“Lift Table” Makes Repairs Easier

“Lift Table” Makes Repairs Easier FARM SHOP Maintenance FARM SHOW contributor Tony Bunniss built a lift table from a 5 000 lb truck lift modified with extra scrap steel from his shop Bunniss has long enjoyed restoring and retrofitting garden tractors and other lawn equipment to sell Sometimes he has over a dozen tractors in the works and needs to transition quickly from one machine to the next “I looked at several commercial lift tables none of which met my criteria ” says Bunniss “This included lifting a tractor but the table also had to lift it to a height that I wanted to work at I could have revamped any of the commercially available ones but why should I spend my time correcting someone else’s mistakes especially since I knew what I wanted and had the facilities to make it happen?” “I bought a truck lift at an auction and only paid $10 00 for it because it had been sitting in water and the air cylinder was rusted ” says Bunniss “I had no idea if the air cylinder could be used but I was able to hone it smooth and then had a local O-Ring manufacturer make me custom O-Rings ” The table measures 40 in by 6 ft and lifts from 17 to 54 in with a stop/lock every 6 in Bunniss torched off the original wheels on the lift and installed casters on the rear For the front he used two heavy-duty bearings to serve as wheels All the sliding points of the scissors and lift arm utilize a bearing six total and the pivot points are bronze bushings  The scissors brackets work to keep the table level as all lifting is completed through the original lifting arm which initially had U-shaped brackets designed to fit under a truck’s rear axle As Bunniss explains “The attached hydraulic hoist is capable of lifting the front of any of the garden tractors so that I can remove the mower or work underneath if need be I use an adjustable jack stand if working under the tractors It also comes in handy if I need to remove an engine which I can then place a removable small engine test bracket which is on the side of the table ” He used 6-ft straight ramps on the table which are long enough to allow for winching any of his garden tractors onto it while clearing the edge of the table with the tractor’s deck While Bunniss isn’t sure how much his table can lift he has his air compressor set at the factory setting of 175 psi As the cylinder has a 12-in bore he estimates it amounts to 19 000+ lbs of push “This lift will move my Deere 420 garden tractor with the thatcher vacuum and mower or the rotary broom mounted on it ” says Bunniss Overall costs for the project were minimal Bunniss estimates he spent under $500 for the lift O-rings boom jack winch and ramps Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tony Bunniss Webster Minn glennlee1964@gofast am

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