f_inscreenname

I need to drop a couple motors into my boat and the best way to do it would be a forklift.
Anyone rent one or do rentals? Looking for one to be dropped off and picked up a couple days later.
What kind of pricing should I look forward to? Just want to be educated before I go looking.

andyt25

it's probably looking at around 250-300 a day for a regular forklift a telehandler would be more but it would probably be worth the extra money

jbmetrotowing@ea

If you only need to pick up and set the motors in the boat, it would be cheaper for a tow truck (with a boom). Maybe $200 or less. PM me i will try to help you.

Joey

pitts1313

I own some telehandlers and wouldn't trust myself over fiberglass! I'd trust myself backing boat out from the hoisted engines with a chain hoist connected to a steel beam.

jwurl

I tried getting my engine out with a standard forklift and the arms were not long enough. Make sure you take some measurements before you rent one. Jeff Wurl

huskyrider

iTrader: (1)

We pull our truck engines at my shop using a skid loader with forks instead of a bucket attached (bobcat, caterpillar etc) outdoors or indoors. If you don't have good headroom you'll need to do this outside.
Rent one for the weekend and you'll usually get a single day rate for Sat and Sun as along as the hour meter doesn't go over 8 hours. Get it for the week and it should be 7 days for the price of 4 daily rentals. Grab a bucket too and you can do a lot with one around your property if you need some grading or digging done.
If your in the Lake Conroe, Texas area I could loan you one for a Sat and Sun if they're not all out in the field at jobsites, just fill it up with diesel when your done.

see ya,
Kelly

bobbowobbo

pettibone.. I have used this for many engine swaps. never a scratch and lots of ability to line up when reinstalling.

bustedbrick

I just did this with a tow truck a couple weeks ago. Worked great and under $200. The boom on the truck had two independently controlled hooks on it. We had a loop of chain bolted to the rear of the heads and another bolted to the front. Each loop was connected to one of the chains. It worked well since he could adjust the tilt. Took us one hour exactly to get two engines in.

RSC is nationwide and will rent all sorts of things. Forklifts and telehandlers aren't trivial to drive and weight A LOT. Be careful with this route.
Randy

f_inscreenname

I like the tow truck idea if this was any other install but this time it’s a new install. Meaning that everything has to be lined up, stringers have to be drilled for the mounts, transmissions and the distance for the driveshaft to the V drive also have to be lined up. And then I have to do it all over again for the front motor (that’s right, one in front and one in back). So I ’m sure a tow truck driver would love to hang around while I did it but the money would be adding up the whole time making me not take my time doing it.
I was kind of afraid about the forks on a forklift being to short. Seems like I was thinking right.
I like the skid loader idea. Do you need any special license (like I am a certified forklift operator) to rent one? What’s the rates on something like that?
Damn, to be honest, I may have to start looking for a gantry set up. 250 a day after a couple three days I could buy one and being a old race boat with a wild set up it’s very possible I will need one again.
Any other ideas? And the tree thing is out. Nothing strong enough.

huskyrider

iTrader: (1)

Trust me, the skid loaders rule!!!

They carry their fork attachment a lot further in front than a standard forklift and you'll get much better control moving fore and aft and laterally side to side delicately thanks to the 4 wheel drive that can have baby forward motion on two tires and rear motion on the other side of the machine, forklifts only do good forward and backward only, the two rear steering tires make slight movements with your load damned difficult. This is 10 times worse if your forklift is in the dirt and not on concrete, the loader doesn't care where you are even if it's on a hill, just have dry soil not mud beneath it.
You should be able to rent one with just a DL and a credit card for the deposit. Ask for Caterpillar joystick controls and not the Bobcat row your boat with boom foot peddles or Case Controls row your boat and using wrist motions for the boom.
I've had an 8 yr old operating up at my country property, he didn't grade very well but after I taught him how to wheely the machine with the right bucket height he was doing better in it than he was on his PW80 dirtbike
Joysticks rule too. It's changes direction like a dirtbound fighter jet. except slower, LOL!!!

See ya,
Kelly