Just realized my brand new drywall lift buckled on a job this morning

I was hanging 12-foot boards in a basement remodel outside Columbus when the lift arm bent sideways. The locking pin slipped right out and the whole sheet crashed down on a paint bucket. I had to prop it up with a 2x4 and finish the ceiling one panel at a time. Anybody else had a lift fail on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth2201mo ago

Did you check the locking pin before you started? I used to think those pins were solid once they clicked in, but after a buddy of mine had his lift fold on a stairwell job last year, I started testing them every single time. That pin can wear down or get dirt in the hole, and it just lets go without any warning. I'm glad you got through it with just a paint bucket taking the hit, but I'd buy a new pin kit before the next ceiling.

mason_flores211mo ago

Ladders and lifts are one of those things where you just assume the clicks mean it's locked, but years of cheap fixes and worn parts have taught me nothing is guaranteed. That story about your buddy is enough to make me double-check every pin on my rig now, even the ones that look brand new. Tbh, a few extra seconds of testing beats a trip to the ER or a busted drywall job any day.