Anyond here have a "Gantry Crane"?

[rockfla]

Anyone here on the "Barn" have either a Harbor Freight OR Northern Tool gantry crane in your shop??? PRO's - Con's??? Tired of trying to lift and move heavy items or get heavy items in and out of my truck by myself!!!! Looking at least the #2000 will never lift that much BUT I figure maybe 1/2 that


There seem to be pro's and cons to both and neither is exactly like the other one!!!




Thanks
Rockfla

[51504bat]

Would a cherry picker work instead?

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

Would a cherry picker work instead?

Probably for most applications BUT my truck sits 36" off the ground to the bed, I had something almost 4' tall to off load, that's almost 7' tall SO a cherry picker did me NO good!!!! PLUS as you extend the arm out, you loose lifting capacity. I can pull my truck OR trailer under a gantry crane at up to 11' feet of height, I can lift what I need out of my truck or off my trailer at any location front to rear with NO loss of capacity

[blucar]

I have two friends that have gantry cranes in there shops, both of which I believe are Harbor Freight, both of them work very well.

For my money I think the gantry type cranes are the most handy type of hoist to have around a shop.

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by blucar

I have two friends that have gantry cranes in there shops, both of which I believe are Harbor Freight, both of them work very well.

For my money I think the gantry type cranes are the most handy type of hoist to have around a shop.

My only real gripe (and not sure since I don't have one) is that the HF one doesn't have locking casters?? That doesn't seem like it would be the "best" thing?? The NT one has locking casters but the reviews say they don't roll very well, are all steel not rubber thus not rolling the best??? ALSO the NT one had apparent quality control issues with the way the welds look??

[cmbrucew]

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rockfla
I use the beam header for the door and a 2 ton comealong.
Bruce

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

rockfla
I use the beam header for the door and a 2 ton comealong.
Bruce

Unfortunately the "beam header" on both my entry doors is NOT strong enough and the span of my shop the trusses are not either!!!!

[Bored&Stroked]

I use my BendPac car lift. I roll my truck underneath it, put a chain through the two long-arms and position them in the middle, then use it to lift anything heavy out of the bed.

I also frequently use it to install engines - as it can be directly over the engine bay and I don't have to screw with my Cherry Picker. Once I started doing this, I very infrequently use the Cherry Picker.

[Bored&Stroked]

It is also extremely handy as a "chassis lift" - I can put a frame or a complete chassis on it and set the height I want to work at - makes the work a lot easier in many cases.

You also can make a plywood 'platform' that mounts on top of the lift arms - to raise yourself up to a height that makes working on something easier.

[Bored&Stroked]

Here is an example of using the lift for an engine install. This method is especially nice when you want to leave your fenders on the car and are struggling to have enough reach with a Cherry Picker.

EngineLifting-Small.jpg

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Bored&Stroked

Here is an example of using the lift for an engine install. This method is especially nice when you want to leave your fenders on the car and are struggling to have enough reach with a Cherry Picker.

Attachment 487645

[swedishsteel]

You can build one out of an I beam, some heavy pipe for posts/uprights and 4 heavy casters, if you have welding skills. That's what I did--6 inch I beam ten feet long, 4 inch pipe for uprights, two shorter I beams with the casters, and two chain hoists on trolleys. All parts and pieces accumulated over the years--don't have over $100 in it.

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by Bored&Stroked

I use my BendPac car lift. I roll my truck underneath it, put a chain through the two long-arms and position them in the middle, then use it to lift anything heavy out of the bed.

I also frequently use it to install engines - as it can be directly over the engine bay and I don't have to screw with my Cherry Picker. Once I started doing this, I very infrequently use the Cherry Picker.

I tried using mine BUT I only used ONE arm.....it shot hydraulic fluid out of the opposite side cylinder SO "maybe" using both sides of the lift is better OR you CANNOT only use one??? I didn't wanna chance anything further with my lift until I have the guy come check it out for me...Maybe that is why it did what it did???




SWEDISHSTEEL with the price of steel these days........I wish I had done as you did and "accumulate" it over the past years BUT most of my customers NOW are guarding their scrap plies pretty strong NOW!!!!

[flatford8]

I’d make an adaptor to go in the holes that the lift pads go in. You could weld an eye in it for a chain fall or what ever you use to lift with. Set the lift on the locks and it would be using each arm.....I was for fortunate that my shop has an I- beam at the roof peak with a trolley that I hang a chain fall on. The only real draw back is it stays right in the center of the shop. I’ve been going to look into an electric winch to hang off the trolley but haven’t done it yet. .......Mark

[Bored&Stroked]

Originally Posted by flatford8

I’d make an adaptor to go in the holes that the lift pads go in. You could weld an eye in it for a chain fall or what ever you use to lift with.

I just run a chain through both holes (with both arms in the middle) - works great.

[1931 flamingo]

HF has locking wheels I believe. You could change them.
Paul in CT

[wga]

I had a 1600 sq ft shop, plus as much outside work area, lifting and moving parts between the areas. Came close to buying a gantry crane. The truck shop next door had a fork lift that I could borrow. Looking back, wish I had purchased a used Toyota propane forklift, would have used it frequently and resell on these is good.
Now in my 900 sf shop, use my 4 post lift - will try to lift a body off with it.
My lift came with the house i bought and the previous owner made a accessory to bridge the ramps, that could be used for your purpose. I'll get a pic of it and send over

[Krylon32]

I use my 4 post Bend Pak lift and my cherry picker as I don't have room for a Gantry. When I was still building chassis I would strap them down on a 12 ft pallet, find the balance point and use my cherry picker to put them into the back of my PU for delivery to the terminal. I seem to use my cherry picker a lot.

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by cmbrucew

rockfla
I use the beam header for the door and a 2 ton comealong.
Bruce

Most comalongs aren't for overhead lifting.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by 51504bat

Most comalongs aren't for overhead lifting.

That's all that I had back in the '60s, hanging off of a big tree branch with a chunk of chain! Still have that come-a-long to this day. Coop

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