rope for moving heavy things

[vi_]

I apologize if this is not an appropriate question for this forum but I have become a bit desperate for info - We want to move a heavy metal ( < 200 lbs) file cabinet down a flight of stairs. I thought I'd pick up some rope to use as a safety line - to help control the downward slide - but evidently there are tons of kinds of rope!

Manila is out because of the oil they coat it with
polypropylene seems too stretchy

but that leaves sisal and nylon and polyester - and how thick??
even though 1/2 inch sisal is rated at >350 lbs load most people seem to use it only for cat scratches!! and there are words like "decorative" in the descriptions - that doesn't sound too promising

If anyone has any idea about rope strong enuf and not too stretchy would greatly appreciate it

 

[Firebrick43]

Nylon or polyester. Make sure you wear gloves to keep from rope burning your hands. I personally like cast off tree climbing ropes for this kind of work. Much better than run of the mill hardware rope and the climbers take it out of service do to the smallest flaws.

 

[rlitman]

Are we talking about just a metal filing cabinet, or a fireproof filing cabinet that is filled with concrete (like a Fireking)?

The former should be an easy job for two people with a "stair climbing" appliance hand truck. You can rent these if you don't have one.

The latter is not a diy job for the uninitiated, and may even require reinforcement of the stairs.

My wife and I brought up a flight of stairs a 400+lb treadmill on a cart like the one above. We used a comealong with a steel cable to control the lift, and the same device could be used for a controlled descent if you have something to anchor it to.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

To guide 200lbs down a flight of stairs is different than lowering 200lbs down an elevator shaft. There will be a lot of friction and the slope will help too. If there is a person at the bottom of the filing cabinet and the rope handler at the top, I'd feel comfortable with a rope of the type to tow water skiers. Don't tie the rope to your body....

 

[SantaAna12]

A good polyester double braid would be ideal. Some suggest a 5 to 1 load rating. If u use nylon, its fine, just google its snap-back tendency, and stay out of that area.
Just an opinion, but the hand truck......a real one......might be the ticket.

 

[MarlynOC]

Nylon gives/streches quite a bit. Why used as anchor lines.

 

[vi_]

Are we talking about just a metal filing cabinet, or a fireproof filing cabinet that is filled with concrete (like a Fireking)?

It's just a regular file cabinet but I guesstimate it is between 150 to 200 lbs - we are two small people and the concern is it gaining momentum on the stairs.
the handtruck idea is interesting but they look like you need good upper body strength to use them

 

[vi_]

I'd feel comfortable with a rope of the type to tow water skiers.

Thank you for the answer - what kind of rope is used to tow water skiers?

 

[vi_]

Nylon or polyester. Make sure you wear gloves to keep from rope burning your hands..

thanks
do you have any suggestion as far as the rope diameter?

 

[vi_]

A good polyester double braid would be ideal. Some suggest a 5 to 1 load rating.

thanks
does polyester stretch much? and by "load rating" do you mean for 200 lb cabinet a rope with a load rating of 1,000 lbs?

 

[bert1913]

when i had new a refrigerator delivered to the house, a 2 person team used lifting straps
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...=aps&field-keywords=Moving+and+Lifting+Straps

 

[2oolhound]

To guide 200lbs down a flight of stairs is different than lowering 200lbs down an elevator shaft. There will be a lot of friction and the slope will help too. If there is a person at the bottom of the filing cabinet and the rope handler at the top, I'd feel comfortable with a rope of the type to tow water skiers. Don't tie the rope to your body....

^^^^ This ^^^^
I've moved 400 lb equipment down stairs this way and it was so easy I could have done it myself if I could have gotten the equipment to the head of the stairs. If you can bend the rope across a doorway or put a once around wind onto a post or hand rail you will have tons of finger tip control. I'd get 1/2" synthetic rope, just the 3 strand stuff that's cheap. 1/2" is way too strong but it's easy on the hands. If the stairs are carpeted that's the best. If not you should use a moving blanket under it.

Try this. have your partner tie the rope around their waist then sit on a smooth board on the stairs. You will see how easy it is to hold them in place. You may even have to push them to get them to start sliding down. Get them to stand at the bottom and you bend the rope around a door opening or something solid at the top and see if they can pull you.

3rd option. Get a couple of 15 year old kids off the football team at the nearest school to carry it down in exchange for some big macs and a milkshake.

 

[IndyGarage]

Look on Amazon for forearm forklift. They really work.

 

[kctyphoon]

If you goto Home Depot, the weight ratings on the various ropes are listed on the info tags. But anyway, a hand truck is probably the best option here. you can get a cheap hand truck, and bind the cabinet to the handtruck with 2 or 3 ratchet straps. One person on the top holding the handle, the other on the bottom helping to hold the weight down each step.

Whatever your situation might be - you can also just place an ad on craigslist and offer $50 for 2 guys to come with a handtruck and do 10 minutes of work.. that might be the easiest thing to do instead of taking a risk if you aren't comfortable with this. Sometimes it's easier to just let someone else do the hard work for you. A cheap handtruck would probably cost about $50 anyway.

