When Bobby Huffman’s shop was going up, neighbors kept asking him why just one large post was sticking out of the concrete floor.
It turned out, the 6-foot-deep post was the anchor for Huffman’s crane hoist. In fact, the rest of the Edina, Missouri, shop was planned around it.
Located in the center of one wall, the crane is designed to cover as much floor space as possible. It travels from one end of the building to the other as it pivots.
The bearing and pivot at the top of the post came from the rear end of a semitruck. Huffman bought some I-beams at an auction to form the rest of the crane. He says he found the steel casters on the clearance shelf of a farm and home store. “They’re welded at a little bit of an angle so when the crane turns in the shop, the wheels will go with the contour of the turn,” he explains.
Huffman estimates the capacity of his hoist at 2,500 pounds.
Wall to wall: A 50-foot span covers the floor from one end of the shop to the other.
Rolls easily: Steel casters welded at a slight angle allow the crane to push and turn easier.
Truck bearing: The hoist pivots on a bearing and pivot taken from the rear end of a semitruck.
Bobby Huffman
Farm life: After downsizing a custom hay operation, Huffman works full time for an implement dealership. He still grows some hay for the family’s horses.
Family: He and wife Sarah have four children; three are school age. Huffman’s parents live close by.
Other projects: He recently finished building a large metal press that uses hydraulic cylinders from a bulldozer. Now Huffman is working on a log splitter with a similar cylinder.
Inspiration: “I got the idea for my overhead hoist – and lots of other ideas – from Successful Farming magazine,” he says.
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