BIKE LIFTS

[hpdjoe]

Had a Sears it was ok,got JS no comparison much more stable.

[Tsani]

J&S, money well spent IMHO.

[Ultrashovel]

Take a look at J&S jacks, made in the USA. Lifts my Ultra with no problem. Also lifts Dyna's without adapters. Sadly the bottle jack is imported.

Hmmmmmm, you say it will lift a Dyna without adapters? I have a Sears Craftsman Bike jack and I had to make 2" wheels for it and use the Harley adapter kit...... Please elaborate.

[HogMike]

Got 3 here I use:
Papa bear
Mama bear
Baby bear (for Sportsters!)



[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[92flhtcu]

have had my J&S for 7 years now, oneand only jack i'll ever own, but a table is on the wish list. Have had hundreds of bikes on it, have left one on each winter, no issues. I actually took a winter saturday and drove the 3 hrs up to their place to pick it up and another for a buddy. Super nice people and just a stone throw south of Green Bay


Rob

[Ultrashovel]

I have an American-Made Handy Table Air lift with their clamp and the 18" extension. It will lift a Goldwing or a Harley Ultra with ease. I think that the company was sold and I suspect that the products that they sell are now Chinese in origin. Someone who knows for sure may correct me.

I hate to buy stuff that's Chinese but it's hard to avoid nowadays.

[Thumper Buttercup]

Handy Industries History

Handy Industries, a Division of Jadeim, LLC. was originally Handy Industries Inc and Western Manufacturing founded in 1964. Handy was located in a building that was built in 1880, originally used as a sugar factory. The business continued there for over 45 years until the summer of 2010 when economic conditions required a closure of the business.

Handy-Jadeim was formed in August of 2010 as a partnership between Joel and Mike Jansen as Janco Manufacturing of Sully, Iowa and Tom Deimerly of Marshalltown. The partnership purchased Handy and ProSpectrum Powder Coating. Handy-Jadeim now manufactures components in Sully and powder coats, assembles, ships and has offices at the former ProSpectrum building at 401 South 2nd Ave. Marshalltown. The partnership of Janco and Deimerly is a combination of former manufacturers who supplied Handy and is a combination of operations with over 40 years of manufacturing experience.

The company has progressed from building power washers and bug zappers to motorcycle and industrial lifts, truck tailgates, and fuel and tool combination boxes for pickup trucks. Typical customers are motorcycle repair shops, motorcycle enthusiast, and recreational vehicle dealers and truck accessory dealers.

The lifts have industrial users like Bunn Coffee makers, Sukup Grain Dryers and various furniture fabricators using the lifts for worktable positioners. Handy employs approximately 14 people in Marshalltown and 9 in Sully.

We will be adding additional staff as we gain production capability and assembly needs at both locations.

We are focused on developing expanded industrial sales of our electric lift tables in 2011.

[Ultrashovel]

Handy Industries History

Handy Industries, a Division of Jadeim, LLC. was originally Handy Industries Inc and Western Manufacturing founded in 1964. Handy was located in a building that was built in 1880, originally used as a sugar factory. The business continued there for over 45 years until the summer of 2010 when economic conditions required a closure of the business.

Handy-Jadeim was formed in August of 2010 as a partnership between Joel and Mike Jansen as Janco Manufacturing of Sully, Iowa and Tom Deimerly of Marshalltown. The partnership purchased Handy and ProSpectrum Powder Coating. Handy-Jadeim now manufactures components in Sully and powder coats, assembles, ships and has offices at the former ProSpectrum building at 401 South 2nd Ave. Marshalltown. The partnership of Janco and Deimerly is a combination of former manufacturers who supplied Handy and is a combination of operations with over 40 years of manufacturing experience.

The company has progressed from building power washers and bug zappers to motorcycle and industrial lifts, truck tailgates, and fuel and tool combination boxes for pickup trucks. Typical customers are motorcycle repair shops, motorcycle enthusiast, and recreational vehicle dealers and truck accessory dealers.

The lifts have industrial users like Bunn Coffee makers, Sukup Grain Dryers and various furniture fabricators using the lifts for worktable positioners. Handy employs approximately 14 people in Marshalltown and 9 in Sully.

We will be adding additional staff as we gain production capability and assembly needs at both locations.

We are focused on developing expanded industrial sales of our electric lift tables in 2011.

But this doesn't tell us where Handy lifts are presently built. The one I have was built in Marshalltown, Iowa. I wonder if the lifts are now made in China.

[Thumper Buttercup]

Says right on their Facebook page made in the U.S.A.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handy-Industries/117602958321502

[Ultrashovel]

Says right on their Facebook page made in the U.S.A.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handy-Industries/117602958321502

Well, that's good. When I bought the one I have 15 years ago or so, Made in America was a big issue with me and it still is. Of course, that will mean that prices are giong to be high, but it's a once in a lifetime purchase as far as I'm concerned. For the record, the local dealer has 8 of them in his shop.

As to their focusing on the electric lifts, that's fine but I would still want a pneumatic one due to the simplicity and reliability. There's not much to go wrong.

I don't do Facebook so I wouldn't have seen them there.

[spoke]

had one for my old rc51, just the kind that pulled the rear wheel off of the ground. it seemed like it was pretty well made

If you have the room, I bought a Direct Lift with all the bells and whistle's, side ext.,drop out rear,black jack flat scissor jack. I use it for my lawn tractor, can put a snowmobile on it. A very good lift for the money.Had Old Diminion delv. it arrived in 2 day's no damage.

