It's going on three years since our attic freight elevator/lift was installed in our garage by Nephew David and Brother-in-Law Allen. All I did was design it and arrange for the parts.
It has not only served us well, but it has also inspired many others to include an elevator in their home or shop.
One thing is certain: elevator parts wear out. And the most important part, the hoist motor, has needed replacing four times as of today. No, it was not a safety issue as much as it was a real annoyance issue. The hoist cable has no guide to keep it rolled onto the spool in an orderly manner. And the cable eventually gets compressed into itself, causing a gentile bump at first that eventually turns into a sort of snap. If not fixed then it puts a serious jerk in the line that could break the cable.
It's not fixable because the hoist is not designed to accommodate a replacement cable. The only choice is to take it back for a replacement under the terms of the extended warranty at Harbor Freight. And they are very good about swapping it out. Apparently, it's a common problem among those who use the hoist motor for freight elevators and lifts.
Of course, I have to remove the heavy hoist motor from the steel beam, then hand-carry it down the dangerous pull-down attic ladder, and take it to Harbor Freight. Then retrace my steps to install the new one. With the previous practice I've had, it only took a little over half an hour to reinstall it. It works perfectly and the only thing left to do is rig the block to change it to a looped cable. That not only slows the speed of the elevator but also doubles the payload capacity. (1,300 lbs) I also have to splice in the extension electrical cable for the hand-held controller. (the one that comes on the hoist is only 5' long). Then we are good for at least another year: hopefully longer.
Even with the hoist cable issue, it's still one of the best things we did here at La Maison del Poulets.
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