As I've gotten older, it's become more difficult to carry 40 pound bags of water softener salt from the garage to the basement. I looked to this shoulder yoke to allow me to more easily carry two bags at a time without my hands cramping. The carved wood yoke is beautiful. I carried the first two bags (of eight) to the basement with relative ease. However, while carrying the second two bags the knot that held one of the hooks let go without warning. I re-tied both ropes allowing several inches of tail on each knot, but one of the hook knots again slipped loose without warning on my third trip to the basement. I gave up on the yoke because it is too dangerous with the rope, which is too stiff to tie securely and too slippery to hold a knot. I will replace the ropes with I-bolts and chains, which will, also, be easier to adjust for length. There were no weight limitations in any of your literature, so I assumed that two 40 pound bags of salt weren't much more than two five gallon buckets of water. With an eye to safety, you should evaluate the problem with the ropes and the knots because someone else might not be as lucky as I was when this failed without warning.

There is a groove on the top of the yoke which looks like it is designed for a rope to sit in, so I looped the rope over the top to hang off the back side so the yoke does not roll forward onto the neck. If you don't do that or re-string the rope the other direction as noted by the previous reviewer, it will make your neck hurt. Also, if carrying water, you will want to hold onto the bucket handles lightly to steady them or it will throw off your balance. With the yoke I could carry two 5gallon buckets full of water without any discomfort, whereas I would previously have to stop en route to the trees several times because my fingers would hurt carrying one bucket. An added benefit: when hanging from the yoke and steadied by holding the handles, there is no water sloshing out of the bucket onto your feet like you tend to get when just carrying the bucket in your hand!.

This thing is great. You can carry 2 full 5 gal buckets all day long. The only change I would make if you buy one is put the rope thru the yoke from the other side this keeps the yoke from pressing against your neck.