tower pics from a scared "Q"

[qball]

allright, i 'll admit it. i am terrified of hights. real scared. squeal like a little girl scared. i have oiled on tower cranes back in my apprentice days, when i couldn't turn it down, but i rarely accept the invites all my tower crane buddies give me because i hate the darn cranes. that being said, i got a call from my tower buddy mike that i had to respond to because it gave me a chance to post some great pics for all my good friends on hef.:)
so i want you all to know the fear i went through just for you guys to get these snaps.
enjoy:eek:
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YOU DIDN'T THINK I WOULD REALLY CLIMB ONE OF THOSE THINGS, DID YOU?

[Dewoc19]

LOL, i noticed that it didnt see so high up, you are a many funny guy. nice looking crane though!

[qball]

i am glad you liked it and wished you could have been there.

[guyinthesky]

LMAO good one Qball...I looked at the first one and thought *** there is no height...Is that a Potain cab and slew gear?...

[qball]

LMAO good one Qball...I looked at the first one and thought wtf there is no height...Is that a Potain cab and slew gear?...

yep, it's a pootietang luffer.
not much holding the cabs on those things, in my opinion.

[guyinthesky]

yep, it's a pootietang luffer.
not much holding the cabs on those things, in my opinion.

LOL, come on up to Vic and climb mine...FM GRU's are similar in terms of how the cab is fastened on, I shaked my head everyday on how I manage to keep my ever growing arse up here lol

[qball]

thanks, when you get it on the ground, i would love to visit.

[TSK415]

:laugh I was trying to figure out why the anemometer was on the seat. On a Terex, two bolts hold the cab on.

[Lil' Danny]

Well it looks like we found Q's weakness. Our solution to his forum bashing is to threaten him with a tower crane.

[BigIron25]

haha good stuff qball

[Longboom]

:usa Hi everybody, I'm new here. I just thought I'd ask, Do any of you have any seat time in the HDT 80 self erecting tower crane? I've been running all kinds of cranes for 30 years and now I'm looking at buying one of these cranes. If you have any experience with these crane please reply. :drinkup

[TSK415]

Qball, can't be that bad. I know a woman that has been operating towers for years.

[landrvrnut22]

Those taken at All Crane Rental in Columbus, OH or else where?

[qball]

Those taken at All Crane Rental in Columbus, OH or else where?

nope, centrals yard in hammond, in.

[Dualie]

I have some time at the controls of a potain Igo 85. I didnt have a cab on it only the radio remotes. used it to set structural steel and trusses on a 4 story mixed use structure with a 3 level under ground parking garage.

IT paid for itself on that one job in the time saved. On this particular site their was ZERO lay down and the city would only allow us one lane on one side of the building to unload trucks and set the crane up for the duration of the project. IF you have the work for it and can swing the cost then by all means their a handy unit.

The sweetest setup i seen was a self erecting tower mounted on a 3 axle truck chassis. the portability and the area under hook make them a damn impressive unit.

[Longboom]

Hi Dualie, I want one of the Potain HDT80's. I always loved running the towers but my knees can't take the climb. This machine,....... you ride up. I can stand that. They build alot of little 3 story office buildings around here and I know alot of the contractors and they all say that could save them alot on equipment rental. It's a small machine with a great radius, you could cover the whole site of one of these buildings I'm talking about. Knock it out, break down, and get gone to the next one.

[Lugghead]

That is my FAVORITE way to see a tower! I'm not afraid of heights but I sure don't like the way they feel. Just means "job security" for my union brothers that do!

[white_boyz1]

IM A DOWN SOUTH DIRT GUY NEEDING SOME INFO,WHATS THE TALLEST TOWER CRANE EVER?:notworthy

[Eric]

That's funny right there! I'm not too fraidy cat of heights, but the idea of a tower crane makes me queezy. That's as close as I think I'd like to get.

[guyinthesky]

IM A DOWN SOUTH DIRT GUY NEEDING SOME INFO,WHATS THE TALLEST TOWER CRANE EVER?:notworthy

Are you referring to free-standing, tied in or just higher ever on a building. If its the latter you'd be looking at the TC on the Burj Dubai...if you're talking freestanding, you'd be looking at somewhere in the 300 ft range, depending on make and model...

[guyinthesky]

Oh come on guys! its not that big of a deal! - A solid steel structure, that if properly maintained, operated and inspected is perfectly safe! Sure we rock around a little from time to time up here, but hell its part of the rush, the charm, and the down and dirty fun of the job! - I had the same feelings as ya'll did, I was the equipment op on a highrise site (running all the mini-hoes, bobcats, telehandlers etc and I was dared by our Carpenter Lead Hand to climb up the crane the day it was erected, after all the guys had gone home, I did...they just about had to call the Fire Rescue to haul me out, completely froze up, white knuckled on the controls, now!? I look forward to Monday morning, and every morning I wake up and make that climb to my own private little fifedom high above the city! Its not hallllf has bad as it seems when you get over the mental blocks!