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Used Jaws of Life System Is Impressive, Can Slice Through a Car Like It's Nothing

Thanks to Hollywood, everyone has gotten to know about the Jaws of Life. The device is meant to help cut the roof off a vehicle that has been involved in a collision, and it is used by emergency crews across the world when they need to extract people from a wreck. This is one such device in action for entertainment purposes only.
Jaws of Life system 7 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Donut Media
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The first version of the Jaws of Life rescue device was a hydraulic one, which required another device to create pressure for the hydraulic system that helps make this giant metal scissor work. Later versions have been made to work with electric power alone, which means an increase in portability for the device, as well as a decrease in complexity for the system.

The folks over at Donut Media went ahead and bought a Jaws of Life device and then compared it to other alternatives that could be used to cut the roof off a vehicle. The latter three are a Sawzall, an angle grinder, and a cutting torch. Mind you, a plasma cutter could have also been tested, but the latter is quite expensive.

When firefighters need to save lives, speed is key, so they need their equipment to work in their favor as fast as possible. That may be the reason why the Jaws of Life have become the go-to tool for cutting roofs off of damaged vehicles.

While we already know that this is the device of choice for emergency responders worldwide, it is important to understand why that happens. For example, the cutting torch can be an effective tool to cut metal, but you do not want it anywhere near a crashed vehicle that may be leaking fuel.

The same can be said about the angle grinder, which is also a tool that can cut metal and is more affordable than other tools. Unfortunately, there is a caveat to using an angle grinder in an emergency: cutting metal with an angle grinder will lead to sparks being thrown everywhere. Again, you do not want sparks or an open flame next to a vehicle that has just crashed, as it may start a fire.

The Sawzall is another relatively affordable alternative, which does not create a flame when it is operating, and it can cut through metal without throwing sparks everywhere. Unfortunately, it does not match the speed and power of the Jaws of Life system.

The real secret is that the Jaws of Life are a trio of devices that can cut metal, spread components, or push them out of the way from a point using hydraulic power.

Instead of just a device meant for cutting, the Jaws of Life can complete several tasks using the same technology, and that is what makes this setup so great. All we can wish you is to never need one of these.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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