I found this old post and thought, you know, I've done this before. About 10 years ago when I was teaching school we tested horsepower in a physics class. Someone up the post has the stuff right at 550 lbs one ft in one second. So run up a flight of stairs. Easily measured height and easy to measure the weight going up the stairs. All you need is a tape measure, scale and stop watch. I'll tell you right now the fat kids win. The skinny athletic kids seemed to be in the 3/4 HP range and the faster linebacker type of kids can exceed 1 HP. Girls, well they don't have enough weight without putting on a 50 lb back pack. But keep in mind the duration that power can be kept up. The first flight of stairs would obviously be rather quick. But the 5th flight?

 

There's something called Google out there... it requires very litlle brain horsepower to use, lol. Found found in 3rd reference: "Healthy human can sustain approx 0.28 horsepower to complets exhaustion in 1 hour 0.1 to exhaustion in 8 hours, 1st class athelete approx 0.45 horespower to exhaustion in 1 hour, 0.4 to exhaustion in 8 hours.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: jarmoore

&lt;blockquote&gt;Quote
Originally posted by: squeege
I agree.....1/4or maybe 1/2hp .....I would think a 1/2hp electric motor could give us a run for our money in most circumstances</end quote></div>
Yea, a 1.0hp winch can pull 3000lbs.

1/2 of 3000lbs = 1500lbs ... no human could pull 1500lbs straight up a tree like a 1/2hp winch could.</end quote></div>


I can pull any weight up a tree you request, as long as you give me enough pulleys and time, and a strong enough tree. A 1/2 HP winch with what gearing? A good athelete will keep up with your winch (as far as matching wieght and lift rate)for at least an hour.

 

OLYGUY12 is spot on. I did the same experiment in high school when I was a 250 defensive lineman. I came out at 1.2hp because after the first 25 steps I started to slow down. I can tell you that there is no way myself and another lineman could beat a horse in tug - o - war. Stick with physics and leave the horses be.