Learned the hard way about cheap wire rope slings

Bought a set of budget wire rope slings online for $80 to save a few bucks on a small residential job. They snapped on the second lift and dropped a pallet of bricks in the guy's driveway. Woulda been better off just renting the good stuff for a day.

3 comments

3 Comments

victor77923d ago

Oh man, that's rough... but honestly those cheap online slings are usually rated for way less than they claim. I've seen some that say they're 3,000 pound rated but the tag doesn't even have a proper certification number on it. They might pass a static load test but they just can't handle the shock of a lift that shifts even a little. Next time look for ones with a proper safety factor stamped right on the tag, like 5:1 or better. And always do a quick visual check for any kinks or fraying before each use, even on the expensive ones.

cole_baker23d ago

Is it really that serious though? I mean yeah don't use a frayed strap, but how many of us actually have a sling snap on a normal lift? I've used those cheap 2 inch ratchet straps from the hardware store for years moving skid steers and tractors, and they haven't let go yet. People talk about shock loads like we're all hoisting engines with a crane in a shop, but most of the time it's just a straight pull on a level surface. Seems like folks online make a big deal out of stuff that hardly ever happens in real life.

kim.jake23d ago

Not everyone has seen a strap snap in person, but I have. It wasn't even a heavy load just a small tractor that shifted sideways on a slight incline. The cheap strap let go instantly with no warning and that tractor dropped right onto a concrete floor. Lucky nobody was standing close to it. So yeah, straight pull on level ground is different, but even that can go bad if a strap has a hidden defect. People making a big deal online are the ones who have probably seen it happen.