I use two hockey sticks

I do the exact same thing! Same size boards and all.

I used this method and it's really worked well. The only problem I'm having is one of the hex screws has stripped and I can't tighten it down very well. the elbows slip out when I move a pin. Anyone know what I can use to fix this or replace the screw?

I've had that issue too. I ended up threading something else in there in lieu of the hex screws that come with the Bimini hinges. It's been much better but now I think I'm going to take it further and just drill through the existing hole and all the way through the handle so I can run something the whole way through.

Side note... I never realized how much I'd use this thing, even just to re-level a game. I've also moved several pins with it already. Thick carpet with padding is a bit of a slower go but still possible with a little extra effort. In addition, I've maneuvered the lift with a pin over door / entryway thresholds a few times. That was a little more tricky but I still did it without help.

FYI… 20% coupon is available from harbor freight!

IMG_3978 (resized).jpeg

Has anyone replaced (or lookin into upgrading) the wheels with something larger diameter? I need mine to roll over some less than perfect terrain.

I just had to replace one of the casters because it cracked and disintegrated.
I bought replacements at HF, but they weren't perfect matches.

Taller/wider wheels will require heavy modification of the brackets that hold the wheels.
And remember you can't have the wheels stick out or it won't fit between the legs when you slide it under.

Marginally larger wheels aren’t going to help anyway.

This type of cart is not meant for rough terrain. It’s meant for your shop floor.

By the time you're done.. you're probably better off with a different solution anyways. Going over non-smooth surfaces you really need to secure the load. The games just slide around on the table if not secured. Plus you're not talking about bigger wheels, but replacing the casters entirely and you'd want something like 9-12"... which there probably isn't enough room for and you'd want a wider base too. Probably better off just building a plate with the wheels you want, then attaching the HF cart to it (sans wheels).

You just don't realize what a disaster "rough terrain" hydraulic cart moving is going to be like. Even with "bigger wheels."

First of all, forget about pushing it. Your only chance is going to be to pull it.

Second, do you have suspension? 4 wheels and no suspension...wow, that's gonna be rough.

Third, as above - how do you plan on securing the pin? It's gonna get messy.

This is just not a concept that works.

Things can get dicey moving across a lawn on a 2 wheel cart. Better have it secured to the cart and have an extra helper or two!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/modified-harbor-freight-lift-table/page/21#post-7279155

I cut off the stock wheels and welded on larger HFT wheel.s

20230829_123151 (resized).jpg

I modified the cart 2 years and never posted pics. It’s working out great and folds to store easily under a machine. I have no problem pulling a machine along a tile, wooden or carpeted floor.
I cut the handle and then purchased a set of stainless steel heavy duty boat Bimini top eye end caps from Amazon. Also purchased the nuts and bolts at a hardware store.

IMG_1643 (resized).jpeg

IMG_1644 (resized).jpeg

IMG_1645 (resized).jpeg

IMG_1646 (resized).jpeg

As a FYI, regarding those boat hinges, they will only work with the 500lb HF lift cart. Ask me how I know. LOL

Great idea, but the 1000lb cart handle has a slightly larger girth, and the Bimini hinges won't fit.

Exactly what I was envisioning, thanks!

Yes, I learned this the hard way too! Thankfully I came up with a good solution but not until after I cut the handle off my brand new 1000lb cart some months ago.

Next time the tables are on sale, I'm picking one up. I wonder when the next big sale is. The last one was July 4.

What was the solution? Ive been using my 1000 for a couple years stock, but wouldn't mind having it under there further.

They have sales for the major holidays, so the Labor Day sale should start soon. T

I would assume labor day as well, their coupons are out already, and I don't see it though

I flipped the orientation of the handle so that it can lay down flat (not folded) and that allows the cart to get pushed as far back under the cabinet as needed. I store the cart with the handle up, but it is out of the way so not an issue for me.

I posted earlier this year in the thread how I did it on my 1000lb cart and the parts I used to allow the handle to flip both directions. Has worked well for me:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/modified-harbor-freight-lift-table/page/22#post-7330843

https://go.harborfreight.com/email/2023/08/labor-day-sale-25-off-any-single-item-182055/

Coupon just dropped

$62.30 off is a good deal

Thanks for posting!

I have never seen this mentioned and it is kind of crazy. Warning/Sharing my experience with the 1,000lb cart (I checked, this does not apply to the 500lb cart).

