HITCH-MOUNTED HOIST

This device works very well within certain limits. Like others have said, you have to make a judgement call whether its worth bringing it with you and setting up or not. I am only only speaking to general use, and not something specific like hunting.At my age, a single item weighing 70-80 lbs is about the most I am willing to lift into my truck. At and above that is where this device comes in handy. I have several items that are above that and I need them put in my truck periodically, such as small outboards, inflatable boats (folded up in a bag), generators, and it has become a real back breaker or a ridiculous amount of setup to do that (ramps, etc.). These items weigh 75-250 lbs and they are relatively compact and easy to use with this device.I would say that items in the 75-150 lbs range work very well. The winching aspect is easy and controllable up or down. The winch mechanism does ratchet on the way up, but not on the way down without doing a two hand trick. The overall assembly does have some flex, but nothing of concern. The boom swings easily, despite not having a bearing of any kind at the pivot point.150-250 lbs is ok. The winching is a bit tougher, but still very manageable all around. The overall assembly flexes more, but still seems like its going to be fine. The boom does not swing as easily, and here is where a bearing or nylon bushing would have been good to have.I only tried one item above 250 lbs, with a weight of about 350 lbs. The overall operation becomes difficult to do this on your own. Its best to have someone do the winching and a second person controlling the load. Winching is tougher, especially going down. Lots of flex. Swing is less cooperative. You can do this solo, however, I would say about 350 lbs is the limit. If I were to be lifting items above 250 lbs on a regular basis, I would consider another model with stabilizing feet and/or something with an electric winch. It becomes very difficult to do the winching and controlling the load safely.You could potentially use this with an electric winch. Simply do not install the manual winch, cable and rollers. Use the upper roller brackets to create a loop point. Hook a marine electric winch onto that loop or adapt an ATV electric winch with a hook for same use. You set up the boom first and then hook on your winch at the top. Good to go. I would not recommend permanent attachment of an ATV winch, for example at the same location as the included manual winch. This upgrade would not necessarily be to increase capacity of the overall device. It would just be to make it easier to use, especially solo.Overall, I am happy with this device. These days keeping my back healthy is more important than money. Even if you went the way of boom plus an electric winch, the cost is very minor relative to back surgery and recovery time. As long as you have reasonable expectations, this device serves the purpose.

I am nearly 70 years old. In good health and active. However, I do not want to risk a back injury or a blown gasket somewhere in my body. My push mower weighs approximately 80 pounds. To deadlift the mower into the back of a pickup truck has become more than I am willing to undertake. So I purchased this lift to get my mower, generator and other items into my truck. The metal is fairly substantial. It performs the task at hand with little effort. However, there is some room for improvements that would not increase the cost significantly. First of all, the twisted cable is a mess. Anytime there is slack in the line, you get the bird nest effect which causes minor problems. Braided cable would have been a much better choice. I will be replacing my cable soon. There should be some kind of plastic or other material where the vertical post swivels around. The metal on metal set up will eventually scrape all the paint off and rust is inevitable. I am not overly impressed with the crank and spool configuration, but it is functional. Time will tell how it holds up. There is a risk of injury to your hand while placing the upper portion of the vertical staff. Not sure how that could be fixed but it seems there could be a better design. I attach the two vertical posts together before placing it in the receiver part of the device to avoid a mishap with my hands. Overall, I am well pleased. For the price, it is a decent lift. No regrets for the purchase.

Worked great on my deer hunt for mule deer

We used this hitch hoist to lift a 150lb outboard in and of our boat and it worked great! I was surprised how easy it was. Quick assembly and decent instructions. I would remove the cable on the winch before trying to get that one bolt threaded.

So far, so good. I assembled this thing in about 30 mins. The only complaint is that the instructions talked about cotter pins, but used bolts instead. I like that, but had me scratching my head at first. Updated instructions would probably be best for someone who isn’t mechanicaly inclined. Other than that, it clears the tail gate, pivots, and cranks like a champ. Now for a deer…

Returning this item cost me time and money. I am not happy with Amazon.I bought this with the understanding that it was in good condition with damaged packaging. What I received are the heavy parts, the tubes and mast, receiver assembly tube. But I didn't get: the Hand Winch, with cable and hook; the aluminum cable pulleys or hardware. Can the vendor make this right, or do I have to simply do a return, I don't have a lot of time on this, return deadline is only a few weeks.The product looks substantial, and I expect I'd be happy with it, if it came with all the parts. Contacting sell, no response.

Dang. This is beefy! Well made. Very tall. Like surprisingly. Haven’t actually used it on a deer yet, but it should work great.