where do you store your engine lift?

[e30bradley]

I just got my engine lift back from it staying at my friend's place for a month and I put it together and realized I have no room to store it.. Where do you guys keep your cranes? any good idea's? assembled or in pieces?

 

[Steevo]

Wherever it is most likely to be in the way, after which I move it to where I can bash my shin on it when looking for something else. When I actually want to use it, I usually have it safely stored behind lots of heavy things, where it is a project to get it out, or I have left it at the other house.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I store mine in a box under the workbench - but mine's just a 1½ ton comealong.

 

[justanengineer]

I store mine in a box under the workbench - but mine's just a 1½ ton comealong.

Isnt that a bit small for some of your toys?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm smart, I don't own one, I just borrow one from a friend, it's always at their place.

 

[Steevo]

I'm smart, I don't own one, I just borrow one from a friend, it's always at their place.

That's not smart, that's genius!

 

[mtkst19]

i bought a fold up and stick it behind the air compressor in dead space until needed.

however, you had the best ideal for storage. lend it to your friend and go get it when needed.

 

[bgott]

I got mine from a craigslist ad from a guy that was tearing out a wall of his garage. He had the hoist taken apart and bolted to the wall. I got it for a dollar, along with a bunch of other stuff he wanted out of his way. I just have the parts leaning against a bench where I can trip over it.

 

[dodge610]

Right now mine is at a friends place but I usually keep it folded up behind my work bench out of my road. Back there it really does not get in the way when its home and a friend is not borrowing it which is most of the time.

 

[Danglerb]

Mine is the HF 1 ton, it has wheels so it lives right at the front of my garage along with a herd of other things with wheels that all go out in the driveway when I need space to work. Legs are folded up, and I have some stuff that hangs on it or fits around it when packed in. I'd loan it to somebody, but I actually use it every month or so for something.

Next task is final stage of parting a car out. I plan to go in from the side where the doors are off and lift the chassis off the remains of the drive train.

 

[rockchucker]

Wherever it is most likely to be in the way, after which I move it to where I can bash my shin on it when looking for something else. When I actually want to use it, I usually have it safely stored behind lots of heavy things, where it is a project to get it out, or I have left it at the other house.

Absolutely the BEST answer in the thread. So true, so true.

=)


I usually store all of my Engine Hoists and Stands in the 6x12 V-Nose Dirt Bike Trailer...Buuuuuuut since the Trailer is packed full of car parts it stays right in the way!

 

[-->]

Right now in my friends garage. When it's home, I leave the piston in my basement and the body in my yard. I don't have a garage . When I need it, I wire brush the surface rust off it. ( this things ancient )

 

[darkk]

Since our engine hoist doesn't fold, we just move it in the way of someone else when we need working room...

 

[Blackbomber]

I'm smart, I don't own one, I just borrow one from a friend, it's always at their place.

I do the same. EXCEPT that I am using it more than he is, and it's been at my place for about a year now. So back to the original question for me....

 

[Mmfh]

Mine goes in the shed out back. If I'm feeling really adventurous I might take it completely apart before taking it out there. If I can I will put it under my large work bench in the garage all taken apart.

Bad thing is, seems every time I get it nicely put away where I'm not tripping over it, or hurting myself on it trying to work around it, I end up getting a rig in that needs the engine pulled. Out it comes and in the way again.

It would be great if I could hoist it up into the rafters when I don't need it. Lower it down when its needed. I've thought that for 30 years and have never done anything about it.

Somebody make up something to make that easy and I will buy it!

Keeping it at a friends house seems good until you think that if they screw it up it could hurt your friendship, or of coarse they are never home when you need to come and get it.

Mm

 

[Commando]

Wherever it is most likely to be in the way, after which I move it to where I can bash my shin on it when looking for something else. When I actually want to use it, I usually have it safely stored behind lots of heavy things, where it is a project to get it out, or I have left it at the other house.

Exactly why I keep mine outside. Only problem is the legs have extensions where the wheels mount and they always seem to get loose when I want to move it and then the wheel and extension slide out and off and it starts dragging.

 

[TWX]

My hoist doesn't fold up, but there are some places to bolt the legs where they're vertical for storage. I have it in the corner of the shop near the air handler. It takes about 2' by 2'6" footprint.

