Tried that tagline lift everyone swears by and my boom actually bounced worse

So I got tired of fighting the load sway on my Liebherr LTM 1050 and figured, why not try the tagline lift trick I keep seeing on here. Hooked up a 3/8 line to the load hook and tried to steady a 12 ton steel beam last Tuesday. Ended up with the whole rig rocking so bad I had to set it down after 15 feet. Learned that taglines work fine for light stuff but for anything over 8 tons you're just asking for a pendulum effect. Any of you guys actually use this method for heavy picks or is it just for the small jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivangrant8d ago

Read a rigging manual from the 80s that said taglines are basically just for guiding, not counterbalancing. A buddy of mine had a similar issue with a Grove GMK5250 last spring, tried the same trick on a 10 ton concrete panel and nearly tipped the whole thing. The physics just don't work for heavy loads, the line can't counteract the momentum once it starts swinging. Taglines are fine for keeping a load from spinning or nudging it around corners, but you're better off with a spreader bar or just taking it slow for anything over 5 tons.

noah1358d ago

Totally agree, its the same mindset that makes people think they can stop a loaded shopping cart with one hand while reaching for something on the top shelf. Once that momentum builds up, that light little line or your arm is just along for the ride. People forget that force multiplies fast with weight and movement, whether it's a crane load or a fridge on a dolly. Spreader bar or just a slower approach always beats trying to muscle something that physics already has a say in.

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