Racor PBH-1R Ceiling-Mounted Bike Lift
by Racor
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List Price: Our Price: $16.31 You Save: $23.69 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $10.91 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Racor PBH-1R Ceiling-Mounted Bike Lift
Customer Review: Does the trick
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought 3 of these. I have 2 electric scooters.. which are fairly heavy (about 35-40 lbs each) and a bike. I was a little hesitant to put the scooters up because they are on the edge of max weight for this unit, but I've had them up for 4 months now and they work like a charm. Easy to get down and put up!
Installation was a pain because my place seems to have metal studs and a finished garage. My wood studs are about 4 feet apart -- ugh..
For the first unit I picked up some plywood and drilled it into 1 stud... then installed the unit on the plywood. 1 stud is plenty for a 20 lb bike.
For the other 2 units I purchased a larger piece of plywood and installed it into 4 studs. This time I measured and installed the units first - Much easier then trying to install the wood then the units! I highly recommend installing the hoist to the unit (without the rope) and then installing the wood!!
BTW.. the rope looks pretty weak.. but still holding up my scooters fine.
Had they used cable or something stronger I'd have given this 5 stars -- but for the price -- its a great value.
Customer Review: Good Product for the price
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased 3 of these units at around $[...] each. The kit includes everything you need to mount your bikes including the rope. The feel of the brackets and the pulleys was a little cheap but good enough for the price I paid. My only complaint is that the plates do not mount flush with the ceiling. The screws that mount to the trusses are in the middle of the plates meaning when you screw them in, you could bend the mounting plate if you go too far. This isn't a huge issue but prevents me from giving it a 5 star rating. Again, they are about what I expected for the price.
Also, just a heads up for installing these things. I feel stupid admitting this but I will lay it out there to save someone else the hassle I went through. These mounts come with a large amount of rope. My plan was to cut the excess rope off after the insallation. Long story short, I cut off the excess rope when the bike was suspended, not on the ground. This didn't give me enough slack to lower the bike all the way when I wanted to get it down. I realize this seems simple, I really wasn't thinking when I did it but just don't make the same mistake I did!
Customer Review: Nice Space Savings
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered two of these racks for my garage. The first went in flawlessly, while with the second, I broke three of the included screws. Yes, I did pre-drill the holes for this using the prescribed 1/8" pilot hole. I did go up to a 9/64" on my last set to make sure I had sufficient hardware to complete the installation. Make sure you use the proper size philips head screwdriver to prevent the screws from stripping out.
The remaining installation worked flawlessly, just be sure to read and understand the directions. Two minor modifications I would make to the instructions... First after completing the installation, add a knot to the rope after the locking mechanism. This prevents the weight of the pulleys from pulling the rope out of the locking mechanism when there is no bike on the hooks. Second, I would highly recommend hanging the bike upside down rather than by the seat and handlebars. I find the hooks held onto the rims better, and I feel that I've got better control over the bike as it goes up and down. Overall, you can't beat the price here, and these have really saved me some space in the garage.
Customer Review: THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Summary: 4 Stars
The hoist works fine, once it's installed, but it's a pain to do without a good drill and drill bit. These are ideas to consider:
1. The wood screws are not good. I mounted to a high (11-ft), dense beam, and the screw heads easily strip. I had to use a larger drill bit than the 1/8-inch they recommend because I couldn't torque the screwdriver and not strip the heads.
2. In California, we have to worry about earthquakes. I found the perfect solution. At Home Depot, they sell, for $5, these devices that include a carabiner on one end that you can attach through a hole in the hook and a 3-ft bungee cord, which is then attached to another carabiner, which I fastened to the bike. I used them on both sides. Thus, if an earthquake occurs, I know the mountain bike won't bounce off the hooks and on to our washer and dryer.
3. It's really important to make sure the hoists are mounted directly above the seat and handlebars to get the smoothest action.
I find that even I had no problems lifting the bike with the hoist, and I'm small and light weight.
Customer Review: Disappointed
Summary: 1 Stars
Nice idea. Execution stinks. Definitely replace the rope with one that's braided - has better "hand". But here is the killer: the damn hooks are not hooks at all. They are "L" - shaped and will not wrap around a round handle bar nor the underside of a bike seat. Made of steel with a thermoplastic cover, the steel is also so stiff/stuck in this L-shaped form, you cannot bend it.
My three bikes go up in the air very tenuously but only if you raise your bikes absolutely level, each bike will slip off the POS hook and into your face or upon your GD car (dented).
My next step is to bring down the "hooks" and hammer them (maybe with heat) across an anvil to give them the curve/hook necessary to hold a bike. Or, if that does not work, drill holes into the supposed hooks and affix a nut and bolt to protrude and hold the bikes.
This is a classic case of a manufacturer who had their good idea/design executed in China and the Chinese were given no clue that a genuine hook shaped/claw was necessary to make the GD thing work - a POS without modifications.