Comparison of the Bulldog Heavy Duty Jack Traditional Style Gear Box and a Planetary Style Gearbox

Published 08/05/2011

Question:

What is the difference in a traditional and a planetary jack?

asked by: Sue

Expert Reply:

The difference between a jack with a traditional gear box and a jack with a planetary gear box is the gears inside the unit, the number of shafts on the unit and the attachment of the units to the jack.

The gears in a planetary gear box use gears that can be moved to change speeds, this type of gear box has gears that can be sized very differently also. This gear box can be changed out and the operation of the jack is very smooth. To change speeds on this jack a single shaft is moved and you do not need to move the handle.

The traditional gear gear box has gears that are stationary in the gear box and you need to move the handle to a second input shat to . The gear box is welded to the side of the jack and cannot be replaced. While this jack is capable of lifting very heavy loads, the operation is not as smooth as a planetary gear jack.

Once you get inside the lifting mechanism of the jacks, bevel gears are then used to raise and lower the jacks lift leg.

If your application requires using the jack at or near its capacity a lot of the time then the traditional gear box is the way to go. If your application does not push the jack to capacity and smooth operation is desired then the planetary jack is the way to go.

expert reply by: Robert G