If you’ve spent any time in a machine shop, a shipyard, or hanging off a utility pole, you know the sound. It’s that crisp, mechanical clack-clack-clack of a lever hoist taking up the slack. Honestly, in a world where everything is turning digital or battery-powered, there is something deeply reassuring about holding a Harrington 3 4 ton come along. It’s heavy. It’s made of steel and manganese. It doesn't need a firmware update to pull a motor or tension a fence line.
Most guys just call them "come alongs," but Harrington refers to this specific beast as the LB Series. Specifically the LB008.
Let’s get one thing straight: three-quarters of a ton might not sound like much when you see 5-ton or 10-ton monsters sitting on a warehouse shelf. But 1,500 pounds of pulling force in a tool that weighs about 13 pounds? That’s the sweet spot. It’s the tool you actually want to carry to the top of the structure. You don't want to lug a 40-pound hoist up a ladder if you're just adjusting a pipe hanger or tweaking a steel beam’s alignment.
The LB008 Engineering Reality
Harrington Hoists, Inc., which is basically the American arm of the Japanese giant Kito, didn't just stumble into making the industry standard. They built the LB series with a stamped steel body instead of aluminum. Why? Because aluminum cracks when it hits the concrete floor of a refinery. Steel dents. You can work with a dent; you can't work with a shattered housing.
The heart of the Harrington 3 4 ton come along is the brake. They use a Weston-style mechanical load brake. It’s a dry design, which is key. You don't want oil or grease getting in there and making things slip when you're holding a load over your toes. The friction discs are carbon-based. They’re designed to grip harder as the load increases. It’s simple physics, really.
One thing that drives me crazy about cheap knock-offs is the "free-wheeling" mechanism. You know the ones—you try to pull the chain out to reach your anchor point and the whole thing jams up or, worse, drops the load because the lever bumped into the wrong position. Harrington’s "freewheel" is different. You have to intentionally pull the adjustment knob to release the brake. It’s a two-step process. Safe. Boringly reliable. That’s exactly what you want when 1,500 pounds are dangling in the air.
The Manganese Alloy Chain
We need to talk about the chain. It isn't just "metal." It’s Grade 100 heat-treated manganese alloy chain. Harrington makes their own chain in Japan, which is a rarity these days. Most manufacturers outsource the link production to the lowest bidder.
Manganese is a weird, beautiful element. It makes the steel incredibly tough and resistant to wear, but it also allows for some ductility. If you somehow manage to overload this thing way beyond its safety factor, the links will stretch before they snap. That’s your early warning system. If your chain links look elongated, stop. Get a bigger hoist.
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The hooks are also designed to be the "weak" point in a safe way. They are drop-forged carbon steel. If you pull too hard, the hook throat will slowly open up. It’s a visual indicator that you’re being an idiot with your rigging.
Common Misconceptions About the 3/4 Ton Rating
A lot of people think "3/4 ton" means it can handle any 1,500-pound load in any condition. That’s how accidents happen.
Rigging is about angles. If you are using a Harrington 3 4 ton come along to pull something horizontally across a floor, the friction of the object against the ground adds to the "weight" the hoist feels. If you're pulling a 1,000-pound crate that's stuck on a wooden pallet, the breakout force required to move it might actually exceed 1,500 pounds.
Also, the "come along" name is technically a bit of a misnomer for the LB series. Usually, a come along uses a wire rope (cable). The Harrington LB008 is a lever chain hoist. Chain hoists are almost always superior for precision. Why? Cable stretches. Chain doesn't. When you move the lever one click on a Harrington, the load moves a precise, predictable distance. If you're trying to align bolt holes on a flange, you need that precision. Cable hoists bounce. Chain hoists sit still.
Maintenance That People Actually Forget
Listen, these things are tanks, but they aren't immortal.
The biggest mistake I see? People oiling the load chain and then dragging it through the dirt. The oil turns into a grinding paste. It eats the pocket sprocket—the little wheel inside that the chain sits in—and eventually, the chain will start to skip. If your Harrington starts "jumping" under load, your sprocket is likely toast because you over-lubricated it in a dusty environment.
