How would those be less efficient?

Because you're turning a wheel and not swinging a five pound sledge? Seriously, have you EVER done manual labor? Only someone who hasn't would ask such a ridiculous question.

Clearly you've never actually done anything productive because you know nothing about efficiency.

I'm not the one claiming swinging a five pound sledge hammer for hours on end is a better alternative.

That monstrosity of a device would be incredibly heavy and nearly impossible for gold rush miners to move around effectively let alone have a stable platform to use the thing often.

Have you never heard of a goddamn HORSE?!? You'd have to be incredibly dumb to think that gold rush miners didn't use horses and donkeys to move things. NO ONE went out west with nothing but the clothes on their backs and got there solely on foot. Are you serious with that bullshit? EDIT: Also, you're seriously questioning the ability to create a stable platform for this contraption when you see the clever engineering in it for it's time? You can't seriously believe that they were intelligent enough to engineer something like this but weren't smart enough to figure out how to move it and make a stable base for it.

And you say I'm the ignorant one, you're probably just some kid who thinks he's hot shit.

Oh yes, now I'm a kid. Of course. You're right, only a man would know that horses don't exist and have never moved things and that swinging five pounds of metal for hours on end is so much easier than turning a crank.

Get the fuck over it dude, you're wrong and you're bullheaded.