Tools & Hardware : Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4-by-4-Foot Cable-Lifted Storage Rack

Rating: - With some customization, better that advertised!
I bought the lift to use in addition to a custom loft I had built in my garage. It required some customization to the mounting area, but once done, went up next to the loft just as planned. I now can use the lift as an elevator for some of my heavier garage items (lawn mower, power washer, etc.) to be placed for storage on the loft.

Operationally it is even better than expected, as you now have the option of connecting a drill for use in running the lift up and down...VERY EASY AND QUICK!

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Rating: - Racor heavy Lift
I have purchased my second of these and am very happy with them. I did find that raising the lift loaded is hard with the hand crank. I use a battery drill connected to the crank rod and it works great with no effort.
Mike Zazanis

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Rating: - Almost excellent
This hoist is rated to carry 250 lbs. That seems like a lot but it turns out to be very easy to overload this. Be careful how much you put on it.

Several reviewers complained about the quality of the lag bolts provided so I initially started pre-drilling the holes for them. Since everything was going well I tried using them without predrilling and I was able to use them without incident. I suspect that it depends on the density of the joists you are screwing too and possibly also the smoothness of deployment. I drove them with a high power drill with a hex socket so they probably didn't get jerked around as much as with a socket. That said I agree that these aren't the highest quality bolts.

Be careful to put lag bolts not only in the long arms but also under the torque tube which rolls up the cables. With a heavy load there is some flex in the tube and also the central section that the the tube is mounted to during cranking.

The lock on the crank gearbox is a clever idea but it is a little hard to use using the pole. Also, when under load there is enough flex in the system that the lock does not deploy smoothly and must be smacked hard with the end of the pole to completely lock the crank.

I bought two but have only installed one so far. I'm still considering whether to install the other (and possibly more) over the top of the door. The issue is that the garage door and the hoist will interfere with each other. This also means that the hoist can only handle a shorter load over the door.

Overall a good product and a great solution but don't expect to lift too much weight. This is not the storage solution for that spare small block chevy engine you're saving for a kit car!

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Rating: - We love this thing!
My husband and I are both Army Officers and have a lot of gear and equipment that has up until now taken up a lot of the space in our garage. We got two of them, one for each of us; we're very pleased with the space we now have. It was not very difficult to install (just review the sketch that comes with the instuctions carefully).

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Rating: - Holds a Lot and Holds it well
This is the coolest thing I've ever bought. I was considering buying a shed or wasting money on stupid solutions like that, but I finally found a place to put all of my stuff. This thing easily hangs a lot of stuff without breaking or squeaking. It stores up to 8 feet in the air and you don't have to worry about it crashing back down on you. Even my years of photos (I have a lot of boxes of them) were able to fit and be hung up there with ease. I'm so glad I got this thing, its really taken a lot of stress of me. I'm sure anyone who buys this will be just as happy as I am with it.