Keep the chain clean. Use a dry film lubricant if you must, but honestly, just keeping it wiped down is usually enough for most indoor or construction environments.
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Also, check the latch on the hooks. If the spring is broken and the latch is flapping in the breeze, the hoist is technically out of OSHA compliance. It takes two minutes to replace a latch kit. Don't be that person who gets the whole job site shut down over a $10 part.
Why Pros Spend $400 Instead of $80
You can go to a big-box hardware store and buy a "4-ton" cable puller for sixty bucks. It’ll look shiny. It’ll have a big handle. And it will probably fail the third time you use it.
The Harrington 3 4 ton come along costs significantly more. You’re paying for the certification and the parts availability. Every single LB008 is factory tested to 125% of its rated capacity before it leaves the plant. You get a certificate with a serial number. If a piece of the handle snaps in five years, you can actually buy just that part. Try doing that with a generic brand—you’ll end up throwing the whole tool in the scrap bin.
In high-stakes industries like power generation or mining, you aren't just buying a tool; you're buying a lack of lawsuits. Using a hoist that meets ASME B30.21 standards is a baseline requirement. Harrington hits those marks easily.
Real-World Applications
I’ve seen these used in ways the engineers probably didn't intend, though I wouldn't recommend all of them.
- Tightening overhead lines: Linemen love the 3/4 ton because it’s light enough to hang on a belt while climbing.
- Engine Swaps: It’s overkill for a Honda Civic, but for positioning a heavy diesel engine where you need millimeter precision to line up the transmission splines? Perfect.
- Stretching Tension Wire: If you're building a high-security chain-link fence, this tool lets you get the wire "guitar-string tight" without breaking a sweat.
- Industrial Maintenance: Pulling a pump out of a tight corner where a crane can't reach.
The short handle (about 9.5 inches) is actually a feature. It’s designed so that a human being of average strength can’t easily put enough force on it to break the internal gears. If you find yourself needing to put a "cheater pipe" on the handle of your Harrington 3 4 ton come along, stop. You need a bigger hoist. The tool is telling you that the load is too heavy. Listen to it.
Troubleshooting the LB008
Sometimes, the hoist gets "locked" in the up or down position. Usually, this happens when someone runs the bottom hook all the way up against the body or pulls the chain through until the end-ring hits the housing.
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Don't panic.
Flip the directional lever to the opposite of where it’s stuck, give the handle a sharp tug to break the friction on the brake, and it should release. If the brake is truly seized, it’s usually because it sat in a damp toolbox for three years and developed a bit of surface rust on the friction discs. A quick teardown and a light sanding of the discs (don't use oil!) usually brings them back to life.
How to Spot a Fake
Because Harrington is the gold standard, there are counterfeits. Look at the rivets. On a real Harrington 3 4 ton come along, the rivets are clean, uniform, and flush. The nameplate should be metal, not a sticker, and it should be clearly embossed with the model number and load rating.
Check the chain. Real Kito/Harrington chain has specific markings stamped into the links every foot or so. If the chain is completely smooth and looks like something you’d buy at a farm supply store, it’s not a Harrington.
Step-by-Step Inspection for Your New Hoist
If you just picked up a Harrington, do these three things before you put it to work:
- The Freewheel Test: Pull the knob and make sure the chain zips through both ways without catching. This ensures the internal pawls aren't gummed up.
- The Click Check: Put the lever in the "UP" position and crank it. You should hear a sharp, metallic click. That’s the hoist’s heartbeat. If it’s a dull thud or silent, the spring in your pawl might be weak.
- Hook Rotation: The hooks should spin 360 degrees freely. If they’re stiff, they’ve likely been exposed to corrosive chemicals or extreme heat.
The Harrington 3 4 ton come along isn't a flashy tool. It doesn't have an app. It doesn't have LED lights. It just works. In an era where "good enough" is the standard for most manufacturing, Harrington still builds things for the guy who can't afford a failure at 2:00 AM on a rainy Tuesday in a North Dakota oil field. Invest in the steel. Your back (and your safety) will thank you.