Life in America - I made the move.

[Fudmucker]

At first I dismissed this idea.
But thinking about it....
I'd need a way to lift the whole caboodle up. If I am lifting up a ride-on mower then we are looking at around 200kg's.
Harbor Freight sells a 12V electric winch that can pull 2 500lbs (around 1000kg's) for just under $50! If I use a bit of a fulcrum in my design I should be able to lift a mower past the balance point really easily.

Hmmm..... 

This idea needs some more serious thought 

A winch at the head and a pulley at the loading side will lift it easily.
Return the cable to the head and it will lift twice the load - or lift at half the rate.
Perhaps you could use a cheaper winch then?

[Oubones]

I had a small winch that hooks over your towhitch and gave it my Bil to pull his quads out when stuck and he winches ride on mowers onto his bakkie bin.
The swivel table idea with one of those should work and you can then also use it to load them when you collect.

[Oubones]

Mrs Zog, look when your banana pushes suckers( babies), the long thin leaf ones are males and need to be removed, you want the ones that have rounder leafs.

[Kortbroek]

Oom Zog. Do it bike lift style using a small 1 ton bottle jack. You build the lift to hinge up in one direction instead of scissoring then build a mount for the jack under one of the struts. Add a locking bar for security and done. Something like this below but using the bottle jack to lift.

[Mrs. Zog]

Mrs Zog, look when your banana pushes suckers( babies), the long thin leaf ones are males and need to be removed, you want the ones that have rounder leafs.

We had suckers, but Mr. Zog accidentally hit them with the weed whacker. Hopefully they were male  I'm hoping it'll make more.

[Mr Zog]

Oom Zog. Do it bike lift style using a small 1 ton bottle jack. You build the lift to hinge up in one direction instead of scissoring then build a mount for the jack under one of the struts. Add a locking bar for security and done. Something like this below but using the bottle jack to lift.

Oom se gat man, eks nie met jou tannie getroud nie   

I like that design. I actually have a floor jack like that one that I scored a long time ago.

Only issue is the steel. I'll have to see if I can find a steel supplier in the area and get some prices. 

That design won't work so well with wood 

[Tom van Brits]

I wanted to suggest the bike lift, easy to built. 

[Bensien]

I will not use threaded rod for that job. You will be standing there for an hour winding the thing to get to the working height. The pitch is to fine.  Even using a power drill it will take time to wind it up.

I've researched some on the international university of YouTube that wind up pretty fine with a cordless drill... it's not like I am in a rush to get it up either.

I recently designed a product on the same lines,  but with an extending ramp. It will be used as a "dock leveller" to get people in wheelchairs up a flight of three or four stairs, like you typically find at  holiday resort chalets. It is powered by a car wiper motor and a 12V battery, but in a workshop you should be able to hook it up to a power supply.

The problem when using this type of lift or a workbench to service a lawn mower is that it restricts access to the underside, so removing the blades and changing the oil become a challenge. When I work on mine I support the edges of the chassis on two steel bars that I place across trestles. That way I van get to the underside and also service the the wheels bearings. I can  lift mine onto the bars, but for ride-ons it should be a simple matter to raise the mower with a lift or hoist, put the trestles in place, slide the bars under the mower and lower it onto them

[OomD]

Yep, I second the bike lift idea. But it has it's disadvantages... it is very heavy, and you'd probably need to add some strong castors to wheel it around. Even then it still needs reasonably flat area, for example the one I built cannot be wheeled out of my garage (I have an inclined entrance) as it is too low and the middle catches on the apex of the incline.

Maybe you could fashion one that can not only be lowered, but collapsed (length wise) as well, thereby catering for various sized workpieces at the same time?

[Sláinte Mhaith]

Oom Zog. Do it bike lift style using a small 1 ton bottle jack. You build the lift to hinge up in one direction instead of scissoring then build a mount for the jack under one of the struts. Add a locking bar for security and done. Something like this below but using the bottle jack to lift.

