Electric Hoist for SL Hardtop

[slsmag]

Just as an FYI for US SL owners looking for an inexpensive
way to add an electric hoist to your garage to handle the SL
hardtop, here's what I've come up with...



if the pics don't show, windows users right-click on pic
and select 'show picture'

880 Lb capacity electric hoist from Harbor Freight
(http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44006)
ITEM 44006-7VGA $74.99

And...

Adjustable Hoist Sling from ************************ - $59.95
(http://www.************************/ProductPage.aspx?ProductName=Adjustable+Strap+Harness&productid=100584&producttype=20)

Most electric hoist set-ups cost between $500 and $750.
This setup will cost you $134.94 + a couple of minor hardware items.

The hoist itself will handle 440 lbs on a straight single line pull
(880 lbs with included pulley/doubled line) - more than enough
for the R129 hardtop which weighs in at only 85 lbs. (107s &
earlier do weigh more... but certainly nowhere near 400 Lbs!).

The hoist plugs in to 110v power and has a wired remote - so all
you have to do is unlatch the hardtop, attach the sling straps,
and push a button to raise the top off your SL... drive the SL out
from under it, push the down button and lower the top to your
hard top storage cart.

Even if you already have a manual hoist in place, for $74.99
(including shipping) you may just want to install the electric hoist.

Hope this info is useful to others...

- michael
'98 SL500

addendum:

If you want to STORE your hartop (up and out of the way) in it's hoisted position, instead of the strap harness (noted above at $59.95) consider getting the "cradle and harness assembly" from http://removabletops.com/.

They don't advertise it on the web site but you can email them and they will sell their cradle harness for $125. It's a nice cradle - nothing to screw up the weather seal - it "cradles" the hardtop on the outside edges:



From thier web site:
"The IMC hoist harnesses utilize lightweight aerospace 6061 T6 "drawn" aluminum tubing (not the breakable "extruded" tube) inside another two inch O.D. high-density foam tube with a half-inch wall thickness. This assembly constitutes a very lightweight and very strong upholstery-friendly Support Cradle that holds a hardtop securely from beneath - avoiding paint and weather stripping - and balances it with a connected harness fabricated from seat belt webbing."