Kayak / Canoe Lift Hoist by RAD Sportz Review

The hoist works quite well. You raise or lower each end of your boat with separate ropes, and can easily raise or lower it evenly. However the force required to lift is substantial for my 60 pound roof top cargo box. A smaller person might find it difficult to lift a 100 lb.+ canoe or kayak. The Brake System works very well and prevents sudden, uncontrolled drops should you lose control of the ropes. Overall this hoist is easy to operate.
The suspension straps provided use a plastic snap together buckle (like on a backpack waist strap). This seems dangerous. I don’t believe those types of buckles are intended to be load bearing. It’s the weak link in this hoist. I’m going to replace mine with cargo straps that come with a proper load bearing rating.
Installation was easy, I screwed the …

Kayak / Canoe Lift Hoist by RAD Sportz Review

I needed two hoists for a kayak and a canoe. I had never used a hoist before and didn’t know anything about them other than what I read in the descriptions online. The deciding factor in buying this particular hoist system was the price. I figured I’d take a chance, and I was not disappointed. The directions were fairly clear, but they could have done a better job showing how to run the rope throught the pulleys – especially at the locking mechanism. I also expected the boats to be a little higher off the floor (out of head banging territory), but that depends on your mounting location and how you mount it. I can get them another foot higher with a little minor carpentry on the ceiling of my garage. It takes some strength to …