The Ultimate Creeper - "The Human Hoist"

[Mr_fixit]

when I saw it , it looked like the guy was about to get squished like a pancake up under the car. I saw fear in his eyes.

 

[tool_scrounge]

The machinery and engineering looked really complex! I'd say $1000 seems rather low for this. I'm also rather skeptical about it making to market, but we'll see.

+1 on this. Also factor in safety requirements (don't want to crush yourself) and liability insurance.

How it could make it to market is if car dealership's insurance company's insisted on it due to reduction in workman's comp claims.

 

[Shadowdog500]

when I saw it , it looked like the guy was about to get squished like a pancake up under the car. I saw fear in his eyes.

First thing I thought of as well. You jam the ever in the up position you could be pressed up against a hot cat and held there or crushed.

No thanks ill stik with my lift.

Chris

 

[wornoutoldman]

That would be handy for just setting the pads on a conventional lift. It's a winner in my opinion.

 

[Jarhead0408]

That's a pretty cool piece of equipment!
Don't know that I'd be able to buy one down the road or not, but I'm glad innovation isn't dead.

 

[96snma]

First thing I thought of as well. You jam the ever in the up position you could be pressed up against a hot cat and held there or crushed.

No thanks ill stik with my lift.

Chris

It looks like you have to use the levers on either side simultaneously in order to get it to move. It fully depress both at the same time accidentally I think would be pretty hard

 

[03protege]

I can't find any info (didn't look too hard) on what it uses to raise and lower the contraption but I imagine you wouldn't be "crushed" if it started to go up when you are under a car.

 

[Drew_flux]

i want one, no more hip going crack when geting up.

 

[vintagefan]

If I were to build one for myself, I'd ditch all of the hydraulics and batteries, and just use a simple pneumatic cylinder.

I don't think having an air hose connected would be all that much of an issue, as long as you made sure it connected in a way that stayed out of your way, and out of the way of the wheels.

You could even throw a couple air chucks for whips or coilhoses along with side trays, so you bring your air tools and hoses with you as you slide under, instead of having to drag them along with you or bite your hose in between your teeth.

A 2.5" diameter pneumatic cylinder can exert in excess of 500lbs of force depending on your shop air pressure. The cool thing is it's super easy to adjust the lifting force and lifting speed with orifices and a regulator, and operation requires only an air switch or a couple push valves.




Sounds like this might be my next big DIY project. I'm pretty tall, and I have trouble getting up and down from the ground. Incidentally, I have a couple pneumatic cylinders at home that would be perfect for this.

 

[Wastedwagesracing]

First thing I thought of as well. You jam the ever in the up position you could be pressed up against a hot cat and held there or crushed.

No thanks ill stik with my lift.

Chris

Better drop them a note just in case they and their legal advisers missed doing the risk assessment on it prior to going to market.

 

[Lotek]

I think I'd save the $1000 and bring everything I would need under the car on the first trip. Doesn't look like it would be too practical in a professional environment, aside from the fact that it would be showing weak, which would put a target on your back with management...

 

[Denee007]

I'd buy one!

Well, for me, I love my maxjax lift, but sometimes some of my vehicles aren't quite low enough for a creeper to be useful, and not quite high enough for a creeper seat. I was trying to figure out how to make my creeper taller!
As far as the money goes, people will pay 5-6000.oo (and then some) for a tool box, thousands of dollars on specific tools, and non-specific tools, but when it comes to something that would save the knees,back and neck and be comfortable working~ the price sounds reasonable to me! My birthday is coming up next month~ I'd buy one! And cudo's to the geniuse's that make this stuff! Let's get a group buy!
dne'

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

BOY that is spectacular alright

 

[Skin]

I think I'd save the $1000 and bring everything I would need under the car on the first trip. Doesn't look like it would be too practical in a professional environment, aside from the fact that it would be showing weak, which would put a target on your back with management...

if it creates happier more comfortable workforce they should embrace it. No different than the thousands companies spend to have specialists monitoring the posture of people at a computer or the specialty ergonomic chairs they get.

