Winch Recommendation for Lifting 900 lbs 20 Feet High

Question:

Will this winch lift 900lbs twenty feet vertically ?

asked by: Brian

Expert Reply:

A winch that you could consider using is the Dutton-Lainson Brake Winch, # DL14964, which would allow you to lift the 900 lb load 20 feet, with the 50 foot hand winch cable, # DL24104. This winch has the advantage of less moving parts and is a bit more economical. The drawbacks to this winch are that the winch will be harder to crank and there are not two speeds to select from.

If you are lifting from the floor to an elevated position you could also use a block and tackle setup. The force needed to lift 900 lbs, would be reduced 4 times to 225 lbs with a block and tackle. The holding force would also be reduced to 225 lbs, and the winch would handle the load more easily and be easier to crank. The drawback to this is that you need to wind twice as much rope for the same lifting height. The Dutton-Lainson Brake Winch, # DL14964, will hold up to 60 feet of 1/4 inch cable so you would have plenty of drum capacity for this setup.

When lifting loads with a winch, make sure that no people can be present under the load, and that once the load is lifted into position it is secured with some other source, like chain or on a shelf, and the weight of the item being lifted is let off of the winch. The winch cable can remain attached as a backup safety just in case the hardware securing the load fails.

expert reply by: Robert G