HARKEN Hoister Overhead Garage Storage Hoist System for Kayaks, Canoes, Surf & Paddle Boards, (60lb Capacity, 12ft Ceiling) Self-Leveling, Safe Anti-Drop, Easy One-Person Operation - Model 7801.12

We recently purchased a Hobie Oasis twin (2016 model) kayak with Mirage drive. This is a wonderful kayak, but it is heavy and pretty big for a kayak. It weighs over 100 pounds and is about 14' long. Further, our main kayak carrying vehicle is a 2006 Honda Odyssey van, which is pretty tall in our modest two car garage. Because of the height of the cross beams in the garage (about 9') we needed to lift the heavy kayak as close to the beams as possible. After searching and sifting through the many options on Amazon and other places online, i settled on the Harken four point hoisters as the way to go. They work for my purpose in several ways: 1. Sufficient weight capacity and pulley reduction to make lifting and storing over 110 pounds of kayak a safe and reasonable task. 2. The four point pulley system gets the kayak as close to the beams in my garage as possible - I only lose a couple inches of space between the beams and the top of the kayak. 3. The system comes in various sizes in both weight capacity and height from the floor. I did puzzle over the very high price relative to other hoist systems, but ended up deciding that the ready-to-use kit was the way to go, especially after seeing users with almost exactly my needs praising it. I have to say, it is worth it me since, although I am a pretty handy guy, I can't see myself gathering the hardware that goes into this kit. This is especially true of the "organizer" and the main pulley that has the locking cam in it. All the pieces are of high quality and the unit is well thought out. I have included a photo of the opened, but still boxed, kit. The unit is not for the un-handy to install. If you struggle with IKEA furniture, for instance, you are gonna fail with this even though the instructions are better. I found the instructions to be good enough for me, but even then, had to take a few minutes to make sure I understood them a couple of times. All that said, it installed fine, works well, and I have attached a photo with the kayak hoisted to the beams in our garage. We've used it several times and it's great. If you have an expensive, heavy kayak or canoe like ours, do to hesitate to get the Harken Hoister. It's the best.

I am using this to store my Yakima Skybox. It works very well for this purpose. Overall, I'm happy with the product (especially considering the price). Instructions were fairly clear, though I did have to read them about ten times before it really clicked. I consider myself to be marginally competent in the DIY-space, and I found this system pretty challenging to install correctly the first time. Someone with little-to-no experience would be wise to just hire a handyman or recruit capable friend(s) to set this up. I have a decent collection of tools, and I employed quite a few to get the job done. ...in addition to the included hardware, you will also need: [10] 3-1/2" lag bolts, a couple 2x6s or 2x4s, a decent drill w/ various drill+hex bits, an impact drill, a stud-finder, a ladder or stool, a chalk-line, measuring tape, dock cleat (or similar rope tie-off hardware), potentially a skillsaw or handsaw

I bought this utility lift to store a small 125-lb paddleboat in my barn. The barn currently does not have electricity available, and a chain hoist is impractical for this particular use. The most important feature was the weight capacity, as I don't want the lift straps or hardware breaking and falling onto someone or something. Some of the installation directions could have been more specific, but after reading it a few times, I was able to understand what to do for each step. How easy installation will be depends upon where you plan to install the lift. The directions are intended for installation in a garage so that you could drive your vehicle in, hook up the straps, and lift the boat off the vehicle. The lift is designed so that the next time you want to use the boat, you simply lower it back onto your vehicle, secure it, and go about your business. In my barn there is 8 feet between trusses, so I had to build a frame for it. I think that potential buyers should know that if you intend to use this in a location other than a garage, basic carpenter skills and tools will be needed. Overall quality is excellent, and it easily lifted the boat. I rated it excellent because overall it works as expected, and the hardware, ropes, and overall design quality are excellent.

This product worked exactly as described. I can easily raise and lower my 135lb rooftop tent with little effort. The installation instructions are very clear and easy to understand but they had errors on the size of the mounting boards (which I reported and they said they would correct). But it’s difficult to install and requires two people and several hours.

best done with two people but works very well to hold two kayaks (stacked) and their trailers

It seems like a lot of money for a relatively small box of materials but its worth it. The quality of the components and the design are superior. My install was a little easier than most because I was working with exposed beams and I did not need mounting boards but any install would be relatively easy. The instructions are excellent with one small exception. The diagram for tying the double figure eight knot is incomprehensible. I found a very good diagram on line and was then able to do it. The Harken folks should change the diagram. Other than that , instructions were good. Once I had everything ready to go , it hoisted my canoe perfectly first time. As it will hang for several months I didn't want to rely just on the hoist holding so I installed a secondary set of fixed straps but that may be an unnecessary precaution. Great product. Highly recommend.

Was easy and simple to set up works like a charm would recommend this to anyone. money well spent!

I was skeptical when i ordered - was not easy to install due to the stud configuration in my town house garage - but man does it ever work well

I’m generally pleased with the kit provided as it saves you from having to hunt down the hardware separately. That, of course, adds handsomely to the cost. The instructions are much too complicated for what is a fairly straightforward design. Functionally, the block in this kit is made for something much heavier than my rooftop box so it doesn’t descend easily when it release the jamb.