Does anyone have any experience with the Harbor Freight Motorcycle lift table? I'm thinkin about picking one up, but Im a little concerned about it dropping my bike. It seems like a great deal, but can it be trusted? If not, I'd rather spend a few hundred more and get something else. Can anyone that has used this table give me your opinion, thanks!
Harbor Freight Motorcycle lift table
- Thread starter jgelack
- Start date
Mainly general maintenance work, oil changes, brake work, and I do plan on installing a full exhaust system in the near future. The bike is a Yamaha R6
Plenty good for an R6. I've used one for years on a wide variety of sportbikes. Not as good for adventure bikes or touring bikes. The lack of stability starts to show up more and more with taller heavier bikes.
The front wheel chock is junk. Buy a roll in chock from HF http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-69026.html and mount it to the table. If you mount it correctly you will still be able to get a front lift stand under the fork legs so you can change the front tire with the chock still mounted to the table. This is something you can't do as easily with a Handy lift table. Handy lift tables are setup to use a jack under the engine to get the front wheel in the air. This doesn't work well on full fairing sportbikes. You will need to mount the chock a bit back from the front edge of the table if you want to be able to easily use a steering stem lift as opposed to a fork leg lift. The table will come under filled with hydraulic fluid. Buy some hydraulic fluid and fill the ram cylinder before using the table.
I have 2 Harbor Freight tables and a Handy table.
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Thanks for the tips on the wheel chock and hydraulic fluid. I have heard the chock the table comes with is garbage and should be replaced.
Iirc there are 3 models of that lift. Mines ok for non dresser big twin Harley. Assemble with better fasteners, get s better chock as said.
Read in a. Ike forum the design changed a few months ago and it's not as good as the older ones. Don't know details...
Read in a. Ike forum the design changed a few months ago and it's not as good as the older ones. Don't know details...
I bought one last summer, and also installed the roll in chock. First bike on it was my FJR1300. After one failed attempt to push the bike up on the lift, I walked it up under it's power while feathering the clutch. With the feet on the lift screwed down and the table lowered to the support bar, the bike was plenty secure.
Also have an SV650, and pushing it up on the lift was no problem.
Also have an SV650, and pushing it up on the lift was no problem.
driftpin
Well-known member
I don't have the HFT lift. I have friends who have used them and they are a good deal for the $, which is probably the best part of their value, they're not much $, they sell on sale for $289 here-south FL.
I've been wanting to buy a table for years, I passed on buying a HFT lift new or used, and recently bought a Handy Air Lift, it was ~$600 and came with the side extensions and the ramp extensions, and the 'good' front wheel vise. If I went to their website and bought one new, it would have been about $1800 shipped to FL. So, for paying 1/3, I got a good table well-suited to my needs, from a vintage 305 Superhawk, to an Evo Softail. I couldn't be happier. I think it's worth the difference in price compared to the HFT lift.
Here's a pic of it undergoing an extreme-load test.
If you don't want to invest a lot of $ in your lift table, the HFT should work fine. If you want something better, it's like buying Central Pneumatic or Ryobi to Milwaukee, they all get the job done, but one is likely to outlast the others.
I've been wanting to buy a table for years, I passed on buying a HFT lift new or used, and recently bought a Handy Air Lift, it was ~$600 and came with the side extensions and the ramp extensions, and the 'good' front wheel vise. If I went to their website and bought one new, it would have been about $1800 shipped to FL. So, for paying 1/3, I got a good table well-suited to my needs, from a vintage 305 Superhawk, to an Evo Softail. I couldn't be happier. I think it's worth the difference in price compared to the HFT lift.
Here's a pic of it undergoing an extreme-load test.
If you don't want to invest a lot of $ in your lift table, the HFT should work fine. If you want something better, it's like buying Central Pneumatic or Ryobi to Milwaukee, they all get the job done, but one is likely to outlast the others.
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I have mine with a Condor front chock. Right now its pitifully covered with tools because my Tool box is somewhat too small, as well as parts from doing the LS swap for my 1985 Jimmy. I've had a transmission and transfer case on it with about 200 other pounds of stuff, When cleared it has supported my DL1000 VStrom without issue, my DR650, both my Hawks, and with that front wheel chock all I do is ride or push it on, turn off the bike, and step off. No kick stand, no straps, no problems. When I am working on it I put a piece of Velcro around the upright part and the front wheel with a rag to keep from scratching wheels and it will not move... No straps needed. The guy I got it from had a MBW GS1200 and he rode it on to park it in the same manner as well. That being said, if you get it plan on using some other wheel chock because theirs is junk. The Condor is a chunk of money in itself but it with the lift for a sweet deal... 300 bucks, if I recall.
I'm probably going to be cleaning it off and putting the tools in the proper space this weekend because I am finally getting some new tool storage this weekend to resolve the storage issue.
Hopefully this photo shows up OK from my Google Shared folder. It's from when I had just gotten it, was moving stuff around in the garage, and actually had one of my project bikes on it, which hopefully it will be holding another one after this weekend, lol.
I'm probably going to be cleaning it off and putting the tools in the proper space this weekend because I am finally getting some new tool storage this weekend to resolve the storage issue.
Hopefully this photo shows up OK from my Google Shared folder. It's from when I had just gotten it, was moving stuff around in the garage, and actually had one of my project bikes on it, which hopefully it will be holding another one after this weekend, lol.
Thanks guys, my main concern was can it be trusted? Sounds like it can from your responses. Upgrading the wheel choke is a given. I plan on visiting Harbor Freight over the weekend, so l plan on taking a serious look at it. Thanks again!
I had the Princess Auto version, was fine. Just make sure you always throw the bar through the legs, and release the pressure on the jack when using it...if anything's gonna go on them, it's the cylinders, and you don't want to depend on that to bear weight for an indefinite period.
Will do, thanks
jmarkwolf
Well-known member
I bought one a couple years ago and it has been working fine.
Put the bar through the legs to unload the cylinder as stated prior.
I use it for working on my KLR650, snow blower, generator, etc.
Don't think I'd load it to stated capacity tho.
Can double as an extra bench. Can't be beat for the price, especially at 25% off.
Put the bar through the legs to unload the cylinder as stated prior.
I use it for working on my KLR650, snow blower, generator, etc.
Don't think I'd load it to stated capacity tho.
Can double as an extra bench. Can't be beat for the price, especially at 25% off.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Check out JimVonBaden's posts. I believe he has one and uses it a LOT.
Mike.
Mike.