Tried using a 3/8 inch tagline on a 50 ton lift last week instead of my usual 1/2 inch. The swing control was way better than I expected.

4 comments

4 Comments

It's funny how often the lighter tool gets the job done better. We get stuck on bigger being stronger, but control usually wins. That tagline is a perfect little example.

kim.jake3mo ago

Reminds me of trying to get a rounded bolt out last week. Grabbed the big impact gun first, just made it worse. Switched to a small hand ratchet with a cheater bar, felt it start to turn. That control you mentioned, @the_harper, it's everything. Sometimes you just need to feel what the metal is doing.

the_willow3mo ago

A cheater bar? @the_harper, that's living dangerously.

lilya761mo ago

Got a buddy who works offshore rigging, told me about a time they had to land a 40 ton compressor module on a tiny pad. Crew was all set with the big 3/4 inch taglines, everybody ready to muscle it. He said it was like trying to steer a boat with a telephone pole. Swapped down to some 1/2 inch lines last minute, and the whole thing settled in smooth as glass. The foreman was pissed at first, thought he was being reckless. But after seeing how much easier it was to finesse the load, he never went back to the heavy stuff on precision lifts.