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Santa Cruz, CA

Friday we are loading our pumpkins for a Sunday Fair weigh-off. We've always loaded our pumpkins by hand but now that they are over 500lbs our friends backs won't work anymore. We are renting an excavator to lift the pumpkins to our truck. We will have the pumpkins on a lifting tarp, to lifting straps put through the lifting tarps courner handles, to a big hook, to a 1/2" chain that loops around to 1/4" bolt with a washer and nut. We are planning on looping the chain that is bolted into a circle onto the teeth of the excavator. Does that sound like it will work? I'm a little worried about the 1/2" chain and the 1/4" bolt being strong enough but I don't know too much about all this. Thanks for the help.

9/4/2006 2:17:49 PM

Montoursville, PA

Whew.............sounds OK except for the chain and bolt business. Get a bit of adivse from your heavy equipment guy.

9/4/2006 2:31:13 PM

Mastic Beach, New York

1/2 chain is plenty,think a 3/8 bolt should fit through the links.if you loop the chain around the bucket aleast 2x ,it taks the load away from the bolt...you also could use a quick link to join the links together..

9/4/2006 3:11:10 PM

San Jose [email protected]

the 1/4 inch bolt seems small, if you can get 3/8 there will be no problem.

I am thinking of getting a pallet jack, make a ramp, and use a come a long to load mine this year, also about 500lbs, I haven't had to do this before, but seems reasonable

9/4/2006 3:11:28 PM

So. Maine

Creekside , when you do the lifting remember SLOW & EASY , no quick or jerky moves... I hope you don't plan to have a 1/4 in. bolt do any of the lifting . 3/8 inch or bigger for lifting.....

9/4/2006 10:20:13 PM