Picked this up a couple of weeks ago, hoping it would be up to the job. I expected to have to do some reinforcing to mount it, but the angle-iron brackets that came with it seem to be up to the job. We'll see. The tongs came from Northern Tool, first chance I've had to use them. One more form of exercise eliminated.
That's cool. I want one but want to figure out how to automate that so I don't have to pump it. Maybe an election hydrosetup?
My exact line of thinking. For the few real big boys the pump works fine, just a whole truckload and I am lazy.
Black Bull Pickup Truck Crane with Hand Winch - 31" to 71" Lift - 1,000 lbs Buffalo Tools Truck Bed Accessories BTBB07582 Quick google seach found this in one of the top pic results. Get that cheapo winch from HF on sale and you have one automated for less than $300
I've been trying to figure out how to hook it to the snow-plow pump in the front. It has outputs for the right-left angle cylinders. I'll need a short hydraulic cylinder.
I cut and loaded 10 of those rounds in 1-1/2 hours. And I rolled them up a ramp! Pumping that jack is being lazy.
I was reading the reviews on HF of the crane. How did you mount it. I was reading people saying to mount larger plates under and above it or else it bends it really bad.
I'd like to get a setup like that, but I'd mount it in the receiver hitch. That's a great idea lifting using the snowplow pump! Might need to put a restrictor valve in to slow the movements a bit...
After looking. HF has a similar setup for $139. But looks like it still has a manual jack to lift. You could just "yard" to your truck with it and it it was tall enough in the air to lift and clear the tailgate you would not have to pump lift it but like once
It came with 2 pieces of 2x2 angle-iron pre-drilled to match the foot plate of the hoist. I think those may have been recently added to the package. I cut them to 11-1/8 inches, making them a snug fit between the bed support rails and overlapping the flange on the forward rail. I watched carefully the first time I lifted the round and saw no significant deflection of the bed. Admittedly, this is pretty dry doug fir, probably weighs about 220 lbs. If I see any problems developing, I can weld the angles to the bed supports or put a plate under the bed to spread the load further. The fact that this truck is nearly 50, and of stouter construction than newer rigs, might also account for some difference.
The age probably is the reason too. I would be installing it on my 1980 k10 Chevrolet. So thicker than some guy talking about useing his Tacoma and it deflecting. I do have some rust...but for age it's minor in that corner. 220 still is a pretty heavy round though!!
I've completed some modifications to this crane, so it's time for an update. I did have to reinforce the mount. I used a piece of 6 in. channel iron cut long enough to span the bed support rails. The pieces of angle that came with the crane are still in place under the bed and doing fine. I lifted a 700 lb. Kalamazoo saw with it and everything was fine. I also found a Meyer T5 snowplow pump in the garage. If fit perfectly! I had to drill a hole at 90 deg. to the original in the base of the pump in order to rotate the motor in line with the boom. No more pumping!
