Come-alongs

[rick carpenter]

I've had the come-along on the right in the first pic for a while. It has a 3/16" cable and a pulley. I bought the one on the left in the first pic about two weeks ago in a garage sale. It is 'direct drive' with a 3/16" cable that I had to cut free. The second pic shows why, the hub(?) is mangled a bit. There is no rating stamped on either of them.

Question 1: Most direct drive 3/16" come-alongs in a quick web search are rated at 2 tons. If so, would the come-along with the pulley be rated at 4 tons?

Question 2: The 'new' come-along functions fine, but is it compromised because of the hub?

 

[Strouty]

Just so you know the "cheaper" come alongs are rated funny. I think it is rolling resistance or something like that. Meaning that it will pull whatever rated weight if it is on wheels.

3/16" cable has a breaking strength of about 4000 pounds, so you be the judge. I would not pick a heavy load with them, but as long as whatever you are pulling can't crush you or destroy something, have at it.

 

[Strouty]

Here is a reputable brand that is rated to pick or pull a true load, if you look at the come alongs they offer you will get a better idea of what I am talking about.

https://www.lug-all.com/hoists/cable-hoists

 

[kctyphoon]

4 tons is 8,000 lbs.. And yes those ratings I belive are for "pulling a rolling load on level ground". I would never, let me say that again , NEVER lift anything with one of those.. Wanna pull your car out of the mud, pull a log up a hill - fine.. Usually a hoist with a block on it has 2 ratings if it's a convertible hoist, meaning it's designed to be used as both a single line and double line when using the block it comes with. The single line rating will be half of the double.. Usually anything decent will have the load rating stamped or cast onto the frame. I wouldn't assume it's a 4 ton with the intentions of doing anything dangerous with it.

But looking at it, it has a double pawl on it, and usually that indicates a higher load rating is present on the cheaper ones.. So you are probably correct about the load rating, but take that number with a grain of salt, and ask yourself if you trust 8,000lbs on a $40 hoist...

All the hoists pictured in the link above are examples of convertible models hoists..

 

[sberry]

A 4t is worth every penny, doent mean you can rig 4 with it they are good compared to the 2t.

 

[Parabellum]

I been hit hard in the stomach by one once, not fun...Be safe

 

[rick carpenter]

They're just for general pulling duty, but mostly for pulling limbs and logs out of debris piles for firewood. If I 'hoist' anything, it would be one end of a bucked log only high enough for to jam a chunk of 4x6 underneath so I can saw it off the ground.

I gotta put in a new hook and new cable & hook on the 'new' single-line double-pawl one if the hub is OK, and one new hook on the double-line single-pawl one.

 

[geartow]

3/16 cable with a breaking load of 4000 lbs means it has a safe working load limit of 1000 lbs . Rolling resitance is5% to 10% of load weight on hard flat ground. Damage resistance in other words draging it is 66% of the load on hard flat ground. The math that goes into winching(comealong) is very in depth for my job. Did you real think the strong man could pull a bus of kids. now you know how .

 

[Sterff]

Here is a reputable brand that is rated to pick or pull a true load, if you look at the come alongs they offer you will get a better idea of what I am talking about.

https://www.lug-all.com/hoists/cable-hoists

These are great. I have the red 1-1/2 ton model and we have the orange big one on the farm. We use it to pull a silage unloader out of silo.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I have one of those but also two of the chain type. I always reach for the chain ones, as they just seem safer. I used one to pull a hung-up oak tree over two weeks ago.

 

[kctyphoon]

Craigslist or eBay is the best place to find a good chain hoist.. New, the prices can be pretty insane depending on the brand.. The chain models are heavy but pretty indestructible. They are all we use at work. The strap and wire rope hoists are lighter and more compact. They also store the strap/line on a drum so there's nothing dangling around to get caught or make any unwanted contact. Not very abrasion resistant. That's where chain models really shine.

 

[Finky198]

We used and own about 5 lug all pullers ( I still need a 3ton but ...) and have also used the Wyeth Scott / Moore power puller.

As said above they make these devices in two categories commercial and home owner.
The work load should be either 5:1 or 10:1 regardless of the device, but when my name is on the line I don't like taking the risk ( Especially if you're lifting overhead)

Knowing your min and max load, avoid sharp edges, working load, dynamic / static forces
All come into play be careful

Just because a pulley redudces the required force to move and object, Does not mean it reduces the actual weight of the object at the point of connection/tether. As well as the capacity of the actual device.

 

[Strouty]

Where are you getting 5% or 10%?

Normal safety factor is 5 to 1, if the rigging is old, worn, or this is a really high risk of injury then you could increase it. So a 3/16" cable with a breaking strength of 4050 pounds would have a safe working load of 810 pounds.

 

[Finky198]

Your correct. I stated that incorrectly it should be a 5:1 or 10:1 ratio.

 

[Strouty]

That makes more sense, was not sure if I had been industrially awol too long!

 

[ScottsGT]

How are the harbor Freight come-alongs? I'm needing a smaller one to use on some suspension work (Pulling a control arm into place under spring pressure). I had an older Made in USA that I have had to replace twice because of teenagers borrowing it thinking they can get their trucks out of the mud back in the woods. Made the kids pay for both they destroyed, but not buying another they think will get them out of the woods. Looking at their 1200 lb model. Don't want too big, just want to make sure the thing at least functions properly.

 

[mjoekingz28]

I got a HF about six years ago,and used it once. Still have it.

ScottsGT, I didnt put too much force on it when doing suspension work, but DO make sure you check all of the bolts, nuts, fasteners as mine were quite loose and could have been disastrous under tension.

 

[zendriver]

How are the harbor Freight come-alongs? I'm needing a smaller one to use on some suspension work (Pulling a control arm into place under spring pressure). I had an older Made in USA that I have had to replace twice because of teenagers borrowing it thinking they can get their trucks out of the mud back in the woods. Made the kids pay for both they destroyed, but not buying another they think will get them out of the woods. Looking at their 1200 lb model. Don't want too big, just want to make sure the thing at least functions properly.

I have several. they seem to feel and work as well as other "brands", in the price range.

Never any fear in using one, for what they were designed to do.

 

[sometoyotaguy]

It's probably fine. You should have a few turns of cable on the drum before pulling hard on anything. It looks like that didn't happen at some point. The only one that ever failed on me was a made in USA Pow-R-Pull. They did replace it with no questions asked though. So, I can't complain.