 

[jmm]

My .02. The job of any technician working on awkward machines is hard on the body. Auto mechanics have it especially hard. But if we take care of our bodies and watch what we consume, the need for machines like these is greatly diminished. I stretch daily, cycle every weekend (or swim if it's warm) and eat well. I can slink in and around my machines unlike anyone else, and I feel good at the end of my 10 hour shift.

I personally think these things are a cop-out for probably 85% of us. I could imagine a small population for whom these things are useful for: the aforementioned ageing population that still want to tinker, and the handicapped. A man my age has no business on one.

 

[Lotek]

if it creates happier more comfortable workforce they should embrace it. No different than the thousands companies spend to have specialists monitoring the posture of people at a computer or the specialty ergonomic chairs they get.

And as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony.

All we are are numbers to corporate, more or less replaceable if our production slows. The virtuous circle, what's left of it, reaches no lower than manager level.

 

[Danglerb]

If I were to build one for myself, I'd ditch all of the hydraulics and batteries, and just use a simple pneumatic cylinder.

Air is compressible like a spring, not good at all for holding you in the same spot or staying there, plus think of the fun if it were to stick in one position for any reason and then unstick.

 

[ishiboo]

Not sure it's 100% practical but it is definitely cool and clever! Seems really well designed.

 

[Kevin54]

I'd sure like to have one. I can get down on a creeper but getting up is a fight and a half.

 

[RAYJAY]

not much here but there web page

http://www.humanhoist.com/

 

[Wheelchairjer]

As a person that suffered a spinal cord injury recently in my life I have wondered how I can get under the car again. I see this as a practical answer to that problem. Il will also sit me back up so that I can transfer back into my chair unlike a regular creeper which requires me to get on the ground. I hope to see this on the market sooner rather than later.

 

[Casey.chandler]

What I would do to have one, I have been in a mechanic family all my life. U can tell you, as I get older, the cheaper looks more and more out of interest. I just seen this thing on the history Chanel. I'd pay $1000 for one... No doubt!!



Casey

 

[Heaty]

thats a radical chair for 1000.00 it sounds a lot but if you think about it, a heavy duty snap on creeper is 429.99 after tax almost 500. This chair has a lot of functions, and mechanical parts to work so 1000.00 isnt much at all to me. P.S. itll make a good F*** chair

 

[vintagefan]

Air is compressible like a spring, not good at all for holding you in the same spot or staying there, plus think of the fun if it were to stick in one position for any reason and then unstick.

I'm not sure if you've had experience working with air cylinders and related control systems, I worked with them quite a bit due to peculiarities of a previous job.

I know what you're saying, but the system I would build would function more similarly to the gas cylinder on an office chair. You could bounce up and down on it a little bit, but it wouldn't go flying up if you got off, or go bouncing down if you plopped down on it.

You can use an orifice system to control the cylinder's ultimate travel speed. This would prevent any rapid, unexpected movements due to system failure. You can also regulate the maximum lifting force, so it only applies just enough force to lift you. That would keep things fairly safe.

 

[tsidewayz]

One of the coolest man toys ever. I can see spending $1k for it. Hopefully it can drop down to the $750 range with large production runs. Im having shoulder surgey next month. I can see how this can relieve over extension and better ergonomic posture when lifting/installing heavy things like drivelines overhead.

 

[pattenp]

There is an update on the status on their website.

http://www.humanhoist.com/

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

In a small shop, this could be a creeper, stool and desk chair. The one thing that I see as needing a change, is you should be able to change a battery while on it. (if it dies and your in a bad spot)
Not sure if they have patents, or they screwed themselves with the new patent laws, if they did, I expect competition in a year or two.

