Anybody use one? I know this is not a bed cover or bed rug question, but it's not a tow question either. I'm debating on getting something like the MAXX TOW #70238 1000 lb hitch secured hydraulic crane. It looks easy to set up & use. ( https://www.etrailer.com/Truck-Bed-A...w/MT70238.html ) Just wondered if anyone here has used one, and if so, any thoughts?

Looks like a "back saver".

It would have been nice last week loading those pieces of tree stump / trunk into my old '77. Once set up, which looks fast & easy, it will lift and swing a load into the bed.
It would work with my '07, but I have the bed covered so a heavy item would have to be parked on the TG of the '07, then scooted under the cover.
It would also work off of my heavy (steel 3" tall, 1/4" wall channel frame, steel diamond plate floor, 3,500lb 4" drop axle) utility trailer's tongue if I weld a receiver tube on the trailer tongue. How many have wished for a tongue mounted lift? I've seen one like it even used with 4 wheel ATV. The vehicle with it's weight really just provides a third and stable "leg" for it.

Digging around in my basement shop, I was looking at a unused Harbor Freight 1 ton shop crane I have, Thought about rigging a heavier trailer axle for use under it at the mast area and a three link type removable hitch so I can easily tow it in the yard, but then this other option caught my eye, it can "go with me" if needed, looks very stable too. I might still modify the HF one and then I'd have "options" in the yard, like use it behind my Wheel-Horse. by towing into position, drop the long legs if needed, then lift.

 

I move a lot of wood, logs, stumps.
I use a 2000 pound winch strapped to stake pockets at front of bed bolted to a 2x6 running crosswise..
Two ramps at tailgate.
My brother uses same setup.
The crane was considered but it would take up too much space when traveling.

 

What's a real life saver is my Kubota tractor with the loader. I don't know what I'd do without that machine.

Those hitch cranes seem interesting.

 

I hear you. I have an electric winch, a manual one too, and come-a-longs. I've done ramps too. This thing just looks to be so handy. It's not a bolted in semi permanent type deal to always take up space. It sets up fast on either left or right side, and the base could be left in place in the receiver if need be for this trip / job, just more centered to balance loading on the receiver. Remove the two legs and top yellow part and lay them in the bed. The legs are adjustable, they take the most weight to. They even have straps attached for ease of use.

If not going far, I think one would be OK just centering it, even leave the top on it, just remove the legs and use straps to brace it against highway winds & bumps, etc. The yellow part that swivels on bearings weighs 69 pounds I think, the whole thing maybe 115 as I recall? It could be left in place to help unload a load. It would be easy to transfer vehicle to vehicle, would work on a ATV or tractor, and vehicle with a 2" receiver, or even a 2" receiver bolted to a post set firmly in the earth, even a Ford Crown Vic wood work I think. I know I'm gonna add a receiver on the tongue of my trailer.



To be clear, I would not advise driving the truck on a highway with all this hitch crane on the receiver, lot's of weight hanging pretty far out of the receiver on the tee, and then I would move it slowly in my yard or driveway. If going on road, I'd remove the yellow parts and legs and center the base in the tee and then only if going short distance... on smooth roadways.

Then there is this one below, just a picture of a Raptor with a long reach like hitch crane that has NO legs, rather it appears to just sit on the ground and it all looks heavy, but man, what a reach it has??? It would sure all have to be removed to move the truck I think. It might have legs that the picture doesn't show due to fuzz.


I looked at a new Raptor looked like the same color in 2009 when I found my '07 in Christiansburg, was a brand new Raptor with a $40K tag, a SCAB, no SCREW then ... 6 speed auto with 5.4 as I recall, and none of the DIRT decal stuff. I still think it was the prettiest Raptor I have seen. Looked like the orange with gold flakes turned to flames under the lights that night.

