Lost $200 on a cheap sling set last year

Bought a no-name brand off Amazon for a light pick and the eye splice pulled apart on the third job. Has anyone else had a budget rigging failure cost them more than they saved?

2 comments

2 Comments

webb.stella7d ago

Bought a cheap main block from a discount marine store once and the sheave cracked on a moderate lift. Had to buy a whole new setup plus a decent sling set to finish the job, so that "savings" turned into a loss. Now I just buy from a known supplier like CM or Crosby for anything that sees real weight. Learned the hard way that the price tag isn't worth it if the gear fails on you.

theabennett7d ago

a decent sling set" - that part got me. A sling set is just one sling if you're working alone, maybe two if you're pairing them. But anyway, your point stands. The thing about marine discount stores is they often sell "commercial grade" that isn't actually rated for overhead lifting. I've seen those sheaves crack too, usually because the bearing isn't sealed right and grit gets in there. The real test is whether the gear has a WLL plate that's legible and traceable back to the manufacturer. Without that, you're just guessing.