Engine Hoist or Pallet Stacker?

[C-Bag]

I have both items proposed by the OP and prefer neither. As has been stated by others, the pallet stacker has so little "reach". The typical engine hoist has too little elevation. And regarding both, the damn legs are ALWAYS in the way.

If you have access to used (inexpensive) pallet racking, that would be my recommendation. Two uprights and four beams will make a very strong frame for one-two ton lifts. Put two beams high and two beams low to "box in" the frame. SECURE an additional member (any suitable steel or lumber) front to back, centered across the high beams to support a chain hoist. Lift the machine straight up. Lower the machine onto a pallet (custom pallet if necessary). Remove the lower front beam and use a pallet jack to move the load. Reverse the process when you get everything relocated.

You could mount heavy duty casters to the bases of the uprights and create a mobile gantry crane. Secure any load from swinging.

Buy the shortest length but tallest height (greatest capacity) load beams that will span your need. Load rating charts can be found on-line. Be aware that those charts are for "evenly distributed" loads but your application will not be "evenly distributed" so beware. Do you know any mechanical engineers?

I like having a pallet jack around because all heavy items are setup to be moved with it. I don't need (or want the expense of) multiple sets of heavy duty casters.

The advantage to using pallet racking is that it's modular and easy to erect. If, in the future, you need to span a wider load, buy four longer beams.

I've used and like gantry cranes. I also agree that the legs are always in the way on engine hoists. But for the small garage shop where I have a low ceiling a gantry crane is not feasible IMHO. And for one guy who's got it move something my experience is gantry cranes are cumbersome at best.

Around here I can find pallet racks(good call) but structural steel is crazy expensive. It's interesting looking on different area CL's. A friend is moving into Louisville KY so I did my usual searches that I run around here, machinist(tools), lathe, mill, grinder, metal, steel. There were no import lathes or mill and few hobby size mills or lathes. And what there were like a Bridgeport started at $3500+ where around here they start at $1200 and sometime lower with all kinds of hobby size imports. Theres steel of all kinds were plentiful and CHEAP where here it's cheaper to buy new than to deal with the rusty stuff that people want basically new prices for.

 

[Winegrower]

I remind everyone that you don’t have to hoist a load high just because you have a hoist. Just clearing the floor is all it takes. And the center of gravity is not at the top of the hoist. It’s only lifted slightly from the at rest position, maybe lower than a pallet jack would require.

 

[Mini Cooper S]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against pallet stackers. I used to have a very nice Big Joe electric stacker, it could pick up and move a Bridgeport, no problem. I just couldn't justify the floor space for the amount that I used it in my home shop, so I sold it. One other good thing about them is that they can be used as a pretty good temperary work table.

 

[Superburban]

What ever one chooses can always be sold after the move, freeing up space, and recouping some of the cost.

 

[stioc]

Sounds like OP already went with the hoist and that's a better choice IMHO.
What I wanted to say though was that the pallet stacker pictured is not like a fork lift where only the forks stick out, here you have the base also. For this style pallet stacker you need open bottom pallets or perhaps another pallet under the one you want to lift. A simple pallet jack would be preferable but I still find that in a small shop/garage the engine hoist was more versatile. I sold the pallet jack eventually.

 

[middle.road]

With a hoist (2-times) I would pick up the machine and then set it down on some wood dunnage across the legs keeping the boom taunt and then proceed to move it.
I actually picked up this method from my autoshop teacher. He had made up a 'cradle' out of dunnage that rested on the legs and when we would be removing an engine, he instructed us to place the engine on it before transferring it to an engine stand.
Move it from the vehicle into an open area of the shop to mount it to the engine stand.
Saved us from dropping the engine to the floor because some of my fellow students did not know how a bottle cylinder functioned.

 

[epanzella]

The stacker only has a 1.6m maximum lift so the overall height is not much more than that.

With a max lift of 1.6m you're not gonna do much with a hook hanging below the forks and I can't picture lifting a mill on top of the forks. I use a 2T shop crane with the legs modified for a wider stance to get around my mill.

 

[Downunder Bob]

Yes the engine hoist is probably more useful in a general sense, especially if you are working on engines a lot, and if that was the case I'd say go for it, bu otherwise I still like the pallet lifter, nothing like a stable platform.

 

[tjb]

I remind everyone that you don’t have to hoist a load high just because you have a hoist. Just clearing the floor is all it takes. And the center of gravity is not at the top of the hoist. It’s only lifted slightly from the at rest position, maybe lower than a pallet jack would require.

Very good point. I totally agree. The last lathe I moved (a couple of weeks ago), the load was almost perfectly balanced, and I raised it with the hoist just high enough to clear the floor. I did the moving, while my wife simply put a little pressure on one end to essentially keep it straight - quite literally with just one hand and no strain. And yes, definitely lower center of gravity than with a pallet jack.

It doesn't need to be complicated. Just upfront careful planning.

Regards,
Terry