Domestic vs Import rigging

motion guru · Nov 11, 2020

I needed to lift part of a mill today and I wasn’t comfortable with the inch and a quarter shackles I had. The mill column had a weight written on it that was 5k above the inch and a quarter Crosby shackle rating that I had and I wasn’t sure if the counterweight was included in the weight scrawled on the side of the machine. After some discussion with one of my engineers, I decided to get some larger shackles.

I drove over to VanPort Wire Rope and Rigging and asked what they had for 17 ton shackles. Import units emblazoned with a China label were $38.00 and domestic made in USA were $148.00 . . . I decided that picking a 15+ ton load was worth a few hundred dollars and got a pair of the domestic units. They had thicker section shackles, higher quality machined threads and better galvanized finish. For roughly 4x the price it was some consolation to have better looking units with the made in USA forged into the body.

Anyone have comparable experience with the import vs domestic shackles?

Shared album - Ken Brown - Google Photos

In the end, a no drama pick and set. Tomorrow the X-axis ways get set and then we hang the Z and Y axes. Glad to finally have time to start putting this thing together.

thermite · Nov 11, 2020

motion guru said:
For roughly 4x the price it was some consolation to have better looking units with the made in USA forged into the body.

Anyone have comparable experience with the import vs domestic shackles?

Oh, YES!

Smaller loads, but for ages, already. Far fewer local sources here. "big box" not a player atall.

I've resorted to scouting GI surplus, plain-old painted, not plated ... to keep costs within due bounds.

john.k · Nov 12, 2020

Ive got tons of lifting bits and pieces ,never got what I need.....needed a 5/8 wedge socket for the old crane ....looked in the junk under the engine,various sets of roller chains for the face shovel conversion (which I dont have),big shackles,and one lone wedge socket sans wedge.....on inspection socket is cracked ,and looks like the wedge has been pulled thru.......off to the lifting gear shop ......Aye Caramba....dont think the stuff is expensive.....Crosby socket is $250,must be gold plated .......Chinese please,and cheeap......nope ,they dont sell any kind of cheap,but they do have a dozen different kinds of German fancy stuff for megabucks.........I explain the wire on the crane is all kinked and kinda broken ,and cheap will do nicely.......So ,weld up the broken Crosby socket ,and cut a new wedge out of plate.

kb0thn · Nov 12, 2020

I work on the cranes that build wind farms. Shackles are all made in USA by Crosby.

For anything serious I always buy made in USA Crosby. I try to have my important lifting pre-planned and then I search online for good prices. But about 10 years ago I did have the occasion to buy some over the counter from a rigging supply house. I was, like you, floored by the price difference. Without prompting the guy asked if it was a union job I was getting rigging for. He said the union riggers, at least in his area, won't use non USA made rigging.

Lifting crap with a sling over the forks. I don't care. Go with oversized rigging and it doesn't make much difference. Helicopter sling loading hundreds to thousands of pounds of stuff over my head. Will happily spend the money for Crosby.

(as an aside, the serious riggers and crane operators I deal with are very concerned with their rigging. I once got my rented 2WD Ram 1500 pickup truck stuck in a ditch at a job site. Barely stuck. Time was money, so my customer pulled me out using a endless sling in the back of his truck. I think it was a orange sling, so rated at 42,800 lbs in straight line. One I was out of the ditch he cut the sling in half. Their policy is that once rigging has had an unknown load on it, it can't be used again. Silly in this case, but there is something to be said for having a straight forward policy without exceptions.)

JHOLLAND1 · Nov 12, 2020

we were moving my galion 12 ton rough terrain crane---36,000 lb unit
driver took exit 81 I-5 a bit fast--hard downhill stop
the right rear china ratchet binder-1/2 inch chain rated -- bent one hook in coat hanger fashion
chain popped out

left side lebus chain binder held--otherwise galion would have rocketed thru kenworth cab

all ritchie bros auctions currently include dozens of lots of china sourced rigging--no other option

akjeff · Nov 12, 2020

When doing lifts on tower jobs and helicopter sling loads, I use nothing but USA Crosby. Not trusting my crews, or my life to some Chinesium crap made from who knows what, just to save a few bucks.

Mark Rand · Nov 12, 2020

Might sound petty and nitpicking but:-

It doesn't matter who made it or where. It's not worth using on a load if it has not been tested.

DDoug · Nov 12, 2020

Mark Rand said:
Might sound petty and nitpicking but:-

It doesn't matter who made it or where. It's not worth using on a load if it has not been tested.

