Commercial Aluminum Flag & Pole Maintenance | Internal Cable Winch or Crank Handle

While a crank handle is not expensive, a winch is. Some winches can be up to $800. The two points that take the most stress are the winch and the pulley at the top of the internal truck device. Both of these points are reinforced. But the winch has the added responsibility of housing the cable. If the winch locks up, the flag will not come down. So some engineering goes into these stainless steel heavy duty winch mechanisms.

How does an internal flagpole cable winch fail?

 In the outside elements, nothing lasts forever. Oxidation eventually takes all metals. But the most common reason winches on internal cable system flagpoles fail is not because of time, but because of misuse. Click Here for a guide to proper flagpole winch maintenance.

What we see mostly, is the winch handle is missing, so the flag manager finds another way. They use a screw driver and alligator pliers or something similar. This can dislodge the winch, jam the mechanism or it can be very difficult to control. If the make shift handle looses grip as the flag comes down, the winch can become released and the weight will come crashing down. This can result in serious injury. Get the most out of your flag with the right parts, but most importantly, be safe.