One Time Use 3 Phase Power...suggestions?

[*LOACH*]

I don't know where else to put this so I will just leave it here. I am thinking about getting a four post car hoist to use as long term storage for a car so that I can park another car underneath. It seems that 3 phase power hoists are much more common so I am hoping someone can suggest a way of getting three phase power to my garage in order to raise the hoist with the car on it. It will then be left for a long time on mechanical locks. I don't want to spend the thousands of dollars it takes to get the power company to hook up three phase to my house (as handy as that would be for a welder etc I don't currently live in the house). There are also converters that can be bought which turn your home power to three phase but they are expensive and I don't know if they would be able to supply the reqired current. I was thinking of renting a mobile generator or something. Anyone else got any ideas? Thanks in advance

[warps]

Don't waste your money, There are plenty of 240V hoists around - do you need a 4 post? (i mean need, not want).

A good 2 post hoist will do what you want, and probably cost a lot less. Basically, a single phase 2 post hoist might take 60 seconds to raise the car, whereas a dedicated 3 phase hoist might do it in 45 seconds. That's it. Unless you're raising and lowering it 20 times a day, spending money on the industrial duty hoists is a waste of money.

[Plattsy]

rent a three phase generator. easiest and should be the cheapest.

[Yo-Yo]

Don't waste your money, There are plenty of 240V hoists around - do you need a 4 post? (i mean need, not want).

A good 2 post hoist will do what you want, and probably cost a lot less. Basically, a single phase 2 post hoist might take 60 seconds to raise the car, whereas a dedicated 3 phase hoist might do it in 45 seconds. That's it. Unless you're raising and lowering it 20 times a day, spending money on the industrial duty hoists is a waste of money.

probably for peace of mind as it's for long term storage? a 4 post would be a lot more stable

This would be a perfect solution for me but unfortunately my garage roof is nowhere near high enough

just make sure the car on top won't be leaking oil

renting the generator would be the cheapest option but not very convenient to have to rent a generator if you need to take out the car at short notice, let alone in an emergency eg. house fire etc

[Cowboy1600]

Just get a 240V four poster.

I assume you're not wanting this for Oz, but here's an example: http://radum.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8024

[warps]

Aah he's in Japan (whether that makes a difference)

Yes, Cowboy - that's the first site I found through a quick search. 240V 4 poster is easy peasy - 240V too.

As far as being concerned about storing a car on a 2 poster - well if I were concerned about storing a car on a hoist, I'd be concerned about working under the car on the hoist in the first place. Whether the car sits on the hoist for an hour or a year isn't going to make a lot of difference. A static load on steel / concrete isn't going to cause much (any) time related creep, so it shouldn't matter how long the load is on there. Perhaps things like corroded anchors might effect it over time, but that's about it.

Pity that 4 poster only has 2350mm between posts. I'd like a setup that allows me to park the rally car on trailer, then hoist the whole lot up out of the way. 2 posters will struggle to find a good pickup point on the trailer chassis, and 4 posters might struggle to get the required width (my trailer is 2410mm wide). Need to keep searching.

[numleg]

A small VFD (couple of kW max) which can take a single phase supply and output a 3 phase supply would do the job.

It would be a farly easy job for an electrician experienced with such things.

[*LOACH*]

Thanks for the replies guys. Actually it is for Australia - to long term store cars till I come back. I read that the 4 posters are more stable for long term storage. Also the 4 posters support the car via with the suspension. Supposedly having the suspension unloaded for long a period of time is not a good idea.

I have seen a few second hand, 3 phase, 4 post hoists on ebay go for about $500 but I haven't seen any second hand single phase ones otherwise that is what I would go for. Generator might be the go.

[elrodeo666]

Roach be glad its for Oz and not Japan otherwise you would be like my old man at the moment, in hospital recovering from a heart attack.

Just getting power uprated from a 20amp circuit to run 50amp power board in Japan is one huge head F#$K and is lots of yen.

Going 3 phase in Jappa can be astronomical price and can take months to book in.

[w34ponGT]

this is a question for an electrician not a car forum. im an agrade electrician and 3 phase power would be benificial for cost effective and motor effeciency, but if you dont have 3 phase to your property then will cost a setup fee.

you have to see what ampage the single phase draw, obviously it will draw alot so i wouldnt be plugging it into a 2.5 twin and earth, id be running my own circuit with its own isolator at the switchboard. either way it will cost a bit to setup

[*LOACH*]

Aah he's in Japan (whether that makes a difference)

Yes, Cowboy - that's the first site I found through a quick search. 240V 4 poster is easy peasy - 240V too.

As far as being concerned about storing a car on a 2 poster - well if I were concerned about storing a car on a hoist, I'd be concerned about working under the car on the hoist in the first place. Whether the car sits on the hoist for an hour or a year isn't going to make a lot of difference. A static load on steel / concrete isn't going to cause much (any) time related creep, so it shouldn't matter how long the load is on there. Perhaps things like corroded anchors might effect it over time, but that's about it.

Pity that 4 poster only has 2350mm between posts. I'd like a setup that allows me to park the rally car on trailer, then hoist the whole lot up out of the way. 2 posters will struggle to find a good pickup point on the trailer chassis, and 4 posters might struggle to get the required width (my trailer is 2410mm wide). Need to keep searching.

This one has 2850mm between posts.

http://www.ebay.com....ME:B:SS:AU:1123

Edited December 12, 2012 by *LOACH*

[warps]

Yeh looking at those wider 4 posters. Do they have the ability to lift the car off the suspension? The majority of work I'll be doing will be suspension work, so I'll need the ability to lift the car off its wheels. Long term storage is a bonus (have a 135m garage to park the cars in, so not exactly short of space - unless I start accumulating toys). The main reason I want the hoist is to make life easier working on the car.

[Adriano]

If its a cable drien 4 post, then you can simply wind the mechanism with a big shifter, had to do it a few times when the power went out to get customers cars off

[LWO]

As someone above said, I think the biggest single phase 230 VAC input to three phase 230 VAC output variable speed drive you can get is 3.0kw. Just check that the current 400v (?) three phase motor on the hoist can be changed from 400V star to 230 delta wiring (it will say so on the nameplate). I have bought this VSD before for $400 or so... there are many brands on the market.

[LWO]

Further info - I would guess that 3.0kw would be ample for the hoist (take a photo of the nameplate and I will help)..... and the VSD could easily run off a 15amp single phase socket...... You can also set 2.4kw VSD's which which probably also be ample which will happily run off a normal bog standard single phase socket.

[89CAL]

Yeh looking at those wider 4 posters. Do they have the ability to lift the car off the suspension? The majority of work I'll be doing will be suspension work, so I'll need the ability to lift the car off its wheels. Long term storage is a bonus (have a 135m garage to park the cars in, so not exactly short of space - unless I start accumulating toys). The main reason I want the hoist is to make life easier working on the car.

Usually they have like a beam that runs accross in 2 points with a manual jack (Or runs off the hoist motor, dont remember) and you just jack them up front and rear to take the weight off the suspension/wheels.

[*LOACH*]

If its a cable drien 4 post, then you can simply wind the mechanism with a big shifter, had to do it a few times when the power went out to get customers cars off

Thanks mate that is perfect. I can ask the sellers if this can be done to the hoists they are selling and it doesn't matter whether or not it is 3 phase. I had no idea it could be done but now that you have said it I guess the electric motors have high RPMand low torque with big reduction gearing so using a shifter makes sense. Awesome, most appreciated.