I modified my 1 ton engine hoist into a miniature version of that by adding larger wheels and a trailer coupler. Controlled tests show that it isn't stable enough to hoist and especially move with much more than I can dead-lift, but it lifts quite a bit higher and I'm back out of the way. Bolt-on outrigger beams would help its stability..
It's an excellent self-loading trailer that can straddle the load and then transport it on planks.
Having trouble here picturing that, but the effect sounds cool. I like the mods which add a wheel at the end of the hoist and weld brackets and a boat winch to the back of the boom. Much better control during raising/lowering than the standard hydraulics give.
Only if you want to sell it. The stuff I build for my own use is -simple-. When components exceed the capacity of my machine tools I revert to much slower manual layout and fabrication methods, and may not bother to build something in steel that I won't need much and could lash together with rope and timbers.
I made a boat winch attachment for the smaller crane on my pickup, and used it quite a bit to pull logs out of a heap and lift them into the bed. The winch mount and the boom end pulley pin to the existing holes.
The cable can nearly double the stress on the boom, and bend the adjustment pins.
For a larger hoist like the 1 ton shop crane I like to use a hanging chainfall instead, so I can move around to align the load as it lands, instead of having to be back at the winch.
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