I purchased the cart and installed the handle backwards, all good there. Then I read the instructions (this is the part I bet most missed and so did my local Harbor Freight lol) and it says that the hydraulic cylinder MUST be purged of air BEFORE use (it ships only half-full). You have to remove the filler bolt but for me it was just a RUBBER plug (WTF). This rubber plug CANNOT be re-used once removed because once you fill it with hydraulic fluid, it blows out just by lowering the table.

This is the part where all the 1,000lb cart owners go over and check their cylinder to see if that rubber plug is still installed or if it is an actual bolt.

You are supposed to bleed it, fill it all the way with hydraulic fluid and then install "Filler Bolt (242) and "Seal Washer (243)". The problem is, neither of these are included in the package. At this point the entire lift is useless and does not function because of this single bolt and washer not included. Of course I tried putting the rubber plug back in (PIA) which I managed to do, but immediately became a projectile when I lowered the table (as expected). I could try and find a bolt at home depot but I really wanted the "right" one since there is high pressure involved.

EASY fix right, I just call the parts department and order the missing part.. Well I was on the phone with them for 30mins and in the end they literally told me that this filler bolt part number 242 and seal washer part number 243 are UNAVAILABLE. They cannot order one for me. Too bad, so sad..

Ah ok well next stop is to talk to the store manager at Harbor Freight. I explained the issue and he took me into the back room where they had 3 of the same lift carts and we checked all three of them and they all still had the RUBBER plug installed lol. He was going to give me the bolt from one of them but apparently those 3 that they were using never came with the elusive filler bolt either (and they never RTFM).

I returned it.. so to everyone that has a 1,000lb cart with the rubber plug still installed from the factory and also did not get the filler bolt, just be aware that with enough weight, it WILL blow the rubber plug out and the lift will fail. It could be dangerous for you or the game. Although I KNOW it works with it, just be aware that the rubber plug can fail at any time and was never designed to hold pressure.

I really hope everyone else got that important filler bolt.. I think Harbor Freight should have never used a temporary plug... Fail

filler_bolt.png

Sounds like a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

As far as a replacement bolt, I'm sure its metric, so just go to the hardware store and buy a bolt that fits.
A little teflon tape on the threads will keep it from leaking, or talk to the hardware store employee to see if they have a rubber o-ting that'll fit.

Actual bolt here, but glad you checked yours before anything serious happened

I got an old HF cart from a package deal with some machines. I found that mine has the same issue and is useless with the plug. I believe my cart is an older style 500lb. Tonight, I will be pulling it from the back of the garage and see what I'm working with and try out some bolts. I can test with some weight that does not matter if it falls.

I will see if i can produce a blow out with the plug and then see how a bolt works out.

I made a huge mess trying to get the rubber plug to work on my 500lb HF model. It kept flying out of the hole followed by hydraulic oil. I eventually gave up and settled for a cart that wouldn't stay pumped up. Would be interested to find if there is a bolt that I can use to fix this.

Same, my cart slowly fades as soon as I stop pumping. I haven’t given it much thought until reading these post the last couple days. I just figured that’s what these do. A souljtion would be great to hear.

Why would you use a 1000 lb cart for a 250lb pin???

1000lb cart goes 7" higher, which can be super helpful if you're using it as part of vehicle/truck load or unload. Also the handle on the 1000lb folds forward for storage to lay flat without modification. If you use it for things other than pinball as I have, the additional platform size can be quite helpful as well.

and you would think calling the parts department would be an easy solution.. and they cannot get the missing part.. what the heck kind of company is this? I'm shifting my focus to my motorcycle lift that I am modifying for pins. In the end it will take up a lot less space.

I do because some of my games are in the 350-375 pound range.

I found the 500 pound carts a little flimsy when pushing the limits on higher weights.

LTG : )

I'm back. The cart i have specifically calls for the rubber plug. I would have to drill and tap the hole to get a bolt to work. Only way I could get the cart to hold is the following steps.

Pull the rubber plug
pump cart all the way up
drop cart all the way
pump cart all the way up again

Here is where its up to you how much mess you want:
once it is up the second time fill with oil as much as you want. Meaning fill until it runs out of the plug hole or until you feel like it. HA

The reason for this is the messy step......

now drop the cart all the way down
if oil runs out then you know you are full
pump cart back up enough to put the plug back in and deal with what it does. Thats as much oil as you will ever get it to hold.

