Mini engine hoist for basement shop

[Tmate]

I've had this Bluebird engine hoist for many years. Used mainly by tool rental companies, these disassemble without tools for easy transport in a pickup.

Unfortunately, as I have gotten older, I can no longer lift the parts to assemble it, and so bought a new folding hoist. After several unsuccessful attempts to practically give away the old hoist on eBay, I decided to do something else with it.

Engine hoists are a glut on the market, with imported models available for a couple hundred dollars with free shipping. However, small shop cranes are almost non-existent, and most shop owners end up making their own.

I narrowed my old hoist by 10" and shortened the legs by 24" each. I cut the lifting beam back by 21". After welding the mini version back together, I have ended up with a unit that will straddle workbenches and carts, and fit easily through doorways. The 1,200 lb. capacity was marginal for an engine hoist, but capable of anything I might throw at it in my shop.

 

[bukwirm]

Those Bluebird knock-down engine hoists are pretty nice. Since the legs are parallel, it's easier to get close to the thing you're trying to lift. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive compare to the Chinese/Harbor Frieght hoists. They're pretty awkward to assemble by yourself, too.

Nice miniaturization work, though.

 

[sdelivery]

Great idea

 

[jbaccell]

I bought a Hoyer Patient Lift off Craiglist a few years back for about 100 bucks. I too was tired of using the much more cumbersome engine hoist for lifting vises, rotary tables, lathe chucks etc... Works great.

 

[Tmate]

Don't see a great deal of difference in the amount of space they occupy. Maybe it's just me, but the mini-hoist seems a trifle sturdier.

 

[jbaccell]

The Hoyer lift is much lighter and far cheaper (used) but most certainly less capable than the mini-hoist. Because of it's light weight design, I find maneuvering it much easier than my full-sized foldable legs engine hoist.

 

[Harry Knutz]

I've had this Bluebird engine hoist for many years. Used mainly by tool rental companies, these disassemble without tools for easy transport in a pickup.

Unfortunately, as I have gotten older, I can no longer lift the parts to assemble it, and so bought a new folding hoist. After several unsuccessful attempts to practically give away the old hoist on eBay, I decided to do something else with it.

Engine hoists are a glut on the market, with imported models available for a couple hundred dollars with free shipping. However, small shop cranes are almost non-existent, and most shop owners end up making their own.

I narrowed my old hoist by 10" and shortened the legs by 24" each. I cut the lifting beam back by 21". After welding the mini version back together, I have ended up with a unit that will straddle workbenches and carts, and fit easily through doorways. The 1,200 lb. capacity was marginal for an engine hoist, but capable of anything I might throw at it in my shop.

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Very nice! I just did a Mod/revamp on my hoist also, And widened the stance to be able to straddle machines. That will be handy, Good job!

You are right about the Glut of these things on the market, When We were kids, These were scarce, And many of them were home built and not the greatest.

 

[Tmate]

As kids, we pulled many an engine with three 12 foot 4x4s arranged in a tripod with a single 1/2" piece of all-thread through the top of them. Pretty dumb, but we never had a mis-hap.

 

[jbaccell]

As kids, we pulled many an engine with three 12 foot 4x4s arranged in a tripod with a single 1/2" piece of all-thread through the top of them. Pretty dumb, but we never had a mis-hap.

I could write a book about some of the dumb things I did as a kid...LOL