Lift for carboy

[JoP]

Hello everyone,
I'm looking for a solution to lift and carry carboys full of wine.
I'm not so young anymore and a full carboy is getting more and more difficult to handle.
Does anyone know where can I find a small material handling lift, either manual or motorized that is not too expensive?
It should lift a carboy from ground level to a counter top .
Perhaps some one built this as a DIY project?
Thanks

 

[1d10t]

This is not a recommendation but an example for a place to start.
https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html

 

[sour_grapes]

Hello everyone,
I'm looking for a solution to lift and carry carboys full of wine.
I'm not so young anymore and a full carboy is getting more and more difficult to handle.
Does anyone know where can I find a small material handling lift, either manual or motorized that is not too expensive?
It should lift a carboy from ground level to a counter top .
Perhaps some one built this as a DIY project?
Thanks

Some people have used these: https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html
or https://www.toolots.com/amarite-sci...MI7NGgqsmg4wIV0bfACh2vywSQEAYYAiABEgJAVfD_BwE

 

[salcoco]

I bought the dollies that Harbour Freight sells to move the carboys around. I finally gave up on lifting and just bought a pump. all-in-one is the one I would recommend.

 

[DCTWinemaker]

Piggy backing on JoP's question, should you keep your filled carboys on top of a strong table, on the floor, on a dolly? I ferment in my basement, so worried about the cold floor in the winter.

 

[JoP]

This is not a recommendation but an example for a place to start.
https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html

1d10t,
thank you for the quick reply
Most of these shop lifts don't go low enough to floor level, this one goes as low as 10" only
Thanks

 

[1d10t]

Piggy backing on JoP's question, should you keep your filled carboys on top of a strong table, on the floor, on a dolly? I ferment in my basement, so worried about the cold floor in the winter.

I have old towels or rugs I put under carboys to protect the glass from the concrete. They provide a little insulation but depending on what you're doing, the cold floor may be good for long term bulk aging.

 

[sour_grapes]

1d10t,
thank you for the quick reply
Most of these shop lifts don't go low enough to floor level, this one goes as low as 10" only
Thanks

There is no law against resting your carboys on something about 10" off the floor. You could criss-cross some 4x4s and plop a piece of plywood over it.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

If you don't want to lift full carboys and stand while bottling.

Check out allinonewinepump.com

 

[Rocky]

How about an engine hoist and carboy slings?

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-capacity-foldable-shop-crane-61858.html?_br_psugg_q=engine+hoist

https://www.amazon.com/Carboy-Carri...=B073CQDD1X&psc=1&refRID=RNG70HKP1ZAZZ857K313

 

[Karol Bonine]

We recently made a purchase of a U-Winemaker that eliminates the need for lifting carboys, racking, and filtering. We are on our first kit, so it's too early for us to comment. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.uwinemaker.com/

 

[monty]

Some good suggestions on here but there is a clear cut winner imo. The all-in-one wine pump costs just a bit more than the lift options suggested, and it does sooo much more than just save you from having to lift full carboys. It degasses as you go and makes bottling day a breeze.

Also for folks discussing how to keep carboys off of basement floor, I keep all of my full carboys in milk crates. Keeps the glass from bumping the floor and carboys from bumping each other. If your looking to keep the cold floor away from the carboy you could put some foam board, cardboard, carpet scrap or something else to insulate the bottom.

 

[mainshipfred]

I agree the AIO is the way to go and it's only a few dollars more than the other equipment mentioned. As far as the concrete floor put them on furniture dollies with a piece of plywood in the middle, with or without the milk crates.

 

[JoP]

We recently made a purchase of a U-Winemaker that eliminates the need for lifting carboys, racking, and filtering. We are on our first kit, so it's too early for us to comment. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.uwinemaker.com/

Hi Karol,
Thank you for the suggestion, I make wine from grapes from my vineyard and I need to stack carboys on shelving units in my cellarr cabinets.
I'm surprised that there is no such a lift out there specifically made for this purpose.
I may have to build one myself.

 

[1d10t]

I've never found anything that's affordable but a beam hoist with a center member is what I'd like to do. It never occurred to me to look into medical devices but that probably adds to the cost. It seems there should be a reasonable priced version of this but I've never been able to find it.
https://www.lkgoodwin.com/more_info...nding_overhead_bridge_crane.shtml#1cellsystem

 

[JoP]

I've never found anything that's affordable but a beam hoist with a center member is what I'd like to do. It never occurred to me to look into medical devices but that probably adds to the cost. It seems there should be a reasonable priced version of this but I've never been able to find it.
https://www.lkgoodwin.com/more_info...nding_overhead_bridge_crane.shtml#1cellsystem

A medical device would be expensive, I agree.
I heard that there some Lab lifts that are more light weight, but I could never find one.
As I said earlier in another reply, it is hard to believe that there is nothing out there for this purpose, except for some DIY projects.

 

[Tom Martin]

I started doing vacuum transfers so you never need to lift them. Check out the All in One Wine Pump , Steve is awesome to work with and makes great products. I happened to have a very HD commercial pump and Steve set me up with everything I needed, I would /will buy his pump if mine fails.

 

[cmason1957]

I bet there ate at least two reasons someone doesn't sell something like this. First being cost, dead lifting 50 or 60 lbs a few feet won't come cheap. And second, once people get to a certain volume level of winemakers, why lift the whole thing, when you can lift small parts at a time, as in a pump. For under $300 you an get a pump that moves the volume you have.

 

[1d10t]

I use the space for other interests and not everything to be moved is a liquid that can be pumped between containers. If I can get the track I don't need a powered lift. Pulleys would be fine. I'm thinking of a woodworking project. Half size crates because I'm already getting to the point I don't like lifting full sized. I can do it now but for how much longer? The wine I store in a full crate today may be inaccessible in a year or two.

 

[JoP]

I started doing vacuum transfers so you never need to lift them. Check out the All in One Wine Pump , Steve is awesome to work with and makes great products. I happened to have a very HD commercial pump and Steve set me up with everything I needed, I would /will buy his pump if mine fails.

Tom,

I agree an All in One Wine Pump solves many problems, I too have and use a vacuum transfer system for both: transferring and bottling.

But moving carboys around safely is why I’m looking for a lift.

I have all my wine making operation set up in my garage except for bottling which I do in the kitchen.

In the garage, I have built-in temperature controlled cabinets with wire shelving for carboys and bottles.

The carboys sit on the bottom shelve and the next level which is about 40” above ground, not so easy to handle anymore.

Thanks