Gin pole crane for SxS ideas?

[Dan Dubeau]

I've been thinking about building a gin pole crane for my SxS (Yamaha viking). I don't need a huge lifting capacity, maybe 300-500lbs or so, but it sure would be handy for a 3rd hand for flipping weldments and stuff out in the backyard and also moving derelict machinery stuff around. A mobile all terrain lifting device if you will. The viking itself weights about 1300lbs. Having gone through some disc issues over the winter, It's time to start working smarter, and not go down that road again.....I have an old tractor for heavy lifting, but it's big and cumbersome to maneuver (and currently not running). Something like this would really fill a niche for the backyard, and worth it for the versatility and control.

I'm going to be building a subframe for a plow at some point before next winter so being able to tie into that would be handy, and now would be the time to design around that requirement. I'd also like to build a front rack/bumper for it, so this is an opportunity to incorporate some added functionality while the slate is clean.

Anybody ever built one, use one, heard about something similar? I know on a SxS the capacity wouldn't be that high, and the last thing I want is to start bending and breaking stuff on the viking, but knowing that, it would still be really handy to have regardless. Would be nice to hear from people who built/used them and talk about good features to have, and others to avoid.

For picture sake, this is what I had in mind. I've seen others with just chains holding the a frame angle, so that it's adjustable, and I like that feature for the variability of uses I might have. I've also seen them with extendable booms too.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I've also thought about building one into a log arch (which I also need to build), but I think having it on the front would be way more versatile and easier to use.

 

[phaxtris]

I've used them, usually just a winch or come a long to the peak, and another for up and down, you want both

A gin pole loaded with 300lbs on the front of a sxs will no doubt squat the front end to the ground, boomed out far enough with the right amount of weight could endo the thing

It's do-able, how much weight it would take to endo it, I'm not sure, probably not much

 

[Darren]

I've wanted to build one for the longest time on my plow truck, 88 GMC reg cab shortbox 4x4. It has 1 ton bars in it and i could use the plow mounts on the front, with a cable to the rear bumper.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

Yeah, I figured it would squat it pretty good, and the potential to lever the rear wheels off the ground would be pretty easy, but it sure would be handy for lifting things like the mower deck, and other stuff in the 100-200 lbs range I work on around here. The viking is pretty rear weight biased with the engine under the bed, and I could always counterweight the bed too, but certainly don't want to overload the front suspension.

I have a plow jeep, and years ago before I bought the sxs wanted to turn it into one with a flat bed and gin pole too, but life was busier then, and a lot of "ideas" never made it past the beer thinking stage. The jeep has outlived it's usefulness, and it's time to get turned into razor blades. So the sxs has to step up and earn more of it's keep. Hence the plow, and possibly the gin pole.

It may be a pipe dream, but this weekend I might sketch up some stuff and run some #'s to see if it's within the realm of possibility. If not I need to figure something else out, as I need a way to move stuff around here without blowing my back up again. Maybe a new tractor is needed.....

 

[phaxtris]

after you build the thing you could always do some testing and make a load chart so that you know where and when what weight is going to lift the back off the ground, and just keep that in mind while using it

i would think about making the poles out of aluminum to keep the weight down...for you bolting it on, and for the front of the sxs

 

[Darren]

I also want to build a lightweight quick setup gantry . I have a stack of tube from a couple trampoline frames that i've been thinking of using for legs and cross braces. It locks together with spring detent pins. It would be strong in compression. main beam would be an aluminum beam or a truss type deal. For lifting lighter but awkward stuff. Say 500lbs max

 

[Chicken lights]

I went with a jib boom setup on a loader frame. The 5 or 6’ jib maxes out about 7-800 pounds, the smaller jib I can probably double the weight

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I also want to build a lightweight quick setup gantry . I have a stack of tube from a couple trampoline frames that i've been thinking of using for legs and cross braces. It locks together with spring detent pins. It would be strong in compression. main beam would be an aluminum beam or a truss type deal. For lifting lighter but awkward stuff. Say 500lbs max

It's the smaller stuff that is the most awkward and troublsome to pick up and move around. Too small to justiy firing up the tractor, but too heavy to do by yourself. Yet small enough you're going to try anyway lol. It's those things I need to build something for. I also need a new/fixed tractor too, but that's another story.....

 

[Dan Dubeau]

after you build the thing you could always do some testing and make a load chart so that you know where and when what weight is going to lift the back off the ground, and just keep that in mind while using it

i would think about making the poles out of aluminum to keep the weight down...for you bolting it on, and for the front of the sxs

Lightweight poles would be great but I could just drive up to the back of the barn and hang it right there when not in use. Minimize the handling of it. Just drive up to it, and mount it 3 point hitch pin style, hookup the winch and go. If I do make it, in all likely hood it'll stay mounted all the time unless I need it off. I like having things ready to go whenever I need them. Never know when I'll have a fresh kijiji find in the bed of the truck I need to unload and keep out of sight of the Wife in a hurry .

