Single do it all device for occasional pulling and maybe lifting

[Pexto]

A long time ago, a buddy turned me on to an ebay auction for some "lug-all" brand come-a-longs. At the time I thought they were too expensive but know when to take advice from someone smarter than I. I purchased 4. They have been a life saver in more than one instance AND see used almost weekly. I didn't realize at the time the wire rope was stainless, that was an oversight I will tell EVERYONE about. I can't believe how good of condition they are still in! If you can find them with stainless wire, get those. Needs vary, mine are rated at 1500lbs but I also got a "****** block" to double the rating if need be.

I'm a big fan of the Lug-All (aka Lincoln) hoists. They are even better if you respool with synthetic winch line. See this post for details: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/come-along-advise.528572/post-10540383

 

[gahrajmahal]

Is there anything a ridgeline can't do?

Actually, no, if you own a Ridgeline, you can do anything

I offer some bad photos from my 2014 GJ post when I was rebuilding the deck over my garage on our bi-level house. I had to fabricate two 14 foot long support beams made of three (3) pressure treated 2 x 12’s and weighed approximately 225#. These had to be lifted 13 feet to set on top of two posts. As I was working solo, this was much too heavy for me to lift. So, what did I do? I built a jib crane using the Ridgeline as the mule. For the jib I used my aluminum extension ladder. I also used the come-a-long I showed earlier straightening the mailbox post.

These photos were from when the GJ required third party hosting for photos. Remember that? Now this thread is almost unreadable due to the giant obstructing watermarks since I wouldn’t succumb to the highway robbery sum of $20 or so a month they wanted to “host” your photos.





Here’s a link to the thread still available here on the GJ

Pressure Treated Deck Repair, Opinions Please

You are proving "That if you want it done right, do it yourself". Thanks for taking the time to document your deck replacement.

www.garagejournal.com

 

[RoninB4]

-A single device to cover lifting and pulling? I would expect that to be entirely situational per the application. My experience with using overhead cranes to lift and transport 40 ton injection molds doesn't apply to the wrecker driver dragging a vehicle out of the crash site. As difficult as it may be I feel you have to plan for your future tasks as best as you can and also decide where the device will be located.

-When I moved my shop I faced both lifting and dragging. I made two chain fall equipped A-Frames and mounted a small Warn winch to the trailer. The amount of slings, eye bolts, and hooks make a big difference in using whatever "device" is employed too.

-Event location should also be considered. Machine skates allowed me to move my 5,000 lb. jig borer across the basement concrete, my tractor allowed me to move my 400 lb. HVAC unit across turf to set on the new concrete pad in the backyard. Neither could have been substituted for the other. As with any other tool we all purchase, if you get it you'll eventually use it. Heavy things usually need to be moved twice during ownership (in and then out). Using equipment at rated limits is a recipe for bad results. Be safe.

 

[cannuck]

bought an off brand version of that if it makes it more tolerable.
I never expected to use it enough to pay for a Warn. Only a couple times a year.

Don't get sucked in by the Warn brand name. Their smaller winches are what appears to be Chinese. I have and use about a dozen winches from 2k to 12k and a small Warn is the only one that failed - and very early in its life. I have used a 2,000 lb offshore winch with a 2 part block as a 1,000 lb. crane for the last 40 years, and it gets a BIG workout. Built a one ton second bridge using a slightly larger Chinese winch (this time with composite rope) and couldn't be happier. You have to appreciate that China doesn't stand still. Whatever they did and how they did it last year is different from this year. You can literally buy stuff of any quality you want there - you just have to be prepared to pay more to get more - and this is often the opposite of what some snot nosed MBA was taught about "branding" thus why we often get pure ****.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Rope puller - has its benefits but the pros/cons don't stack up for me. It's very light (4kg) and unlimited in length. But you have loose rope to take care of, and the leverage ratio is pretty low. Probably not the first nor second thing I'd buy, but rather later as an optimisation.

Tirfor - unlimited in length, and not actually super heavy comparing like with like (same weight rating and cable length). But putting a short cable on one is negating the benefit, so practically, they are much heavier than other options. You have a separate cable reel/bag to take care of. When using it for a shorter pull, you need to set it up by pulling the rest of the cable through to set it up, unless you store them already joined together (which makes it a cumbersome package).


Heavy duty comealongs - these are where my mind's at now. The only thing I don't like is the use of a sacrificial (bending) handle to provide the safety overload protection - the Lug-All strap ones use a small replaceable stress link instead. Although they have the "hoist" name and give vertical lift ratings, as I understand it they don't have a brake like a proper hoist.

Wyeth-Scott - a beast, but pretty heavy. Available ready with synthetic line. Doesn't have a drum wire guide spring like the others. Not sure if they made any effort to improve it for half a century, but I'm sure it works well nonetheless.

Lug-All - these look good. Range of sizes, strap variant (not that I'd go for it), and the company seems active.

Svero 15SL12 - these seem to be the now-discontinued Ingersoll Rand C400. They're not widely distributed and it's a small company, so not sure if they're just selling rebranded new old stock.

 

[Milton Shaw]

A boat trailer winch would probably do it for not much money. Amazon had some for $25 with 1600 lb capacity. But only for winch duty no lifting.