# Anyone have plans for a crank type lift for a pickup or flat bed truck.



## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

Ben
I spent a lot of time thinking about the same thing. In the end I have decided to get a "liftGate". One of those tail gates that have hydrolic/Ele system built in to lower and lift the whole tale gate on my pick-up. I have a buddy with one because he is an appliance repairman.
My reasoning was if I spend all my money on a system just to lift a bee hive and put it on my pickup them that is what I have. A tool that is designed for that one thing. Bt if I get a lift gate then I can use it for several different types of jobs.
That was my thinking.


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

You can make or buy a picker that mounts in rear corner of a pickup box. Based on a hydraulic jack.


----------



## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

Ben,

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/truck-cranes.html

I have seen hand cranks and ele winches attached to the above.

http://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/moving-colonies/

http://www.inlad.com/SpitzLiftPortabletruckmountedcranes.aspx

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_650281_650281

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_74569_74569

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200402703_200402703


----------



## AUXCOM (Sep 1, 2012)

Here is a homemade "cherry picker" out for bid 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-HOMEMADE-ENGINE-CRANE-ENGINE-HOIST-CHERRY-PICKER-/320934168254

If you are working on soft ground...you would have to back the pickup under it.

I had one in SF I made out of iron pipe (threaded all the joints) it had 4 legs wider than my pickup with piped threaded and store bought joints that had a bar going across the middle and a chain hoist so I could lift stuff straight up and back the truck under it...threaded pipes are easy to work with.

bob


----------



## mike haney (Feb 9, 2007)

For beehives you can't build one as cheap as you can buy one From Harbor freight


----------



## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Ditto what Mike said. My mentor has mobility issues and rigged a trailer up to pull behind his gator with a HF lift and HF electric winch. He only moves a single box with it at a time but it seems to work well with him. He dropped down to around 35 hives this year but kept 50+ hives for several years using this rig. Here's a picture to give you some ideas. Should be easy to install in a pickup truck. The super that he is loading came off of the hive directly behind the post of the lift...the boom swivels...



Ed


----------



## MethowKraig (Aug 21, 2011)

I've also thought about this a lot. Before pallets became the rage, most beekeepers used one ton trucks with a hive loader boom, such as Kelley, or Payne. We could haul 90 two high hives into the orchards per truck.

Now, I'd like to build something similar for my half ton flat bed. Not to move hives but to work them. Lift the supers off to get to the brood chamber, etc.

The big problem I see with the off-the-shelf cherry pickers is that they can't trolley in and out. You would have to position the truck perfectly and could only work one hive before you would have to move the truck.

A mini version of the old fashioned hive loader booms would be perfect.

"Met How" Kraig


----------



## pbuhler (May 31, 2009)

Hi: This summer I spent a day working with a commercial beekeeper. He used a homemade device similar to the Bellman's handcart shown.
http://www.allendisplay.com/core/media/media.nl?id=10822&c=580594&h=d432ca646677f5744f18
It had a setup that allowed the operator to get under the bottom board, and then tip the hive on its back. With the hive in this position the boxes could be separated, cleaned top and bottom, and inspected casually or more fully as needed. This made rearranging easy too - put down the cleaned bottom board and re -stack the boxes in the order desired. The cart was custom made of aluminum for light weight, and had a canvas catch-all mounted behind/under the handles so that the wax scrapings can be captured and saved.

This device was pretty handy, mobile, light and took up little space on the truck. 

We lugged the individual boxes to and from the truck, but this device made splitting the hives early season pretty easy.
Didn't get to use it with full supers, but I could see it used as a mobile work table pretty easily.
Paul


----------



## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

Intheswamp,

I like that set up!! Im getting a free 16' trailer soon and will be rigging something up like that!! No more loading the back of the truck by hand!!!


----------

