Hoist ?

[aka rotten]

You experts answer me a question about using a electric hoist in my little shop.Shop is 24 x24 roof truses are 3 ft apart..What i wanna do is place 4x4 across 2 truses and mount a electric hoist from 4x4.I would use this hoist only tp raise front of johndeere mower stright up a bit[i,ll say 2-3 ft for service and such.Not ever will be all 4 wheels off floor.Stright pull up and down,i,m in wheelchair and this would make it so much easyer for me.Is this safe or not?Dont wanna nother knot in head.Thanks,Paul

 

[porschedude996TT]

You'll get one of two answers from everyone you talk to.

Answer One: (From architect/building inspector/etc.) No, trusses are designed for one thing.

Answer Two: (From most every other Tom, ****, or Harry) Sure, you're not lifting too much. Or do it until it creeks and back off a little.

 

[rlitman]

No, it is not safe. The bottom chord of trusses is not made to support weight. You could however install a beam that can span the 24' and support some load, but it will be pretty heavy.

 

[Garage Dog]

Rotten,

Circumstances vary and I have seen it done many times, but the bottom cord of a truss is not designed for lifting with a chain hoist, especially at 3' on center, if you have to ask it probably isn't safe.

 

[jamm]

Why not get one of these and be done with it?

http://www.harborfreight.com/high-lift-riding-mower-atv-jack-60395.html

 

[Thumper68]

If it were me and installing a new beam all the way across the space is not an option then I would get 2 2x10 and some 3/4 inch ply, lag/bolt and glue them together with the ply in the middle and make it as long as I could to span as many trusses as I could.

Then lift the tractor place jack stands and then work under it.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I would use this hoist only to raise front of johndeere mower stright up a bit[i,ll say 2-3 ft for service and such.Not ever will be all 4 wheels off floor.

As mentioned, conventional roof trusses aren't designed for carrying load on their bottom chords, but assuming this isn't a full size JD tractor it sounds like you're only talking about a couple hundred pounds at most. For added insurance I'd use a longer beam to distribute the weight across three or four trusses.

 

[akdiesel]

I do agree with the comments but if you feel you must do this then I would also suggest putting the lift as close to the sill plate of a load bearing wall to minimize flex in the middle of the trusses.
The header of the overhead door may be strong enough also to do this and you may use the inside of the header with the door open to do your work. I feel this may be safer then using two trusses.

 

[383 240z]

How about a few posts under the joist that the beam is on? This would prevent them from sagging when the load was applied. Keith

 

[kbs2244]

If I had a dollar for every time I have seen this done I could by an island in the South Pacific.

 

[Kevin54]

I'd like to know why the ******* dimension of 3' spacing. I've saw 16" spacing and 24" spacing (most common) but have never saw 36" spacing.

Given that, on my first garage with 24" spacing on engineered trusses with a 4/12 pitch and 24' long, I pulled many a 440 and 426 engines out of my nephews cars by laying fullsize 2" x 6" old Oak boards in close to the web on top of the bottom chord of the trusses and never got a creak out of them. The boards I had spanned 12' though so the other trusses carried the weight. As far as doing that on a 3' span, I don't think I would do it.

Have you looked into a MoJack for raising the mower up to clean it? My wife uses one on the 345 JD all the time. She only needs help folding it back up when done with it.

 

[Rookie2]

You could throw a 10' 4x4 over three trusses . i would be comfortable with that but without seeing the actual truss make up , its your life. In my pole building I rigged up two all threads to go up to a plate over the peak of the truss (at the gap under the ridge vent) this was to mount a 5" I-beam . You could even loop a 5/16" cable up over the top of the truss but that HF lawnmower jack looks like the cats meow ![B][/B]

 

[91FE]

...Have you looked into a MoJack for raising the mower up to clean it? My wife uses one on the 345 JD all the time. She only needs help folding it back up when done with it.

Hell of a lady you got there... mine wouldn't have a clue.

 

[aka rotten]

I'd like to know why the ******* dimension of 3' spacing. I've saw 16" spacing and 24" spacing (most common) but have never saw 36" spacing.

Given that, on my first garage with 24" spacing on engineered trusses with a 4/12 pitch and 24' long, I pulled many a 440 and 426 engines out of my nephews cars by laying fullsize 2" x 6" old Oak boards in close to the web on top of the bottom chord of the trusses and never got a creak out of them. The boards I had spanned 12' though so the other trusses carried the weight. As far as doing that on a 3' span, I don't think I would do it.

Have you looked into a MoJack for raising the mower up to clean it? My wife uses one on the 345 JD all the time. She only needs help folding it back up when done with it.

I didnt realise untill i just read some answers to my ? i said 3 ft between trusses and i hit 3 instead of 2 ft between.Its hell to get old but still learnin.And what i have is lawn mower not full size.I have no use of legs so jack deal is out,why i asked what i did.Thanks for responces.Paul

 

[MG44]

You will live, they will not break, life will go on.

 

[Kevin54]

I didnt realise untill i just read some answers to my ? i said 3 ft between trusses and i hit 3 instead of 2 ft between.Its hell to get old but still learnin.And what i have is lawn mower not full size.I have no use of legs so jack deal is out,why i asked what i did.Thanks for responces.Paul

Very sorry to hear that, but I understand you problem now. If they are 2' on center, I can't in good conscious tell you to go ahead and do it. I know what I have done in the past although it may not have been right, but it worked. I know people store a boatload of **** up in the rafters with no bad results. I would say if it were me, I would make sure I straddled enough trusses to help carry the load. I would also look into maybe a swingset type of frame on wheels that you could put an electric hoist on or even a coffin jack, other than I hate the chains hanging down in the way.

If you have someone that is going to help you out putting the lunber up there, maybe look at putting a couple 4 x 4's in, add a couple 12' - 2 x 10's down each side of a rafter, have one 4x4 against the wall, and the other 4x4 in the middle towards the front so car doors won't hit it, then put a hoist up over that. Just an idea.

The bad side of doing that though, that even if you are in a wheelchair, you are going to have to stand the mower almost directly up on end. In doing that, your oil in your crankcase is going to run where it shouldn't and the gas in the tank is going to run where it shouldn't. I know when we put the JD on the MoJack, the gas has to be below half empty or it will start running out.

 

[rlitman]

Sure, people store a lot up there, but using an electric hoist is very different.
Storage is "static" load. Whatever weight you put up there, is the force on the chord.
Lifting is "dynamic" load. This is especially bad with an electric hoist, because they don't have variable speed, or a slow stop. The herky jerky motion not only bounces the load around, but also puts forces on whatever the hoist is hanging from that can be ten times the weight of the load.

 

[aka rotten]

Good info,basically what i,d be doing is removing deck for service or removing engine as in somewhat of mower fanitic and like playin with them.thought about getting someone to make some kinda frame and just mount hoist to it and keep it outside shop.I recon i was lookin for it,ll work no problem answers but dosen seem like thats the case.Again thanks for responces.Paul

 

[rlitman]

Make a frame? You're talking about a gantry crane:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-telescoping-gantry-crane-41188.html

That would certainly work, and the ability to move the hoist side to side has some advantages too.