A toe jack is a lifting jack designed for lifting a load with a low clearance. It is most often used to lift a load that sits flush on the ground. 

The jack looks like a boot. The toe of that boot is made to slip underneath the load if that load has at least an inch or so of clearance between the floor and the bottom of the load. If the load sits flush on the ground without the required small clearance, the toe is raised to a pick-point or catches the load at a lip like you would find on an I-beam commonly used as a frame for machinery. 

  The "Toe" on the jack acts as a lifting tongue

The first toe jacks were designed for railroad construction and maintenance. Workers would use the toe of the jack to grab underneath a rail to lift it. These original toe jacks were mechanical in nature, using a hand crank for lifting. This of cause had limits on the capacity. 

Today, most toe jacks are hydraulic using a pumping mechanism to force oil from a small tank into a cylinder, lifting a piston out of that cylinder.

Designs of hydraulic toe jacks vary with the toe either attached to a sleeve over the piston and cylinder or a toe directly attached to the cylinder in an up-side-down design.

In areas where the use of a crane or hoist is not an option, a toe jack is often the only solution. These jacks offer:

• Low-profile design: Fits under objects with limited clearance.

• Hydraulic operation: Provides high-capacity lifting capabilities.

Most other types of hydraulic lifting jacks lift vertical or horizontal in-line with the jack’s cylinder. In other words, other jacks just lift straight up. A toe jack, however, will lift a load that is to the side of the jack. The piston gets twisted inside the cylinder, not only on the way up, but it also grinds away at the walls of the cylinder on the way down. This puts enormous torque on the jack and most toe jacks eventually fail from those stress forces.

Toe Jack wants to Lean with the force on the side        While a standard jack just pushes straight up

Toe jacks therefore should be of extremely high quality to assure safe operation. 

Because the jack’s housing is on the outside of the load and only the toe is under the load, the torque means the jack wants to lean towards the load. The leaning amplifies and the jack becomes unstable if the toe is raised to high. The leaning causes the jack to lose contact with the ground. It’s like the jack will eventually only stand on its tippy-toe and this will then lead to the jack kicking out. To prevent this, a toe jack must only be used to lift 2-3 inches at a time. To lift higher, the load – after having been raised 2 inches - then needs to be blocked, the jacks then need to be lowered to remove the weight, then repositioned to stand up straight again and the process can start over again.    

Toe jacks are primarily used in industrial environments to lift machinery, structures and industrial equipment. 

Toe jacks are essential tools for lifting heavy objects in various industries. With their low-profile design and powerful hydraulic operation, they offer a reliable and efficient solution for many lifting tasks. By following safety guidelines, you can use a toe jack safely and effectively to accomplish your lifting needs.