Dag, Dag, Dag!

[BigMike]

Didn't want to side track Dave's post so I thought it would be better here,
"Hopefully you got that minor bot problem solved...but we have a bigger bot problem! It's known as "Big Bot Mike"! It's so annoying.... It only seems to attack dags operating system. Any help....or a big bot blocker would be appreciated "
Big Bot Mike just looks for stuff you post chumming for a response! Dag you're just such an easy target(with the bright orange helmet and chocolate pudding covered fingers).......
 

[Tom Scott]

Agh!!  If you say his name three times, does he come to life as a roaming orange helmeted pudding smearing monster?!?  

[BigMike]

Agh!!  If you say his name three times, does he come to life as a roaming orange helmeted pudding smearing monster?!?  

Yes! Once he wakes up from his post Bugs Bunny cartoon nap.
 

[dag1450]

oh man! I read the new "side track" thread at lunch and thought....ok it's over. I just get on this evening and wow....you two weedwackrs are still going strong! Whatever! Im the only one posting my mug on my thread....and I look perfectly normal. All you guys do is post your sad tractors ...and Big Mike should be on trial for that pic. Thats borderline abuse to a cub!

[Tom Scott]

"Wopner, definitely gotta be Wopner", nervously rocking back and forth...

[BigMike]

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It such a shame that we are all so far away, it would be nice to have a beer and sit and watch Dag rock in person.

[dag1450]

It such a shame that we are all so far away, it would be nice to have a beer and sit and watch Dag WORK in person.

Since Big Mike started this channel for me I will just use it.
I change mower blades about twice a year. Try to get it done before it gets too hot. Well that was not a problem this morning. Down right chilly so I moved indoors.... with the door open.
I have custom ramps for this job but they just slide on the smooth concrete floor. I have been wanting to do something like this for a while but never bothered to take the time. This is my first version. I will get some chain to replace the straps and make a couple little improvements but it works great. This lift is rated for 440 pounds. The higher I went the slower it went up, to the point of a stall. I was surprised. I could have probably eeked a few more inches but I was just where I wanted it to be.

Dag was not harmed making this video

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Probably will try to go a little higher next time

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Putting a new edge on

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Cleaning under the beast

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[Tom Scott]

Man, you should never trust a hoist with your life, especially one you've admittedly maxed out!  Get some jackstands under the front axle, or just slide boards under the front tires.  It's not a car, but it still weighs enough to squish your puddin' head!  Then we might have to feel bad about making fun of you!

On edit... Now that I've looked at the pic again, the ungraded eye bolt through some flimsy square tubing is even scarier.  You're point loading that tubing with just the diameter of that bolt.  If it starts to buckle, it'll go all at once.  Seriously, you have a sketchy set up there with your head under a 1300 lb tractor.  Please, not again!!

[JMotuzick]

Dag you should have bought a manual chain fall. Rated for 1 ton is enough for your cubs. Then like Tom said get a jack stand under the load before you go u set the load!

[BigMike]

Really, Puddin, put some stands under that!
We like harassing you and want to continue.

[dag1450]

Ladies.. ladies... calm down now. Don't fall for the scare tactics put on by the media, that tends to get everyone worked up needlessly. I haven't survived this long (without my helmet) by putting myself in harms way. I will say...the 3/8 nut looks a little sketch...but it held up just fine. It has restored my faith in cheap grade 5 hardware. I'm sure that will get double nutted in the next revision. But really..im guessing a 3/8 nut is probably rated for 3x what I was messing with?? And yes I could go down the whole list of sketch as Tom has...but ...as mentioned...they will be addressed in the next version of the "helmet press" in a later post. If anyone cares....they can zoom in super tight...sitting behind the gray trash can is a chunk laminated beam timber that was installed before dag would ever think of sliding his arm under such beauty. The outpouring of love was very touching and almost made me I'm just wondering now...if I address all the safety concerns, does that mean I can eliminate the cribbing or use of a secondary safety device
Joe, yeah I know what you're saying about chain falls.... actually I'm kinda not a fan. The chain is so annoying . It always seems the chain is getting in the way.. wrapping around something..or caught.. or scraping paint. I have used but don't own one. I had this lift already and it's so fun pushing the buttons up and down..up and down. It's good I didn't video that. Mike would have surely had a years worth of ammunition
To be continued.....

