# drywall hoist?



## MHMConstruction (Jan 18, 2007)

The last time I did a big job with my plastering contractor, he was charging me around $32/board (12') finished, including materials. Granted it was slow slow slow with work at the time, and I know Gyp just went up a bit

Now he wants closer to $43/board. I can work this into my BIDS, but can't afford it on my own house, which I am trying to half-way finish(enough for C/O) soon.

SO, I am hanging the board myself. 

Need a 'HOIST' to hang the ceilings myself

Last weekend I went to the Harbor Freight sidewalk sale - not a huge fan of HFT for power tools but you can't beat them on some stuff (nice machete for $4bucks)

They had a drywall hoist for $279 plus i get 20% off but the thing looked/felt like a piece of crapola

Looked online - what do you folks think/know about the Drywall Hoist from Home Deopt online? looks fairly solid to me and got some good reviews - $249 on sale right now

ANYONE use one/know anything about them?


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Unless it's a piece of equipment that you're going to be using relatively frequently, I'd recommend rental over purchasing. I'm willing to bet you can hang what you've got in a couple days. You might see if your drywall guy has one he'd let you borrow.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Agreed, rent one. Most rental outfits are going to carry a pretty decent quality, and you won't be stuck with storing the thing when not using it.


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## iHandy (Oct 10, 2007)

Another option is to buy one and then sell it. This could be a suitable option if you aren't going to be fast enough with the rental. I did this a while back with a project that I was working on part-time. If I had rented then the cost would have been greater than the difference in price between buying and then selling. In fact, I was able to buy a used hoist, which I then resold. It was nice to be able to take all the time I needed with the hoist.

Cheers,


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## Kgmz (Feb 9, 2007)

Buy one on Ebay. It will be cheaper than renting, and if I am assuming right you are probably going to do this on the side as you have time. so in that case renting one would be a lot more money. You can get one on Ebay for about $150 or less.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

I'd have me come with a couple benches and hang those ceilings in one evening.... That is if I were your friend.... And you wanted me to help you... I would, you know...


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## snowDrift (Oct 4, 2010)

yeah tim is right i think... depending on how much ceiling you have to do and if your really not planning on using the drywall hoist again I would rather get a case of beer and ask a friend to come over for a few hours to help. ceilings go much faster with 2 or 3 people rather than a drywall hoist and if you have a buddy helping u, u dont have to screw each piece of board completely in, just put 3 screws on each end and 3 in the center for the entire ceiling and then go back once the entire ceiling is hung and screw in the rest. that way you could have it done in an hour or so easily. just my opinion. 
however if you do decide you will use a drywall hoist in a future, i would go with at least a 15ft hoist in case you get bigger jobs where the ceiling is higher. and kgmz is right you can get one on ebay for less than $150 if you can get free shipping, however if it is getting shipped from another country it can run you easily $150 - $200 EXTRA on shipping so it would be cheaper getting the one from HFT or home depot.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

For the price of the lift and your labor you could hire a hanging crew to to do your whole house!

Around here hangers are starving for work. :sad:

Also, I would think your ''buddy'' the drywall contractor could at least lone you his guys at cost. :whistling


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

I bought one of those cheap "gypsy" lifts. the thing is a total piece of crap. It works but not smoothly at all. I find myself always fighting with something. But, I rarely use the thing. The nice ones are nice and I think they are worth the money. Try to find a good used one. they are still better than the "gypsy" lifts.


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## Youcanpaintit (Oct 15, 2010)

*Hoist for sure.*

I couldn't have done my last job without a hoist, what a neck breaker without one.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

I got my Bil-Jax in 1997 I paid $610. for it, the first job I used it on it paid for its self. it has made me a lot of money over the years plus I don't need a helper:thumbsup:
Buy one:thumbsup:


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## Hmrepairs (Sep 11, 2010)

I just bought one last week. I plan to do more work and less subbing, so it was a good deal for me. I only paid $300 at Menards, and it seems to work fine. We so far have only used it with 8' pieces, but it works as nice as those I used to rent. It is a Bulldog brand, if that means anything.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

I was at Hd yesterday wasting time until the bank opened. I went to the rental dpt and asked if they had any for sale. I don't know what shape their stuff is when they decide to sell, but thought I would check it out while I was there. I feel there are times when they sell stuff that may not be worth what they are asking, but you never know.

They have the yellow ones, if that means anything. it is not my bag, but I kind of like having things when I do need them, and they don't look like they take up much room for storage.


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## Sliverpicker73 (Dec 28, 2009)

I bought a used bil-jax from the local rental company for $300.00, better quality than the home depot ones. Even if I sold it for $200.00 after the job was done would have been cheaper than renting


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

Frankawitz said:


> I got my Bil-Jax in 1997 I paid $610. for it, the first job I used it on it paid for its self. it has made me a lot of money over the years plus I don't need a helper:thumbsup:
> Buy one:thumbsup:


How are things goin for you Frank?


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## JonM (Nov 1, 2007)

I have a Tel-Pro...Keep an eye on craigs list and ebay...you can get a good deal these days.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Jeff,
Still no work as for paying, I am helping out my neighbor with his house, he's a Vet and doesn't have much and so I'm doing a remodel for him in hopes that someone might need something done that has the money to pay. But he's given me money for dog food so it's good that my dogs get to eat. I'm trying to sell two of my pups they are 6 months old, so if I don't get them sold I'll have 6 German Shepherd and they can eat 
It's tight cause I have no phone, I had to send my bills into my social worker to see if they will help with the shut offs and the house payments, now that I'm a year behind:thumbup:
Bank of America, what A Holes I have not heard from them since May 2009

But they say things are turning around
I just hope something comes up. I sure would like to work before I forget how to work:shutup:


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## Hmrepairs (Sep 11, 2010)

Man Frankawitz, sorry to hear it's so bad where you are. Hope things turn around soon.


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## ianc435 (Aug 26, 2007)

MHMConstruction said:


> The last time I did a big job with my plastering contractor, he was charging me around $32/board (12') finished, including materials. Granted it was slow slow slow with work at the time, and I know Gyp just went up a bit
> 
> Now he wants closer to $43/board. I can work this into my BIDS, but can't afford it on my own house, which I am trying to half-way finish(enough for C/O) soon.
> 
> ...


Try amazon. Bought a troy buit for 80 dollars. 85 dollars to ship it. Hung forty sheetsvwith it. A troy built.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

I don't hang a lot of drywall, but looking for a hoist for the next job we have. the wall is 50 long and 12' high. I was thinking of buying the Pentagon one off ebay. I know it's not a 700 dollar top dollar one but I think it'll work for the little bit of use I would need. for 160 bucks, it's going to be better than renting one. I'm thinking it'll make that wall go faster. It's not a big enough job for me to get my drywaller to hang. I am going to have my finisher come and finish it though. I'd like to do the hanging myself because that's how I bid the job.

are the pentagon or troy lifts any good at all? keep in mind, it'll only be used a few times a year.


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