Sumner ST-401 Grasshopper Texas Pipe Dolly

This is a great tool, and a marvelous combination of leverage and common sense.

Pros:
This is my second Grasshopper ( I have one in Texas and one in NH). My first is the old style, with a one piece boom and “A” frame legs. The one I just bought has a “u” frame, and a two section bolt-together boom, which I like. The “u” frame accommodates loads better and allows them to be carried higher, which works for me since I use it to move log and pole stock on unpaved roads and terrain. I also disarticulate the frame for storage
when I return to Texas.

Cons:
The delivery of this item took two weeks as opposed to the 2-3 days promised when ordered. The ultimate delivery was by a secondary forwarder, and the item took 5-6 calendar days to get from Manchester, NH to my receiving address, which was 1.5 hours from Manchester.

The “fit and finish” of the item left somewhat to be desired. The yellow paint coating suffered in transport and chipped off in several places during assembly. As a former oilfield equipment maker, I know that a durable paint spec is possible, and not prohibitive. If you’re going to deliver chrome yellow equipment, make the paint stick! And although it doesn’t affect performance, the decals proclaiming “Grasshopper” were upside down on the distal handle and elsewhere- I know this because the chain hooks must point up to hold.

There were no assembly instructions, although there were few parts and ‘even I’ could figure it out. One wheel hub would not fit on the axle without some modification (filing off burrs and welding slag). AND the articulated boom necessitates three sliding chain hitches, but only two threaded locking T bolts were supplied. Without the locking T bolt, the chain hitchpoints slide loudly and violently up and down the boom, which must be raised and lowered as the dolly is connected to the load.

The wheels are held on the shafts via cotter pins, and large washers are placed twixt the cotters and the hubs (I think). It is possible that they should be placed twixt the hubs an the frame as spacers .Instructions would have helped.

As delivered, only one wheel rolls freely, although they both turn under load.

As the dolly rolls, the tires rub on the “u” frame some times. This is not a problem with my old Grasshopper, as the legs are an “a” frame and the tires are nowhere near the frame members.