Oom se gat man, eks nie met jou tannie getroud nie   

I like that design. I actually have a floor jack like that one that I scored a long time ago.

Only issue is the steel. I'll have to see if I can find a steel supplier in the area and get some prices. 

That design won't work so well with wood 

Can you not build something like that from wood and put it end against wall with a pulley or winch system to pull it up towards the wall.

[Snuggles]

Hi Gary, have a look at this, maybe you can reverse engineer one of these: http://www.toolshop.co.za/products/motorcycle-equipment/10

[big oil]

At first I dismissed this idea.
But thinking about it....
I'd need a way to lift the whole caboodle up. If I am lifting up a ride-on mower then we are looking at around 200kg's.
Harbor Freight sells a 12V electric winch that can pull 2 500lbs (around 1000kg's) for just under $50! If I use a bit of a fulcrum in my design I should be able to lift a mower past the balance point really easily.

Hmmm..... 

This idea needs some more serious thought 

A winch at the head and a pulley at the loading side will lift it easily.
Return the cable to the head and it will lift twice the load - or lift at half the rate.
Perhaps you could use a cheaper winch then?

Could you share a drawing of your design?

Inquiring minds want to know......

[Fudmucker]

Apply this pulley configuration on a scissors lift:

http://www.technologystudent.com/gears1/pulley8.htm

The pulley will be attached to the axle of the rollers.
The action of the rollers on the moving legs turns the diagonal force of the load into a horizontal force in resistance to the pulley system.
PS - I think a horizontal pulley would work best for ground clearance.

[Mr Zog]

Apply this pulley configuration on a scissors lift:

http://www.technologystudent.com/gears1/pulley8.htm

The pulley will be attached to the axle of the rollers.
The action of the rollers on the moving legs turns the diagonal force of the load into a horizontal force in resistance to the pulley system.
PS - I think a horizontal pulley would work best for ground clearance.

A motorcycle lift like that at Harbor Freight with a hydraulic jack to raise it costs $449 plus VAT (7%).

I will give that idea a thought, using wood and a mains powered winch. The 115V winch is $79 plus tax at Harbor Freight.

I just need to make sure that I can get the wooden frame strong enough so that the winch doesn't pull it apart when I load a heavy mower onto it... 

[Fudmucker]

My suggestion is not a full design proposal for you, just a quick response to BO calling me out on my concept... 

A parallel arm lift would be simpler if fixed to the floor and butting against the wall when down.
It would raise towards the point of entry, giving circulation all around when raised.
The challenge on a parallel lift is overcoming the initial raise resistance, as all the forces are almost in the same plane when the lift is down.
That is why most commercial ones (like in the picture I modified) use a hydraulic jack lifting at 90 degrees to the resistance.
Commercial ride-over lifts I have seen are pneumatic + hydraulic for ease of installation and operation.
The ride-on-ride-off ones that are used in car workshops are most often screw drive units, but I have seen cable and pulley lifts.
Most elevators (personnel lifts) are multiple cable ones with counterweights.

I will let my mind wander along the concept of a floor mounted timber platform lift with parallel arms,
where lift is provided by an overhead winch and pulley system which can be disconnected when raised for full 360deg access.
(It could even use a hand winch)

[WheelieDog]

KISS

Instead of raising the mower rather lower yourself.

I have a R100 tripod chair, most valuable tool in my garage

[BOZO]

 

[OomD]

KISS

Instead of raising the mower rather lower yourself.

I have a R100 tripod chair, most valuable tool in my garage

A practical man, this.

[Welsh]

Two adjustable rails, big hinges at one end, a frame to locate it at 90 degrees (vertical) ride/push it on strap it to rails winch it up, lock it in position, you have full access to the bottom?     

[Sláinte Mhaith]

KISS

Instead of raising the mower rather lower yourself.

I have a R100 tripod chair, most valuable tool in my garage

Unfortunately it is triple the investment