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Smarte Jack lift wheels

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Slicksnail

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Alexandria, MN
Does anyone have any experience with Smarte Jack lift wheels?

Amazon.com : Quality Mark : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Quality Mark : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com

My concern is that I need to fully-extend the wheels to get the lift high enough to roll around. Are the screws robust enough to handle that? The last thing I want/need when moving my pontoon into shore in the fall is for the wheels to fall off.

Thanks for your input!
 
My neighbor had a float with 4 winches (one at each corner) that you would attach to the bottom cross members of the lift. Then as you tightened the straps the buoyancy of the float made the lift pop up and float. It was a one man job. Once I floated it in as far as I could, I would use some 2x12's as ramps, grab the truck and pull it up over the seawall. Where the wheels would come in handy is when you are putting it back in the water. And depending on your lake bed, if it's mucky, good luck wheeling through that.
 
I have a similar situation needing to float the lifts around because I have a pretty challenging shoreline at my property. We currently use inner tubes, but I'm trying to think of a better way to do that aspect. My current process getting it into the lake is generally...
1. Get the lift floating on inner tubes connected to the lift with ratchet straps.
2. Float the lift about 90 feet to my neighbors boat launch.
3. Traverse the boat launch and maybe another 50ft - 75ft to get the lift out of the way. This is a variety of lifting, pushing, pulling and winching the lift(s) and it's a gigantic pain in my backside.

Going into the water is generally that exact process, but backwards.

We have a total of 3 lifts and 2 docks between my neighbor and I and we have wheel kits for all 3 current lifts. With the wheel kits it's still a struggle, but they definitely help. I also do another 4 lifts and 2 docks at my best friends place on the same lake. His devices are all on wheels too, but he has a giant hill we need to climb. At least his hill is mostly mowed grass.

The reason I'm asking about the Smarte Jack wheels is that I'm currently selling my old 4000# capacity cantilever pontoon lift (with cantilever wheel kit) and replacing it with a 6000# vertical lift. I'm told the cantilever wheel kit won't work with the vertical lift (though it works in my head with minor modification). I like the idea of the Smarte Jack wheels and the Amazon reviews are generally good, but some people complain about soft metal in the screw drive. Because the bottom side-rails on this new lift are probably 12+ inches off the ground and I need to traverse some inclines I think I'll need to jack those wheels up quite a ways. If that screw bends... I'm screwed (pun intended!).

It might actually make more sense to just put static wheel kits at each of the 4 corners and take the wheels themselves on and off every time I have to move the lift. This route is probably cheaper and potentially even better. 4 wheels are better than 2. You may have helped me change my mind.

Also - the lake bottom in front of all 3 of these properties is firm/gravel, but it's fairly deep (up to 5ft in some spots) so wheeling lifts around in the water is also a huge challenge, which is why we float them. Also - we're in Minnesota, so the water in the early spring and late fall is c-c-c-c-c-COLD!

I'm super interested in this float/wheel device you've used. Is that a home-built device or for sale somewhere? I WANT IT! I saw a Floe "Float and Roll" device that looks really interesting, but it doesn't look very simple or compatible with cantilever lifts and most of the other lifts we move are cantilever-style.

KW
 
I’d post a picture of what it was but photo bucket is back to their old tricks of locking accounts unless you pay up. What I used didn’t have wheels. It was an aluminum exoskeleton around a big plastic tank. On each corner was a winch with square hooks. I believe MADS dock in Michigan built it. Our friends on the lake paid 350 a year for their dock to go in and come out. I was too cheap and let my back pay the price.
 
We're all too cheap too! Prices in our area are about $100/device each way. That's $600/year just for my 2 lifts and a dock. It might be worth it. Every year I tell myself "This year it'll be easier! I have a couple of years of experience now!"

... every year it's just horrible. Ha!
 
Luckily for me I could easily wrangle the jet ski lift and paddle boat lift out without a problem. And the boat lift only had to go straight out 50' so not terrible. Be safe!
 
Slicksnail said:
We're all too cheap too! Prices in our area are about $100/device each way. That's $600/year just for my 2 lifts and a dock. It might be worth it. Every year I tell myself "This year it'll be easier! I have a couple of years of experience now!"

... every year it's just horrible. Ha!
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Sometimes you just pay the money, and make life easier. Younger me wouldn’t say that, but with my back/neck/knee issues as I get a little older, it has become worth it.

For everything you are talking about going in and out of the water each year, I think $600/year total for both in and out of the water is actually a pretty nice deal. Maybe worth springing for it, OR maybe you just pay to have the most difficult items put in and taken out, and you still do the easier items to save a little bit of $$$.
 
Vikingstaff said:
Sometimes you just pay the money, and make life easier. Younger me wouldn’t say that, but with my back/neck/knee issues as I get a little older, it has become worth it.
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I completely agree! We pay $250 in, $250 out for dock, pontoon lift and jetski lift. It's worth it to us not to have to worry about doing it ourselves. And for the couple of years that I had my son and a few of his buddies come up and help, the cost of food and beer was more than what I'm paying now! :)
 
I agree also. I love not having to do it. I did our dock in and out the first couple years, but after a couple times having to delay because of weather, not wanting to ask friends to help deal with it in pouring rain or cold, I decided to start paying. It has been WORTH it. They do the work on their schedule rain or shine. I have 3 - 12 foot dock sections, plus steps to install/tale out and he charges about $115 each time.
 
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Slicksnail said:
Does anyone have any experience with Smarte Jack lift wheels?

Amazon.com : Quality Mark : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Quality Mark : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com

My concern is that I need to fully-extend the wheels to get the lift high enough to roll around. Are the screws robust enough to handle that? The last thing I want/need when moving my pontoon into shore in the fall is for the wheels to fall off.

Thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
I have had mine for two years now and I really like them. The wheels have never fallen off.
 
Interesting and see how they might work in theory but would also want someone that used them opinion
 
I bought the boatlift lift this winter at a show. Expensive , but works perfectly. Used it to put two lifts in a month ago. After years of doinking around with inner tubes, straps, floaties, etc. , I couldn't be happier. One man job as advertised.

https://boatliftlift.com/
 
69jbjohn said:
I bought the boatlift lift this winter at a show. Expensive , but works perfectly. Used it to put two lifts in a month ago. After years of doinking around with inner tubes, straps, floaties, etc. , I couldn't be happier. One man job as advertised.

https://boatliftlift.com/
Click to expand...

Watched the video on their website. That is a slick set up. We have Sea Legs now, so no need for it since selling our lift last year. However, if I still had my lift, I think I would do this based on the video, and your insight above. Impressive design and process.
 
Jim Connelly said:
I have had mine for two years now and I really like them. The wheels have never fallen off.
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Thanks! I bought a set this spring. I put them in the middle. I should have maybe bought 2 sets and put them on the front/back. They seemed to work well. I paid to have my stuff put in as I tore a massive hole in my waders and COVID-19 prevented me from going out and finding a nice new pair. Forget it! I'll just pay someone for now. I just wish they'd come over the day the ice goes out.
 
One tip with any of the screw adjustable legs/wheels...use a drill or wrench, DO NOT use an impact! An impact will quickly cause a gall and there is no fix once this happens.
Also, do not let wheels freewheel all summer, raise fully to engage the brake. I've seen plastic tires wear out steel & aluminum axles from this.

I guess that's two tips for the price of one.
 
Thank you very much for the tips! Two for one is a great deal! Even when it's free!

Ya, I hope these wheels last a while.
 
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