Crossbar Lifter

[PV Official]

I have designed a crossbar lifter attachment for a paint pole. The attachment has a standard thread that fits on any paint pole. I use the lifters when I officiate and have had very positive feedback. I’m still investigating what it would cost to have these made so I don’t have an estimated price yet. Is anyone interested?

[vaultmd]

Hell, yeah!

[KirkB]

I think this is a great idea ... assuming it works OK.

The reason I think this is an excellent idea is that paint poles are readily available at low prices in most building/hardware stores, and the cost of your attachment would presumably also be low ... or at least much lower than if you had to include a long telescoping rod. Not only that, the attachment could be easily sold thru mail-order. Altho you can telescope a "paint pole" type rod, it would still be a lot more expensive to package and ship than just the attachment.

As I alluded to in the "pole sock" thread, one secret to market success for products like these is to keep the retail price down to something that's so inexpensive that the price will not inhibit potential buyers from ordering it. I realize that this product would be more for a school or club ... rather than for an individual (like the pole sleeve).

I forget how short you can telescope a paint pole down to ... altho even if you couldn't, you could always carry it (and store it) with your poles if you had to. What length is it at a minimum? Maximum?



Kirk

[ifavault]

Not to detract from your entrepreneurship, however there are many ways to "skin this cat". In my bag, I carry a device that I created that is cheap and convenient for putting up crossbars.

Take a "U"-shaped, wall holder for a hammer that you can buy at your home improvement store. Preferrably, it has a rubberized coating on it and a "lag"-type screw on the end that would be used to screw it into a wall.

Screw this into a rubber, tapered cork that will fit into the end of most pole vault poles and ta-da...you've got yourself a small, lightweight, inexpensive BPU ("Bar-Putter-Upper"). Use two for maximum efficiency with one person on each end. The rubber coating helps prevent slippage of the bar. The "U" of the holder is only about 1.5 inches across so the bar fits in there pretty snugly. And poles are obviously easily accessible at any meet.

I probably just gave away my only once in a lifetime million dollar ideas, but oh-well.

ifavault

[KirkB]

Ifavault, I'm sure your proposed device would work just fine ... but I still like PV Official's paint pole attachment idea better.

1. His will be a commercial product, so doesn't have to be BUILT by each individual school or club.

2. Since he's obviously a PV official (duh!) he's put up plenty of bars (duh!) so I trust that he'll have designed a very nice attachment. It doesn't have to be BETTER than the hammer-hanger ... it just has to be functionally as good as it.

3. The success of a commercial product is much more than just a good functional design. It also has to do with aesthetic appearance and market channels. If you're SELLING a good-looking commercial product to a school or club for about the same price as what it would cost them to buy the parts and put it together themselves ... (I'm assuming that the availability of paint poles vs. spare PV poles is a wash ... so I'm only comparing the ATTACHMENTS ... arguably an unfair comparison) ... then a school or club will go with what works best; what looks best; what's easiest to buy; and what takes the least amount of "assembly". My money's on PVO's product!

Maybe for a COMPLETE product PVO, you should also resell the paint poles as an option ... at a cost just slightly higher than at paint stores ... but rather, only to save the school or club from the hassle of sourcing it. Their choice.

Let's price out the 2 alternatives, and see what the comparative cost would be.

PVO - what do you plan to retail yours for ... including shipping cost?

IfaV - what are your costs, and how long to assemble?

Any other factors to consider? Ruggedness/reliability?

Kirk

[PV Official]

Kirk,
I don't know how "commercial" this product would be because I am just planning to have a machine shop make up a batch for me. A very preliminary estimate is $40 per lifter attachment ($80 for a pair) plus about $10 for shipping = $90 for a pair. The reason the attachments cost so much is there is machining & labor involved. The eventual unit cost would depend on how many units I have made. Assembly involves screwing the attachment on the paint pole and then fastening a ring clamp to keep the attachment from unscrewing during use. Paint poles run about $35 - $40 each so for about $170 you would have a pair of lifters. This may sound like a lot of money but a major PV equipment company sells 1 lifter for $166.

This product is way more expensive than what Ifavault proposes but it is intended for use in competitions when it is important to put the bar up as quickly as possible. As an official, I often arrive at a meet and don't know what type of equipment I will be dealing with. I got tired of having marginal lifters because they are hard to use and take longer to replace the bar. That's why I made my own because time saved putting up the bar means a faster event. The advantage of using telescoping paint poles is I can transport them in my car and they are easy to carry, as opposed to a full length pole. I find paint poles easier to handle than vaulting poles, particularly at lower heights, and that can make a difference for your pit crew.

[KirkB]

... $40 per lifter attachment ($80 for a pair) plus about $10 for shipping = $90 for a pair. The reason the attachments cost so much is there is machining & labor involved.

$40 per lifter might be reasonable for a prototype ... but whatever you can do to reduce this retail cost will help you in the long run ... if you're trying to make it commercially viable. For example, maybe you can use plastic ... or wood ... material instead of metal? These materials are cheaper ... faster to machine ... and perhaps almost as durable.

Another alternative is to consider an "adapter" that you can buy off-the-shelf, and then just "clip" your device onto that. That would eliminate the need for machining the thread needed to fit the end of the paint pole.

PM me any drawings you might like to share, and I'll be happy to advise you on this ... I love this kind of a design challenge ... and I offer my advice for free ... as long as it's PV-related.

This product is ... intended for use in competitions when it is important to put the bar up as quickly as possible. ...

Just about EVERY meet needs the bar put up quickly! There's your market!

... I find paint poles easier to handle than vaulting poles, particularly at lower heights, and that can make a difference for your pit crew.

Yes, at lower heights, you only need to extend the paint pole as long as it needs to be. This is much less awkward than dealing with a long pole of fixed length at the low heights.

I think your idea is great!

Kirk

[vaultmd]

I've used his lifters at meets that we've worked together at and can attest they are really really nice.

[KirkB]

Another alternative is to consider an "adapter" that you can buy off-the-shelf, and then just "clip" your device onto that. That would eliminate the need for machining the thread needed to fit the end of the paint pole. ...

Here's an example of the type of adapter that I was referring to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026KTXQ4/ref=asc_df_B0026KTXQ4919377?smid=A1SV1BYDTUK2Z5&tag=dealtmp43-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0026KTXQ4

It would be a lot easier and cheaper to attach your device to this adapter than directly to the threaded pole. The cost is only $3.19, and you could include it as part of your product.

http://www.mrlongarm.com also sells a SMART LOC ADAPTER http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00188OT64/ref=asc_df_B00188OT64919388?smid=A1SV1BYDTUK2Z5&tag=dealtmp43-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B00188OT64 in a 3-pack for $6.99. This might even eliminate the need for the ring clamp that you described.

Using one of these adaptors, I can't see why you can't manufacture a product for under $20 PER PAIR ... and still make a good profit.

You might even be able to incorporate ifavault's "hammer hanger" into your device. Just devise a way to bolt the hammer hanger to the adaptor!

Kirk

[PV Official]

Thanks for the suggestions, Kirk. I have actually been pursuing a similar approach. I now have a quote to manufacture my device and know I can retail the product for significantly less than my original estimate. I'm still working out the details but I will keep you posted on my progress via this message board.

[KirkB]

Kirk

[PV Official]

Just made my reservations for the Pole Vault Summit and plan to use my lifters on the pit I officiate.