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1970 M35a2 W/W Whistler Turbo NH Antique Tag MCB6
72 Triumph 650
1984 22' Sisu Lobster style cruiser 165HP 229CID Crusader
PETA=People Eating Tasty Animals
"Complexity is easy to create; simplicity is difficult."
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SS Member 1493
RE: Griphoist hand winch - Tirfor Ever used one, how safe
Hmmm, I'm not sure I like those any more than the traditional "come-a-long". Anything that puts me in line with the cable during operation is a very bad thing in my opinion. I also do not like the way it grips the cable. I think over time this would cause damage to the cable. It might be ok for something like loading rolling weight on a trailer but for vehicle recovery where you can't easily calculate the load on the cable I think it's a great way to hurt people.
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~Elwenil~
Lanty A. Clemons Mopar Parts Advisor
1988 Dodge Ramcharger AW450 Project
318TBI - NP435 4 speed - NP205 - Front & Rear Dana 60s
"I am the voice of reason, in an unreasonable world."
"Ya know, offroading is for people who have more sense than money. Not the other way around." - Maddawg308
I feel very safe with my good old tirfor, having dragged everything from big logs to deuces sideways to a DT12V92/750KW genset, 20K lbs. Using snatch blocks you can literally move everything in every direction, for as far as the cable you have.
The hoist is rated 1000Kg, cable is 7/16", end-hook is good for1600Kg and for most cases a 3 ft long handle is sufficient.
The only disadvantage I see is the weight of that equipment, probably twice as much as a compact chain hoist of same capacity.
I have used Tirfor hoists and they are great for the intended use, you can do a continuous pull as long as your cable. Very slow and have shear pins so breaking the cable is not an issue.
Breaking a cable is always an issue. I've seen brand new cable fail even with sheer pin on the winch drive. It's up to the individual, but I know for a fact that I am not going to use one, or allow anyone to use one near me or on my vehicles. Anything that puts you in line with the cable is unsafe, that's just common sense. You can't always tell that a cable has failed or predict if the attachment points, shackles or other gear is going to fail, so being in the line with the cable is just plain foolish to me.
Even when using something as "safe" as a rollback, I squat down beside the controls and keep my head below the level of the bed rail. Some people thought I was crazy, that is until a hook ripped out of the sheet metal frame rail of a car and sent the cable past him. The cable struck him in the chest as the chain and hook assembly flew past him. It didn't break any bones but it bruised him bad enough he was off work for a week and a half. It pays to be safe. It only takes one mistake to kill you or someone else. I would consider using such a tool as a mistake. Just my .02
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~Elwenil~
Lanty A. Clemons Mopar Parts Advisor
1988 Dodge Ramcharger AW450 Project
318TBI - NP435 4 speed - NP205 - Front & Rear Dana 60s
"I am the voice of reason, in an unreasonable world."
"Ya know, offroading is for people who have more sense than money. Not the other way around." - Maddawg308
I've used Grip Hoists for years and haven't had any problems with them. As with ANY piece of machinery from a pair of pliers to a 20K PTO winch, you can get yourself into trouble any time you over-estimate your abilities or the tool's capacity. Short-cuts usually aren't, and will often drag unwilling participants into the activities.
I know parts, even new ones, fail but a little extra time inspecting has often helped me find cracks or frays that could have been deadly under a load. Taking a second look at your set-up and rigging is worth the 'wasted time' if it prevents loss of equipment or people. By all means, get yourself a good recovery book and READ IT, don't just stuff it into your glove box.
The negatives of a Grip Hoist are; weight of the Grip Hoist "head" and the cable.
Since Grip Hoists crawl up their cable instead of reeling it onto a drum, you could make a 1,000 foot pull but who wants to lug around a thousand feet of cable?
Early Grip Hoists would only work with Grip Hoist cable, while the later ones designed for the military and U.S. markets will take any cable of the correct size.
On the plus side; you don't have to chock and re-rig every 20 feet or so.
That tree or boulder is no longer just out of reach.
They'll crawl down their cable too so you can lower as easily as you can raise.
The handle hub has shear pins to prevent you from overloading the Grip Hoist.
There's a de-clutching lever that makes taking up slack and take-down easy.
Another good item to have is a Lug-all. It's like a come-along on steroids. All cast aluminum construction and about twice as big as a come-along for any given cable size.
Observe and respect the Winch/come-along's rating. You'd be surprised how much force it takes to move a 3,000 pound Jeep when it's tires are buried and the frame is sitting on the ground. I'll give you a hint... it ain't 3,000 pounds.
NO winching machinery should be trusted to do a dead weight pull; but rather just exert enough pressure so the stuck vehicle can maintain headway or keep the tires bearing against the traction side of that mud wallow you've found yourself in.
Griphoist hand winch - Tirfor Ever used one, how safe?
