Engine crane - buy or hire?

Post by **mowogg** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:13 pm

Has anyone bought one of the cheap cranes available on eBay a t present?

I am trying to work out I it would be better to buy a cheap crane or hire one -They are surprisingly expensive items to hire and it would pay for itself in two engine changes?

Post by **PSL184** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:34 pm

I have one which was bought from Machine Mart - Not a cheap one at the time but I went "halves" with someone else. Alot of people make their own by utilising an old childs garden swing. BMC has some pics that I'm sure he'll post later

Post by **callyspoy** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:48 pm

hey mowogg, i'm in portsmouth and have one. if you wanted to borrow it you are more than welcome to, as long as i get it back in the same condition i give it to you in!!

Post by **sowden** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:53 pm

I was going to say...cant you borrow one?! Good man Callyspoy!

Tools by post (Hastings) are cheap (though I've not compared to ebay) but are pick up only on that item, which I'd have thought was OK for yourself given your location.

Cheers

R

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:12 pm

I was going to say...cant you borrow one?!

same here!
I normally don't use one as a Minor engine is a bit more manageable but when doing big engines (Transit diesel etc..) I'm lucky enough to know someone who has one.

Post by **callyspoy** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:27 pm

i never used one before with the minor, but when i put the 1275 in i had just got one, and forgot how much easlier everything is! lining up the engine mounts was a doddle with a crane!

Post by **pskipper** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:59 pm

I bought one off e-bay, shipped from Ireland if I recall. It is a good crane, cost less than £100 so was cheaper than hiring one a couple of times and folds up nicely in the corner of the garage.

If anyone in the Trowbridge, Westbury area would like to use it they are more than welcome!

Post by **paulhumphries** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:23 pm

I bought one years ago (Machine Mart) and it's been indispensable.
It's not just engines but anything that needs lifting. Items in and out of trailers, onto workbench, holding a whole motorbike in the air whilst working on the exhausts to avoid bending etc.
Only problem, over probably 15 years, is the ram pump seals started to fail so it needed fluid topping up every so often. In the end simply fitted a new ram and *as good as new" again.
One recomendation is get a swivel hook to replace the static type.
I've also a load leveler but to be honest rarely use it.
A chain specialist can provide short lengths of proper lifting chain quite cheap. You can never have enough D shackles for attaching to engine or whatever and can be used to adjust the angle of lifted item by altering chain lengths to suit.

Paul Humphries

Post by **alzax3** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:04 pm

I got one for doing tractor engines, so it'll cope with 2 tonnes, it didn't notice the Moggy engine at all! Really nice bit of kit to use, in the 'old days' I used to make do with a Haltrac hoist and the garage door lintel...... You don't have to hire one for long to cover the cost of buying BUT even though the legs fold up, it's a big item to store, so you've got to think how often you are likely to use it!

Post by **Alec** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:08 pm

Hello Mowogg,

as long as it's specification is equal to your needs then buying is probably better.
The crane I hired once (although I have my own home built one, I didn't trust it to do the job I wanted which was moving a substantial lathe) was a top rated crane (1 ton, from memory?) so really I doubt if you are comparing like for like, i.e. buying the same as the hire companies use will be expensive.

Alec