It does in the USofA….Laywers are involved.....

nt1953 · Nov 12, 2020

Where I worked, we proof tested all lifting hardware before first use and then periodically after that. We found that the import shackles we were getting would not even carry the rated load, much less the proof test load. So, Crosby was what we went back to.

idacal · Nov 12, 2020

I will use some european rigging, but chinesium absolutely not. and I always buy from a rigging supply house they have a test station so they test everything, I will buy what they say is good. also be careful buying online I would worry about knockoffs. don't care if a hook costs 400.00 rather than 75.00. years ago I got hit in the back of the head by a breaking harbor freight chain I got thrown to the ground and had a row of goose eggs up the back of my head, thankfully it was my head and not my feet lol. I won't have that crap on the property.

JHOLLAND1 · Nov 12, 2020

question for GURU

interesting crane configuration--looks to be 2 girder top traveller and single girder underhung
what is capacity of each?
what is support upright column construction?

what are floor pads for?

thx

Phil in Montana · Nov 12, 2020

All my gear is usa made...Phil

motion guru · Nov 12, 2020

JHOLLAND1 said:
question for GURU

interesting crane configuration--looks to be 2 girder top traveller and single girder underhung
what is capacity of each?
what is support upright column construction?

what are floor pads for?

thx

Top running crane is 25-ton, underhung crane is 5-ton

Support for the 25-ton runway is a column adjacent to the building column - W12-30 on 25 ft centers - these are tied to the building columns.
Support for the 5-ton runway is tied to the building column - fabricated column - 9W (3/8"thick) x 12D .1875"

Floor pads are 2" thick steel plates grouted / anchored to concrete floor with tapped anchor holes to fasten the Planer Mill to the floor.

Milland · Nov 12, 2020

motion guru said:
Floor pads are 2" thick steel plates grouted / anchored to concrete floor with tapped anchor holes to fasten the Planer Mill to the floor.

Looking forward to pictures of the mill when you get a chance.

pat pounden · Nov 12, 2020

are these ok?

how about these?

motion guru said:
I needed to lift part of a mill today and I wasn’t comfortable with the inch and a quarter shackles I had. The mill column had a weight written on it that was 5k above the inch and a quarter Crosby shackle rating that I had and I wasn’t sure if the counterweight was included in the weight scrawled on the side of the machine. After some discussion with one of my engineers, I decided to get some larger shackles.

I drove over to VanPort Wire Rope and Rigging and asked what they had for 17 ton shackles. Import units emblazoned with a China label were $38.00 and domestic made in USA were $148.00 . . . I decided that picking a 15+ ton load was worth a few hundred dollars and got a pair of the domestic units. They had thicker section shackles, higher quality machined threads and better galvanized finish. For roughly 4x the price it was some consolation to have better looking units with the made in USA forged into the body.

Anyone have comparable experience with the import vs domestic shackles? well-just saw these....

Shared album - Ken Brown - Google Photos

In the end, a no drama pick and set. Tomorrow the X-axis ways get set and then we hang the Z and Y axes. Glad to finally have time to start putting this thing together.
how about these??

Winterfalke · Nov 12, 2020

At one point I worked for a company doing load testing of rigging, I think we used exclusively Crosby. If I came across a shackle that wasn't Crosby, I was always told to scrap it. I've seen what happens when steel wire ropes break, no amount of savings is worth risking the carnage a one inch steel cable can cause when it lets go. I use Chinese shackles for hanging laundry, anything more than that gets real hardware.

thermite · Nov 12, 2020

Winterfalke said:
I use Chinese shackles for hanging laundry,

Bad move.

It will rust-stain EVERYTHING!

Winterfalke · Nov 13, 2020

thermite said:
Bad move.

It will rust-stain EVERYTHING!

Stainless. They are good for not corroding, if not for actually lifting anything...

thermite · Nov 13, 2020

Winterfalke said:
Stainless. They are good for not corroding, if not for actually lifting anything...

Meahh.. Chinese "stainless" - used to wrap concrete columns on the entrance to a shopping center near our flat in Quarry Bay - actually develops a pale brown patina. Lot of that - all over Hong Kong. High NOX when the factories up the Pearl river watershed - and the coal-fired thermal power plants that power them - are running at full gallop.

m16ty · Nov 13, 2020

No way I'd buy import Chinese rigging, even if free. I've seen the stuff, and wonder why it's even legal to sell. You can just look at it and tell it's not safe. I do have some rigging made in Germany and Italy, both of high quality.

What I've started buying is CM shackles. They have a "high strength" line of shackles, which have a higher rating than the same size of other brands.

Domestic vs Import rigging

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Titanium

Aluminum

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Attachments

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Cast Iron

Attachments

Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Hot Rolled

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