Locking Hoist 5:1 Bullseye Outdoors Locking Hoist

What I liked about this product is that it (a) had a pulley system that provided a substantial reduction in the force needed to lift heavy objects and (b) had a self-locking mechanism. But I also realized that, with a 5:1 ratio and with my high garage ceilings, I would need about 60 feet of rope rather than the 40 feet indicated in the product description. As I saw a past buyer had the same issue, I wrote the seller about paying for an upgrade from 40’ to 60’ of rope. Almost immediately Jerry wrote back that I “certainly can get 60 ft.” and that there was no extra charge. Ordering the product shortly thereafter, I saw that the processing and shipping was as prompt as possible. Due to a holiday weekend and conflicts, I was not able to try out the product until a couple of days ago. I was very satisfied.The self-locking system is, I believe, a set of four slits in the lower pulley (two on top and two on the bottom) so that, after lifting, one may thread the rope through the slits as a type of cleat. (Let me know if my lack of mechanical know-how missed something here!) Wishing to lower a heavy bike that was already on a garage-ceiling hook, I placed the upper pulley on the inside of the hook (the bike tire was thus near the opening of the hook). I used a tall ladder to do so. The lower pulley I attached to another part of the bike. I pulled the rope (easily) to lift the wheel of the bike off the hook, leaving the top pulley on the ceiling hook and the bottom pulley on the bike. Taking advantage of the 5:1 ratio, I easily lowered the bike to the floor. This lifting/lowering mechanism is, of course, portable and may be used on the dozen or so steel bikes I have on the ceiling hooks. Yes, the ladder poses some risk, but the 5:1 force reduction substantially reduces this risk.The reduction in required force to lift, the self-locking slots, the courteous and thorough customer service make this product a 5-star product in all aspects! I am very happy with the product! Thank you, Jerry!

First of all, a huge shoutout to the seller, Jerry. When I needed to swap out the 40 feet of rope for 60 feet, I contacted him and offered to pay the difference, and he immediately offered to replace the shipment that he had already packed up and taken to the post office, no questions asked! I ordered on Sunday and the box arrived at my house on Wednesday, even with me throwing a monkey wrench into the works. Awesome service.The product itself: I bought two of these to lift a small sailboat up onto a storage rack. I still haven't had a chance to go to the marina and try it out, but I played around with it in my garage today to lift a 5 gallon bucket of gravel. My first impression: Really well-engineered and thoughtfully designed product. The sheaves rotate freely and smoothly around the axle, and the supplied rope is really high quality. The locking mechanism appears very secure, but I did find I had to use both hands to route the rope through the jaws, which was a little awkward while lifting. I'm optimistic that the plastic body will hold up over time, but we shall see.

I really liked the design feature of this B&T with the "cleat" built into it for easy tie-off regardless of where you might be, and when it arrived I was overall pleased with it from a design perspective. However, when I realized that the entire housing and cleat were plastic it really put me off of it before I even tried using it. I had planned to mount it outside my workshop on a boom to help with loading tools into my van and between temperature changes and UV exposure I realized I personally wouldn't be comfortable relying on a plastic connection to be load-bearing with my shop tools hanging off it. I am returning this, and the return processing was quick and strightforward.

I installed two Bullseye locking hoists moments ago and am so pleased with the product that I wanted to express my satisfaction as soon as possible. My 15 ft kayak is much heavier than is typical of one this size because it is a drastic modification of the original, circa 1980s , Folbot, originally designed as a skin on frame kayak. In order to salvage it from many years of disuse after the fabric became unusable. I used 1/4 inch planking and epoxy to convert it to a wood strip/epoxy construction. I did not use fiberglass as is traditional and my planking required a lot more work to seal. Although far from ideal if lightweight construction is desired, I used multiple coats of epoxy/sawdust filler. The result is much heavier than it should be. All this to say that, after switching from the use of simple pulleys to the Bullseye hoists, I was shocked at how much easier it is to lift the kayak to its position in the rafters of my basement. The hoists were easy to install, easy to use, and came with high quality rope, higher than what some reviews here led me to expect. Its self-locking system was a very welcome convenience compared to the difficulties I faced in anchoring the working end of the rope, as had been necessary with my previous pulley set. Thanks to the Bullseye folks for designing exactly what I needed.

I purchased this item so that my wife can lower heavier items from our raised deck that would be difficult for her to carry down the steps. The original unit I received was shipped very quickly and was packaged well. When I installed it I realized that the included rope was not long enough to reach the ground. I contacted the company to see if I could purchase a longer rope. Much to my surprise, Jerry, the company owner, offered to send me another unit with a longer rope at no cost. The new unit arrived in a few days and works perfectly. Now THAT is good customer service, a rarity these days.