 

Wow, well somehow e-trailer associated me with my Mom's address in a town 1.5 hours from here, correct e-mail & phone for me, but her last address which is now an empty house (Mom passed on a while back, we still have some cleaning out to do and need to sell it). I used PP to pay and PP does not even have that address, so e-trailer pulled the address from a old file, maybe where I had some lawnmower parts sent to Mom 10-15 years ago? I just happened to notice the goof when checking tracking#. Two nights in a row I went over there and waited in the empty house , then I drove to UPS 5 minutes from the house (located on Woodall Road where it was located 50 years ago when we used the straight for drag racing) and found that the box that was shown on the truck to be delivered was still in the yard storage, but the people there loaded it up for me, weighed 130 pounds. Box was tore up bad, but lined with 1/4" plywood inside, and everything was secured well in foam, etc. Took a bit of work to unpack.

Thank You UPS people! Really, both "Jackie" who found it after my calls and the supervisor who loaded it for me. UPS was backed up from a power outage and lots of parcels.

Lesson learned here, triple check that order ... including address ... before hitting the submit button. I know I will.

Update 11/09/20:
I've added some hand holds for the main upright in the form of a back brace kind of like the one on top boom, except it ties into the thick steel base at the bottom. Used 1-1/2" x 1/4" cold rolled steel. I also added a carry handle for the lower black boom that attaches to the tee coming out of the receiver, welded to the corner brace after slotting the 1/2" ID black iron pipe. Added some tape. I know, some will say "ruined the warranty", maybe so, but sure will aid handling. I did not support this handle at both ends, it's pipe, it's stout enough, and it clears the hitch "Tee" adapter when pushed all the way in to it to insert the pin in the transport holes. The boom or top arm is marked for 500, 750, or 1,000 pounds. It does NOT use a interior sliding beam like most shop cranes, it is set up so you pull a bolt and move the chain & hook itself.



Truth be known, I likely will not need more than 500 pounds capacity.

 

Looking forward to your customer photo.

 

Well, I haven't used the "Hitch Crane" yet, just made some very few mods. I did modify that H-F shop crane. I added a "receiver" using 1/4" wall 2-1/2x2-1/2 tube, some braces, and used a 1/4" wall 2x2 tube 35" long and an unused hitch to enable pulling it around the yard with either pick up or my Wheel Horse tractor, I made a removable axle out of an old Ford drag link that is tough steel and 1" OD, the wheels are cast steel with solid rubber tires that are 10" OD, the wheels are some I saved off old baggage carts 30 + years ago, likely they are near 100 years old (They were old pink baggage carts at a Grey-Hound Bus depot, the wheels were the best parts left, I mentioned how strong the wheels were made, 2 end casters & 2 larger (these) side wheels, man who was the agent said they were there when he started driving in the 40s, told me to get them and I could have them). They have 3-1/4" long roller bearings inside the 1-1/2" ID hubs, rollers are 1/4" diameter steel, 15 in a wheel. If I ever need an engine hoist, I can remove the big wheels & axle if they hinder me. I retained them with 3/16" thick steel washers welded on the ends of the axle. The hubs have grease fittings. I have used 4 of the 6" versions in other projects. I also made a holder to secure the tongue when stored or not used.

In the pics, the center of the hitch ball is at 6" above the floor with casters on the floor, but if I raise the center of the ball to just 12", the casters are 1-5/8" off the floor, easy to "tow". The tongue is long enough & strong enough, the tractor or my pickup would secure it to lift without needing the long forward legs dropped into place, I know the axle and wheels added will support it.

As to the M-T hitch crane, I'll post pics in use soon I hope. I think I've done all I'm gonna do to it too.

I can use the hitch crane to pick up a load and swing it into a pickup or trailer, and take the HC with me if hauling the item elsewhere ... where as the shop crane would just let me lift the load, but then I'd have to back a pick up or trailer under it, and I'm not gonna haul the SC anywhere.

