Building a Crane for Heavy Timbers

"Andy's Little Homestead" has a Youtube video of how to build a log crane for lifting heavy timbers:  

Does anyone have exerience/a better way of lifting logs alone or with two people?

I have an idea to use a crane like this to set 8 vertical posts in an octagon. 15' long round logs if set into the ground, 10' if set on piers.

This will be for the "New Member With a Project" thread in this forum.

I am thinking of building something along these lines, but one story. I love the roof, yes, but also the post construction combined with framing. The possibilities to fill between the posts are legion. Also, I am paying particular attention to their concrete piers and how they joined the floor joists with the posts.

Don't yet know what crane type would best fit your final form of construction, but I usually start these idea searches with either:

- pinterest
- google images

Both of which are a super fast way to scan for potential ideas on DIY gin-poles, derrick/hoists, and any other number of nifty lifting ideas; there's a zillion crane types, and many can be home-crafted. Be warned ... I usually lose an hour or two on these searches, once I start down a search path.

In the videos, I saw a bit of "pucker" safety tactics (as in, not much safety, and I was waiting for folks or timbers to fall), so please be sure read all about your final chosen lifting method, before launching into it. Everyone should know about hard hats, safety harness/ropes (what roofers use), and such.

Not that I've ever had things fall on me ...