 | Home > Off Topic > Tirfor winch model? |
 
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16884   
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It does in deed look like an old T-13, I haven't seen one of those for a very long time!
I'm am not sure what you intend when you say "service it" but be a little careful if you intend to do any dismantling of it. Over the years I have stripped and rebuilt a number of Tirfors, it is not difficult - the engineering is straightforward - but some parts are VERY awkward to reassemble. There are several springs which can and will fall out when you dismantle the unit before you have had the chance to see where they go. Unless there is some pressing reason to take it apart (like it doesn't work) then I would recommend NOT doing so. The other and bigger problem you are likely to find if you do it yourself is that Tractel (who makes them) absolutely won't sell you any spare internal parts, they will only supply them to an accredited service agent. The only way you will be able to buy them is if you can persuade the your local agent to get the parts for you, then you're laughing, however many agents will not do this. Parts are not cheap either, but they are of course very high quality, but I have no idea what the parts availability is like for a machine as old as that. If you need a test certificate (which you will if you use it for lifting/lowering as opposed to dragging objects on the ground) it also is difficult to test the unit yourself unless you happen to have a calibrated load cell or dynamometer. Generally speaking there is little to go wrong unless the unit has been seriously abused, although if I bought a second-hand machine and didn't know its history, I would definitely either overhaul it myself of take it to a dealer for a service and retest to make sure it hasn't been damaged. I have seen units bought from Ebay that have been bodged together in a frighteningly inept way to make them work so they can be sold as "good working order". I would be very wary indeed of a Tirfor of unknown origin which appear to have been taken apart at any time, and would definitely strip it fully before trying to use it. Keep them as clean as possible and well lubricated, and always make sure the correct shear pin is fitted. The rope for a Tirfor (or any other 'griphoist' machine) is not standard wire rope, it is made to tighter tolerances, so it is not a good idea to use anything other than rope designed for the purpose and for the right size machine. If the rope gets kinked you will have a problem. If it is looked after sensibly, a Tirfor will outlast most of us. Most of the operating instructions and manuals are now available on line but I doubt you will find one for a T-13, in which case the instructions for the TU series will be fine (the machines are essentially identical in terms of function). The spare parts lists are generally not available since these also are only available to accredited service agents. A very common trick for a non-functioning machine is to soak it is diesel for a few days then let it drain, and oil it. This will often be enough to make it work again. If you need information I suggest getting in touch with Tractel in Sheffield (here's a link to their website Homepage ) and ask them, they will also be able to give you the details of your nearest dealer. They were very helpful when I did this. If you can find a serial number on your machine (should be stamped somewhere) they can probably identify it positively and they may be able to supply an Operator's Manual. You may also find this post on the ArbTalk forum of interest, it and the subsequent post show what the inside of a T-13 looks like. Ther eis quite a lot of T-13 info in the remainder of the same thread. |
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2nd Mar 2024 7:30pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 215 
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Wow thanks for the comprehensive reply! That's very helpful. I wanted to inspect the inside and re-grease if needed as it does look like it has had some abuse. But given your reply and warning I'm starting to have 2nd thoughts.
Here is the bolts I had to remove which somebody had jammed in instead of shear pins! I am struggling to source replacements as T-13 doesn't seem a common model? Am I right in saying the swl is 1500kg for this model?  Click image to enlarge Cheers |
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2nd Mar 2024 9:11pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16884
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Correct, but it's a very old model.
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2nd Mar 2024 9:17pm |
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| TamarBlue11 Member Since: 25 Sep 2020 Location: England Posts: 215
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Thanks blackwolf.
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3rd Mar 2024 8:03am |
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| Bowbearer Member Since: 12 Aug 2022 Location: Norfolk Posts: 128 
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Make sure the cable is good, any kinks will cause problems.
If in doubt get a new one. Best to store the cable in an old motorbike tire. |
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3rd Mar 2024 10:28am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16884
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If you do decide to get a new wire rope remember that Tirfor ropes (and indeed any griphoist winch rope) is not a standard rope, it must be intended for griphoist use and the exact correct dimension. Buy from a Tirfor agent.
If the rope is not correct it is likely that it will slip in the jaws. |
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3rd Mar 2024 11:37am |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6037 
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I must dust mine out from the garage. Think mine is a T16, not sure now,
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3rd Mar 2024 5:09pm |
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