Amazon Product The Mechanic's "Umbrella"

mrrsm

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Oct 22, 2015
7,639
Tampa Bay Area
If you have ever had to work on your vehicle...starting on the top of the engine compartment... and then eventually had to “go below” to continue on with a repair or an Oil Change ...and been absolutely blinded senseless by Direct Sunlight as your eyes fail to attempt to adjust so you can actually see what you went down there for… THIS kind of device will serve you well and truly if you have no covered Garage to work inside of.

This “Off Set” 10’ span Umbrella can be positioned to cover the areas of the vehicle directly above where you want to work… but by using a cantilevered design; it uses an off set support stand, so it still allows you to move about above and below... unhindered by the typical center-pole design of the common Yard Umbrellas. And with a few Sand Bags, Cinder Blocks or your Old Weight Set Plates for additional support… it will safely remain in place while acting as “A Cover … With a Hover”.

For those of us who are “fair haired” and light complected and also have swimming pools… for under $70.00 ...this device will provide you the with an adjustable cover you need to protect from being exposed to too much Sun… and still be able to lounge and enjoy yourself while in the pool.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DE17EWS/?tag=gmtnation-20
 
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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Those things are pieces of shit. We had a couple and both did not last a year. The mother in law buys a couple per summer for by her pool cause the crappy plastic is junk. Dont waste your money on this bullshit. The offset aspect leaves a inherit weakness that breeds failure.

Been using a version of this canopy for years for camping or vehicle work or all kinds of things.
https://www.sears.com/z-shade-10-82...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CPz8-em48dsCFUrcwAodtjECLg

Cheaper and much better overall.
 
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Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
Those things are pieces of shit. We had a couple and both did not last a year. The mother in law buys a couple per summer for by her pool cause the crappy plastic is junk. Dont waste your money on this bullshit. The offset aspect leaves a inherit weakness that breeds failure.

Been using a version of this canopy for years for camping or vehicle work or all kinds of things.
https://www.sears.com/z-shade-10-82...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CPz8-em48dsCFUrcwAodtjECLg

Cheaper and much better overall.
Those work great, a friend I had in the Army would work on his GTO under one of those if it was raining. He made some walls out of vinyl and attached them on two sides.
 
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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Our last one was about $250 and broke the same way as the ones before. It was not plastic this, but some almost ductile looking metal that broke where the arm attaches to vertical pole. We tried about all of them we could find cause the design would be decent for over the patio if one would actually survive an entire summer.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
I've had a couple of these and both broke the rope that pulls it open. I did use them.a few times working on vehicles in the summer and when they weren't broken, were a godsend to protect me from the sun.

I'll probably now look for one of those canopies instead since it's portable and I'll be doing a lot more work outside.
 
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Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
I've gone through several models of canopies. Started with the slant leg style (got bent up after the wind took it for a cartwheel ride down the beach :eek:), then the popular straight leg style (one of the rubber bushings on the side got compressed making the whole accordion section between 2 of the legs wobbly, which increasingly got worse until it wouldn't stand on it's own for very long). Tried a gimmicky one that had overhangs at the corners, hated that and sold it to a friend. Those were all made from aluminum.

The one I've got now is a steel commercial grade model. The main feature I wanted, was the spans for the top, to meet with the sides in the middle, not in the corners, so the framing was more rigid. Now I can hang things from the supports (towels, shirts, small bags) and not worry. That's how I messed up the 2nd one, hung my empty backpack up, the wind made it sway back and forth for about an hour, and the damage was done. Since I've had a garage to tinker in for the past 3 years, haven't needed it for working on the truck, but it's great for the beach and meets (when we used to have them all the time :sadcry:)
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Yeah...they are not made to support extra weight for sure.

I had the wind kill a couple. One in a field at the farm with 30-40 mile per hour gusts that ripped the 6 inch stakes out and tossed it around, it was steel, but I don't think anything would have survived that. The other was an aluminum which was setup by the wife who did not think it needed anything to hold it in place so it did not take much to tumble it to the neighbors.

I got a couple of the aluminum now as I like the lighter weight and really did not see a performance difference in the steel since I just use them for shade/cover, but I can see the need for you to have the strength on the beach and handiness of drying stuff from it.
 

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