Gorilla Gripper 44010 Panel Carrier
by Gorilla Gripper
|
List Price: Our Price: $39.51 You Save: $10.44 (21%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $39.49 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Gorilla Gripper 44010 Panel Carrier
Customer Review: Works OK
Summary: 3 Stars
As I get older I'm literally "loosing my grip". The Gorilla Gripper works as advertised (except the clothes in the ad aren't required). I had a 700 square foot building to roof which included hauling approximately 30 sheets of CDX up a 14 foot ladder. My thought was to use the GG to do the job. I know some day I'll need to use it (and it works just as the add shows), but it's much faster to hoist the sheet so it's held by one hand & balanced on the shoulder, go up the ladder on to the trusses and put the sheet in place. I found it awkward to the point of dangerous trying to make the transition from the ladder to the trusses with a sheet hanging by the GG.
If you have to move sheet-goods in a shop and your grip aint what it used to be, then the GG is probably your saving grace. I think it's one of those tools that help folks that can no longer muscle the sheets around. But it's only for carrying; it will lose its grip when the sheet isn't very near vertical. So while it helps carry the sheet, it won't help moving it to the bench or saw-horse; you'll still need to muscle the sheet to the vertical position.
Good idea; works as advertised; hard to incorporate in to the workflow.
Customer Review: Excellent for handling sheet goods
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an experienced DIYer, and I also have a bad back in addition to recently hurting my wrist. I recently undertook a major renovation of a room in my home, and the weight of the plywood, MDF, and sheetrock wasn't agreeing with my 44 year old body. I originally purchased a panel carrier that supported the panels from the bottom, and it worked well enough. But the weight during the lifting and carrying was still on my lower back, which is a no-no for me. The lifting of the panels with the single handle was also aggravating my wrist injury, so I looked for another solution. I saw a review of this carrier in one of my woodworking magazines, and bought it hoping that the design would make handling 100 lbs panels easier with less chance of injury. This thing is excellent -- the heavier the object, the harder it grabs onto it. The design allows you to lift it without bending over -- good for my back. The handle is nice and thick, with a rubber-like coating for a firm grip. The jaws that clamp your material are also coated with a non-slip material. Well worth the money -- I wish I had bought this one in the first place.Customer Review: Gorilla Gripper Panel Lifter
Summary: 4 Stars
A well built tool. A bit pricy for what you get, but if you want to avoid trips to the chiropractor due to lifting awkward & heavy sheet stock, this is the tool for you. Works great with heavy wood panels. Very thin (< 1/4") won't work due to limits on Gorilla's clamping stroke, but these panels are light anyway. Gorilla can be used on thin sheet stock by adding a shim/spacer. Just make sure your spacer has a rough surface to avoid slipage. Slick-side panels such as sheet rock can lead to slipage our of the lifter, but use of rough tape such as painters masking tape on the back side (non-visible side of the panel) helps a bit. Final caution is to not allow the bottom of clamped panels to inadvertantly "un-load" from the Gorilla. This momentary release can release the clamping action, resulting in a falling panel. Key thing to remember is, "Once in the lifted mode, keep it there until you're ready to unload the Gorilla." The Gorilla works like a dream when lifting heavy wooden sheet stock. I'd recommend it to anybody who wants to save their back. Wish I'd invented it....Customer Review: One trick pony, but a good trick.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this when a broken hand turned me into a one-handed carpenter. I would definitely recommend going to the manufacturer's website and watching the video. I didn't find it quite as hilarious as other posters, but that's beside the point. What it does in that video, it does in real life. If you will be doing those sorts of actions, this tool will be a real help. The ability to grip a sheet of 3/4 ply at the top, in the center, and carry it on your shoulder without twisting, bending or straining, walking normally, is a real nice thing, especially if you need to get a bunch of ply from one end of a jobsite to another through doorways. No more stooping. That said, it's pretty useless going up stairs.
Like I said in the title, it isn't versatile, but it is really good at what it does do. It is not cheap, so I would not recommend it to a DIY'er, but it's the kind of thing that as a pro, you can throw in the back of your truck and know it will eventually pay for itself.
Customer Review: Very well designed, but has usage limitation
Summary: 4 Stars
The product works very well. Durable, does a great job, but note that if you are not a tall person this may not be the right tool for you. This gripper is designed to pick up from the top and uses gravity as the counter-force to hold the jaws together. So,...if you're not very tall, you may find yourself having to use much more arm power to lift the load (from above), as opposed to those types of carriers that lift from underneath. The real advantage I've found is that when carrying a sheet of plywood up a ladder, this is the type of gripper that works without serious concern for balance and safety. As long as gravity is pulling down on the sheet, it will remain clamped in the jaws. If you have a partner on the roof they can grab the panel and it automatically 'disconnects' itself from the gripper.
This product is very well made, comfortable to use.