18-inch Fireplace Pot Hanger Bracket by Minuteman International Crane

Brandywine: My stone mason installed this during fireplace build in my Rumsford. Fit perfectly and it is very sturdy. Can't wait to cook a big pot of chili in there!

United States on Sep 29, 2022

DerekDerek: Great addition to the family room. Haven't had a fire since refinishing the fireplace, but man am I ready for the cold weather. I can't wait to cook my first batch of chili!
Make sure to have the arm in the sleeves before mounting.
I took the advice of others and spent the $5 on heavy duty hardware from Home Depot. Can't say that the supplied was insufficient, but didn't want to take the chance.
Make sure to use the correct sized masonry bit. Must pre drill holes if using heavy duty hardware.
I must mention that I am handy, but no expert. Lucky for me that I have larger bits, as my screws didn't quite line up. 5 minutes in the garage to make the holes a little larger on the crane did the trick.
Good investment and happy for now.
Would definitely recommend to others. Good quality and a 15 minute install.

Update:
First fireplace chili. Awesome experience and definitely not practical, but it sure is fun.
I also spent a few bucks at the hardware store and bought a copper bushing to raise the height. See the last photo.

United States on Oct 18, 2020

MarineguyMarineguy: Very cool old world accessory for your fireplace. The two included anchors are garbage--do not use them. Go to lowes and buy some lead anchors for the top two, then just use masonry screws for the bottom two. The top two (the top one, really), bear the tensile force of whatever pot you hang on the hook, and the bottoms only serve to keep the brace vertical (low shear load). Just use masonry screws for them.
Hang it as high as you can while still allowing clearance to swing it outside the doors if you have any. Then buy a nice vintage Griswold dutch oven on eBay ($50-90) and S-hooks to vary the distance to the coals.
The base plate is designed so that you can lift the crane off when not in use, but with the top bolt installed, you may have to cut 1/4" off the bottom peg to allow removal/installation.
Good product, overall.

United States on Dec 03, 2017

UsedVolvoBoyUsedVolvoBoy: I'm giving this 4 stars for 3 reasons: Firstly, the manufacturer only provides 2 anchor bolts, yet the piece has 4 mounting holes. Secondly, the anchors are not a common style you'd find in your local hardware or big-box store. They are an expansion, drop-in style, internally threaded, anchor bolt with a metric hex bolt. Lastly, no directions or mounting template (ie--what size masonry bit to use, etc, etc).

I read other reviews before purchasing this item so I knew I'd be short 2 anchor bolts, and that the bolts may be sub-par quality. The anchor bolts aren't sub par. It's a 2 piece deal: a stainless knurled anchor wedge with an 8.8 grade hex head bolt, so basically equivalent to a grade 5 SAE bolt. I should have measured the wedge, but it appeared to be equivalent to 5/16 inch outer diameter. The hex head was 14mm and roughly 2 inches long (again, I didn't measure) My guess is the torque specs on these are around 25 ft/lbs, and I was very careful not to over tighten them.

I had to get the black coating out of the mounting strap's bolt holes in order to easily push the anchor bolts through, so before you do anything, do that. A previous reviewer had mentioned they...

United States on Dec 29, 2015

eternalgreenknighteternalgreenknight: BEWARE: Buy your own hardware (bolts and inserts)!!!! I'd have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the cheap hardware costing me several hours of my life.

It looks nice, but the bolts and inserts snapped off in my bricks and now I have to struggle to get them out and head out to the hardware store and replace them! Hopefully I can get them out and the bricks aren't ruined! For this price there is no excuse for including cheap and poorly made parts!!!

Added a couple stars back to my 1-star review after my initial frustration wore off and I was able to get it mounted with high quality hardware from the store. I am exhausted after drilling out the cheap bolts and anchors. One of my bricks cracked and a bit of it's face chipped off, but I was able to get it back into place... It was long, difficult, and tedious, drilling out the old junk bolts and anchors until they fell apart, but I did it, and then drilled out the holes in the brick for the next size up. I definitely recommend wearing a mask and eye and hearing protection- without it I'd have been in for a world of hurt after the mind-numbing hours of drilling.

The crane itself seems well made...as I discovered...

United States on Feb 22, 2015