MetalTech I-IDPL Vs. Harbor Freight's Franklin Drywall Lift: What's The Difference?

If you're looking to replace the drywall in your home, then you might be interested in getting a few things. Panels, screws, adhesive, and a solid drywall screw gun are a given, but you may also be thinking about investing in a drywall lift. Sure, you can technically hold the panels in place while a partner screws them into the joists and studs, but your arms will be begging for mercy before you manage to get through a few lengths of sheetrock. A panel lift can make all the difference.

Fortunately, there are a couple of great options out there. Harbor Freight and Home Depot both sell drywall lifts that are more than up to the task. Harbor Freight has a well-earned reputation for affordability, and you can get even better deals by taking advantage of the retailer's seasonal sale events. This extends to the drywall lift which is comparatively affordable when compared to those sold at other big-box hardware stores like Home Depot. 

That said, Home Depot tends to be more well-regarded when it comes to selling quality brands that are built to last, and Harbor Freight sells a few tools that you might want to think twice about before purchasing. But before you go out and buy either one, you might be interested in learning a bit more about each of these drywall lifts, such as their weight capacities and what other special features each of them might have to offer.

Let's start off with the Franklin Drywall Lift. This is a welded steel, 150 lb. capacity hoist. This should be more than enough weight for any project since most standard 4x8 foot drywall sheets only weigh between 30 and 50 lbs. Even larger, 5/8-inch thick, 4x12 foot drywall panel sheets only weigh 109 lbs., which is still well under the 150 lb. maximum. The bigger issue that some people might encounter is the maximum lift height. This hoist can lift drywall panels up to 11 feet 5 inches. That should be more than enough for most standard 8 to 10-foot ceilings, but it may not be enough for taller rooms.

In terms of features, the Franklin drywall lift has an automatic load-holding brake, a cradle that tilts to make it easier to load, an extendable tripod base with locking outriggers, and castors which Harbor Freight promises are smooth rolling and non-marring. It has a tripod base, a cradle with two support hooks on the cross-arms, and a manual winch to control the telescoping assembly.

The lift has 4.6 out of 5 stars on the Harbor Freight website. A majority of the customers who used it gave it a perfect score, though there were a few who complained that it was a bit clunky or that the assembly instructions were unclear. NERemodeling did a review of the lift and they thought it was a solid piece of equipment. "Overall it's a great unit. I think it's plenty sturdy for whatever you're going to need it for."

Unlike Harbor Freight, Home Depot sells dozens of different drywall lifts that are manufactured by dozens of different companies. But out of all these options, the MetalTech 48.4 inch x 57 in. x 58 inch Jobsite Series Drywall Panel Hoist is considered to be one of the top-rated models. This hoist is another 150 lb. capacity lift, so it should be able to bear the same range of panel weights as the Franklin model. It has a loading height of 34 inches, but its maximum lift height is only 11 feet — making it 6 inches shorter than the Franklin. This height should work for most standard rooms, and the half-foot difference probably won't be a decision-maker in most cases, but it's definitely worth measuring the distance from your floor to your ceiling before making a purchase if you suspect it's close to that threshold.

The MetalTech lift is made of square steel welded tubes and has 5-inch caster wheels that have double locks to help keep the tripod securely positioned while raising the drywall. The cradle tilts and locks as well. This is good for easy loading so you can fix the sheetrock to walls and sloped ceilings. It also has a telescoping base, a winch-controlled telescoping assembly, and two support hooks on the cross arms. This unit has a 4.7 out of 5 stars on the Home Depot website. Most of the reviews are positive, and the majority of negative reviews were related to shipping errors and boxes arriving damaged.

There aren't a lot of huge differences between these two products in terms of their overall design. The Franklin is red, and the MetalTech is yellow, but both have welded steel frames, tripod bases, a winch-operated telescoping lift mechanism, and the same weight capacity. The Franklin goes 6 inches higher, while the MetalTech has slightly sturdier casters. The MetalTech also has a 57.9-inch base, which gives it a slightly wider and more stable stance than the Franklin's 51.75-inch width. That's about it, though. Both are also well-rated on their respective retailers' websites.

The biggest difference between these two products is the price. Part of the Harbor Freight business model is to make its own version of popular tools and then slash the prices, which seems to be exactly what it has done here. The MetalTech lift is currently going for $437.52 at Home Depot and $329.99 at Acme Tools. That's pretty cheap when you compare it to the $1,000+ industrial models, but it pales in comparison to the $249.99 Franklin Lift that you can get at Harbor Freight. So those hunting for a bargain should have a pretty easy time making a decision.