HF 2 Ton hoist

I bought one of the cheap load levelers at Northern Hydraulics here locally. I would imagine they're all from the same slave labor camp in China. They work okay, but be sure and grease the threaded shaft. I was in a hurry to get a heavy GM diesel V8 pulled out of a pickup and didn't lube that shaft. The surface started to flake and plug up threaded leveler brackets. Not very good steel but would have probably been fine if I'd taken the time to lube it before I started the job.

Garrett Fulton

I have a similar crane - great things to have in the shop and don't take much space when folded. Try making one for the price - even with scrap steel I couldn't do it. Mine has moved all my gear in the workshop, including some heavy machinery. Geoff

I keep an 8-inch length of 1/2" PVC pipe with the regular handle. Raises the ram quickly when unloaded.

Agreed, for the money this is a great tool to have.

Just recently a picked up a used one (welded/bolt together) for $35 and slapped a quick coat of paint on it. Can't believe I waited this long--very handy. Might need some new casters but boy is it useful.

GTO(John)

One of my Secret Sources offered me a Carolina 4000 lb "engine hoist" today, for $100.

Is it worth it? The critter has seen some serious use, but nothing is bent or twisted and the castors are not bent or damaged.

Are these better than the HF stuff?

Gunner

"A vote for Kerry is a de facto vote for bin Laden." Strider

I bought the same one a few years ago. Very handy indeed. If you decide later on that you need proper overhead lifting straps, have a look at Enco.

The bolt under the jack handel came out of my unit... What a job getting it back in... I put a longer one back in...

Nah...terrbile stuff...you should avoid it like the plague. Now, where did you say that hoist was located? :)

Tim

Wow. Good point. I didn't think of that. We've been swinging around the little Toyota engines for the last two days. I'm guessing they weigh 4-500 pounds. I'll be sure to lube the shaft with some lithium or moly grease.

--George

True. It must be one tiny piston in there. I have the 8 ton ram and it sure takes a lot. I see Grant put in one of the air compressir powered units. Right now, I can live with it.

I did yank the bolt they have for securing the boom and replaced it with a big 5/8" hitch pin. It makes moving the boom way easier.

--George

Dunno Gunner. If it isn't bent and the ram isn't leaking, it seems like a good deal. The things just go and go and go. At 4000 punds, you've got a hell of a lot of capacity. My HF can do 4000 too, but the mast is way back to it's shortest length to do it. The hole units weighs around 250 pounds to give you an idea of the amount of steel in it.

Offer them $75 because it needs paint :-)

--G--

Just got in a flier from Pep Boys, a chain auto parts store. They're selling a 2-ton folding engine hjoist for $119.99.

-Marc

I tried that..sigh..no go. I had to pay the full $100.

But he did toss in a Wilton #3 vise as a consolation prize. Seen better days and is a bright orange..but it will clean up ok.

I picked up the cherry picker and had it in the front of my lil 4x8 utility trailer for a couple days, and was in a shop Friday finishing up a hot job, when the owner asked me if I wanted a small turret lathe. Kitamura, uses 4C collets, no cross slide included (damnit). Thing ran fine but was an orphan and in their way.

So I used the cherry picker while still in the trailer to lift the lathe into the trailer and then rolled the whole thingy to the proper places. Then when I got home last night, did the same thing in reverse.

Ive REALLY got to do something about those little caster wheels though..they dig into the dirt something awful and then dont roll worth a damn.

Seems that the cherry picker/engine hoist will be doing some work for me around here much easier than before, when I only had a fixed H frame and an Apex railroad jack

Gunner

That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. - George Orwell

Hey Gunner,

Just a comment on a comment you made:

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 02:55:58 GMT, Gunner wrote: SNIP

//////////////////////////////////// Assuming you meant that you were trying to move the hoist with a decent "load", you've got to be really careful to keep all four wheels on a solid smooth level surface. Anything that allows the frame to get even slightly loaded on only one leg, or that "swings" the load sideways at all, can cause rapid catastrophic failure. Like solid-tired fork-lifts, they are not ATV's or made for any sort of "rough terrain", or swinging loads.

I think Marty had an experience few years back that would emphasis this point.

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.