hoist ideas for cab removal

[escavader]

HI GUYS,ID like to pick your brains
I got my tractor cab almost ready to prime and paint ,so id like to lift it off the tractor.Ihave loops on each top corner to hook ot tie to.Im going to have to get it pretty high to clear the folded rops to drive out from under it.Id like to set up something on my property ,for removal and installation each winter.Ithought i wanted it on all year,but i miss the bugs ,rain and beating sun on me Ihave some telephone pole size spruce on my property,i can dig some holes and build a hoist,and use my chain falls,or would i be better with a comelong on back and one on front[to keep it from banging around.
SO ,HOW DO I DESIGN ONE?HOW DO YOU TAKE YOURS OFF,AND ON?
ALAN

[kennyd]

My neighbor a product similar to THIS to remove his JEEP hardtop. Maybe you could rig something with a $50 HF winch?

[alchemysa]

Don't try to reinvent the wheel. A good ol' chain hoist would be my suggestion. Slow but totally proven, simple, cheap, almost maintenance free (even if left outside), and safe as long as its properly supported. Its easy to get something that has a safety factor way above your requirements. (Remember you are going to be sitting under this thing). Keep it simple. Forget about electric motors.

I assume you will lower the cab to the ground afterwards so you will need about a 20' lift height hoist.

(These may be much bigger than what you need. I'm sure you can get much lighter ones too).
Chain Hoists, Manual Hoist, Trolley

Whatever you do, don't try using some simple rope and roller system that requires you to hang on for dear life while trying to tie it off to stop it crashing to the ground. (Been there - its not fun)

[Iron Horse]

The way i lift my water tank on and off is a boat trailer winch bolted to the upright post of my "A" frame (2 trees and a beam will do)and then over a pulley on the beam . The first time i lifted it the tank moved to one side a little so i repositioned the truck so it was dead in line with the hanging tank and then put poles beside and behind the wheels . Now i just back in between the laying down poles until i come against the rear one and lower the tank . It just drops in place perfectly every time . A small boat trailer winch probably costs less that a slab of beer . If you position the winch in the correct spot you can guide the cab with one hand while you are lowering it .

[alchemysa]

Originally Posted by Iron Horse

The way i lift my water tank on and off is a boat trailer winch bolted to the upright post of my "A" frame (2 trees and a beam will do)and then over a pulley on the beam .

That sounds ideal for your water tank but Escavader was describing a situation where he would lift the cab high above the tractor, then drive the tractor away. No way would i sit directly under a cab thats swinging from a boat winch. I don't even like pulling in my boat with the boat winch! It always sounds like its ready to snap at any moment.

(addition) Actually its probably nuts to have any system that requires you to sit under the load. What you really need is a system that lifts off the cab then swings it out of the way.

[CurlyDave]

Actually its probably nuts to have any system that requires you to sit under the load. What you really need is a system that lifts off the cab then swings it out of the way.

Now, that is what the come along is for. Use it to pull the tractor out from under the cab & lift. When it comes time to put the lift back on, use it pull the tractor under the cab.

I agree, I would never get under a load on any kind of a lift. Not if I had a cheap & effective method of avoiding it.

[Iron Horse]

My little winch is rated at 500kg , with it's safety margin it may fail at 4 or 5 times that . What does that open cab weigh ? About 50kg at the most , that's about a 50-1 safety margin . You will need to lift it about FIVE feet to clear the folded rops . So the beam will need to be about 12 feet high to allow a little pulley to hang from it . Remember that the only time you would be under it is for a moment when you get back on the tractor and drive the tractor away .

[hwp]

I have two cable winches attached to the ceiling of my garage. I use one to lift the hardtop off my wife's roadster - the hardtop stays suspended on it all summer. I use the other to lift the cap off my pickup and it stays suspended all summer as well. I also use the truck lift to instal and uninstal the cab on my tractor - off in the spring and on in the fall. The ceiling in my garage is only 10 feet so it takes a bit of manipulating to put the cab on and off but quite manageable. It takes me about an hour each way to take the cab on or off.

[alchemysa]

Originally Posted by Iron Horse

My little winch is rated at 500kg , with it's safety margin it may fail at 4 or 5 times that . What does that open cab weigh ? About 50kg at the most , that's about a 50-1 safety margin . You will need to lift it about FIVE feet to clear the folded rops . So the beam will need to be about 12 feet high to allow a little pulley to hang from it . Remember that the only time you would be under it is for a moment when you get back on the tractor and drive the tractor away .

Sure theres plenty of margin in the cable but the ratchet mechanism isnt fail-safe. And if it lets go then the cab drops like a rock. Ironhorse, would you sit under your tank while its hanging from that single cable? Theres no way I would. Its just asking for trouble. Maybe a twin cable system would be acceptable. One cable to winch it up, plus a second cable to tie off and increase security.

[Iron Horse]

Whatever...