[Thumper Buttercup]

Hey Ultrashovel,

   I don't do facebook either, I remember reading last year when it closed
and reopened that they made a statement that they were keeping the
made in the USA.

We got ours back in 1998 and it has saved us a bunch of money, we have
the sides for our ATV's also.

I also have the pitbull, got it at Myrtle Beach Bike week back in 2002 I
think, the only problem I've had with it is that crappy Hyd Jack.

[justplainjim]

Another vote for J&S.

[crazy joe]

I'll probably go with the Pitbull because of price and room,
the Handylift at 1100.00 plus clamp and scissor jack.
Can anyone give pros's and con's for both.

[Thumper Buttercup]

I'm working on our handy lift right now, but if you got to pull
tires or do fork work I used our Pitbull, in all the other years
I've done all our work on the Handy, it does raise the bike
higher so you don't have to work bent over.

[HogMike]

I'll probably go with the Pitbull because of price and room,
the Handylift at 1100.00 plus clamp and scissor jack.
Can anyone give pros's and con's for both.

Pros?
Well, bought mine in the 80's and NEVER did anything to it. Still using it today.

[Deye76]

I have one like HOGMIKE's (red one) got it from Costco for $50.00 about 10 years ago. It's OK, soon will have room for a table lift. Been looking at Direct Lift. Are they pretty good?

[Brrrap]

I have one like HOGMIKE's (red one) got it from Costco for $50.00 about 10 years ago. It's OK, soon will have room for a table lift. Been looking at Direct Lift. Are they pretty good?

Love mine. I have two of them I purchased through Greg Smith Equipment. Never a problem with either one.

[turboprop]

I'll probably go with the Pitbull because of price and room,
the Handylift at 1100.00 plus clamp and scissor jack.
Can anyone give pros's and con's for both.

I have them both. Bought the Pitbull first because of the cost. Used it for many years, but always wanted a table lift. I bought the Handylift from a shop that was closing it's doors. so now I have both.

The Pitbull is really only used when washing the bike. I roll it out to the driveway and wash the bike on it with the wheels off the ground. Makes a nice detail stand.

The table lift is where the serious work is done. The table itself becomes a parts shelf and tool rack. Oils spill onto the table lift and are easy to wipe up as opposed to all over the Pitbull and eventually onto the floor.

[Rags722]

I really wanted to stay out of this thread since my opinion is slightly biased.  I was crushed under a falling motorhome a few years back when the leveling system collapsed all at once ( I know, should have had some safety stands under it , but it was just a 5 minute job).  Since then, I've developed a huge respect for the power of falling steel and inability of the human body to resist injury.

I own a BlackJack, which was an earlier jack that looks to be built almost identical to the PIT Bull.  I have the following observations:

1.  Stability comes from a wide footprint - Pit Bull has one of the widest. Sears, Harbor Freight etc do not.  Think about that when you are fighting a tight bolt or exhaust with the bike way up in the air.

2.  Jacks are for LIFTING, not HOLDING..... Always lower the bike to the safety stops

3.  The arms on the Pit Bull are LONG.  It will lift a bike higher.

4. Expect some bike movement unless the Pit Bull has the bike WAY up, the cost of those long arms is some extra movement if the bike is only a few inches off the ground.

5. The lifting platform plates are also long.  Long is good as there are less chances of the bike slipping off the platform.

6. Wheels on the Pit Bull are good and strong.  Like anything, they will stop if you are pushing the bike around the garage and hit a bolt or nut you overlooked.  That may be when you wish you had used the safety strap.

7.  The Pit Bull is HEAVY.  It's not the lift you toss in the back of the Chevy to go help a friend.


All that said, I wouldn't swap my BlackJack for any of the econo lifts I've seen.  I don't use it often, but when I do I want my bike up on something safe.

[pelicanman]

      I've had one of the pitbull lifts for about nineteen years and it still works like new.  I know the owner personally since they moved their operation 20 miles from my home and know they make a good product and will stand behind it if there is ever an issue.  If you don't have room for a lift table, the pitbull is hard to beat IMO.

[frito1]

My lift is a Jack Russell, they're Handy.

[CraigArizona85248]

^^^ Now that is pretty ingenious!  I like it.  Unfortunately I don't have the room in my garage to do that.  I just use a 10 year old Sears floor jack (still using the original bottle jack) for simple tire changes.  If the bike is on the table lift and I need to get the wheels off the table, I use a flat sissor jack.

-Craig

[Bakon]

Have a pitbull for 10 years. Only parts ever to go wrong is little spring which pulls foot pedal back up while jacking and the hold screws which keep it from rolling. Replaced in a phone call. Great customer service.
Also have a harbor freight for the sporty, only used to store off the ground. I would say the pitbull is king, 10 times better.

[Rags722]

^^^ Now that is pretty ingenious!  I like it.  Unfortunately I don't have the room in my garage to do that.  I just use a 10 year old Sears floor jack (still using the original bottle jack) for simple tire changes.  If the bike is on the table lift and I need to get the wheels off the table, I use a flat sissor jack.

-Craig

I just want to know how he backs up that ramp.  I figure I'd have trouble with that part of the process.