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Engine hoist height question

K85 Octane

K85 Octane

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Hey gents,
Curious if I’m chasing a ghost or not.
Trying to buy a used cherry picker, non-collapsible and strong. Trying to stay away from the $300 HF ones.

Problem I’m having is finding a boom with a higher pivot point. I looked at one, was disappointed with the height. Asked a different seller to measure theirs and it sounds the same. 54”

Is this just standard? The only cherry pickers I used were tow-behinds. I know they are super HD and the pivot point is closer to 6’. What should I be looking for? Thanks

Looking at these, this guy didn’t want to measure. Another seller said 54”, not sure is this is also 54”.

5ED1924D-7337-463B-97DC-B632288FF528.png
 
I wouldn't stress on finding one with a higher pivot. I get why you would want one for our trucks being tall but if you got one that's taller to start with you got more weight swinging high that gets sketchy. We usually do what we can to lower the vehicle as much as we can to keep the engine from having to swing as high from the hoist. Let the air out of the tires or take the wheels completely off and set it right on the rotors or jackstands as low as you can go.
 
The one I looked at (and think is similar to the 54” one) would need the tires pulled and core support taken off. If I don’t do the core support, axle would probably need to be pulled. It just didn’t look high enough even with the boom extended.

I’m considering lengthening the upright between the ram’s mount and base. Also putting new longer supports on. Maybe just 10-12”. With the wheels extended out, figured it would all be fine and get me closer to what a tow-able height would be.

Dunno, thinking haha

62FB1DF6-9790-4300-AB12-163BF3745313.jpeg
 
I have had my twin pair of fold up units from autozone in the mid 2000 era . . I have picked stuff most wouldn't thinking of . Only problem i had was 1 time i forgot and put the lock leg pin in the wrong hole . No one died .

I prefer my foldup as they eat TONS less shop floor space . Just dont like the spread leg units if you also have a spread leg engine stand . Ether combo SUCKS ! . . . straight leg both hook up better and the units wheels / legs dont hit each other trying to hook-unhook .

Moding them for more height gets them real tippy and unless ultra smooth surface to roll on it gets worse .
 
IF you can find a used Hein-Werner they're 100% Made In USA and it's used by the military, so you sometimes can find Hein-Werner engine stands and hoists from those selling military surplus.
Another option is your local equipment rental company, they often sell used stuff for cheap including big ass tow behind cherry pickers.
OR you can make one better and cheaper than you can buy one, you can probably find a local fab shop to build you one cheap too and both would be better than any of the CCP Chinese Crapola from Harbor Freight. The only thing China does good is Cyber Election Fraud.
 
So my hoist I bought at Price club 37 years ago. I will measure tomorrow, but it seems the same size as HF, and looks just like the pictures in this thread. I have done 2 motors in lifted k squares. I pull the front tires and use low body stands, at the frame behind rear shackles. The hood is the only body part I remove. I even leave the radiator, but that has risks and is your choice.

Sweet is right about spread leg engine stands, they don't fit between the hoist legs. Have to boom out to 500 pd setting and leave the legs short to fit big engine stands.

The T style works ok, not sure I'd like fully dressed Big Block on one thou.
 
So I remembered to measure mine and it is 55" from ground to center of pivot.
 
The HF 2 ton one is one of the hidden gems of that place. Very good cherry picker. And I know it'll reach about 10' because it's how I put my gantry up to the ceiling height.
Unless you have a MASSIVE shop, foldable is the way to go whatever brand you buy.
 
If I can find a nice one for a good price, the bolted one in the picture would work. Foldable or bolted, it would be stored outside. The bolted one just takes the extra effort to break down but ends up tucking away in a tighter spot.

Like I said though, whichever I can find. Including used HF units. Good to know guys, I need a stand and come-along from there too :D
 
Can't remember what tires I had on it at the time but possibly the 38s, 6" lift.
1642911039909.png
 
BTW mine is bolt together but I never tighten the screws at the bottom. Super fast to get it ready or put away. The legs come out and store on top of it. Think its an old HF model. Has 3 wheels when in storage mode.
 
Shawn said:
BTW mine is bolt together but I never tighten the screws at the bottom. Super fast to get it ready or put away. The legs come out and store on top of it. Think its an old HF model. Has 3 wheels when in storage mode.
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Yours is not HF.
I have the same one.
I can't remember if I bought mine from sears or Kragen now called O'Reilly but it is very good and I have not been nice to it.
I used to move my crew cab with no front tires with it and I may have rolled it over the rolled curb and bent one of the legs up a bit.
Still does everything I need it to.
 
K85 Octane said:
Hey gents,
Curious if I’m chasing a ghost or not.
Trying to buy a used cherry picker, non-collapsible and strong. Trying to stay away from the $300 HF ones.

Problem I’m having is finding a boom with a higher pivot point. I looked at one, was disappointed with the height. Asked a different seller to measure theirs and it sounds the same. 54”

Is this just standard? The only cherry pickers I used were tow-behinds. I know they are super HD and the pivot point is closer to 6’. What should I be looking for? Thanks

Looking at these, this guy didn’t want to measure. Another seller said 54”, not sure is this is also 54”.

View attachment 400814
Click to expand...
I don't know why you want your pivot point at a certain height when the important part is how high it can lift your engine.
I have made mine a towable on occasion by putting it on top of my car dolly.
It made it higher and I was able to remove an engine from a lifted k5 in a gravel parking in a matter of minutes and transport it to the buyer within minutes and drop it in their pickup bed.
 
The higher the pivot point, the less angled the boom is at height. I’m just basing some of this off the lift I saw and how far it went up.

The lifts I rented in the past were big towables with a high pivot. On 31s and 2” lift, the oil pan dragged across the core support. Now, I don’t know the boom height and I didn’t air down the tires. I’m not worried about all this, I’m sure whatever will work, but why not ask my doods on CK5 first :D

1642973612053.jpeg
 
A higher pivot point would definitely help in the reach department.
My HF one will get up there, but you start losing distance between your pick point and cylinder fast.
 
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