Chat with a 30 year vet at a union hall made me question my whole rigging setup

He told me I was relying too much on chainfalls for precision lifts when a simple lever hoist would have saved me 20 minutes on our last job in Portland, and now I'm wondering how many other shortcuts I've been missing, has anyone else had an old hand totally flip your workflow?

2 comments

2 Comments

tara7005d agoMost Upvoted

Whoa, hold up! I gotta say I disagree a bit here. Chainfalls have their place, especially when you need that fine control for aligning heavy stuff without jerking it around. Lever hoists are great for speed, sure, but they can be rough on the load if you're not careful (ask me how I know). I've seen guys crack a beam flange trying to muscle something into place with a lever hoist when a chainfall would have let them dial it in slow and steady. Plus, if you're working alone, a chainfall lets you take your hands off to walk around and check your setup while the load stays put. I'm not saying the old guy is wrong for his workflow, but "shortcut" doesn't always mean better if it means risking your gear or your back.

gray_schmidt85d ago

Has anyone else ever been that guy who tried to muscle something with a lever hoist and ended up looking like a total clown? @tara700 you're spot on about the fine control thing. I learned that the hard way trying to pop a stuck pump off its base with a lever hoist. One good yank and I sent the whole thing swinging like a pendulum, nearly took out my buddy's knee. Chainfalls are slower but they let you breathe and think. That old guy might save a few minutes but he's one slip away from a hospital trip or a busted hoist.