BOSS Hydraulic Lifting Wedge – 1 and 18 Tonne, 9.5 mm Entry, Spring Return

A hydraulic wedge gets under a load that has no clearance. The 18 tonne lifting wedges slide into a 9.5 mm gap and open to 21 mm under full load – enough to get a crib, a block or a proper jack underneath. The little HW1 is a 1 tonne spreading wedge that opens from 10.7 mm right out to 92.4 mm, for prising apart what is stuck rather than lifting what is heavy. Pick the one that suits below.

Ways to buy

• HW1 – 1 tonne wedge spreader, spring return, opens 10.7 mm to 92.4 mm. Light, one hand, and it goes where a spreader bar will not.
• LWH18T – 18 tonne lifting wedge with step blocks. Enters a 9.5 mm gap and lifts to 21 mm. Runs off a separate 700 bar pump.
• LWHM18T – the same 18 tonne lifting wedge as a complete kit with an integrated hand pump, so it is a self contained tool.
• Already have a 700 bar hand pump? – take the LWH18T and save the difference. Pumps are linked at the bottom of this page.
• Lifting, then holding? – a wedge lifts. It does not hold. Put cribbing or steel in the moment you have the clearance.

Pick your wedge

What is in the box

• One wedge in the model you select.
• LWH18T and LWHM18T include the step blocks shown in the photographs.
• LWHM18T includes the hand pump and hose. LWH18T does not – it needs a separate 700 bar pump.
• Shipping weights are our own estimates. The factory does not publish them.

Specifications

How to choose

• How big is the gap you have to get into? That is the first number. 9.5 mm for the 18 tonne wedges, 10.7 mm for the HW1.
• How far does it need to open? The 18 tonne wedges only go to 21 mm – they are lifting tools, not spreading tools. If you need to open something wide, look at the HW1 or a flange spreader.
• Prising rather than lifting? HW1. One tonne is plenty for a jammed panel, a seized cover or a stuck bearing housing.
• Working away from a power source? LWHM18T – the integrated hand pump makes it a one box tool.

Technicians Advice

Two things kill hydraulic wedges.

The first is loading them off square: the wedge is designed to take its load down the centreline of the taper, and if you drive it in on an angle you side load the ram and bend the plunger. Get it flat on the ground, get the load square on the top face, and if the surface is not flat, pack it before you pump – not after.

The second is people trying to use them as a spreader. An 18 tonne lifting wedge opens 11.5 mm total. It is there to break a load off the deck so you can get a crib or a jack underneath, and that is all. Take the clearance, get the support in, and let the wedge down.

Do not leave a load standing on a wedge while you go and find a block – work out where the cribbing is going before you start pumping. And on the HW1, remember the spring return only pulls the wedge closed; it will not pull it out of a joint that has closed on it. Keep a light film of grease on the taper faces and it will come out every time.

Complete your setup

Need help choosing? Call 1300 146 737 or email sales@mhfgc.com.au – real technicians, real answers.