[TheForge] Re: bridge crane

[Jay Hayes]

Dann,

Your cherry picker is usually called an engine hoist. It is also a handy 
helper around the shop, although it is a totally different animal from a 
lift cart. The engine hoist is an arm with a hook on the end if it that 
hydraulically raised. The load is lifted from above. The lift cart on 
the other hand is a  platform that is hydraulically raised from below 
the load. They are like a lift table on wheels.  The advantage of the 
lift cart  is that the load just sets on the platform an can be slid off 
onto another work surface or repositioned with out rerigging.

The engine hoist on the other hand has the advantage of lifting and 
placing loads without being directly under them, although the front legs 
must straddle under the load. Both toys are a must have in my book, as 
are pallet jacks, floor jacks, hand trucks and lots of four wheel 
dollies. Anything that can help lift or move heavy stuff around the shop 
and doesn't break the bank is just worth having. The more junk you have 
the more junk you need to move it around. <G>

Jay

Dann wrote:

> Jay,
>
> That sounds kind of  like a cherry picker to me... Like my son bought 
> to pull / exchange car engines.  His has 6 swivel steel wheels.  
> Shouldn't be hard to modify it to other kind of lifting tasks.
>
> Dann
>
> At 10:31 AM 10/2/2005, you wrote:
>
>> snip.
>>
>> Another cheap option for handling moderately heavy loads is a 
>> hydraulic lift cart. I found a 600# capacity four wheel lift cart at 
>> a Homier tent sale for $100.  It is great for moving heavy stuff 
>> around the shop. The cart will lift the load from about eight inches 
>> off the floor to bench height by pumping the foot operated hydraulic 
>> jack. I use it all the time for moving 20 ft I beams, large  
>> weldments, and fence panels. I even use it to load 4 x 8 sheets of 
>> 3/8 plate onto my burning table. It has been a real back saver.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>
>
>