Grip Hoist

[sfdtruck1medic]

Anyone have any legit experience with the griphoist? Specifically the TU-32. What do you guys use it for? Is it worth the money having it for stabilization?

[DCFDRescue2]

We have one on the Rescue. I've drilled with it a bit, but have never had to use it on a call. I like 2" ratchet straps or a come along better. For me, they're easier to operate and easier to anchor. That's probably because I've been using them a lot longer, but I'm still more comfortable with them.

[ADSNWFLD]

We use ours for moving large objects, I agree with DCFD that other things are quicker to stabilize objects.
If you want speed in stabilizing something use rope. We use our utility rope for stabilizing vehicles all of the time. Our utility rope is 1/2" static that we no longer use for rescue because of age.

[Rescue101]

Anyone have any legit experience with the griphoist? Specifically the TU-32. What do you guys use it for? Is it worth the money having it for stabilization?

Thing I like about the Griphoist is you aren't tied to a 12-25' span. You can have several rolls of wire rope varying lengths to serve several needs. T.C.

[billyleach]

I've extensive experience with the Griphoist tool, and utilize it frequently during rescue. I've found it to be a very worthwhile investment. Given wire rope and snatch blocks it can move great loads.

[FitzBFDT2]

Above are 2 photos of our griphoist in use. We had a vehicle down an embankment on a shoreline.

The front of the vehicle was not going anywhere. Our concern was with the rear of the vehicle moving. We attached the hook end to a solid point on the undercarriage and attached the grip hoist to a 24" diameter tree up top. We ratcheted it back until the wire was solid and the vehicle didn't move an inch.

Very quick set up time and it did the job. Victim was removed by FD and EMS personnel.

[1ropeman]

Attached are a couple of photos showing a large animal rescue demo in the UK. The challenge was to lift the horse/manakin from a bog, traverse to the hard deck using a bipod, while maintaining the animal close to the deck during the exercise. Two Grip Hoists (AKA as Turfers in the UK) were used to move the load laterally, a MA was used to adjust the height during the location transfer. All went well until one side of the anchor system failed. Two days of rain and not having the the ability ro know the forces being applied to/from each side caused a sudden and catastrophic failure. In this type of setup it is important to monitor the anchors closely vs. a single USA (unquestionable sound anchor). One advantage to the wire rope system is the control during transition from one side of the bipod to the other. Synthetic ropes may have a shock load, jerking effect when moving from one side of plumb to the other. We also use Grip Hoists to move large lumps, concrete, vehicles etc. Although there are limited uses, there are times when you want the right tool for the job.