 

Well, the yard was wet, snowy, soft and then I just had done a hitch change on my Wheel Horse. The receiver is a hair over 12" from the floor if measured from the top edge of the opening, a bit shorter than MAXXTOW made the hitch crane for, so to get the legs to work low enough, I'll need to add extensions or make longer lower strut braces, but it'll work on the Wheel Horse around the house like to pick up the odd stump or old engine block or a generator I think. I was mainly playing with it. The receivers on both trucks are higher. I did find that the hitch crane will balance and transport in the yard in the transport position so I know the truck would do it so I could assemble at the basement door, then drive to the item / stump / etc. I'm gonna build a wooden carry box to keep the parts together like if I'm gonna carry it 2 hours to Floyd County so to use it so the pieces don't move around and scar up my bed.

I also had added a receiver in reverse for a removable tongue for my HF 1 ton shop crane which I also added a removable axle with heavy duty cast steel hub 10" OD x 2" wide solid rubber tired baggage cart wheels. I can still use the fold down 52" long legs, or I can remove the big wheels / axle and have a regular shop crane even, or use it with the tractor to pick up a heavy item to back the truck under. The tractor has a hitch ball welded on top of it's receiver, center of ball is 13.5" off the floor. If I extend the boom to the 1/4 ton hole, 500 pounds ... the hook will get to 102" off the floor and a hair. I didn't use a ladder to measure. Also, when I bought this 1 ton crane a few years ago ... I added 7" to it's height by putting in a 2 foot piece of 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 3/16 steel tube section as noted so that as just a regular engine hoist, it could get a 351M/400 over a radiator support.

It was just cold & wet outside, and I wanted to check the operation of the two cranes, like I said "Playing", If the WH will handle them, the trucks will. The "MAXXTOW" hitch crane, I'd use only for 500 pounds behind the WH, place a small jack under it too. The "HF" 1 ton crane, I'd limit my use to 500 pounds behind the WH as the WH only weighs a bit over that5, will build a slip on rack to hold weight on the yellow tongue like some CI heads or something, and add fluid to the tires I think.






The Wheel Horse hitch I recently revised. That's a 2" ball.



02-03-21:
I've built a adapter cradle to fit my utility trailer at the front, it'll take the long arm of the hitch crane which is a near 4 foot long 2" x 2.75" x 3/16+ wall tube, I wouldn't use the Tee shaped hitch adaption that comes with it there, but might still put 2 x 2 receivers near the back doubling as fender holders for the rear of the fenders that I still need to mount. Getting back into my welding, I do enjoy a pretty bead.

 

This is a picture of my trailer, it's heavier than it looks. It has 2,500 pound each leaf springs, a 3,500 pound axle with a 4" drop built in, and the main frame is of 1.5" deep x3" tall x1/4" wall C-channel, then a near 1/8" thick steel diamond plate floor, and on top of that is a 2 x 2 x 1/8" channel perimeter and railings. It has 6 crossmembers under the floor. In the picture it has 14" wheels & 235/60-14 tires, I have some 15" alloys with 235/70-15 LT tires on them in the shed. The plywood was some left over stuff I ripped and zip tied in place to haul mulch one time, it was heaped up higher. The tongue is longer now, at near 54" ... but I'm going to put back like it was as in this picture about 32" long. The bard is 49" wide x 96" long, the rear is removable to accept wider loads ... like a trike. The shortening and removal of the tower and braces will make a lighter tongue lift. There is a "tower" which also serves as a holder for the tongue jack, but I'm going to remove the tower and 4 braces and remount the jack as removable or to swing up. Below is a picture with a drawn in "TEE" (in yellow) as used with the HITCHCRANE I'll weld a short receiver on the tongue, and use two square type U-bolts at the cross piece which accepts the 2 x 2.75" hitch crane's main arm. I'll use a standard 5/8" hitch pin at the front. This will allow me to pick up loads and swing into the bed with ease. I will also bridge the opening in the rail intended for the trike's front tire.



This is as the tongue was originally, I added 22" years ago, but it made the tongue heavier too. Going back as doing so lightens hitch lift and will let the crane put loads on my '77's tailgate ... or into the trailer.. Gonna put them new fenders on after I put the taller 15s on.

