I would agree with this. I bought a similar product from Apollolift, after using a smaller harbor freight one for over a decade. and it's much improved and can move games without any mods. The only issue is the very rare game where the platform (19.7 inches) is too wide to fit between front legs - the only era game so far has been system 80 games like Alien Star and I can easily use my old cart to move that one.

This is a big, strong, heavy and well built lift cart I'm very happy with it. Amazing to be able to lift a game completely off the ground by a good 8 or 9 inches, easy to avoid cables, cords, and surge protectors under the games.

Biggest drawback is that at 180 pounds or whatever I will never use this on a delivery or any other kind of out of shop job unless I have a truck with a lift gate. My old one probably weighs 70 pounds or so and while it's unpleasant to lift into a van it's not impossible. Also don't love the plastic grip lever vs. the metal one on my old cart but all the brands seem to cheap out on that now. Time will tell if it holds up over the years. There's also a 1000lb model (this one is 660) for an extra 20 bucks but didn't see the need for that.

https://www.amazon.com/Apollolift-Scissor-Hydraulic-Capacity-Lifting/dp/B07V3CX3TG/ref=pd_sbs_328_7
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Yep. But the super cheap old orange one I had served me well for over a decade but finally started falling apart, the wheels in particular. That thing was about 100 bucks back then.

I was a little scared off of the new Harbor Freight stuff as a lot of bad reviews saying it leaks hydraulic fluid. Anybody had those issues here?

It's really not. The slightest amount of pressure on the lockdown bar will secure a game and remove any worries of it toppling over.

Man I just love me some hydraulic lift carts!!! Way preferable to the giant scary old school clanky coffin pinball lifts. Love the ease and smoothness, and the ability to raise to whatever height I want. Works nice as a workbench too, I do my board work on 'em.

Finally some people who get me!! I was sending friends pics of this gorgeous new big yella cart and received nothing! My girl gets it at least. "Wow...that's one big lift cart!"

I believe personally that anybody who is going to be moving a lot of pins - ESPECIALLY when there are stairs involved - can't get away with something this cheap. You really need a heavy duty appliance dolly with a built in ratchet strap (again, the ratchet is way better than the cheap one you just turn to tighten) and stair treads. Quality ones start out around $250. Again, I wouldn't cheap out, I've seen ones that LOOK right for around $100 but axles bend, stair treads fall apart...they just don't do the job. Buy the right one, you'll have it forever. I've currently had mine for well over 15 years and literally hundreds of moves and thousands of stairs, except for plenty of scrapes and bruises it still works good as new.

Something like this (just the first thing that came up), which reminds me of the made in USA Sandhill dolly I bought 15 years back. You can't compare real slipping stair treads with a metal bar or whatever the cheaper hand trucks have to handle stairs:

https://www.handtrucksrus.com/product-details.aspx?id=103&cx=mil

I don't like the looks of those things!!! But I'd have to see it in action.

Like...how are three wheels gonna help me get a game down or up the stairs, safely and under control?

I wouldn't call it a thread derail this is all the same shit.

There is a big difference between the lift carts - the 1000 pound ones lift the games far higher into the air, and are longer. This makes it MUCH easier to move games, and means you can easily move all makes of game without having to modify the lift cart. With the game up to a foot off the ground, you don't have to worry about getting legs tangled up in wires or dragging, or other issues that come from only having the game an inch or two off the ground.

The tradeoff is of course cost, and in a big way, weight. It is unrealistic to use the big heavy carts on delivery or pickup jobs as just getting it into a van is a huge pain in the ass. The smaller, lighter ones are somewhat mobile.

However if you have a large collection and are moving games around all the time, the heavier ones are better for that application.

I made do with the smaller cart for over 10 years. It was good but I wish I had spent the extra money way back then, my life would have been made easier for hundreds of moves. I still have the old one, in case I need to bring it along with me on a move.

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Yes 26th street.

Hanging in there. Thank god I have That space so I have somewhere to go and can get a little time to myself.

No. In hundreds of games this has only been an issue maybe 2/3 times for me, on old games with the cabinet falling apart.

It seems to distribute the weight evenly enough that it is generally not a problem.

I don’t think they are better. That cart really isn’t designed to move pinball machines around, and with too much use those red covers fray and fall off, and the black wheels left behind are soft and mark up the floor. I shouldn’t complain I got 6-7 years out of mine before the wheel covers started to fall off but I don’t think it’s anything you need or want. And yes they came stock on that cart.

These things are cheap. I too went through the “can I buy a new wheel?” Thing with harbor freight. I was kind of annoyed until I remembered I’d got over 10 years out of a lift cart I paid $120 for.

Probably easier to just buy a new one.

The larger carts are good because they can lift the games incredibly high. My shop is pretty crowded and with the smaller one, the games were constantly bumping into stuff, getting feet caught on wires, etc.

So I have both, I like the versatility and the use the smaller one to set up games, and the larger one to move them around the shop. The larger carts are incredibly heavy so - like close to 200 pounds - so it will never be leaving the shop.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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 a ratchet strap to hold it all together so the platter doesn't raise, and so the modded handle stays in place. The pump handle is a good gripping point to carry or move.

But yeah, moving these is not fun. Not tough with two people, but at 80 pounds not really made to be mobile for one.

And forget about moving the 1000 pound carts anywhere. Mine weighs almost 200 pounds. It lives in the shop and will always live in the shop.

I have both, so I split the baby. But yeah I would never recommend the 1000 pounder. It's fucking huge and heavy (mine isn't harbor freight but these are all pretty much the same).

I got the 1000 pounder because it really helps me in the shop, and I didn't alter it at all. It raises games about 2 feet in the air if I need to, so I can easily move games around my tight quarters without getting the feet caught up in cables or surge protectors or a box of pop bumper parts.

But the 500 pounders will do for most people, especially if you've done the mod. And the fact that it's semi-portable is good.

I bring the 500 pounder to Allentown. Big Yellow ain't going anywhere.

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The handle is fixed in place. But the cart is so long that you don't need a folding handle to move games even from the front.

Again, this thing is a monster. Not for leaving the shop (unless you have a truck with a lift-gate) and not for any area where you don't have room to store it.

Yeah I suppose it does. I'm pretty sure that's how it arrived (folded over). I'll check again and see how easy it is to fold it back down; would actually help me for storing it.