Rant: My old foreman told me to always check the load chart for the exact boom angle, not just the radius.

I was setting a 5-ton AC unit on a roof in Atlanta last week, and I eyeballed the radius at about 80 feet. My foreman's voice popped into my head, so I got out the book and checked the chart for my 70-degree angle. The chart showed a 500-pound lower capacity at that specific setup. If I'd just gone by the radius, I would have been over by about 300 pounds. Has anyone else had a close call that a simple chart check caught?

3 comments

3 Comments

richard_anderson1mo ago

Honestly, that "eyeballed the radius" part is why I double-check the chart every single time now.

graydavis1mo ago

Reminds me of a time I tried to eyeball the distance for a new garden hose, @richard_anderson. Ended up with about ten feet of slack coiled up by the spigot, looking totally silly. Now I just get out the tape measure, no matter how simple the job seems.

elliot_johnson311mo agoProlific Poster

Remember when I used to think measuring was just for big projects? Tbh, after cutting a shelf way too short because I guessed, I don't skip it anymore. Even for small stuff like hanging a picture, I grab the tape. It just saves the hassle of fixing a dumb mistake later.