Easy Storage Cart for Bluebird Engine Hoist - Crane

[tmate3]

Bluebird engine hoists are used primarily by rental facilities. They are very solidly constructed and assemble/dis-assemble quickly without tools. The problem is that if you don't have a Bluebird storage cart, you have to lean the parts up in a corner or stack them in a pile somewhere. The Bluebird carts are all but unavailable used, and while they are still being made, they cost over $1,400.

The solution I am working on permits the hoists to remain largely assembled, but reduced in size to a 24" x 41" footprint for storage. I didn't want to reduce the 24" dimension further for stability sake. Short 24" long 2" x 3" fabricated tubes have casters on one end, and slide into the Bluebird base in place of the regular legs. The legs and boom are then placed vertically in short rectangular tubing recepticals. The whole works can then be rolled against a wall or other convenient out of the way location. Re-assembly is just as easy.

I'm waiting on one more short length of rectangular tubing to accommodate the boom to finish up the project.

[DIYer]

Thanks tmate3! We've added your Engine Hoist Storage Cart to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: tmate3's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Engine Hoist Storage Cart by tmate3

tags: hoist, storage

[Toolmaker51]

Not familiar with Bluebird hoists, tmate3's solution fixes the storage issue nicely. Who has room to keep a hoist open all the time?

They don't have the look of our shoddy folding imports, especially at $240 average. Hinge bearing and thin wall tubing won't make those hand-me-downs. The real value is revealed in the used market.

[tmate3]

Finished the Bluebird hoist storage mod.