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Wallingford,CT

As we approach the weigh off season growers are faced with the problem of how to load their prize pumpkin. Brute force and a lifting tarp have worked well for smaller pumpkins but finding friends with good backs gets harder each year especially as your pumpkins get heavier. An alternative is a lifting ring and heavy equipment such as a backhoe but not everyone has access to the equipment. A tripod along with the lifting ring and hoist can make this an easy 2 man job. Building the tripod seems to be the first obstacle for many. At www.team-pumpkin.org you can find complete instructions in a powerpoint presentation (tripod section) along with still photos of the details (photos section) and a short video of one in use. It really is as easy as it looks.

8/31/2008 12:11:21 PM

sevierville, Tn

I built this last year & worked better than i expected. With it you could load with 1 person. Still need 2 to set the tripod. No more getting equipment stuck in your garden either. ;)

8/31/2008 1:08:38 PM

Granite Bay Ca

Thank bart

I been looking for just that.
thang again dick72

8/31/2008 2:21:41 PM

Granite Bay Ca

Hi bart

dick 72 here

Just want to say you did A great job on this tripod. It,s what I was thinking. but could not put it together.It is really great. thanks again dick72 .

8/31/2008 4:31:52 PM

Granite Bay Ca

Bart

How long are your 4-4 And is that truck A toyota ??

dick72

8/31/2008 4:53:50 PM

Wallingford,CT

my 4x4's are 16 feet. I don't know which truck you mean but the truck I use for my pumpkins is a Ford F250 Turbo Diesel. It's not mine but it's big. (it's not the one in the powerpoint file)

8/31/2008 5:02:30 PM

Granite Bay Ca

bart

I wanted to know about the truck because for size .That tell me how wide the tripod is in center.The higher the poles the wider it is for the truck. thanks again
dick72

8/31/2008 5:37:51 PM

milford, CT,

Guys..check out my post from the other day. I went up to visit Bart last week and check out his tripod...The one I made is exactly by the numbers he uses in his demo video. I will never lift a pumpkin with a crew again..very safe and easy. We lifted a 544 lber as our test lift and she didn't budge..I know that others have lifted pumpkins well over 1000 lbs with this set up. Mark

8/31/2008 7:18:33 PM

Jericho Vermont

I use Barts tripod design and it works great. I used 14 feet 4x4's and worked great with smaller truck. I still squeeze my full size Nissan Titan under the 14 footers but it is a tight squeeze. The only change i made was to connect each side with a chain 5 feet from the top. As I pull the chain taught with each legs i know my tripod is balanced.
John

8/31/2008 7:30:35 PM

No Place Special

use 16'. I had 14' in previous years and sometimes fought getting enough lift to get them into the truck. Got 16' this year and they work great!!!

8/31/2008 10:35:01 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Thanks bart! I'll be using it in a few weeks!

8/31/2008 10:40:48 PM

Granite Bay Ca

Mike, what angle did you cut the 4-4? And how long is the cut? And how big is the all/thread ? It looks like about 2in left on the 4-4 at the top ?? If there is 2in left on the top that will tell us the angle.

9/1/2008 12:40:07 AM

[email protected]

14 footers might be an issue with Ford 4x4's since the bed is so darn high. GM & Jap trucks will be fine with the sturdy 14' legs.

Does the 16' legs lose stability?

9/1/2008 1:02:33 AM

Wallingford,CT

Dick, goto www.team-pumpkin.org and in the Tripod section you can download a powerpoint presentation. It will give you the directions I used to make mine including how I determined the angles and cuts.

Steve, 16 footers don't lose any stability, solid as a rock.

9/1/2008 7:06:39 AM

Atlantic Canada

Thanks, Bart, terrific info here!

Bill

9/1/2008 8:52:19 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

I just want to "second the opinion" of all that's been said here. Using a tripod is really a GREAT way to go!

9/1/2008 10:20:47 AM

Granite Bay Ca

Thanks again bart you did a grate job.
dick72

9/1/2008 11:36:59 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Darnit Bart...Just being the dumb guy from NJ again....I can't find the presentation... I found all the photos but the download link doesn't seem to work sez it's under construction...Thanks for the pictures I can probably go from them. Chuck

9/1/2008 11:50:13 AM

Wallingford,CT

Chuck....email sent to you..let me know how it works for you.
Bart

9/1/2008 12:23:50 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Thanks Bart got it....Looks great!

9/1/2008 2:02:09 PM

Winston Salem NC

Im not real smart either and cant get it to show a PowerPoint presentation link.

9/1/2008 3:10:11 PM

Wallingford,CT

Rick, email me and I'll get it to you. [email protected]

Bart

9/1/2008 4:29:05 PM

Winston Salem NC

Email sent Bart... Thanks
Rick

9/1/2008 6:43:56 PM

Winston Salem NC

Got it Thanks Bart. I'll have to get one built for next season.

9/1/2008 8:30:46 PM

Granite Bay Ca

HI bart

dick72 Just built my tripod today. It works great pick up 500# of rock .I don't have a pumpkin yet But will have thanks to Doug . thanks doug. and you bart

9/1/2008 11:05:25 PM

southwest MO

Can anyone recomend a hoist? where to buy?

9/1/2008 11:32:29 PM

Western NY

This is the one I have:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-1-Ton-Ross-Hand-Chain-Hoist-10-Lift_W0QQitemZ7580846720QQihZ019QQcategoryZ42916QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

although mine might be a 15' drop, i can't remember. Much better than the cheaper ones, this thing is the least expensive of the ones that are built to last. I did a lot of looking before i settles on this one last year or the year before.

9/2/2008 9:33:58 AM

Wallingford,CT

FYI, the email address above for me doesn't work any more. if needed try [email protected]

9/15/2010 12:08:45 PM