What do you use for lifting heavy objects?

[Ecosta777]

Just like the title says! What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things like dividing heads, rotary tables, mill vises, etc...?

I recently found out I have a small hernia, but it's also been getting harder to man handle heavy tooling items as I get older. I am looking to keep the budget to under $300. So far I have only been looking at engine hoists, and electric ceiling hoists.

The engine hoist would be beneficial to me to move any heavy machinery if needed, but even a collapsible ones takes up a lot of space. And it seems like it would be hard to maneuver close to machines / excessive for just picking up a dividing head or rotary table. I can find a used 2 ton for about $200 pretty easily.

A 220lb cap. electric hoist is about $100 + whatever I need to make to install it. I was thinking either just a swing arm off the wall, or maybe a small mobile stand for it? The mobile stand would also take up space I don't necessarily have, but be more easily maneuverable than an engine hoist. The swing arm doesn't take up floor space and is easily moved out of the way. I am leaning more in this direction.

I was wondering if there's any other options I have overlooked, or if anyone else has installed one of these electric hoists in their shop?



Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[tq60]

We have a hoyer lift, looks like engine lift but people size.

They are for lifting folks from beds.

Show up at thrift stores.

Very handy.

Also have overhead trolly lift, still to be installed.

Our heavy bench is rather crude, a 2 post car lift with a chunk of plywood, lower to floor, place heavy item and raise to working level.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[BGHansen]

I have a HF gantry crane, HF hydraulic pump-up lift table and a Sam's Club 2-ton engine hoist. Though my born-with hands and back still do a lot of lifting (for now). Don't be afraid to ask for help! I solicit our son's help all of the time; it's not a measure of "manliness", it's a measure of using your brain cells! There's a line from a Clint Eastwood movie I often quote (Magnum Force), "A man's got to know his limitations".

Regarding the hernia, hopefully you can have it taken care of laparoscopically. When you feel the pain, sit down and massage the area regardless of the crap others might give you. I had 3 hernia operations in about a 2 year timeframe: left groin, upper ab area and the right groin. Mine were all done laparoscopically with mesh; think pulling a tire with a hole in it and installing a patch on the inside. In my case(s), the surgeon travels from town to town, hits our town on Thursday. I went in Thursday afternoon for the "turn your head and cough" exam, "Okay, STOP, you have a hernia!" Scheduled for surgery the following Thursday morning, follow up appointment made the following Thursday afternoon in the recovery room. I took a week off from work with the first two and would have liked a little longer. I took two weeks with the third one, was good to go when I went back to work. My advice, take 2 weeks if it down laparoscopically! And more advice, if you think you might hurt yourself, ASK FOR HELP!

Bruce

 

[jbaccell]

We have a hoyer lift, looks like engine lift but people size.

They are for lifting folks from beds.

Show up at thrift stores.

Very handy.

Also have overhead trolly lift, still to be installed.

Our heavy bench is rather crude, a 2 post car lift with a chunk of plywood, lower to floor, place heavy item and raise to working level.
Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

I too own and use a Hoyer lift. As you said, it's very handy....

 

[C-Bag]

I have no room at all, but there‘s always room for lift/safety equipment. 2tn folding engine hoist(lives in the shed) 1tn lift cart(doubles as a welding table), 1tn chain hoist mounted over the mill for my 10” rotary table. All Harbor Freight. All used for different things. I mostly work alone so you can never have too many ways to safely lift things and worth 10x more than I paid.

 

[imagineer]

A very well used Spanco rolling gantry crane. I cut some off the legs to have it fit the overhead clearance of my workshop. The top beam was stenciled for 2000lb capacity, but not knowing the age or history, I'm considering it a 1000lb max capacity.

For a hoist, I use a HF electric hoist (# 62853) mounted on a modified HF trolley (#97392).

So far, the heaviest item I've lifted with it was a 460lb table saw.

 

[tjb]

What are you using in your shop for lifting heavy things

Neighbors.

 

[rabler]

Well, how heavy? I've gone a bit overboard.
I'm a big believer in using my shop to make things easier for me, especially when it comes to lifting. I'm working on building a bridge crane in the back of the shop for general purpose lifting, up to about 3000 lbs, but have only got the posts in so far. Other things -

Simple hoist over the lathe for lifting chucks, etc, up to about 150 lbs:


General purpose lifting, up to about 400 lbs. Designed to straddle machines to get stuff on/off mill tables, etc:


Moving up to about 3000 lbs, the tractor loader:


I built this gantry originally to lift my big lathe at 9000 lbs off the trailer. I wouldn't use it for more than 3000 lbs on the wheels, but on the drop legs it'll hold quite a bit. Mostly this is used for stock handling at this point (fixed position).


Moving the really heavy stuff, I've resorted to renting:

 

[wayback machine]

1 ton engine crane (w. 8" casters), 1,000lb lift table, 1,500lb "Little Mule" lever type chain hoist, hung from triple 2x12 beam.

 

[Winegrower]

Wow, Rabler is a hard act to follow! My hat’s off to you, amigo.

For me, the HF 2 ton engine hoist has done terrific work, lifting the Takisawa lathe (2500#), the Jet vertical bandsaw, the Bridgeport head when I added the riser, the motorcycle for maintenance and to stabilize it on its little lift, the Laguna bandsaw to replace the pathetic factory wheels, log rounds into the pickup, etc. it only takes up a few square feet of floor space when stowed. I also added a $50 chain hoist (1 ton) for emptying the dust collector, and by moving the suspension point around in the garage I can position it at various strategic locations…overhead the middle bay, so I can back the truck in for loading and unloading, over the lathe, etc.