Not to mention, (without knowing the full situation here), if damage to the stairs is a concern, that should be considered. Also, confidence in your rope tying skills would be a must. Lastly, and I'd hope this is obvious - empty the cabinet first.

 

[notlob]

U-Haul and some Home Depots rent appliance hand trucks like that pictured above for about $10. Make sure you get one with working stair climbing treads.

Take the drawers out of the cabinet and carry them down the stairs individually. The remaining empty cabinet should be light enough to easily move down the stairs with the hand truck, or be carried down the stairs by a couple reasonably strong neighbors.

 

[vi_]

@2oolhound
thanks for all the details!!

 

[vi_]

If you goto Home Depot, the weight ratings on the various ropes are listed on the info tags. But anyway, a hand truck is probably the best option here. you can get a cheap hand truck, and bind the cabinet to the handtruck with 2 or 3 ratchet straps. One person on the top holding the handle, the other on the bottom helping to hold the weight down each step.

Whatever your situation might be - you can also just place an ad on craigslist and offer $50 for 2 guys to come with a handtruck and do 10 minutes of work.. that might be the easiest thing to do instead of taking a risk if you aren't comfortable with this. Sometimes it's easier to just let someone else do the hard work for you. A cheap handtruck would probably cost about $50 anyway.

Not to mention, (without knowing the full situation here), if damage to the stairs is a concern, that should be considered. Also, confidence in your rope tying skills would be a must. Lastly, and I'd hope this is obvious - empty the cabinet first.

Thanks

 

[vi_]

when i had new a refrigerator delivered to the house, a 2 person team used lifting straps
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...=aps&field-keywords=Moving+and+Lifting+Straps

we looked at those but thought sliding it down might be easier than carrying it down stairs - they are impressive though!

 

[theoldwizard1]

Nylon braid. Skip the nylon with poly core combo. Polyester/polypropylene stretches much more than nylon for a given load. This means the the poly core is not doing its fair share of the work.

Polyester/polypropylene by themselves are not bad, if you don't mind the stretch.

 

[Cf mtn]

see if a rental shop in your area has 1 of these?

/www.amazon.com/Wesco-274100-Stairclimbing-Universal-Capacity/dp/B004WIKOPM

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

+1 on the appliance dolly. I have easy access to them and they are a life saver for moving heavy things up/down stairs.

I'm a brute force kind of guy, but have to adapt as I age cause I'm not as strong as I used to be . . .

Jim

 

[vi_]

see if a rental shop in your area has 1 of these?

/www.amazon.com/Wesco-274100-Stairclimbing-Universal-Capacity/dp/B004WIKOPM

Thanks

 

[vi_]

+1 on the appliance dolly. I have easy access to them and they are a life saver for moving heavy things up/down stairs.

I'm a brute force kind of guy, but have to adapt as I age cause I'm not as strong as I used to be . . .

Jim

thanks

 

[vi_]

thanks to everyone here we have a lot of options!!
never would have thought buying rope would be so complicated LOL

 

[vi_]

Hit another snag - not finding polyester rope 1/2" or better (lots of polypropylene but I know that is stretchy) - did come across this "mule tape" - anyone familiar with it? and would it be OK for the safety line for the 200 lb filing cabinet?

Mule Tape - 3/4 Inch - 2,500 lb. - Pull Tape - Polyester Pulling Tape - Made in USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5C19PF/?tag=atomicindus08-20

thanks

 

[SantaAna12]

Nylon braid. Skip the nylon with poly core combo. Polyester/polypropylene stretches much more than nylon for a given load. This means the the poly core is not doing its fair share of the work.

Polyester/polypropylene by themselves are not bad, if you don't mind the stretch.

Nylon stretches more than polyester. In polyester double braid the core is by far the stronger component.
Polypropylene is used mostly becuase of its weight....it floats. It has low abrasion qualities, and is weaker per similar diameter.
Most important here is the load rating.

IMO....if u have never moved something like this......consider KCs post about some help.

 

[T45]

My first look would be around 10mm static nylon line.

 

[shawhite]

Furniture dolly would be my first choice . One decent size person could move a 200lbs cabinet with a good dolly. I dont see the need for all the elaborate ropes mentioned above. Double braid hollow core, double brain solid core, nylon, polyester, etc etc. honestly for 200lbs linear load you can get by with just about anything. Will be tough on your hands but will handle the load. As for mule tape mentioned above. Great stuff but the smaller stuff is hard on the hands as well.

 

[Bobf]

Go buy a cheap tow strap at the auto stores or HF, wear gloves, put a pipe or square thick wall tube at the top of the stairs across the opening, strap looped around it and slowly lower to the person below on the stairs.

 

[IUEC Medic]

To guide 200lbs down a flight of stairs is different than lowering 200lbs down an elevator shaft. There will be a lot of friction and the slope will help too. If there is a person at the bottom of the filing cabinet and the rope handler at the top, I'd feel comfortable with a rope of the type to tow water skiers. Don't tie the rope to your body....

