DIY or cheap "Hydrocart" for moving large bonsai?

[cbrshadow23]

I have some large/heavy trees that I need to move every so often, and I've been using a regular flat dolly (Home Depot) for moving them. This dolly/cart doesn't have large tires, so every bump is absorbed by the tree. It also doesn't have a lift to change the height of the tree, so I do a fair amount of lifting still.
I'm basically looking for this but cheaper or DIY:

PT HydroCart - Big Wheel Bonsai Hydrolift Hydro Hydraulic Cart - Push Cart by Potted Tree Gadgetry

Please Note: This item is not included in any free shipping offer. Shipping will be by freight carrier and usually is around $300. This will be calculated after you place your order and a shipping invoice will be emailed after we acquire a quote. If you want to know shipping charges ahead of...

www.superflybonsai.com

Does anyone have a good alternative or hack?

 

[BrianBay9]

Harbor Freight often has hydraulic lift carts like that - significantly cheaper and no shipping.

500 lb. Capacity Hydraulic Table Cart

Amazing deals on this 500Lb Hydraulic Table Cart at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Might not have the wheels you're looking for though.

 

[meushi]

You should be able to adapt different wheels to this:

 

[shimbrypaku]

Not sure the cost but Mr.Adams has information on his setup.

http://www.adamsbonsai.com/worktable.pdf

 

[Trenthany]

You could also build something in a scissor style or buy a used one and winch power it. Boat winches are cheap and a couple pilots and bolts later you’d have a “hydraulic” lift cart to move trees around. Another $50 or so to replace wheels with bigger ones for off road and you could have the adjustable table of your dreams for half the price and at least the usefulness if not convenience of a hydraulic one.

You could also buy an old scissor car Jack and take the core of it to “power” your lift table. A battery powered drill and a way to connect it and it’s powered again!

 

[Shibui]

Not sure how handy you may be but this article from a bonsai club newsletter shows how a couple of guys made a powered lift trolley from scrapped mobility scooters and hydraulic lifter.





Sounds kind of cool. I think I might start looking out for a scooter to cannibalize.

 

[Adair M]

Harbor Freight often has hydraulic lift carts like that - significantly cheaper and no shipping.

500 lb. Capacity Hydraulic Table Cart

Amazing deals on this 500Lb Hydraulic Table Cart at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Might not have the wheels you're looking for though.

And then replace the wheels with larger ones. You will need to lower the axel to accommodate the larger wheels. It’s pretty easy to do.

 

[Trenthany]

Not sure how handy you may be but this article from a bonsai club newsletter shows how a couple of guys made a powered lift trolley from scrapped mobility scooters and hydraulic lifter.
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Sounds kind of cool. I think I might start looking out for a scooter to cannibalize.

Fricking genius! That is some redneck type engineering! Lmao I’m jealous I’ve never thought of it!

 

[Trenthany]

You should be able to adapt different wheels to this:

After posting my ideas I saw this wooden one and while it is a lot of work you often trade money for labor and I’m very impressed!

 

[rockm]

If you don't want to mess around with conversions and/or building your own, (and have a lot of cash) you can go here--there's a conversion kit, as well as already-converted hydrocarts.

Hydraulic Bonsai Wagons & Carts

Superfly Bonsai

www.superflybonsai.com

 

[Trenthany]

If you don't want to mess around with conversions and/or building your own, (and have a lot of cash) you can go here--there's a conversion kit, as well as already-converted hydrocarts.

Hydraulic Bonsai Wagons & Carts

Superfly Bonsai

www.superflybonsai.com

Budget/DIY was the goal though. The $400 big wheel conversion plus the $100-$250 cart puts it right in the $600+ range again. Not sure what skills @cbrshadow23 has but DIY lift cart on a motorized scooter frame seems like the cheapest option so far that will be an upgrade on anything I’ve found out there. I’m tempted to buy an old scooter as they’re all over FL and a cheapie metal cart myself now!

 

[hemmy]

Does anyone have a good alternative or hack?

I thought MarkyScott has best solution

Collected Winged Elm

I believe this is definitely a cedar elm. There are two telltale signs I see: one, the new growth has a hint of red which I've noticed on my cedar elms but not on my winged elms; and two, in the closeup of the leaves the serrations on the edges have a distinctly rounded shape versus the winged...

www.bonsainut.com

Collected Winged Elm

The wheel upgrade makes the lift cart more useful. Boon has one. And a guy converted one for use at Plant City, too. And if I ever bring my olive here from Boon's I'll need one. Scott, I just counted my primary collection: 26 trees. Those are the potential "keepers". 15 sized trees, and 11...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[RKatzin]

When I have to move one of my big units I go totally Egyptian. I take three pieces of pvc pipe and position them under box and roll away rotating the third as it spits out the back. How's that for cheapass diy?

 

[Trenthany]

I thought MarkyScott has best solution

Collected Winged Elm

I believe this is definitely a cedar elm. There are two telltale signs I see: one, the new growth has a hint of red which I've noticed on my cedar elms but not on my winged elms; and two, in the closeup of the leaves the serrations on the edges have a distinctly rounded shape versus the winged...

www.bonsainut.com

Collected Winged Elm

The wheel upgrade makes the lift cart more useful. Boon has one. And a guy converted one for use at Plant City, too. And if I ever bring my olive here from Boon's I'll need one. Scott, I just counted my primary collection: 26 trees. Those are the potential "keepers". 15 sized trees, and 11...

www.bonsainut.com

Exactly my thought. I wonder if @markyscott remembers where he got the wheels?

 

[rockm]

Budget/DIY was the goal though. The $400 big wheel conversion plus the $100-$250 cart puts it right in the $600+ range again. Not sure what skills @cbrshadow23 has but DIY lift cart on a motorized scooter frame seems like the cheapest option so far that will be an upgrade on anything I’ve found out there. I’m tempted to buy an old scooter as they’re all over FL and a cheapie metal cart myself now!

I don't have a cart like that, but with trees that I've been working on for two decades and that weigh almost 150 lbs, dropping one or having one break a cheap cart would cost me far more than $600...I understand the need to improvise, though.

 

[Dav4]

Exactly my thought. I wonder if @markyscott remembers where he got the wheels?

I did the same modifications that Scott made and got the wheels at harbor freight as well. I think I got the hardware at either home depot or Ace Hardware.

 

[markyscott]

Exactly my thought. I wonder if @markyscott remembers where he got the wheels?

The first set came from Harbor Freight. The front pneumatic wheels fell apart after a couple years and I replaced them with these. They look pretty similar to the Harbor Freight ones - we’ll see if they last longer.

S

 

[Trenthany]

Fair enough. But spending $300 on a 1000lb conversion vs $600 Is a big difference.

 

[Johnnyd]

This looks like an option. Both for under 200.

How can you handle the large bonsai?

Just look on Craigslist. It will be much cheaper and you don't have to pay shipping fee for this heavy stuff. I bought mine only $50 through Craigslist. Bonhe I hope I'm not bothering after 3 years but in your experience do you really need both the Boyer and a lifting table/car? Does the...

www.bonsainut.com