[chzuck]

I used to have a 1 ton chain fall, but at my age putting it up and taking it down every time I used it became dangerous.  Climbing a step ladder with chain fall in one hand, holding on with the other, and trying to hook the fall into the ceiling mounted shackle equals an accident waiting to happen.  So, I bought a hoist like the one dag has, but rated for 880 pounds.  Nylon straps are fairly cheap and 2 four footers choked around the axle eliminate all the other stuff, and safer.  Just my opinion.

PS:  Your deck will last much longer if cleaned more often.  I clean mine after each mowing.

[Tom Scott]

I also scrape my deck after every mow, while it's still wet underneath.  I've dedicated blocks I drive the rear wheels onto and spend about 15 minutes with putty knife.  That wet grass just rots them out.  The last time I suggested to dag he laughed at me... such a puddin' head!

[chzuck]

I lift mine with a floor jack from the front, but have to confess, I do not use jack stands or anything else.  I need to start using jack stands, it is not like I don't have several sets.

[dag1450]

Charlie...I would have liked to do exactly as you suggested. Straps from the front axles up to the hook! Super simple. Here's the problem that you probably would not be aware of being that you seem to have narrow frame units. This tractor I'm lifting is a wide frame, and on top of that the sheet metal engine covers stick out..and the hood is probably even wider than that. So if I would lift directly from the axles at their widest point and go up to the hook, I feel I would do serious damage to the hood or engine covers. That's why I need the spreader bar. Believe me I have been tempted for years to try it that way.
Yeah I'm a slacker on the deck cleaning. I do it maybe 3-4 time a year. But...but my deck is a 1987 and in amazing condition. It's thick steel! I would say 80 percent is like "burnished" clean. The only trouble spots are right under the 3 blade centers. I don't know... everything in life has trade offs and I couldn't be happier right now with it. Maybe someday I will wish I spent more time under my mower deck scraping

[Tom Scott]

dag... Grade 5 is not cheap hardware.  Grade 5 is the predominate hardened grade used for building engines, most suspension components, etc.

You might have used a Grade 5 nut, but that eye bolt is surely just ungraded/Grade 1 hardware.  That said I think the most likely and unpredictable mode of failure is the thin-wall tubing bucking in the center where the eye bolt is connected.  When it does buckle, it will very likely happen all at once, as the strength of tubing is based on it retaining its shape.  The spreader is a good idea, but it likely needs to be stronger.  At a minimum the attachment area likely needs to be stronger so it isn't point loaded.  I say likely, because as an engineer I would do the calculations, and I'm too lazy to do that here!  There are various charts available for loading of structural steel just like like for lumber, but I don't think you'll find data for "random square tubing with a bunch of holes"!  

It's dangerous to guess.  If you're not sure of the calculations, then take the next iteration to work and load test it to about 2X the load you plan on using it at.

I did very much like the "helmet press" quip, that was gold!  I'm also glad you used cribbing for safety, please continue to do that, no matter how substantial the lifting arrangement is.

[dag1450]

Yeah...I understand. And I did understand about the point load on the bar with holes. Idk where I got that bar but when I found that Saturday morning in the corner...I fell in love with it all over again. No drill press required! I wanted the straps (temporary) to go as Charlie outlined... straight up and I would then put the spreader bar in, but didn't have a way to connect the bar without it slipping out or damaging the straps. My next thought was to bolt a chain on top of the spreader bar to not have a single point load but two ...out closer to the eye bolts But my chain for that was too light duty. When I found the eye bolts it was fait....i found exactly 3! When I do buy chain for this ..I can go from front axle...up and over and down. All one length of chain. Then cut the bar to proper length and bolt it in where needed. So much for future post! Now that we just wrapped up this project.

