AC Hydraulics DK20 jack

[9/22/2004] Reviewed by: Bruce Stanley - moto_bruce@yahoo.com

Applicable to:

Well priced, well made heavy duty service jack. 4400 lb capacity, low 3.1" saddle height, convenient controls for lowering.

Enthusiast use, I do all of the work on my car. Ordered from ASE Deals. Costs much less than most of the other jacks I was looking at (Norco, Milwaukee). An S2000 buddy of mine told me I should look at the AC unit, it was reviewed favorably by the S2K crowd. I had survived on cheap $30 jacks for a couple of years, but after wearing out 2 very quickly (I was on my third), I knew it was time to step up. The cheap jacks wouldn't handle many cycles before developing a terminal leak. I'm guessing between 15-25 cycles per jack before failure. I did some homework and found that most jack hydraulics are made in China, even some of the old USA brands. A real made in the USA jack is Very Expensive. The AC is made in Europe (Denmark?) and they build a lot of heavy lift gear. The AC was less than half the cost of a USA built jack (Milwaukee), and although I don't think the quality is as good as a Milwaukee, the AC is a much better fit for my use and finances.

It works great. Lift is easy and release is controlled and has a built in safety where if you let go of the handle, it stops lowering the load. Maximum rate of descent is advertised as 6 to 8 seconds, so no accidental dumping of the load. I was able to lower the front end of the car all the way after swapping out a header, but I'm not convinced that I would be able to get the jack under the car to lift it up (lowering it, the suspension hasn't settled to static height), but I also have rhino ramps. I guess you could go with the DK13 (described on another website as THE pimp jack) which is a long nose jack that could really get under there, but the DK13 is quite a bit more $$$. I think the rhino ramp DK20 combo is a better, cheaper solution.

Not an installed item


AC Hydraulic Jack

[1/23/2003] Reviewed by: Scott Hall - nodeone@excite.com

Applicable to:

I've got an AC model DK20 jack with rubber pad. The thing is built like a tank: heavy and indestructible.

I've used the jack to raise and lower my miata several times now. I jacked the car from the frame rail that runs parallel to and behind where the proper jackpoints are. My car is lowered on Koni adjustables with FM springs. I was a bit disappointed to find the jack would not reach to the differential from behind the car (it would contact the bumper a few inches short). The release mechanism is not as progressive as I would like, but it is a vast improvement over my previous jack. After a little bit of practice, it is possible to finesse the car down as fast or slow as desired. The jack is very easy to maneuver on the ground, but is a bit of a chore to carry at 65 pounds.

If I had it all to do again, I would definitely buy AC, but probably get the DK13HLQ instead. It's got a much longer reach, and would likely allow me to jack the car from any point (including the differential). In all, it's a very high quality jack, and definitely worth the money if you do a lot of work on your car.

Not an installed item


Back to Product Reviews 13 November, 2004