electric winch recommendations

[Jackalope]

I am looking to get two portable electric winches to use for hauling trap panels out of the stage floor. These panels are quite heavy as they are steel, concrete and wood construction. I would like winches to double for other useful lifting and pulling tasks.
i don't want something that won't hold up to the work (i.e. a cheap piece of equipment) would also like a controller.

Recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[gafftapegreenia]

How heavy are these panels? There is no way to determine what you need with the appropriate safety factors without knowing the weight of your heaviest panel.

Depending on the weight a single phase chain hoist could offer you a lot of utility. Do you have any experience with chain hoists?


This is rigging, and we have some pretty strict rules on here about rigging advice, so that's all I will say until the elders come in.

 

[MNicolai]

Another important factor for this discussion: What do you plan on suspending the hoists from?

 

[rochem]

How many trap panels are there? Are you envisioning permanently installing a winch at each panel location, perhaps from the grid, or should this be a portable idea that can be wheeled out to each trap panel and used? Without knowing anything about your situation, I would think a chain hoist might work as well. Depending on the size and weight, perhaps a Chain Hoist mounted on a Grid Stand with casters that can be wheeled out above each panel, then you can lift the panel, wheel it to storage, and set it down? You could get a 120V chain hoist and a pickle so that you'd just need one extension cord. Although it's impossible to say if this would work without a lot more information.

 

[MPowers]

Got some questions for you first.
Why two?
How much does a trap weigh?
Do the traps have proper lift points to which rigging hardware can attach?
Where/how/what.... How will the hoists be mounted/rigged?
How will you move the traps from over the hole to solid decking when pulling them. Swing, hoist on a trolley.....?
When replacing the traps, how will you get them back over the hole?
Do you have wagons or fork lift pallets on which to place the traps?
What is your power supply? 120 single, 208 3ph or......??
When you say "other tasks" are we talking during shows or only work calls and such inbetween?

Do you have a good supply of hard hats and steel toe boots?

All that said, a chain hoist is probably you best bet for this and "utility" lifting of other things.

If you have questions, ask or PM me.

 

[Jackalope]

These are all great questions. Before we used a mobile 1.5" schedule 40 pipe "cage" on castors that rolled over the trappable area and then we winched with a come along. We did this Once... it was cumbersome and didn't feel very safe and its nothing I want to repeat . I don't know what the exact weight of these are and I don't know how I would easily weigh them. They are 2'x8'6" and constructed from 1/4" steel angle iron on the bottom, a 4" layer of concrete and then 2 layers of plywood on 2x4 sleepers. They have forged/rated eye bolts installed in the corners below the plywood layer, installed by the contractor when they built the building. Once they are off the sprung stage floor we are able to safely fork lift them into the yard. I don't have much experience with chain hoists although one of our staff here are very familiar with them. My thought was that the electric hoists would be more versatile for other uses, but if chain hoists are easier/ safer than I would rather go that route.

 

[Jackalope]

yeah, I can see how the steel toed boots would come in handy. We removed one for a show two years ago and I am not willing to do that again without a safe procedure and equipment. I wanted two so that I could lift each end up to more easily clear the trap area. The first and last time we did this with one and ended up picking up one end, bracing, then the other end, brace it and then connect the cleared panel to the "cage" for wheeling off... not a great system or solution.

 

[venuetech]

At 145lbs per cubic foot it looks like the concrete weighs in at 820 pounds, plus the other materials.

 

[venuetech]

I would think you could just rent a hydraulic "floor crane" of suitable rating

 

[Jackalope]

I would think you could just rent a hydraulic "floor crane" of suitable rating

based on what you've deduced, I think its safe to say these things are about a 1/2 Ton each. The crane looks interesting and I think it could work easily for the end panels. There are 4 panels side by side. Have you used these lifts before? the weight on the back side doesn't look sufficient to counterbalance the weight of the panel, but then i have no sense of scale from the picture. It does get the wheels turning though!

 

[venuetech]

I have used a variation of this to install an engine in a truck. that had legs and casters that extended out under the hook. so i dont think that type would work for your application.
a spreader beam would allow you to have one lift point and still attach all four corner points of the floor panel.
take a look at mcmaster's floor cranes for some other ideas

 

[ruinexplorer]

While I think that the Premium Reverse Boom may do the trick for you, I recommend that you find the load rating of the rest of your deck. A venue I worked in, with a trap, could not support a motorized personnel lift such as a scissor lift. With the necessary counterweight, plus the weight of the floor panel, you will get into some serious weight issues. Depending on the load rating of your floor, you will likely need to establish something along the lines of the steel gantries (with a chain hoist), but with a wider footprint. Before you invest in anything, make sure that you know the limit of your floor.