[chzuck]

Charlie...I would have liked to do exactly as you suggested. Straps from the front axles up to the hook! Super simple. Here's the problem that you probably would not be aware of being that you seem to have narrow frame units. This tractor I'm lifting is a wide frame, and on top of that the sheet metal engine covers stick out..and the hood is probably even wider than that. So if I would lift directly from the axles at their widest point and go up to the hook, I feel I would do serious damage to the hood or engine covers. That's why I need the spreader bar. Believe me I have been tempted for years to try it that way.
Yeah I'm a slacker on the deck cleaning. I do it maybe 3-4 time a year. But...but my deck is a 1987 and in amazing condition. It's thick steel! I would say 80 percent is like "burnished" clean. The only trouble spots are right under the 3 blade centers. I don't know... everything in life has trade offs and I couldn't be happier right now with it. Maybe someday I will wish I spent more time under my mower deck scraping

You are correct, I have narrow frame.  Anyway, I worked as a mechanic in heavy industry for 45 years and there is no way I would trust that setup.  Rated Lifting eye bolts and much heavier spreader bar material.  All of those holes weaken the strength of that square tubing.  Overkill is better than going too light.  It's your body.  When it fails it's gonna hurt!  Even I should use jack stands and many times rely only on my floor jack when cleaning my mower deck.  I am going to work on changing that.
 

[dag1450]

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. It's nice we can work together on projects... even if we are only together on the computer.
Charlie..I didn't see the heavier electric lift when I bought mine, that sounds like a beast! What project did you buy that for? Aren't the finger tip push buttons amazing . Up and down ...up and down..as much as you want. We need to tell Joe to get up to 2024.... chain falls are back from caveman times. Just thinking... maybe if I add a snatch block it won't stall out. Perfect! Thanks

[Tom Scott]

dag, there's no maybe about it... every snatch block halves the speed but doubles the load capacity.  So your hoist is really rated for 220 lbs but they get it to 440 lbs with the the included snatch block you used.  If you add another, you will have 880 lbs capacity (neglecting friction of the pulleys).  It would also put a lot less wear and tear on your hoist if you're not using it right up at max capacity.  The additional snatch block is a good idea so long as you use real hoisting equipment, not your typical unrated crap you find in the corner of the garage!

Lifting components are generally rated with a factor of safety of 5X, meaning they should not fail with 5X the rated load.  I suggested you test your next spreader with only 2X because I know I won't be able to push you to a 5X!  I'll be lucky to get you to 2X!  Just keep your puddin' head out from under any load that doesn't have proper safety cribbing/stands.  You never get underneath a load on a hoist!

[chzuck]

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. It's nice we can work together on projects... even if we are only together on the computer.
Charlie..I didn't see the heavier electric lift when I bought mine, that sounds like a beast! What project did you buy that for? Aren't the finger tip push buttons amazing . Up and down ...up and down..as much as you want. We need to tell Joe to get up to 2024.... chain falls are back from caveman times. Just thinking... maybe if I add a snatch block it won't stall out. Perfect! Thanks

I bought it to replace my chain block.  I could put it up and leave it there.  I have a rope attached to the pendant and pull it aside when not using it.  I have two 2x10 above the garage ceiling running from wall to wall and attached to each roof truss.  I mainly wanted it for lifting my 450# Frazer Rototillers onto a portable workbench.  Too old to work and crawl on the floor.  I noticed when I press lightly on the UP button the hoist appears to stall.  So, when I press UP, I press all the way in and don't have that issue.  Both were available when I bought mine, but I wanted to go well above what I wanted to lift - safety factor.
 

[davis2]

"Wopner, definitely gotta be Wopner", nervously rocking back and forth...

Based on a preponderance of the evidence, dag skeerewed up! That tractor could crush your head like a pumpkin on Halloween! I worked in the steel plate industry for a short time, and saw many plates fall and it isn't pretty, especially if someone is under the plate! Even 1/4" plate can kill you!!! Lift smart dag!!!
 

[Tom Scott]

Well, in fairness to dag, he did confirm that he had it it cribbed before getting under it.