[bit pusher]

A question to anyone that has used a harbor freight engine hoist to get their IHCNC mill onto the IH stand -- was the 1-ton hoist sufficient, or did you need the 2 ton?

My concern is will the 1-ton have enough height to get the mill up onto the stand?

thanks in advance

[saabman]

Every engine hoist I have come in contact with has a max rating (1 ton, 2 ton etc) and max boom position. The two do not happen at the same boom length. So I would say it would be dicey with a 1 ton. Likely marked 1 ton at no extention, 1500 half extention, and 1000 at full extention. You will likely need full extention to lift the mill. You pick the mill up high so there is less tip risk. This mean you lose a lot of working range on the lift.

Years ago I tranported mine from IH to home in the back of my half ton pickup. It took every bit of lifting height on my 2 ton crane to get it out of the bed.

[skray775]

Yes,

My hoist is the one with the fold up legs.

[TiagoSantos]

Don't forget craigslist I bought my 2 ton engine hoist on CL for 60 bucks, it looked pretty much brand new when I got it. It's the kind of thing people will buy for a one off project and then off load cheaply to get it out of the way!

I use it all the time and currently sitting inside my basement to move the RF-45 around with all the work I've been doing on it.

[ksanalytical]

I used the hf 2 ton. It's only rated that high at minimum extension so by the time you fully extend the boom, you are probably pushing the rating with the mill. Even if the 1 ton model could extend high enough, it would probably only be rated at 400 lbs that far out. We use ours for lots of different things and wouldn't consider anything smaller.

I've been eye-balling the HF A-frame recently. If you have the space and overhead clearance, that might be a good option too.

Ken

[kognition]

I used my Harbor Freight hoist to put my IH mill on a custom made stand. No issues at all. But i had to put the lever legs on the outside of the stand, instead of the inside as they were designed.

[jetflatline]

I have the folding 2 ton, like some of my tools it spends most of the year folded up in the storage shed. In a couple of weeks I'll be making a stand for a 500# rotating drill and the first tool I'll get out is that hoist.

It's how I got my IH onto the stand but due to clearance problems in my shop I couldn't lift the entire mill and place it on the stand in one piece. My memory is that I picked it up at an angle, got it on the stand, then let it down while making it go straight up and down. Not an easy task, in retrospect I should have moved it in pieces.

[philr07]

I bought one new at HF for around $180. USD out the door. The one job Iv'e used it on was to pickup the IHCNC mill and put it on a stand I built. It more than paid for itself with that one job, and it's been folded up in the corner since. Two thing's that helped me out were having my stand on casters so it could be in a good spot for the hoist access. Another was removing the motor to get a better access with the lifting straps. I've got a BP mill in the shop that's due some maintenance.
After that, it may well be another $75-100 Craigslist bargain.