HELP! Folding Engine Hoist/Crane

Hello Gents

Been trying to source a folding engine hoist/crane from HSS, Speedy and Brandon Hire but without any success. Either not available or bloody expensive!

Is their anybody on the forum in the Surrey/Hampshire area (I live in Ash Vale) that is willing to loan me their hoist? Will collect in my van, leave a deposit and give £50 upon return for the trouble.

I need it tomorrow to unload and assemble a 220kg WM18 mill.

TIA.

Grant

Have you tried **LINK**

Bob

Grant,

Cant you dismantle the mill into manageable chunks?

I ended up buying a crane from Machinemart when my big lathe arrived...

I know this doesnt help you, but good luck in your quest..

Edited By John Rudd on 22/12/2015 11:06:26

Hi Grant,

sent you a PM

Graeme

Grant

When I bought my wm18

I dismantled and carried each bit into my workshop down 13 steps

Then reassembled in situ

All by myself

Gives you a good opertunity to check and lubricate things

Dead easy apart from the gas strut on the head assembly

Ian

Edited By Grant Nicholas on 22/12/2015 13:40:01

Edited By Grant Nicholas on 22/12/2015 13:41:15

Hi Grant

I live in the same village and have one you can borrow

Let me know

Hi Grant have sent you a PM

Trevor

I have sent you a PM

Bert

Grant

Do send us a photo of your new machine and its installation.

Norman

Hi Norman, my intention was to take pics of the entire process. Strapping arrangement, lifting from van, moving into position in garage and finally final placement.

Unfortunately I was on a time constraint so never had the chance to take snaps. I can confirm that having a hoist certainly made the process a lot simpler and easier.

Only pics I can post up is of the mill in its final working position in my garage.

G

Hi Grant

I have a (Chinese) two ton engine crane, the type that has two legs that form a V when down and in use and fold up.

Similar to this one http://www.manualhandlingsolutions.co.uk/images/FOLDING_WORKSHOP_CRANE.jpg

It has been a very handy machine around the workshop however it is not very laterally stable, the legs are not wide enough and the Jib is rather flimsy.

Working on concrete it is OK although I always find using not without some trepidation. I would be most wary of using it on bare earth, it might topple.

When I use mine I use it for straight up and down lifting. And never try to push it sideways with a load suspended high. Sometimes you have to move it back from say a bench or the back of a truck to allow the load to clear, but as soon as the load is clear I drop it down as near as possible to the floor. Only then do I try to push the crane around to move the load. The lower the center of gravity for the crane and load the better.

Oh, And never ever allow any part of your body to be under the load or near a crushing point should it let go.
These cranes would never pass a crane inspection for industrial use. Used carefully they are a great help however we must be aware of their limitations and there are many.

Regards
John

Edited By John McNamara on 27/12/2015 06:05:46

I also have one of these but bought from M/Mart ( usual disclaimer ) on one of their vat free days

**LINK**

It was certainly money well spent, it helped me no end when mounting my WM16 & my WM250 onto their respective stands...

... 'When I use mine I use it for straight up and down lifting. and never try to push it sideways with a load suspended high'...

With due respect, this is normal practice with using any lifting equipment & process in Industry, & should always be applied at home too, like you I used mine on the concrete garage floor & moved both machines with them resting on the legs so that centre of gravity was way down near the floor & just used vertical lifts...

George.

I had one of these "2 tonne" folding cranes and used it to move my Bridgeport clone that weighs almost exactly ONE tonne. It was alarmingly springy compared to my solid professional Weber crane which is rated for 1 tonne at minimum extension. How they can claim it to be a 2 tonne device is beyond me but then again this was in North America where it seems anything goes, buyer beware etc. I'd love to try one with 2 tonnes for a bet.

I originally listed the Weber for sale but luckily nobody bought it before I saw sense and got rid of the folding thing (for more than I paid - bargain buckets). The Weber was originally bought and used in a professional environment, subject to an annual inspection etc. There is simply no way one of these 2 tonne Xmas cracker cranes would get past a professional inspection, even at 1 tonne.

There are many situations where you have to move machinery with the crane at maximum extension, like moving my machine. That's where a proper crane is relatively safe and a toy crane could put you in a box or a wheelchair.

Murray

Got the mill all cleaned up and oiled today along with some inspection and adjustments.

There was some resistance and a droning noise whenever I returned the quill to its home position. This was due to a excessively long bracket which connects the quill to Digital Depth Gauge.

I corrected this by machining it down to the correct length. Doing so also corrected the erratic behaviour on the Depth Gauge readout. Not sure how this passed QC????

G

Nice piece of kit, was the light fitted or did you buy as an optional extra?

... 'Not sure how this passed QC????... QC & Chinese are not necessarily used in the same context...

George.

Hi George

No, the light was extra, figured I would need it in these dark months of the year........

Agreed, I was a little naive making that statement. Funny how Warco never spotted it though as it states on their website that each machine is inspected before delivery...... yeah right!

G.

Hi Grant

Certainly not short of clearance spindle to table, looks good.

Emgee