Cars - rating of old cast iron S&S manual worm gear winch?

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.