| Author | Message | ||
     Henrik |
2 years of house renovation has apparently earned me some back trouble causing radiating pain into my thigh whenever I crouch or kneel and lean forward. I guess my days of crawling on the garage floor wrenching is likely over. so I'm looking for advice on a table lift for MC wrenching. Of course there is the Handy SAM 1000 and their newer Italia line. A Google search gets me a slew of other, less pricey, options: http://www.asedeals.com/ATV_motorcycle_lift.html http://www.americasprideonline.com/Motorcycle-Lifts-1-47-.ViewProducts http://www.vestilmfg.com/products/ergosol/motorcycle_lift.htm http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id= 33 http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle_lift.htm Etc. etc. However, I have no experience with any lifts other than the Handy. So, anyone know any of these other lifts. Any other suggestions or recommendations? Thanks Henrik | ||
| Bomber |
H -- both Northern Tool and Harbor Frieght both have lifts -- no experience with any of em, tho, other than handy, which was very nice indeed I keep thinkin I'll be able to get a deal at the IMS, but it's never worked yet ;-{ fremember to add the cost of an aircomperssor if you don't get a Hyro-unit -- don't knpow if you're so equipped | ||
| Court |
Handy Sam | ||
| Peter |
I have one of these. Not what I'd recommend for a shop with quick turnaround times as it takes longer to get the bike on, but perfect for at home. Allows more access around the bike, and can be put out of the way when it's not being used. | ||
| Buellistic |
What happened to the "ECONO LIFTS", ie: 2 car body stands and a small hyd jack ??? In BUELLing LaFayette | ||
| Henrik |
Bomber; I did consider HF, however my success with their stuff has been hit'n miss. Most bladed tools are crap, but I love my finish nailer... Speaking of which, yes, I have a compressor. Pete; I've seen those advertised, but always thought they looked kinda flimsy - not sure I'd trust them for big work like complete suspension removal. However, I've never seen one in person, so I really don't know what I'm talking about - not that that ever stopped me ...  LaFayette, I have a set like that, but as mentioned, it's more a question of ergonomics than of "just getting it up"  Thanks though. Henrik | ||
| Jon_s |
I have a Lift Buddy (www.lift-buddy.com). It works well though I do have to replenish the oil periodically. If I were to do it again, I'd opt for the pneumatic one instead. It takes approximately forty pumps on the lever to get the bike to maximum height. Somedays when the RA is bad, its a PITA. | ||
| Henrik |
Thanks Jon. How do you like the build quality of the Lift Buddy? Henrik | ||
| Rocketman |
Henrik, my friend uses those EasyRizer lifts in his Harley shop. He often has Glides, Dyna's and Fat Boys sat on them. That said, I wouldn't want to work on a bike sat on one of them. Over a couple of months I built the S1W motor on one of these, with the rest of the S1W sat on it too. That's the beauty of a bench lift. You can concentrate everything you need and are using and leave it on the bench when you're busy elsewhere.  Clarke Strongarm 400kg Motorcycle Lift Maximum load 400Kg Foot pedal operated hydraulic lift with safety lock Maximum lifting height 787mm Screw adjustable wheel vice for securing vehicle / load Hinged ramp for easy low level loading. Sliding access plate in table top to enable rear wheel removal. Overall dimensions (when lowered) LWH 2546x679x152mm The picture doesn't do it justice. It's a well made piece of kit and works a treat in every aspect. Strength, quality, balance etc etc. I don't know whether you can get them your side of the pond. They're available from Machine Mart in the UK. For all I know it could be manufactured in the States. Over here they're an AMAZING £352. Rocket (Message edited by rocketman on December 09, 2005) | ||
| Henrik |
That's a nice lift table Rocket. Couldn't find Clarke specifically in the US. I did however find this: https://www.gregsmithequipment.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id =230 Looks remarkably like it. Price is pretty good as well. Henrik | ||
| Jon_s |
Henrik, the build quality is alright. I'm not impressed with the hydraulic fittings (they leak) and one day I'll get around to replacing them. I've had the lift for about five years and haven't had any problems. Some of the lifts available are pretty poor.I've got a buddy that picked one up from Ebay. It has a very short bed that doesn't support the rear wheel and you can't put the bike up on a rear wheel stand. | ||
| Jon_s |
I should point out that most of these lifts are manufactured in China (Lift-Buddy, Clarke, etc). All of them have a maximum lift height of about 33 inches. This is fine for most work (removing wheels, changing oil) but there are times when additional height would be very helpful. To the best of my knowledge only the top end stands (Snap-On) provide that sort of height. | ||
| S2pengy |
Gents I have a Grazia made I believe in the 1970's, I bought it at a cycle shop auction for $175. 15 years ago... Looks just like the one above and also the one that Northern sells handles my Big Twin, Sporty and Buells with no problem..... Put a Handy wheel vice on it since I wasn't impressed with the wheel vice that was included.. | ||
| Peter |
Henrik, They're not flimsy. That I can say for sure I've had the a GS on it with the rear wheel swingarm, gearbox etc all out, so all the weight going to the front. No problem. Had the Buell down to just the frame, forks and front wheel. Also no problem. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Henrik....It looks to me that the Greg Smith stuff is the exact same item sold at Harbor Freight. The motorcycle lift & manual tire changer identical. I could be wrong but.... | ||
| Henrik |
Cool, thanks for all the feed-back guys. The new Handy lifts has a max lift height of 40 inches. I'll have to see what the financing dept. says Henrik | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Henrik, Not sure about the IMS show in you neck of the woods but Handy Industries is always at the one in Minneapolis. They ususally have a great price on their lifts and offer free freight! They are usually around $100 or $150 off. With the free freight, it would amount to a $150-200 savings | ||
| Bison |
Henrik I second the Handy deal at the IMS shows. I bought their show model picked up at the end of the show for their dealer price. No freight or tax. ref | ||
| Henrik |
Thanks guys. I will be going to the IMS show here in NYC. They weren't at the show last year - the Jawitz center is known for price gouging, so some vendors choose to skip it. But I'll keep an eye out - certainly sounds like it'd be worth it. Henrik | ||
| V2win |
Henrik, Check out directlift.com. They have a very good product and priced right. John | ||
| Henrik |
Directlift looks nice too. Thanks John. Looks long for sportbike use though. Good price. Henrik | ||
| Krassh |
Posted this in the XBoard about the Harbor Freight lift I purchased for $299.99 on sale. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/164205.html#POST560346 | ||
| Diablobrian |
I have the harbor freight lift as well. It's not a bad lift for home use. |
