Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4-by-4-Foot Cable-Lifted Storage Rack
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List Price: Our Price: $127.00 You Save: $83.00 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $114.30 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4-by-4-Foot Cable-Lifted Storage Rack
Customer Review: Excellent garage space maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been desperate to increase the storage capability of my garage without losing the ability to park cars in it. I had overhead storage made of 2x4s and plywood, but it was difficult to access and I could never remember what was up there. I came across the Racor Heavy Lift storage rack and thought it was a great idea but the $199.99 list price was more than I wanted to spend, so I looked at designing my own solution. When I saw it on Amazon for $130 (including shipping!) I realized I probably couldn't build a half-baked copy myself for less and bought three.
The instructions were clear, the parts were all there (though metric), and it went together and mounted fairly easily. I only offer two cautions - if you don't have ceiling joists 4' apart you will need additional backing to provide needed support. And you will want an 11 mm driver on your drill to attach the 20 lag bolts included to attach the unit to the ceiling (there's nothing quite as irritating as having to reach overhead with a wrench or ratchet to screw in 2" lag bolts by hand).
Once installed it works great and does hold 250# of stuff. The only improvement I recommend is to include a 3/8 shaft option to the winding handle so you can raise and lower the unit with a drill rather than by hand. (They include a 2-piece handle with a crank at one end that at about 5' long is too long for an 8' mounting height - you wind up cranking at knee level. Since I bought 3 (and got 3 cranks) I shortened one so it would crank at chest level and fitted the other with a 3/8 steel rod in place of the crank section. Connect that to a 3/8 drill and let electricity do the work.
That said, the unit is well worth the cost and is highly recommended.
Customer Review: Excellent product; safe and strong.
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4-by-4-Foot Cable-Lifted Storage Rack to lift a canoe from my car and store it near the ceiling of my garage. I found this to be an excellent product. The directions are incomplete in several ways that are well described in other reviews. If you are comfortable with tools and take your time with the installation, you can end up with a stable and safe solution. I am impressed with the quality of the hardware.
Customer Review: Expand the storage space in your garage
Summary: 5 Stars
I had looked at these lifts for quite a few months and then broke down and ordered two. There are a few steps they left out of the instructions for installation but you can figure out what to do when you get to that point. I recommend using an electric drill to raise and lower the lift. Cranking by hand can be tiring especially when you have two! Description says it lowers 8 feet from ceiling but it is closer to 6 feet so it doesn't go to the floor. Well worth the price and effort to install.Customer Review: Fantastic storage unit!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Racor Lift is a well designed piece of equipment and an excellent space saving storage device. I highly recommend it for overhead storage in the garage, although I'm sure it could be used elsewhere. Even though I installed this by myself in 5 hours (including several beer breaks), an extra pair of hands will definitely make the job much safer, easier and probably faster. The instructions are easy to follow and the hardest part for me was squaring the assembly on the ceiling and getting the initial holes marked and drilled ... by myself. I offer the following pre-installation tips. First, make sure you have adequate space all the way around the unit, both above and below, not only for raising and lowering, but for any objects you might store on the lift that extend past the frame. Nothing worse than cranking it up fully loaded just to run into the furnance duct work or the ceiling light! Also, the hand crank mechanism requires a little space to properly engage and operate so make sure you position the crank assembly on a side where you can get to it and operate it. Secondly, if I had selected a better mounting location (I centered mine) I could have put up another one on the other side of the garage. Who knows, maybe some day I'll move it and add another one!! Lastly, and this may sound obvious, but keep in mind that your clearance underneath, after it's raised up, will be reduced by the height of whatever you store, plus a few inches for the assembly. (Pile them suitcases too high and you may be bumping your head on the bottom of the lift!) Also, since it uses a crank and gear box, it takes many, many, many (did I mention many?) turns and a few minutes to raise or lower. Having said all that, I think it's still a great storage device.Customer Review: Fifth Wheel Nitch Lift
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this lift for about three years now. I've got my 5th wheel hitch strapped to the bottom of the lift and it works great. Lift my hitch out when I get home and put it in when I go. I don't have to lift the hitch at all.