Hi,
I was at a convention in London yesterday and took a look at
Does anyone use this and what are your opinions?
Greetings,
Lieven
I've had a T shaped frame for many years, which uses a jack and conventional keys to connect to the manhole. Jack is rated at 2.5t and on really stiff covers is well loaded. If the cover lets go with a bang then the frame contains any movement (although on one occasion the keys headed for orbit!) - I'm not sure what would happen on the South survey lifter, where there is just the single vertical bar.
Be careful with double triangular covers - on installation they are quite often left not bolted together properly, so when one lifts the other separates - not a problem with key lifting, since you detect early on that they are separate. With the magnetic lifter it might only get a hold on one side and the other half could then descend into the manhole.
I've never seen one of those before, but it looks like the second best way to open a manhole.
The BEST way is to have someone else do it. I discovered that about 20 years ago when I dropped one on my toes and found my boot full of blood!
Works on any metallic cover
Evidently they've never tried it on any aluminum covers; I think they'd find that it doesn't work very well. (A lot of the 42" electric manholes on the UC campus near me have AL lids.)
It's been years since I dipped a structure.
There should be a book on this subject.
Quite simply, we never went into structures, that were 45 feet deep. We dipped them, up to about 20 feet.
There can be gasses in them, that will kill you.
This is an area that continuing education could serve in.
But, we need a good book.
Electrical can kill you too.
Gromaticus, post: 373773, member: 597 wrote: I've never seen one of those before, but it looks like the second best way to open a manhole.
The BEST way is to have someone else do it. I discovered that about 20 years ago when I dropped one on my toes and found my boot full of blood!
Nate The Surveyor, post: 373790, member: 291 wrote: It's been years since I dipped a structure.
There should be a book on this subject.
Quite simply, we never went into structures, that were 45 feet deep. We dipped them, up to about 20 feet.
There can be gasses in them, that will kill you.
This is an area that continuing education could serve in.
But, we need a good book.
Electrical can kill you too.
It's called a Confined Space and OSHA has a whole set of rule that you should be following if you need to enter one.
My boss, in Chicago, had a policy. IF anybody went down, it was him. And, he'd do it very fast, holding his breath. And, his head was not below surface, but a few inches, and right back out. He said that it was quite dangerous. I don't think I remember him ever putting his head below the surface... If the wind were blowing hard, it was safer. But, the bottom line rule was "Stay out of them" There are special crews, and equipment for this.
We'd even abandon the ones that had stuck lids. Whack them with 12 LB sledge, about 10x. If it did not budge, it was somebody else's problem.
There were some, that were 45 feet deep, and curved on their way down!
N
I've only had to do a full-on confined space entry once, when the engineer needed detailed info on a complicated sewer manhole. My client provided the support equipment and crew. Harness and winch, oxygen meter, flammable gas meter, and two men operating it all while I went down the hole. Not much fun, but at least I felt safe.
beuckie, post: 373770, member: 2245 wrote: Hi,
I was at a convention in London yesterday and took a look atDoes anyone use this and what are your opinions?
Greetings,
Lieven
I have used a similar unit that belonged to a friend of mine, he has two. One of the neatest tools I have ever used, I was very impressed at how easy it made opening structures and returning the covers. I come from a time of the hammer and pry bar, lots of muscle, this is much better!!
If you have many covers to open it would be a very good investment.
T.W.
A friend of mine had to do a detailed survey of the Baton Rouge sewer system, including inverts on every manhole. You see some nasty things when you pop some of those lids...
Tom Wilson, post: 373870, member: 247 wrote: I have used a similar unit that belonged to a friend of mine, he has two. One of the neatest tools I have ever used, I was very impressed at how easy it made opening structures and returning the covers. I come from a time of the hammer and pry bar, lots of muscle, this is much better!!
If you have many covers to open it would be a very good investment.
T.W.
Does it also work with hinged covers? Old ones will work perfectly with this tool but on new roads they use cover with hinges that lock into place when vertically.
beuckie, post: 373969, member: 2245 wrote: Does it also work with hinged covers? Old ones will work perfectly with this tool but on new roads they use cover with hinges that lock into place when vertically.
I haven't tried to use them with a hinged cover, I haven't even seen a hinged cover. I would think it would start the lift OK but they want to lift straight up, a very powerful magnet on wheels. The frame does have wheels so once you started the lift you could wheel it back and pull the cover up (I think). I guess you would have to try one and see. If you have a lot of covers they are the thing to have, very fast compared to the hammer and pry bar or even the MH hook.
T.W.
When I was young,I could use my middle finger to open a manhole lid.Now,I just give the manhole hook to the young guy.
we have a magnet with leverage
the guys love it.
Iceman, post: 375027, member: 579 wrote: When I was young,I could use my middle finger to open a manhole lid.
Wow. I thought only TDD could do that.
I've directed my middle finger at a lot of manhole lids, but I've never lifted one with it.
