the OPs trailer doesn’t have adjustable leg jacks and has fixed jacks like a semi so just the no load part would be a big help for him to.

 

[shooterdon]

I used a cordless drill on my 5th wheel when I owned it. Worked OK.

 

[Randy Gann]

I think some of the replies have confused stabilizing jacks on RV with lift (landing) gear on front of your trailer. A handheld cordless 12 volt drill will easily turn RV stabilizer jacks to run them up or down. Been doing that for years. But the RV stabilizer jack is NOT lifting the weight of the RV.
To manage the weight on front landing gear of a gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer you need something with slower speed and more torque. I am curious if you can get a variable speed high torque 1/2” cordless impact to do the job?

 

[i7win7]

The screw type jacks for cars, the impact wrench makes the car bounce at every hammer stroke. Drill is better, a cordless ratchet works well when it stalls out use it like a normal ratchet. Don't know if they come in 3/4" or 1" size but think that's what is needed for trailer tongue jack.

 

[Hay Dude]

My trailer has big rig landing gear. I hate them. Much prefer the ratcheting adjustable legs on previous trailers, but not heavy duty enough. Trailer weighs 8500 empty, so it’s a bear to raise
Unfortunately Kaufman did not offer hydraulic jacks :ashamed:

What I was thinking is to set the jack handle on the more cranks/easier setting and a good 1/2” drill will turn it easily. Just need a “ stub “ to fit in the handle shaft a drill will attach to

 

[nisaacs]

This is what my brother used, they are pretty slow.

Powered Drive Kit Bulldog 182418

 

[4570Man]

This is what my brother used, they are pretty slow.

Powered Drive Kit Bulldog 1824181

If it’s anything like the powered camper landing gear they’re all slower than molasses. I’d rather have a weaker and faster system even if I had to take over by hand to lift it off the ball.

 

[oosik]

I uses a 3/8" rechargeable drill on my trailer leveling jacks. Worked fine. I have a Mikata 1/2" impact driver. I don't use that. Not so sure the jack mechanisms would handle the impacts so very well.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not talking about leveling jacks, though. Talking about the landing gear on a trailer. Sort of boggles the mind no one has fabbed up a pipe that slips over the jack rod with an adapter for a drill or impact. Looks like maybe a $25 item. It could be removed and the jack handle reinstalled in case drill battery is dead.

 

[bcp]

Might find one here.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=drill+ada...sb&atb=v223-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

Bruce

 

[Reb954]

This is an adapter I made for my travel trailer in case the motor went out on the electric jack. I don't know why a person couldn't make something similar for an equipment trailer. It was made to use a 3/4" wrench, crescent wrench or cordless drill with a socket.

 

[jmc]

I bought a high torque 18 volt Bosch drill to crank my Bridgeport mill bed up and down. It worked well but the two expensive batteries didn't last very long. I think the high amperage for that much torque (for any time longer than bottoming out a lag bolt) probably fried the batteries. So it might depend on the sustainable discharge amperage on your drill vs the jack resistance. If the jack has a coarse acme thread, a finer thread should help.

 

[4570Man]

I bought a high torque 18 volt Bosch drill to crank my Bridgeport mill bed up and down. It worked well but the two expensive batteries didn't last very long. I think the high amperage for that much torque (for any time longer than bottoming out a lag bolt) probably fried the batteries. So it might depend on the sustainable discharge amperage on your drill vs the jack resistance. If the jack has a coarse acme thread, a finer thread should help.

Were they 4-5 ah batteries or some of the little ones that come with drills? They’re made to go on other high load tools like a grinder and circular saw so high load in a drill for 30 seconds shouldn’t hurt it.

 

[California]

I welded a nut that takes a 3/4 socket, on the crank handle for a scissor jack. I turn it with a socket and adapter on my cordless drill. If things get stiff I switch to an X-type lug wrench to turn it.