Handling 150 lbs devices

Definitely the kind of thing to get some kinda of assistance for. See if you can get/build a cart the same height as your tailgate so you can slide them right onto it and not have to lift them at all. That would be ideal. Failing that maybe use a ramp and a rope to slide them down to the ground. Back injuries take a long time to heal, and are a serious business, it's not "wussy" to take care of yourself, it's smart.

Buy a 12-pack and invite some younger backs over.

Handy hydraulic cart

When my Dad hurt his back carrying a Ford flat-head V-8 around his shop it took him long enough to heal that he'd learned bodywork. Then he started a custom rod shop.

So unless you're thinking of a career change you should maybe get help.

Wussy is not doing what you can easily do. _Really_ wussy is hurting yourself because you're afraid of looking wussy, if that makes sense.

Thanks Justin. Good thoughts, I think that I will find/build something for safety.

i

Thanks Tim. You are right. Nothing worse than being injured.

You can see a similar device at

The seller is wrong, it weighs 152 lbs, not 180, but the pictures are telling.

Jim's suggestion of a lift cart is a good one, but I do not have it at this time.

i

i i

Tim, any relation to Wescott Auto, as in fiberglass bodies? Bill.

I have exactly that (I call it a shop crane, perhaps incorrectly), but it is a hassle to use in this instance. Think about how many movements need to be done, truck started and moved, etc.

Thanks. Ramps could be a good alternative actually, and here with 152 lbs I could get away with some simple stuff.

i

It's heavy *and* fragile. That's the trouble. You need to change it from 150 lbs to 75 lbs. How? Use some ratchet straps to strap a 2X4 across the top of it, and then you put one person at each end of the wood.

My 15 year old daughter and I moved a safe that weighted more than that, in a smaller package, trivially.

The trouble with small heavy stuff like that is, there's nothing to grab ahold of. You probably already have the nylon ratchet straps and the 2X4. All you need is one more sucker - er, I mean, assistant. If you can scrounge up a hand truck that makes it even easier.

Jim

Two thoughts.

Rent (or buy) an engine hoist.

You can also buy, build or rent some ramps for pickups fairly reasonable. These are good to have anyway. You can always use a come along to raise or lower a load up and down the ramps.

This is a picture of a come along

All of these items can be rented. There are also metal tips that you can buy to fit two by lumber tomake these ramps.

Best idea yet!!!!

Yes -- that's my dad's company (with lots of help from my brother). I used to work there when I was in high school and college. Along with a lot of scut work I did quite a bit of mold work, both the fiberglass and metal reinforcing for the molds.

The body that we used as a pattern for the '39 convertible was in such sad shape that we just took temporary molds off the panels then hand-built a plug, correcting problems as we went -- the floor pattern came from a '39 or '40 woody (which was just a good floor and a few scraps of cowl sheetmetal when I knew it). I helped to hand-assemble the plug for the body (with a few fierce 'technical discussions' with my dad about the best approach to take).

Here is a picture of the kits I was talking about. These are actually available from many sources. I am not doing that good coming up with anything on the web though. This all I could come up with on short notice.

By the way, what are you going to use those big power supplies for?

Hey, if you're in the Chi 'burbs and want to borrow mine...

I put a 90 Lb vise on and off my mill without much trouble, but that is about my limit. No way would I try to lift anything weighing 150 Lbs, with the possible exception of lifting one end at a time to slip a sling, board or whatever under it. (I have lifted a lathe apron that was close to that weight just once, and it was a total bear.)

If you screw up your back, it will NEVER completely heal. Take that from one who has done it! I made it to about 52 without wrecking my back, but then I had 3 incidents in 2 weeks that collectively did some real damage. There are now certain movements, generally reaching out in front of me a little bit and lifting something heavy, that I can't do anymore without risk of a major breakdown in my back. If you don't have a shop crane of some sort, with all the stuff you are doing, you really need to get one.

I have enough stuff around here that I can't lift myself, so I don't feel the crane was wasted.

I do have a scheme where you put a ladder from the vehicle to the ground, shim the object up and onto a board on the ladder, and then slide it down. It has always worked just swell until I tried to do it to a 375 Lb surface plate still in the crate. I was trying to tug the crate over to the ladder when there was a "bad noise" from my back. That was that crowning 3rd incident that tore up my back. I wasn't actually even trying to lift it, but I guess I was trying to reduce the weight enough to slide the thing. Now that I have the crane, I won't be doing that sort of insanity any more.

Jon

Enlist a "slave".

*** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com *** *** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from ***

when i bought my large compressor, the delivery guy got it off the semi onto the ground just by carefully balancing it on the edge, and lowering it gently. use leverage, the overall weight won't be that much until you get close to the ground. a couple of ramps should do it. at that point, a simple hand cart would move them pretty easily. you can get an 800 lb handcart at HF for under $30 when they're on sale.

Perhaps get yourself one of those 500# cap hitch mount lift gates that Harbor Freight has for a couple hundred $. I've heard reports that they work well and have seen them myself in the store and they looked pretty decent. The only reason I didn't get one myself is I already have a forklift for unloading.

Pete C.