Engine Hoist, what would you do?

So I have this hoist. It doesn't fold up but I think it makes up for that with how stout it is. The jack has been giving me trouble and I could buy a new jack for about 100.00. Or use a Harbor Freight coupon and get a whole new hoist for the same money. I really do like the one I have so it's a tough call, and it seems the way they make things now gets worse every year. Thoughts on this?

 

buy a new ram....do not buy Harbor Freight..too much riding on it...

 

have the jack fixed

 

I though you could buy just the hydraulic rams for around $50 or so?? I would just do that and keep what you've got. unless you really want a more compact (folding unit)

or buy a complete new unit and then you can just swap the ram back and forth depending on which one you need to use??

 

Replace the ram.

 

If you know what the ram is you can go online and get the seals you need and do it yourself, not hard to do. I've done floor jacks and Meyer snowplows, sve a ton of money and have a good ram.

 

It would take about 25.00 in materials and maybe an hour in the shop to get the legs to fold. If you have a quality ram now, chances are you could have it rebuilt by any hydraulic shop for less than a junky new one and way less than a quality new one.

Or you could buy a crappy orange one .
You'll need to fix the wheels on the crappy orange one.
You'll need to ream the holes when you bolt the crappy orange one together.
Your new crappy orange ram is built to last 10 cycles, then you'll be in the exact same boat you are in now but with a crappy orange hoist.

I have 2 crappy orange hoists so I know

 

i think they should list them in their flyer as "crappy orange hoist"

 

Heck,your in California,,I would think if you look in the yellow pages you will find someone that rebuilds rams,,you probably have a better one than you can buy now. HRP

 

That's kind of what I was thinking too guys. I really don't need it to fold. It fits perfectly in my truck with an engine in the bed. I would be totally down to get it rebuilt or try my hand at it, but I need it on short notice to get that 318 pictured into the girlfriends truck tomorrow. I knew I wasn't crazy for not wanting to get the Harbor Freight junk. I may have to buy the ram for now just to get her truck back in action.

 

Whats wrong with the ram? .... new seals is a simple fix. Save your money for the important stuff.

 

Buy a seal kit and rebuild the ram. Do not make the hoist to fold up. If you do all your buddies will want to borrow it. If you lend it, sooner or later it will get lost or come back wrecked, or not come back at all.

Best keep it as it is.

 

As others have said, repair what you've got now.

I've heard there are tricks to rebuilding rams--or, more accurately, there's a "technique" to doing it.

I found a local hydraulic cylinder rebuilder and had them rebuild the one on my fixed-leg engine hoist, for less than $50.

-Brad

 

I would rebuild it, my hoist is like yours and doesn't fold but I can unbolt it in about 5 minutes and move it or store it along a wall.

 

repair it your self but do it right with all the right parts...

 

In So. Cal these guys can get you almost any seal known.

http://www.valleyseal.com/ nothing to rebuilding what you have.

 

Replace the jack. Got a HF orange one for that exact reason, my good one's jack shot craps. Found the cheap HF unit would not reach far enough into the engine bay to be of any use. Maybe a front wheel drive vehicle, but not an american made V8 bay. Ended up swapping the ram from the HF onto my good one and craig listed the other hoist to break even on the ram.

 

I don't understand why you want the legs to fold. Just something else to break. Get a Northern Hydraulics catalog. Get a new cylinder. Never leave it outside in the elements, even if you're in So-Cal. I've been there and done that. It may seem indestructible. It's not. Treat it with respect. I bought an 8 ton that raises on the up and down stroke. I haven't looked back. Just like hammers: Bigger is better.

 

I have both types, the fold up ones are good in a pinch but flimsy as hell. I've wore out a cylinder and 3 sets of wheels off the fixed one. I finally went with 6 inch casters that have about 1/2 rubber.

 

Replace or rebuild the ram you have. Harbor freight hoists are crap!

 

A coupon. LOL. Sounds like the wife.

 

The one I have is Heavy Duty with a 4 ton ram... It hasn't skipped a beat in the 20 years I've had it...

 

replace the ram. if you have time, sleeve the legs and make um fold up. give her a new coat of paint and be happy.
I too have an HF One, and an older unit my buddy gave me we call it "the beast" . When my friends HF one gave out and went through his windshield (Maint post, became un-welded, pulling a nissan 240 engine, dropping the motor on frame. Of course the old "Beast went on the rescue. And its still all we use

 

Fix the jack. Leave the rest as is. What you have looks better than what you would buy from HF.

 

i have a hoist like yours. when i don't need it i disassemble it, if i use an impact gun and wrench i can have it apart in under five minutes. once apart they are easier to put away.

 

I really don't care to make it fold up, it fits in my truck fine. It fits in the garage fine. I just wanted to see if everyone was on the same page in thinking that the HF hoist really isn't a bargain for what it is as opposed to my current hoist.

 

rebuild the ram

 

If you want your legs to fold up buy a bottle of Jack Daniels and leave the hoist alone ha ha ha ha ha.

 

Diffently rebuild, or have a Buddy do for you. There might even be directions & info on packing you need, on the internet.

 

I wouldn't buy ANYTHING from HF with hydraulics in it. I didn't take a floor jack with me once when I went to pick up a project car (wheels were off), so I decided to make a quick trip to nearby HF to buy one. Long story short: The tiniest crack of the release screw, and the friggin' thing drops like a ton of bricks. The car damn near crushed me, because the handle is only about a foot long. I sure as HELL wouldn't want a ram on a hoist that did that. +1 vote in the "fix what you got" column.
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