Garage Gator HC125 Manual Garage Storage System, 125 Pound Capacity

Unboxing- I noticed that the nuts and bolts were just thrown in the box. Typically not a good sign. Everything else appeared to be wrapped. The styrofoam did not conform to the pieces and was broken.Install- The instructions are not very good. Very small pictures that are in black and white that are almost not worth having. The install itself I could figure out for the most part just from looking at it and had up in less than 30 minutes, but would be a challenge for those who rely heavily on detailed instructions. Tried using the mounting bolts supplied and they broke very easily. I ended up using my own bolts to mount.Operation- Noticed first thing that there was a grinding sound in the winch. Felt like metal rubbing like it was not manufactured well and missed QC. I tried using lube, but didn't help much. When rasing the bar it becomes unlevel at the top by about 4 inchs. Asked my wife to operate and she was only able to lift a single bike. I being a 200lb male was able to life 2 adult bikes and 2 golf bags which was a little workout.Because independent steel cables are used the lift pole does not stay balanced if a single wire stretches. I would have recommended using an additional pully and a singel wire design like many of the cheap single bike pulleys. When I uninstalled I noticed that the crank assembly was missing a few screws which were not provided and not in the instructions which could have been part of the problem with the grinding. I really wanted this to work, but just feels like an beta stage product.Ended up deciding to return. Wish the manufacturer well and hope that they will make improvements as this appears to be one of the few options for what I wanted.

This product is heavy duty and works amazingly well. It lined up with my ceiling joists without having to connect the two main brackets together. It is a little difficult to install, as any bike hanger would be, but it gives me back so much space in the garage. I have no worries of the bikes falling. The mounting design and mechanism are solid. If you lower and raise it slow, the cable mechanism is very smooth. I mounted the crank to a piece of wood and bolted that to the wall. This is an option that is discussed in the manual and I found it was the best way for me, since most of the screws would only be in drywall otherwise. I am super happy with this Garage Gator and may purchase another to hold my storage containers.