If no oil runs out then you need to do the following
pump back all the way up and put more oil in and repeat until it runs out.

I have a different cart that I use mostly but it is to wide and will not go down to the floor. I was wanting to figure this 500lb out but its just not a good cylinder.

I have one (different brand ‘). I can raise the game about 2 feet off the ground. This makes life a lot easier in my cramped space. No more feet getting tangled in wires when I’m trying to move a game around the shop. On gottlieb games with longer legs, no more feet scraping the floor.

And, on the street, I can use them to effortlessly hoist a 300 pound game into a cargo van by myself.

They are big and heavy but have their advantages.

IMG_0794 (resized).jpeg

Oh,ok

I replaced the wheels on mine. Had both left ones blow out. I was unloading a large gun safe, way over 500 pounds. I was able to keep the safe from falling. That dance I did not enjoy.

Would it make more sense to buy a cart meant to lift pins then? No modding or fixing. I guess it depends on what it’s worth to someone.

I think your last sentence is the key. The pinball dedicated lifts/carts I've seen range from $400-4000. I really like this style of lift cart as it goes quite low (low enough to tip your machine off the pallet it shipped on, right onto the cart) to vehicle loading height. If I want to just lift the front or rear of the machine to swap legs, change/add a part, etc. I can do that easily. And these things are very useful for other stuff like if you ever need to get something heavy up high enough to work on it comfortably, transfer it to/from a workbench, etc.

The DIY is pretty easy and the result is a tool that is (to me) more useful and portable than most dedicated pinball lifts.

No. I do not like the coffin lifters at all.

The hydraulic lifts offer much more precise, easy to handle, and smooth operation. And they are much more versatile and have other uses beyond coffin lifts.

You can use them as work benches. You can use them to lift games into vehicles. Etc.

No. I had a Wico? "Pinball cart", was only useful for pins, nothing else (maybe a coffin?). Took up way to much space, couldn't bring from basement to garage easily at all. Stupid thing dropped a few pins when it would just randomly collapse down. Biggest POS I ever owned. My HF cart is awesome, folds flat, stores anywhere out of the way. Has SO many other uses (unloading anything from truck bed (just unloaded a 48k AC compressor with it Thursday), working on slot machines, lifting pins into place in low ceiling basement, etc etc etc). HF cart for the win...by miles.

The issue is not the functionality, idea or the application. It is the fact that HF is selling lift tables with missing parts and/or questionable safety. Every single cart at my local HF uses this questionalble rubber plug to hold in the hydraulic fluid and the only way this "works" is to ignore the instructions to bleed and fill the cylinder and ignore the missing bolt. A full cylinder will blow the rubber plug out like a shotgun. Outside of this, the carts work really well for pins and the idea is proven...when you get one with the actual BOLT...

Great feedback from everyone. Thanks!

Youre not kidding....

https://www.google.com/search?q=appolo+lift+table&bshm=rime/1

And they even use bolts..Imagine that
https://www.apolloliftus.com/collections/lift-table/products/a-2001
pasted_image (resized).png

Looks like the same lift... HF says 1000lbs https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-60438.html
Apollo says 660lbs

I own this Apollo cart and I can assure you it's worth the money. Incredibly high-quality, lifts my games 2 feet in the air...it's been a game-changer. "Built like a tank" as everybody in pinball likes to say about everything.

it also weighs close to 200 pounds so forget about using it anywhere but the shop. But I have my altered HF 500 pound model for road trips if necessary.

I use this cart in my garage when doing shop jobs. It doesn't go very low and its large, but it lifts very high and will not move when wheels are locked. Loading and unloading from vehicles is really where this one shines.

I don't recommend this cart at all. I got this for free and had to modify it to fit under machines. The base is still too wide for newer sterns, and I need to do more modifications. I was hoping to use the cart I got in a package deal, but the cylinder issue keeps me from using it. I would like for the HF cart to be about another 12 inches minimum longer.

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/mobile-scissor-li-table-660-lb-capacity-1?referer=L2MvbWF0ZXJpYWwtaGFuZGxpbmcvbGlmdF90YWJsZXNfd29ya19wb3NpdGlvbmVycy9tb2JpbGVfbGlmdF90YWJsZXM%3D&prindex=0&pgkey=25151