Man lift/safety cage

[frogpond]

I've been getting lots of if ads lately for cheap Chinese safety cages that fit on forks. They are under different names, but all look pretty similar, and all are about $160-180. I'm tempted.
Can anybody offer advice/ experience with these?

 

[two_bit_score]

cheap Chinese

I've seen those ads. I will stay away. Please let us know how you like it if you decide to get one.

 

[kf4uda]

I have one that I bought from Amazon. I use it to trim tree limbs and other projects around the property. It gets the job done. I got wheels with it so I could roll it around the shop out of the way.

 

[mikester]

take a look at the welds before putting your life in his hands

 

[flyerdan]

I don't see ads, but when I built mine the OSHA ones were around $600, so I suppose the Chicom ones would be considerably less.
I made mine with scrap I had laying around and I'd wager it's more secure than the tailor-mades, at least the ones that I've seen.

 

[notractoryet]

I bought one 5 yrs ago from Titan. It is very sturdy. Has pins to lock it on forks. I felt secure enough in it.

Problems,

without anyone you trust a lot to operate the fel, you have to climb up a ladder to get into it.
Hydraulic leak down will drop it slowly.
Really should have support under it or those cylinder stops for safety.

It did not work that well for what I needed it for so I eventually bought a lift.

Now I need to sell it.

 

[2515R Dude]

$25-$40 on craigslist ot facebook marketplace will do the same, only better

IBC Totes For Sale | Buy IBC Tanks & Intermediate Bulk Containers

 

[lincmercguy]

I have one I got from Amazon about five years ago. It's a 36x36 with the fold up railing. I wasn't sure at first, but I figured it was really the forks holding me up. They say 1-2 people, but they are only 1 person. I do not lean against the railing or chains, I move it so I don't have to.

My old shop had trusses, so I would use an extension ladder for a good amount of the work and use this when I had to bring something up with me that wouldn't fit on a belt (hose reel, fan, lights, etc. My shop at the new place is metal frame, so I only trust a ladder supported by the walls.

We actually just finished hanging some lights today with it.

I just leave mine outside with the other equipment. I put it on its side so the platform doesn't have standing water.

Now that I'm using it more, I kind of wish I would have gone with 48x48. Not only for the larger platform, but for higher side rails. I'm pretty tall, so higher rails would be nice.

 

[lincmercguy]

without anyone you trust a lot to operate the fel, you have to climb up a ladder to get into it.

I've had my son run it for me since he was 9. Obviously, I taught him without anyone on the platform first. I would not want to climb a ladder to get to it.

This year he graduated to moving the tractor with me in it. We have a solid set of hand signals we use.