The farm jack (also known as the handyman jack or high lift jack) is a versatile mechanical tool that can be put to a wide range of uses. Originally invented some time around 1905 and sold as the Automatic Combination Tool, the basic design has remained largely unchanged to this day.
The farm jack is characterised by rugged, simple construction. It comprises a steel beam with a series of equally spaced holes along its length, and a hand operated mechanism which can be moved from one end of the beam to the other through the use of a pair of climbing pins. Typical sizes for the farm jack are 4 feet, 5 feet and 6 feet, the size referring to the length of the beam.
The jack's versatility stems from the fact that it can be used for such applications as lifting, winching, clamping, pulling and pushing. It is this versatility, along with the long travel it offers and its relative portability, which make the farm jack so popular with off road drivers.