When buying your boat lift it is always important to do some research first. You need to know about the various choices that you have available to you. You also need to know about the replacements parts that you can acquire for the boat lift should you need them in the future.

One of the things that you need to research and know about are the mechanics of the boat lift that you are considering buying. In particular, you should find out about the differences in the bearings that you can get. For example, you can choose from a nylon, metal or roller mechanism bearings.

The type of bearing that you choose needs to match the needs of your boat. For example, nylon bearings will work in light duty applications, however they will not be sufficient in situations that contain heavy loads. As such, you need to understand the weight and size of your boat and compare this to the ability of the various bearing mechanisms.

You see, if you were to use nylon bearings with a heavy load, it would soon become very noisy. On top of this, these bearings cannot be greased, so they will swell and shrink (they form an oblong shape) from the amount of moisture present and the changes in temperature. These changes and occurrences to the bearings can cause the shaft to lock up. Nylon bearings are also known for cracking and splitting when they are mixed with certain chemicals.

There are also some issues that can occur with steel bearings in your boat lift. While they will not break down from UV rays (from the sun) like nylon bearings, they can rust and can also dry out (if they are not greased regularly).

Steel bearings also tend to seize, rust and lead to dissembler metal reactions which are all problems that you don’t want to deal with.

Aluminum bearings are certainly of much better quality and more practical as they are greased and will not rust. They are also very strong and can take heavy leads without any issues. The bearings are welded in to the structure of the boat lift in order to ensure everything is solid and safe.

Roller bearings are designed to handle very heavy loads so they are perfect for heavy boats. The roller is a cylinder, which means that the contact between the inner and outer race is done in a line. This acts to spread the load over a wide area, which means it can handle much more weight.

As you can see from the points mentioned above, nylon and steel (or cast) bearings should be avoided. Instead you should buy a boat lift with either aluminum or roller bearings, as they can take much greater loads, and not prone to serious issues.

Roller bearings will distribute the weight of the boat evenly and do so with a very low amount of friction. This is the ideal situation for your boat lift and will ensure years of quality useage.

Low Profile Boat Lifts
View the Low Profile specifications....

Overhead Beam Lifts
View Overhead Beam Lifts specifications....

Personal Watercraft (PWC) Lifts
View Personal Watercraft (PWC) specifications....

Boat House Boat Lifts
View Boat House Lifts specifications....

Eight Piling Lifts
View the Eight Piling Lifts specifications....

Whichever boat lift you decide upon should be a well-thought-out decision that meets your specific needs. It is extremely important to sell yourself the lift, not let a salesperson pressure you into a "less-than-optimal" solution. Boat lift systems are a substantial investment and a decision that you will live with for years. Once you are fully aware of all your options, the decision of exactly which boat lift is right for you will become self-evident.