Yes, the 500lb lift sits roughly 8 inches off the ground when fully lowered. The wheels lock and it is pretty easy to move the pin on and off the lift. You can then raise the lift to a height taller than the legs and attach each leg.

The only issue with the lift table is the handle; it stands straight up and would get in the way of the pin. You can operate the lift without the handle in the brackets but it is a pain. There is a thread on here about hacking the handle and making it so that it can stay attached and use the table with a pin. It took me about an hour or so to change mine so the handle comes out at a 45 degree angle.

I got the Pinball dolly/lift that is specifically made for Pinball machines, and it was money well spent. You will spend more in time, and hassle if you try the "cheaper" route converting a lift to pinball dolly. Some tools are built for specific jobs for a reason.

Cheap HF lift table is the best money I ever spent for pinball. I have an Escalera with the forklift attachment, which is great, but my lift table does a lot more of the work around my place. If I could have only one I would keep the lift table because most of the work I do is on level ground.

It is very easy to bring a pin from on the table to standing on its back and vice-versa when you need to load it onto a cart or put the legs on. Great when you need to load a pin into cars as well.

Compared to the cost of the pins in your collection a lift table is negligible.

As mentioned look at the thread about modifying them. I like my method, it is quick and dirty and still works great (you can find my modification method a few pages in on that post)

Technically you never have to up-end your machine when using a lift table. Just lift it with the legs on and push it to your destination. The lift table is worth its weight in gold considering how much it reduces the risk of back injury.

There are many different mod ideas to add hinging to the lift table, do some searches for that. In the mean time you can remove the screws at the base of the handle, which will allow you to remove the handle at will. Keep it in to move the lift table itself, and pull it out to position the lift table in the center of the game, at which point you can lay the handle underneath the table, off the ground and roll it.

Searching through the posts on this subject, I have found that some use the lift table described above and some use an ATV lift with a Pinball Lifter attached. Which is better? Any opinions?

Lift_table.jpg ATV_Lift.jpg

Someone mentioned this in another thread a while ago...doesn't it make more sense to get the Northern Tool version of the lift table, since the lift mechanism isn't built into the handle, requiring modding once you remove it?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365546_200365546

143654_400x400.jpg

I have the Larin 500lbs from Farm & Fleet, very similar to that Northern Tool unit.
It's great for moving machines around the basement. Only two issues are, it's a hair too wide to fit between the front legs of some machines.
And the other, is realize that the lift table itself weighs a fricking ton... you are not going to be carrying it up & down stairs.

The only thing that makes the Harbor Freight unit attractive is the price. It is on sale for $ 160.00 less a 25% off coupon for net cost of $120.00 + $ 6.99 flat rate shipping if you can not make it to a store.

Functionally, I am not sure if the lift table is better or worse than the ATV lift with some kind of add on topper. Pinball Lifter sells a metal frame for the top of the ATV lift and I saw a unit that someone put a nice wooden top on that served the same purpose.

I am leaning towards the HF lift table at $120 at the moment.

I use the Northern Tool version of this table. As was said, since the handle has no part of the mechanism built into it, I just removed it completely and rarely ever need it. Push it under a pin, centered, jack it up and you are ready to go.

Remember that your first pic is NOT the 500lbs HF lift that is shipped to you. I believe that is the 1000lbs that has fold down handle capability, that the 500 does not.

Just got my HF the other day...I'll look to see if I can just remove the release from the handle, or head over to my buddy's and bend the pipe.

Haven't used it much, just a trial run but it seeemed pretty damn nice. Since they always have coupons and $7 shipping I'm happy.