 

[regguy1]

They should have a saftey switch that engages when you lower yourself so it can't hoist you up while under the car if you accidently hit the switch or something falls on it. I also wonder if this would be adaptable for other uses such as in a factory doing assembly work that requires repetitive movements or maybe in a ships engine room (other ideas?) I think limiting this to autmotive is a mistake, horizons for it's use could be much wider

 

[regguy1]

Poor Mans Human Hoist:

HF version thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179041

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Wait till OSHA gets ahold of the design and requires all kinds of safeties and redundant switches/circuitry to make it SAFE.

On the other hand, if they can find a way to market it to the government.......

Charles

 

[Mowerpan]

Like mentioned in an earlier post I don't see it being any sort of success. For my personal garage no way could I justify or pay $1000 for the thing. Every shop has lifts. Who wants to work under a car on their back. We will put vehicles on the lift at work for everything. No one wants to work on the ground. The only exceptions may be fleet garages that do things like a full size school bus, ect. We have lifts rated for 18k that we use for medium duty ambulances and Class C motorhomes. Like stated earlier, the only exception beyond that would be full size school buses or heavy duty trucks.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I work in an airline maintenance shop and I can see a use for this working on the underside of wing mounted engines. Theres not much there, but some. We actually have a couple of frames on casters with forklift seats on them reclined at about 45°. This would be the cats meow for getting to cowl latches and bottom side accessories.

Charles

 

[rhastings80]

Very cool. I saw the video on Reddit as well. I think the $1000 price point may be too high. Although if it said snap-on and sold on the truck then it would probably sell at $4999.99 if financing was offered. Wonder how much of a finger pincher it is though.

 

[handyman2012]

Just thought I would let you know about my chance incounter with the Human Hoist.
I was at a local dealership last summer picking up some parts at the same time they were filming the Human Hoist. They let me stay and watch the filming which was interesting in itself. It seemed like the hosts of the show as well as the people working at the dealership were having as much fun with the Human Hoist off camera as on. It seemed to roll around with ease and needed to use both levers to make it go up and down. You can imagine my suprise when they were done filming and one of the inventors asked me if I wanted to try it out. I did. A couple things I noticed was after watching it work almost non stop all afternoon it was still on the original set of batteries. Also I am 6' 4" 225lbs. and it raised me up in under 5 seconds. can't wait to get one.

 

[64Trvlr]

As a one legged guy that has trouble getting up and down from a creeper this looks promising. I wonder how it goes over air hoses, electric cords and little rocks and pieces of **** on the floor.

 

[CDD]

I'd like to see how fast actually rises and lowers- the video was sped up. It looks to be not that fast, when I'm jamming at the shop, waiting even a few seconds for the creeper to lift up would make me pissed. El Passo.

 

[santagary]

I wrecked my knees or at least finished them off by getting up and down off a cold floor when I restored my Austin Healey 3000 a few years ago and didn't help my back at all. I'd love to own one of those for sure..

 

[kartracer23]

They should have a saftey switch that engages when you lower yourself so it can't hoist you up while under the car if you accidently hit the switch or something falls on it. I also wonder if this would be adaptable for other uses such as in a factory doing assembly work that requires repetitive movements or maybe in a ships engine room (other ideas?) I think limiting this to autmotive is a mistake, horizons for it's use could be much wider

My manual elevator has a safety system that could work for this: On the bottom floor, once you get within a foot of it and stop, it won't go down any further. You have to go up first, then back down. I assume it's so you don't end up in the basement.

So in the case of the hoist, it would just have to have circuitry installed that once you stop after an 'up' motion, it has to go down before going up again. It would mean that you would have to be good about getting your 'up' height right the first time, but it would prevent an accidental upward move.

 

[CDD]

It seemed to roll around with ease and needed to use both levers to make it go up and down.

I noticed that from the other video.

Since you try it out if that really how the levers works?

 

[handyman2012]

I noticed that from the other video.

Since you try it out if that really how the levers works?

Yes you needed to move both levers at the same time or it would not move.