Dragway Tools2 Ton Folding Air Hydraulic Engine Hoist Cherry Picker Shop Crane Hoist Lift

I recently transported an antique gas engine from the West Coast. We loaded it with a cheap, flimsy engine hoist that scared me. I've been wanting an engine hoist and knew I needed one to unload the engine once I got it home. This hoist is rated for 1000# at full extension, and the antique engine weighs a bit less than that. When I arrived home I assembled the hoist and put it in place to lift the engine from the U-Haul trailer. With the boom set at full extension, the hoist lifted this engine effortlessly, and rolled easily with the engine suspended. I have not operated the hoist on air yet, but using the manual pump it worked perfectly. I cannot see any flaws with this engine hoist. I am glad I bought it.

Pros: Higher lift than a lot of similar shop cranes. Inexpensive. Air motor. Folding legs take up minimal space.Cons: Poor build quality, poor packaging, almost zero documentation, slow exchange / return procedure.The first crane was dropped off by UPS at my house with a torn corner and other rips and tears in one of the boxes. Opening the smaller, lighter box for the 4 wheel base showed a dented channel from being dropped and ZERO packing material, so no surprise. The larger, heavier box containing everything else had plenty of loose hardware, parts all scratched up, and virtually no packing material once again. The plastic bag which contains the hardware is too brittle (a ziploc freezer bag is much tougher) and breaks easily spewing hardware all over inside the box during shipping. Also, the air motor didn't work at all. After numerous messages, photos, and delays the shipper agreed to swap the unit out. Unfortunately, the large custom box was so damaged it couldn't be used for a return so I ordered a second crane in hopes that I could put the first in the box for the second. They ended up making a successful claim with UPS.No surprise the second crane was nearly an instant replay with plenty of damage with every single part scratched up once again from another broken hardware bag, but at least no bent parts. This one included strain relief springs around the air hose, unlike the first one. It arrived leaking hydraulic fluid which had saturated part of the box and it also leaked air between the cylinder and air motor, both of which were fixed by tightening fittings. The box was salvageable to return the first crane and I got them to give me $50 off for all the scratches.This crane has proven sturdy and useful for me, but it is basically a disposable, handful of uses, Chinese manufactured type of tool. I've used it now to assemble a heavy tool chest and uncrate a 720 lb vertical air compressor with it thanks to it's high lift which is almost as big as advertised (about 6 inches less than specified) for which I give it "high" marks. The air fitting is not a common one so plan on replacing it, and the castings are so poor I don't expect the cylinder and air over oil motor assembly to last long before it starts leaking either oil or air. Hopefully the cylinder / motor is a standard size when it comes time to replace it. The paint job is as crappy as they come, with no primer, and paint that can flake off of the smooth walled cylinder in big half dollar or larger sized chunks and with drip runs from excessive spray on nearly every part. The reseller can't provide matching paint to fix it so don't buy it if looks or rust are a concern. The plastic grip on the pump handles are extremely poor plastic and both of mine were cut through on the end straight out of the box, but they are serviceable. It took several dozen messages and nearly two months to conclude the transaction, so if your time is a concern, I'd recommend an in person visit to harbor freight to see if their offerings meet your needs. I did a ton of research and couldn't find a better quality crane with a high lift for under $5000; this was pretty much the only high lift option at a reasonable price point and so I don't have buyer's remorse, but would have paid double for a tool with the quality, fit and finish of a Rikon or Jet shop tool. Shop around and look for better options first unless cost is your only concern.

For the price you can’t go wrong. Assembly was pretty simple except for trying to get the bolt, nut, lock washer , and washers for the casters in the right order inside the square tubing. If you don’t do it right the casters won’t swivel. It’s not a big deal but it’s more of something you’ll have to figure out feather than depending on the lack of instructions or quality diagram. The air over hydraulic cylinder is jumpy, or shaky when I gave it a try but I have not tried it with weight on it yet and I am guessing the weight will make everything work just fine. I’m glad I purchased this model.

No instructions included is my only big problem with this order.

When I received the hoist the package looked like it had been through a lot. Not only was the exterior packaging damaged, once I opened it, the bottom of the interior package was soaked in oil from the ram. I contacted the seller, and they had a new ram in the mail the next day, so I'm very pleased with the support the seller is providing on this product.The hoist itself is great. I was able to assemble it in well under and hour with no issue. Appears to be very well built, and has a high lift point, which was the reason I bought it.

Got mine with a big dent in the cylinder and looked like it was drug across a rough concrete sidewalk.

Came with No instructions. Came with 6 wheels like it needs . But 3 are one size andc3 are another size. ??? So I can't put it together. And with no instructions I don't even know which ones are correct. And the bolt package was torn open and they were all over the place in the box. What a mess. And there's no one to call on it. Another Chinese made mess. Can someone help me on this.

This item arrived with a broken part. Dragway Tools worked with us and replaced the part with no issues. Would order from them again.