[olddog]

I have never used one, but wished I had one several times. Assuming they are designed well and plenty beefy, I think they would be wonderful to use.

I work at a factory that winds large roll of plastic film, weighing up to 2000 lb or a little more. We use hoists continuously. The one thing I have learned is to check lifting equipment before using it. Things can crack over time and use. When a crack fails, it is sudden and total failure. I have never seen one slowly bend.