Nearly dropped a 3 ton AC unit because I skipped the pre-lift check in Houston

Was on a job last August at a strip mall off 290. Hot as hell, rushing to beat the rain. Got the AC unit chained up and started the lift, felt something off on the boom. Ignored it for a few seconds because I wanted to get it over with. Then I heard a grinding sound from the winch. Stopped everything, lowered it back down, and found a frayed cable wrap I missed during my morning walkaround. Took 20 minutes to swap a spare on, but that couldve gone real bad. Any of you guys ever catch something like that mid-lift and have to reset?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_hall1d ago

That grinding noise hits different when you know it's the winch and not just the usual creaks and groans of the equipment. Read a report once from a crane operator in Beaumont who said the same thing happened to him on a highway project... he caught a frayed cable just before lifting a concrete barrier. Scary stuff. @the_piper is right, those morning walkarounds are a pain in the heat but they're the only thing between you and a real bad afternoon. Good call on setting it back down, most guys would have tried to rush it and hoped for the best.

the_piper1d ago

That grinding sound is the kind of thing that sticks with you for weeks after. Catching a frayed cable mid-lift is a straight up reminder of why we do those checks every morning.