Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

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SteveHGraham
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by SteveHGraham »

Nobody asked me.
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John Evans
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by John Evans »

Hey Steve how about a link to this lift?
www.chaski.com
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by SteveHGraham »

Here it is. There are a lot of Youtubes about it.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6000-lb-c ... 91315.html
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RONALD
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by RONALD »

Before buying that H.F. Lift, I would spend awhile looking at https://www.ebay.com/b/Hydraulic-Lift-T ... 7024932961

You will get some idea about better quality and what used prices are.

That's where I found those two Presto and one Econo Lift tables, of course, I did this over a span of about two years; Haste makes waste!
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by SteveHGraham »

Most of those tables lift a third or less of what the Harbor Freight table does, and you can't put vehicles on them. The big one at the top of the list lifts 15000 pounds, but it costs $2000 and has no pump, and you have to pay for freight. It's a $3500 table, and you can't go inspect it.

What are you going to lift that weighs 15000 pounds?

The Ebay tables are generally far inferior to the Harbor Freight lift. Also, I don't think spending several weeks looking for a lift table is "haste"!

One of the big problems with settling for used tools and waiting for deals is that you are likely to die before you get what you want. Most of us get into tools when we're pushing 50. Then you get tooled up pretty well by 70. Then you decline physically and start giving things away because you can't use them any more. Something to think about. You waited two years for a table, so for two years you will never get back, you did without. That's fine if you have to do it, but what if you don't?
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RONALD
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by RONALD »

I have purchased lotsa stuff from Harbor Frate, but I do believe their quality is marginal.

The closest HF is about 7 miles west in a place called Crystal Lake, but on the way there is also a Menard's, so with my Menard's Card I go there first, they are just slightly better in tool quality. To my east by about another seven miles is Berland's House of Tools, that's real $$$$$$$$ but high quality tools.

Yep, we've been building our RR since around 2000, and still have lotsa work to do, buying those lift tables occurred early in the project, prices were less, but they are all in place now. One each at Turntable #1 and Turntable #2 and one as an assembly/welding table in my garage. Never get to park anything in my garage!

I've been wanting to put some of the work on U-Tube, just can't seem to find the time.

I'm still in the tool/other "goodies" accumulating stage, too much fun to not continue!
spro
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by spro »

Those type lifts are good for lifting within their platform but that's all. They block half what you want to do under a vehicle. They are also "tippy" for there are times of extreme pull on some part. Lets say its fine and both wheels are removed on one side of the vehicle. Stuff happens like that. Similar lifts were inset into the floors of commercial garages and they were bolted and concreted every which way. They were also ON SALE or FREE because the buyer needed to remove them. Two post is the way to go, since you have the space. The four lift arms are extendable, swivel inside or outside and can be used for other things.
I bought an older style, heavy Rotary Blue one and all the parts were unloaded in front of a garage door. I erected and had it mounted within a week. Even it was old then because it has the cables and hydraulic lines running under a tapered floor pan between the two posts. There is a serious frame under that pan tying the posts together as well as the long base metal angles which are bolted into concrete.
Bend Pack and others are, of course, tied at the top. Too high for my garage and no more stable.
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liveaboard
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by liveaboard »

I used a 2 post lift like that when I worked in a car repair garage long ago; great things but they need a lot of space. I don't think they'd be much good for things other than cars. And even for cars, only useful when you're working below, and in the way the rest of the time. It wouldn't lift my tractor.
In my home shop / garage I use my overhead hoist to lift my car[s] up onto highish stands; nowhere near as good as a lift, but more versatile because the hoist will lift all sorts of things.

The lift table is the same but different; limited of course, but suitable for many different tasks. It rolls.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by SteveHGraham »

A two-post lift would make a very poor table, it would take up a tremendous amount of space, and it could not be moved.
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BadDog
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by BadDog »

It makes a GREAT table, when you already have the lift and it's not otherwise (or soon to be) occupied. Seems mine always has a truck of some sort on it these days, mostly my most recent build for myself.

Local school did their beginning of year book acquisition in a sectioned off bay of the auto shop. They were using a 4 post lift to stack all the books (LOTS of books) with tables around it where the kids queued up to sign out their books.
Russ
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by SteveHGraham »

It would be a terrible table that would disrupt the whole shop. You would have to come up with a clever way to turn an arm into a solid platform, you would have another arm sticking out in your way all the time, and you would have to walk around the posts constantly. It would be unbearable.

A four-post table would be even worse. Four posts in the way, and two flat pieces sucking up space.

A portable lift allows you to walk around it on all sides, and all you need to turn it into a table is a piece of plywood with four two-by-fours screwed to it. If you get sick of it, you can roll it outside and put a tarp on it. You can also move it to another building.

Have you seen how they turn two-post lifts into lifts for small tractors and mowers? You have to buy giant steel bridges that weigh so much it takes two people to move one. Then where do you put the bridge when you're done? Answer: on the floor, in the way. Kiss 50 square feet goodbye, and forget about rolling anything in that area. The Harbor Freight table will lift cars and small tractors just as it is.
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BadDog
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Re: Harbor Freight 6000-Pound Lift Thoughts

Post by BadDog »

LOL, seems that didn't translate well.

As I said, "when you already have one". That was the crux of the entire post. If so, the space is permanently allocated anyway. And for the typical "home shop", it's not likely to have something on it all the time. So, like the school, reutilizing it as a table when not otherwise in use would be a big win.

For a 2 post lift, you could easily make a round table with pin that would work on a single arm and rotate for convenience along with the up/down adjustment. And of course there are many other options for the creative.

But I never said it was a good option if you don't otherwise have/need one...
Russ
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