Since I live in Phoenix, if I really needed that space in the shop I could store it outside without it getting much more than dirty. I'd pull the hydraulic cylinder and keep that inside, but between the dryness here and the oily coating on the hoist if it sat outside here it wouldn't exactly get messed up.

 

[PCO6]

Mine goes in the shed out back.

Same here. Mine folds up nicely but I dismantle it and lean it up against a wall in one of my sheds.

 

[edl]

It would be great if I could hoist it up into the rafters when I don't need it. Lower it down when its needed. I've thought that for 30 years and have never done anything about it.

what about an electric hoist from HFT?

http://www.harborfreight.com/880-lb-electric-hoist-44006.html

 

[A_Pmech]

It is always ready to go next to my smaller drill press as I use it almost daily for lifting and lowering various things like vises, rotary tables, stock, etc. It is very convenient for loading large parts into the lathe.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

richie's house

 

[Steevo]

It is always ready to go next to my smaller drill press as I use it almost daily for lifting and lowering various things like vises, rotary tables, stock, etc. It is very convenient for loading large parts into the lathe.

This is why mine is in the garage. It is my "strong back" and my equipment lift, and a dozen other things.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

folded up 9in a 5x5 storage space behind my friends house

 

[MikefromD]

I built mine to come entirely apart. I stand all parts in a front corner of my garage right behind the door track. Put the cylinder in a better place, sometimes in a corner of the house ( like laundry room ). One of the best machines I ever built over 30 years ago. Glad I still have it. It's one of my family heirlooms. I dont have gold and silver and jewelry for heirlooms, I have old machinery and tools.

 

[ClrkLndeKmt'su]

Currently, in my front yard. It's out of the way for me.
My wife, however, feels it is very much in the way.

 

[blown94conv]

In the Shed in the backyard. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[Al Borland]

Loaned mine to a buddy a few years ago...
He keeps saying "I gotta bring that back to you."
I keep laughing to myself. "No Hurry, No worry."
Damn thing is a pain to move (doesn't fold).

 

[bobcatdan]

I'm in a real debate about cherry pickers right now. I have seen some real nice 2 ton USA units on CL really cheap. But they don't fold. With the room I have to work with, I really should get a folding one. However I don't like any folding ones I see because of how short they are. I'm leaning towards an overhead hoist as that should do everything I would use a cherry picker for.

 

[CoogarXR]

Mine folds up. I keep it folded up in the little 3' corner area between the garage door and the side wall.

My back gets screwed up easily, so I use it for some things that other guys might not. Like lifting cylinder heads when I do a head gasket. Overkill, sure, but saves me from having to lift heavy **** at awkward angles.

 

[finn]

Talk your friend into starting a new project that requires a lift.

Should be good for another two years.

I keep mine shoved under/over a project car, mostly out of the way.

 

[anndel]

I store mine in my mom's tool shed which is huge like a 2 car garage. It sits next to my engine and transmission stand covered with a bedsheet.

 

[Jazz1]

I have storage in outbuildings,,if really strapped for space I would knock it down and store in garage attic...likely I would use it as a plant holder in garden, next to the engine stand.

 

[Pipe]

At my brother's

 

[nine4gmc]

I keep mine outside under a free HF blue tarp, I need a bigger shop.

 

[landrover bodger]

mine is folded in the garage . any place I put it its in the way or I trip over it .

 

[froggert]

Shed in the backyard. I keep offering it to friends and neighbors to use, but no bites yet.

 

[bwringer]

I store mine with random strangers on CrackList.


Here's how it works:

1) When it's engine rasslin' time, buy a lift and load balancer at Harbor Freight. Work the discounts -- my total with tax and such was about $180.

2) Put it together and do that thang you gotta do.

3) When you're done, take a few pics and put it on CrackList for $150.

4) About two hours later, a complete stranger will show up, hand you cash money, and haul the damn thing away to clutter up his garage.

5) End result: you've rented a brand-new cherry picker for as long as you need it for $30.

 

[bczygan]

Under a tarp in the yard.

 

[SignalZero]

I'm another one that keeps mine in a shed in the backyard. It used to be in a corner of the garage until I got a garage fridge for beer.

My little Nissan was great for loading/unloading it out of the shed. Ive yet to try it with the Ranger. A couple days ago we used it to pull the engine and trans out of a truck I'm parting out But my friend's brother had pulled it out and dragged it 20 feet away from the shed and was still struggling with it before I saw it and told him I use a pickup.