Manila hoisting rope (3/4-7/8"), especially when new, is certainly capable of hoisting 200lbs. It's been used for literally decades, to hoist 500lb+ Pieces of equipment up and down elevator shafts. Now (due to safety policy) we use double braided nylon composite hoisting ropes that are rated for 1000-1500lbs.

That being said, Manila is fully capable, but rope is often tedious to use in stairwells, especially if you don't have an anchor point. I've had good luck with 3 or 4 guys and some 6-12' long 4x4's (whatever the length of the stairway is from top to bottom landing) and just sliding it.

...That being said, if it's under 200 lbs, and the stairway is wide enough, 4 or 3 guys could probably just carry it....

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ Yeah, I was using the shaft as an example that the rope needed wasn't for a dead lift or drop. Personally I would remove the drawers and slide it down the stairs on it's back by myself, but I'm also 6'3" and 260 lbs.

 

[flushcut]

Nylon stretches more than polyester. In polyester double braid the core is by far the stronger component.
Polypropylene is used mostly becuase of its weight....it floats. It has low abrasion qualities, and is weaker per similar diameter.
Most important here is the load rating.

IMO....if u have never moved something like this......consider KCs post about some help.

First off I own and run a tree service and have lines ranging from 1.75mm up to 1 1/4". In a polyester double braid the core and cove share the strength rating 50/50.
OP ebay has what you seek type in "samson rope" and practically any line that shows up will handle a 200wll. So at a 5:1 safety factor a 1000lb mbs line will suffice.

 

[mitusa]

Here's how......

 

[SantaAna12]

First off I own and run a tree service and have lines ranging from 1.75mm up to 1 1/4". In a polyester double braid the core and cove share the strength rating 50/50.
OP ebay has what you seek type in "samson rope" and practically any line that shows up will handle a 200wll. So at a 5:1 safety factor a 1000lb mbs line will suffice.

To the first part of your post: your entitled to your opinion.
To the second: Samson is a rope manufacturer, and makes great line,
or rope in this case.

To the OP: any decent Marine store will have Samson, or New England line.
Sorry I didnt get to your load question....Flushcut is correct.....5 to1 working load is straight ahead and on the money. If you are undecided between two diameters, the larger will be easier on your hands.

 

[Advan]

This is a classic case of waaaay overthinking something. Sliding a filing cabinet down some stairs and we're discussing rope materials? Poly is too stretchy, but manila is too oily? Lol.....


With a 35° staircase, you only need 114 lbs to prevent the object from sliding, assuming zero friction. Considering 1/4" (Yes, QUARTER inch) poly breaks at 1300lbs, I'd say this is a whole lotta talk about an easy job.

 

[kctyphoon]

Hit another snag - not finding polyester rope 1/2" or better (lots of polypropylene but I know that is stretchy) - did come across this "mule tape" - anyone familiar with it? and would it be OK for the safety line for the 200 lb filing cabinet?

Mule Tape - 3/4 Inch - 2,500 lb. - Pull Tape - Polyester Pulling Tape - Made in USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5C19PF/?tag=atomicindus08-20

thanks

Mule tape is used to pull cable or fiber optic lines. The stuff we use at work is 1,800lb rated. It is definitely NOT something you wanna wrap around your hands. It's called "tape" because it's flat and thin, not round like rope. Yes it's extremely strong, but not something you'd wanna use for this most likely.

 

[T45]

Considering 1/4" (Yes, QUARTER inch) poly breaks at 1300lbs, I'd say this is a whole lotta talk about an easy job.

It not just the strength but also how bad its going to cut your hands/be poor handling if its too thin. 10 mil is the start of normal size rope in my mind for hauling, and you can get good enough at the hardware store in many cases.

hi tech 3 mil or 6 mil...is like using fishin line or wire rope... is going to shred your hands no matter the load rating.

 

[nes999]

I would just use a dolly, it doesn't take much strength to use one. If you are worried remove the drawers.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Gmonkee]

Here rope is sold by the kilo. Dumb to me but it is how they do it.

So I bought a kilo of 16mm plastic rope which was locally made from recycle soda bottles. However long that happens to be I don't know but it was more than my need at time of purchase.

You can tow a car with 3/8'' plastic safely so 5/8" should hold me well trimming a tree. I still weigh less than a car.

Look at the resistances. Plastic is good for all but prolonged sun, natural fibers don't do wet as well. High heat gets them all and abrasions will too.
Personally I prefer quarter inch coated aircraft cable for long term use anywhere as it has protected steel composition. The best possible at the expected cost increase.

OP, don't overthink it. A six pack and an extra thirsty helper will make it happen fast. It isn't that much weight really.

 

[Rewind97]

Hit another snag - not finding polyester rope 1/2" or better (lots of polypropylene but I know that is stretchy) - did come across this "mule tape" - anyone familiar with it? and would it be OK for the safety line for the 200 lb filing cabinet?

Mule Tape - 3/4 Inch - 2,500 lb. - Pull Tape - Polyester Pulling Tape - Made in USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5C19PF/?tag=atomicindus08-20

thanks

I gotta ask..........where are you located?