Cable maintenace

[CTMartins]

Setup was out allwinter in mild New England winter. What do Northerners use for cable wax if any? Other posts are outdated.

[Thomabear]

CT, having been around cranes my entire life I can testify to the fact that lubing only the outside of wire rope is bad news. Coating the outside will attract dust, retain core moisture and cause the core strands to wear prematurely and rust from the inside if the rope isn't stainless. For smaller cables like we use, I like to use a spray dry lube silicone that will penetrate the rope, dry, then leave behind a solid water-resistant lubricant. I usually do this once a year, but my pole is only up for the season.

[tor]

Prelube 6

https://championradio.com/product/prelu ... lubricant/

[Thomas Maddox]

Not to hijack, but how long do cables/winch usually last?
The Prelube 6 looks good to me

[Thomabear]

Not to hijack, but how long do cables/winch usually last?
The Prelube 6 looks good to me

Thomas, in our application the SS wire rope should last many years even without maintenance due to the low cycle use at well under the max working load. If it ever wears out years down the road, you can get a replacement Troyer rack cable for ~$29.99 which includes the clamps and thimble. The reason I spray yearly with silicone spray is mostly to help the rope track in place smoothly on the drum. It lubricates well without producing a gummy cable, repels dust, is cheap, and non-toxic. It didn't make sense to me to spend more on protecting the cable than the cable itself.

[Jones4381]

Good information and string. Silicone spray for me moving forward...thank you for sharing your experience with the rest of us.

[flyin-lowe]

My original T14 still uses the same winch and SS braided wire that I started with. I bring in the house every year but the winch and cable have been outside exposed to Indiana weathers for close to 20 years.

[Thomas Maddox]

20 years! Wow. I use White Lithium grease. Opinions on that ?

[CTMartins]

How many cans does a PM cable need? How do I apply, spray and run it up the pole a few times or do I let it sit?

[Thomabear]

How many cans does a PM cable need? How do I apply, spray and run it up the pole a few times or do I let it sit?

Not sure which lube you will be using but with one can of the silicone spray I do 2 cables and have quite a bit left. I would say 4 cables a can, easily. I just lower the house and spray the wraps left on the drum then proceed to spray each layer of wire while raising the house. After that I spray the unspooled wire as high as I can up the pole. If you use silicone dry lube you don't need to worry about getting lube on the pole as it will dry up and actually slicken that side of the pole. May help for climbing critters.