I need to do an oil change on it soon, so will give it a good pondering when I can look it all over and figure out some good mounting points. The winch mount in the front of the frame is pretty good, but I think there are some other ones halfway back I was planning on using for the plow mount. If I can tied them all together with a front bumper and rack I'd be laughing. The lack of a front rack has always bugged me. Nowhere to put your saw when the bed is loaded with rounds. A utv should come with one standard, not janky aftermarket ones.

 

[phaxtris]

i was thinking of the aluminum as more a benifit to the sxs, it being lighter to handle would just be a side bonus

my thoughts are the more the gin pole weighs, the less you will be able to lift with it

 

[Darren]

It's the smaller stuff that is the most awkward and troublsome to pick up and move around. Too small to justiy firing up the tractor, but too heavy to do by yourself. Yet small enough you're going to try anyway lol. It's those things I need to build something for. I also need a new/fixed tractor too, but that's another story.....

I have a Bobcat 873 that will pickup a VW Jetta, but its not easy to toss in the back of the truck and bring 20 miles away to grab a kijiji deal. Also have a topper on my truck thats a PITA. The Bobby will easily lift it, but how? I need a lightweight gantry more than anything.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

True, I wasn't thinking that way, but I see you point now. There would be a big benefit there.

 

[phaxtris]

I have a Bobcat 873 that will pickup a VW Jetta, but its not easy to toss in the back of the truck and bring 20 miles away to grab a kijiji deal. Also have a topper on my truck thats a PITA. The Bobby will easily lift it, but how? I need a lightweight gantry more than anything.

i wouldnt use those poles for what your thinking, it wouldn't take much of a side load when it was under compression to collapse those skinny trampoline tubes

i use one (i dont own it) that is pretty light, and only takes about 15 minutes to set up, if i recall it uses a W6x9 for the hoist beam and 2 4x4x.100 legs (or maybe even 3x3, haven't used it in a while) with 3x3 angle and a set of casters on the bottom, all the pieces are under 100lbs and could be set up by one guy without to much trouble, 8 bolts total

 

[Darren]

Ryan, I was only thinking about using them for the angle bracing, because they are light and lock together. Not for the loaded components. If built like a truss, they would be used to add strength to other lightweight structural members, such as a 2x2x0.120 main post. Again, max load would be fairly low. Like the last time I had to pickup some old free woodworking tools but had to load them myself. An old cast iron jointer that weighed probably 400 lbs, etc

 

[Former Member]

Sigh.....you guys understand torque calculation, ie ft lbs = lbs x ft from pivot point.

So simple version, front wheel axles are the pivot point, distance to the lift point in front of the wheels is the distance x the weight.

Counter balance is front axles pivot point distance to the rear axles x the weight on the rear axles.

As long as this number is bigger it won't tip over. If its less endo!

You can get more technical and figure out a lot more but this is only first semester engineering.

 

[phaxtris]

Ryan, I was only thinking about using them for the angle bracing, because they are light and lock together. Not for the loaded components. If built like a truss, they would be used to add strength to other lightweight structural members, such as a 2x2x0.120 main post. Again, max load would be fairly low. Like the last time I had to pickup some old free woodworking tools but had to load them myself. An old cast iron jointer that weighed probably 400 lbs, etc

oh i misunderstood, i thought you were thinking about using the the trampoline poles as the legs

if your keeping it low weight wise, and not like 18ft tall i wouldn't worry about lateral braces, the welds and bolted connections on the table tops would be sufficient for sub 1000lb loads given like a 3x3 or 4x4 post with a 1/4 or 3/8 table top w/5-6" bolt spacing (lengthwise obv) and 1/2-5/8 bolts, i assume you just want it for an up/back under/down affair, and your not trying to push the loaded gantry around on gravel

if you still want lateral braces you could build that into the tabletop connection, make the table top 12" or something long with the knee brace welded into the connection, still only 8 bolts and 3 pieces

 

[Bandit]

The picture of the truck is great, do the 2 donkeys come with it? However, myself would want the gin poles on the back, possibly moveable long the back deck. Rig to lift and load onto the deck if needed for transport. Many front ends are not as strong as the rear ends capastity wise.

 

[Bandit]

Take a good look at the frame of your SxS, a lot of them are not very thick/heavy material. Stamped sheet metal in a lot of cases, full of lightening holes. High strength, maybe. Perhaps a general rule of thumb, see if you can get heavier springs for the suspension. you are at the "normal" load limit when springs are bottomed out. Anything more, frame, suspension, axels, which one fails first?
Lots of units with home made snow plows, a lot of very well made units. OVER built, much stronger than SxS frame/ mounting points.
What am I saying, it ain't a D8. You broke it, now it needs to be fixed.( yes clatterpillers break too).