 

So yesterday I did some playing with my hitch crane, it's adjustable, I also tried my adjustable leg struts, they work well. I have a couple little items to tend to, need to modify a piece on the Tee to make for easier insertion of the base's arm, but generally pleased. I can use it on either side of truck or trailer, and can move it further out if needed. I also found my drop hitch works very well but no pics of it dropped, it really is to stay hooked to truck and trailer but allow tilting. For a latch, just use the fixed hitch. I added a square u-bolt over the fixed hitch to lock it in place.

I know from this that I can use the set up with either the '77 or the '07.

When I finish the last mod (today's plan), I'll also be able to insert the base arm straight in from the rear all the way, easily, and that would place the crane dead center, like if needing to skid a log. As it is, it'll almost work but the paint is too thick on the base so it "sticks". It will work on the '07 too except on it the spare is in the way, so likely I'll only do that if using the '77.

The adjustable struts will allow a wider leg spread for lower set ups. They adjust 6" from 15 to 21" center to center by just screwing one end out or in. The screw adjustable struts will let me adjust the legs precisely in cases of trailer or ground un-even-ess. . In the picture on the truck, the Tee is all the way into a very heavy duty 2x2 receiver I made in the '80s, the boom pivot about 1/2 way of the tailgate down, the hook will climb to 48" above the bed. If I move the TEE out 6" (2" steps via 4 sets holes) gets the pivot close to tailgate top edge when down.










On the trailer ... I have redone and armorerd the under bed wiring from rodent damage, made two removable pig tails that will each plug into the trailer wiring underneath in use, but hang in my basement otherwise, One is with a round 4 pin locking plug, the other uses a 4 pin flat plug that will work with the '07's factory plug if needed, or the one under the '77 in emergencies. Both trucks also have 4 pin round receptacles. There are two nice 15" alloy teardrop like Ranger wheels in the shed with good 235/75-15 LT tires. I also have a few 16" Mercury wheels with tires, but these old 14s are OK to leave out in the weather. I think I'm gonna wire brush and paint the rails red, maybe get those fenders put on too. I might just redo the black for easy retouching and paint the tongue, fenders, and tail light housings the red. I cut that bed floor/frt liner from a old drop in given me, under it is the near 1/8" thick steel diamond plate floor. Trailer rails're low enough that I can add a few pieces 2x8s crossways and lay a few lengthwise and have a flat bed.

 

I still want to see this contraption in action... like lifting 1000 lbs of barbells or something interestingly heavy.

 

Doubtful huh? It's rated up to 1,000 but the extended reach at 500 pounds will work for what I'll be using it for I think. Middle position is 750. Heaviest thing I have is a Ford 400 short block ... on an engine stand, or maybe a Wheel Horse garden tractor?

The trailer is heavy, maybe if I lift a side? Maybe my generator. I'll come up with something.

I'm still thinking of rigging a winch to it too, looking at attachment methods.


I had the '07 out back 05-18-21 , I did set part of the crane in place to ascertain it'll work on it too, it does. But that truck sits lower and with bed cover, likely I'd use the '77 for any serious lifts. But with my longer leg struts that will allow the legs to be used at lower heights, it'll work. I reworked the TEE adapter so now the arm of the crane's base adapter will slide in and out to be secured by long pin. In use, the crane could be transported either cross ways or length wise. On the '07 the arm passes a inch or so below the spare tire, but on the '77 it sits just below the long receiver bar of my DIY hitch built many years ago. That "arm" is very nearly 3.5 feet long, well short of hitting important things like axles.. I also added some tape just because I had plenty.

The crane takes weight by it's legs, the vehicle just adds mass and a third leg to stabilize it. I can see where a jack would be of help if one picked up a heavy enough item to compress springs as there could be binding in the joints. Placing just a bottle jack under the hitch would prevent the vehicle springs compressing with a load until the user was ready to remove the crane, then he can let the jack down.