Old Mohawk or New Chinese

[finn]

I work for a gov contractor and we are not allowed to use Chinese material handling devices such as slings and shackles because they are a safety hazard, but there is difference between a Chinese lift designed and built by China and an American design / manufacturing process / QA carried out in China

True, but understand there’s a lot of politics in government sourcing. To some extent the contractor’s hands are tied in sourcing, once a policy is put in place.

Are Japanese, Mexican, Brazilian, Korean, Australian, or Canadian slings and shackles allowed? Or is the policy a poorly disguised form of protectionism? Are there documented cases of only Chinese slings and shackles failing? Just curious.

An example of politics in sourcing is that at one time, school bus specs in some areas could only have wet sleeve Diesel engines, which excluded Cummins and Cat power plants from bids.

Eventually that requirement disappeared, after a lot of manufacturer funded lobbying efforts.

Separately, a significant number of Diesel engine crankshafts are either forged, or completely finished in China, and used in engines built all over the world.

 

[ycgoat]

True, but understand there’s a lot of politics in government sourcing. To some extent the contractor’s hands are tied in sourcing, once a policy is put in place.

Are Japanese, Mexican, Brazilian, Korean, Australian, or Canadian slings and shackles allowed? Or is the policy a poorly disguised form of protectionism? Are there documented cases of only Chinese slings and shackles failing? Just curious.

An example of politics in sourcing is that at one time, school bus specs in some areas could only have wet sleeve Diesel engines, which excluded Cummins and Cat power plants from bids.

Eventually that requirement disappeared, after a lot of manufacturer funded lobbying efforts.

Separately, a significant number of Diesel engine crankshafts are either forged, or completely finished in China, and used in engines built all over the world.

We are a sub that put’s safety above all else, and I believe it was a device failure that prompted the rule, not politics, but that is above my pay grade

 

[mcbane]

US built jack stands were failing back in the early seventies, well before Chinese imports were a thing.

Show me a picture of a 1” bolt that sheared when hand tightened. I call BS on that one.

I have personally split US built 3/8” drive 1/2” sockets with a ratchet.

I didnt take a photo. I am an engineer who worked for a water utility and this stuff really happens and is expensive. Lots of info on this online. See https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/buyer-beware-counterfeit-substandard-inferior for just one example of what you get when you search for "counterfeit structural bolt"

 

[finn]

I didnt take a photo. I am an engineer who worked for a water utility and this stuff really happens and is expensive. Lots of info on this online. See https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/buyer-beware-counterfeit-substandard-inferior for just one example of what you get when you search for "counterfeit structural bolt"

Interesting article using an incident that occurred thirty six years ago as its talking point. I didn’t see anything about the bolt failing when it was being hand tightened, either.

That’s a typical clickbait article devoid of facts and supporting evidence, published in an industry trade magazine whose whole purpose is to sell advertising and stroke the egos of its constituents. Every industry has those magazines, including my own.

Counterfeit bolts are bad, no disagreement, but not all bolts from China are counterfeit, and a good importer will have quality systems in place to prevent this. I am surprised that you, as an engineer, don’t understand this.

 

[mcbane]

Interesting article using an incident that occurred thirty six years ago as its talking point. I didn’t see anything about the bolt failing when it was being hand tightened, either.

That’s a typical clickbait article devoid of facts and supporting evidence, published in an industry trade magazine whose whole purpose is to sell advertising and stroke the egos of its constituents. Every industry has those magazines, including my own.

Counterfeit bolts are bad, no disagreement, but not all bolts from China are counterfeit, and a good importer will have quality systems in place to prevent this. I am surprised that you, as an engineer, don’t understand this.

I shared my experience for the benefit of OP. Not going to argue over this.

 

[bb29510]

I work for a gov contractor and we are not allowed to use Chinese material handling devices such as slings and shackles because they are a safety hazard, but there is difference between a Chinese lift designed and built by China and an American design / manufacturing process / QA carried out in China

i got buckets of shackle just for that reason

 

[jetlag]

3K for a used Mohawk 12K lift is a no-brainer. The only maintenance would be hydraulic cylinder rebuilds, IF they are leaky, and maybe to clean up the carriage bearings. Mohawk uses quality cylinders, and I'd recommend anyone buying a used Mohawk install it BEFORE deciding to send the cylinders out for rebuild, because the chances are that they're just fine. If it is the old style single hydraulic line connecting the two columns, I'd pay the money to convert it to the new style, which uses double lines and is dead nuts simple to keep the arms synchronized.

The LMF12K is a direct drive lift, with two equally sized 4" hydraulic cylinders. My System IA 10K uses a chain/over cylinder design, and the slave side has a smaller diameter cylinder. Pros and cons to each design. The chain/over design means the cylinders move half the distance for the same amount of lift. I have no worries that the chain would ever wear out, but that is a consideration.

If the lift has been stored outside since it was taken out of service, it's a very good idea to disassemble, clean and re-grease all the cam follower bearings on the carriage. There are NO PLASTIC SLIDER BLOCKS on a Mohawk to wear out. No equalizing cables, no crappy Chinese cable sheaves. No cheap arm locks. No rubber hydraulic lines. Everything is overbuilt for the rated use. Basically, once the lift is serviced and installed, it's maintenance free. There literally is nothing to wear out, I'd take a used Mohawk over a new Chinese lift every time. I'd bet that a 12K Mohawk is more robust than even the best Chinese 18K. All the Les Schwab tire stores around here (and most of the government shops) use Mohawk lifts.

 

[pl_silverado]

edited

 

[hookedontronics]

Mohawk will last you a lifetime. i have an A-7A and am currently looking for another 1A for larger vehicles.

 

[bb29510]

pay the 3k