Hydraulic Lift Table Question

[johnny means]

I'm reminded of an old story about a loan shark who goes out on a job site to collect a debt. The borrower is up on a scissor lift and just refuses to come down. The loan shark frustrated and angry decides to sabotage the lift, so he leans in to cut the hydraulic lines. Our borrower friend ends up not having to pay that debt. I tell this story as a precautionary tale about working in and around machinery that lifts things.

[Ronald Blue]

I'm reminded of an old story about a loan shark who goes out on a job site to collect a debt. The borrower is up on a scissor lift and just refuses to come down. The loan shark frustrated and angry decides to sabotage the lift, so he leans in to cut the hydraulic lines. Our borrower friend ends up not having to pay that debt. I tell this story as a precautionary tale about working in and around machinery that lifts things.

Makes a nice story certainly. While there are things that can be done easily to sabotage they lift they would only disable it's operation. Leaving the person in the lift potentially "stranded" but safe.

[Jay Kepley]

Mike Farrington has a commercial grade lift table that he bought used. He's got a video about an mft-style workbench/assembly table added to the lift table.

[Ed Mitchell]

Ishitani has a video about using a commercial-grade lift table (a Bishamon, IIRC) to make a variable-height workbench
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBX-AtmSFJA

[Ronald Blue]

Interesting video. Definitely a much higher quality lift table than HF. Commercial build and rigidity.

[Tom Bain]

I had seen the Mike Farrington video, and thanks for the Ishitani link (hadn't see that one). I guess a conclusion one might reach is you need to spring for a Bishamon or an Autoquip if you want the table to hold its height without leaking down. Don't know what the used prices are for units like that, but new ones are mega-bucks.

[Carl Crout]

I'd guess you have a harbor freight cart? I have a harbor freight motorcycle lift and it bleeds off, poor tolerance's and inefficient seals, but what can you expect for the money?? Every other quality piece of equipment that I own from jacks to tractor hydraulics, none of them bleed off to where I can notice.

Sure they do. John Deere even has a spec as to how much bleed off is normal

[Ronald Blue]

Sure they do. John Deere even has a spec as to how much bleed off is normal

Agreed. There are cylinders that have pilot operated lock valves on a lot of equipment because they are used for overhead lifting etc. But even the best will eventually leak down.