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Sheldon Harper wrote:

wrote in news:1139690514.623787.317720
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Any idea how to find out the rating of an old cast iron S&S Y629 worm
gear manual winch? The thing seems hell-for-stout, weighing about 75
pounds, with big cast iron gear teeth. It has a 1/4 wire rope on it.

You're usually safe assuming the winch will handle whatever the
wire rope rating is, if you have a reasonably new winch. It
parts aren't too badly worn it should be able to handle that
load today. Wire rope has a safe load rating as well as a
break strength rating. On older stuff, especially if you don't
know its history, it makes sense not to push your luck. All this
presumes that the winch came originally equipped with the 1/4
inch wire rope.

Personally I'm not enamored of cast iron for lifting stuff,
regardless of how stout it looks. The sort of winch you describe
is nicely decorative if nothing else. My perspective is one of
a retired guy who has had the darndest things fail at unexpected
moments. If I were 20 or 30 again I might use stuff that today I
smile at and go find some other way to get the job done.

I don't think I'm overcautious so much as I demand comfortable
decisions in how I handle loads. This comes, mind you, from a guy
who broke easily half a dozen chains last year using the JD 500C
backhoe to lift loads. The only redeeming aspect is that in the
sorts of applications I get involved in the chains break about
the time you start the lift by getting the load off the ground,
so nothing ever actually fell so much as it settled back to ground.

Here's what I'd do. After deciding what weight you think the
winch can safely handle, load it 2 to 3X that weight, and shake
or jerk the load some to simulate the worse case you imagine
you'll ever have. Better to break it during a test when you're
cautious with it and you're anticipating a failure than to have
it break unexpectedly later. Be cautious of whipping cable in
case that lets loose first.

Have fun with your new toy.

If you're breaking chains with your 500C (I have one too), you're using
the wrong chains. The 500C is only rated 5,000# on the loader and 2,000#
(full extension) on the backhoe. I use the inexpensive Campbell C7 20'
tow chains rated at 5,400# working load and have yet to have one fail. I
cut one in half to make two 10' chains as well.

Pete C.

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