Vintage Sled Lift?

[skiroule]

I know this has been discussed before but I have a bad habit of not paying attention.

Any suggestions on a “modestly” priced sled lift that would work well for vintage sleds? These sleds are typically smaller than current model sleds and can also be a little fragile but they are also much lighter.

I have a ton of projects queued up for this winter and I’m getting too old to be crawling around sleds on the floor and constantly hunched over a project. Think a lift would make life much easier.

Since I now reside on the fringes of civilization (but not quite as much on the fringe as Grub) it would most likely have to be shipped rather than picked up in person.

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

 

[gary_in_neenah]

Hey Kelly, You might consider Harbor Freight, they ship anywhere and the lifts would probably be sufficient due to the lesser weights of the vintage stuff. No doubt you'd have to modify it a bit but with your aptitude I'm sure you could find a way. Have fun filling up that new garage and shop by the way, we'll be looking for pics in the future.

https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...ands/1000-lb-steel-motorcycle-lift-68892.html

 

[Wyelde]

There are lots out there that will work for both old and new sleds. it's possible that you might have to do something extra if the sled is too narrow, such as put a board through the rear suspension, but it should still work fine. Make sure anyone you buy has the power drill adapter so you don't have to hand crank it, and I also like the models with Castors so you can move it around. I bought mine at Haydays a couple years ago for under $200

 

[jedoyle]

Agree with everything Wyelde said except I don't have the castor wheels. If you have the room the wheels are the way to go. I hang mine up on the wall when not in use & I will say the non-aluminum ones are heavy suckers. If you are like me & need to hang it up in between uses get the aluminum one.

 

[skiroule]

Yeah, I think the wheel kit is a must-have. It's pretty likely that it would be set up all the time unless I needed an unusual amount of space for some reason.

Any thoughts on the type that uses a winch (like a boat trailer winch) for raising/lowering instead of a screw drive? Seems like it would be a pretty slick setup but I'm not sure if the winch mount would restrict access to certain areas of the sled. These are fairly reasonable and would leave a little leftover change to contribute to the beer fridge fund.

 

[jedoyle]

Never used one with a winch type system. I do have the drill adaptor chuck for my lift so raising & lowering it is easy as pie.