No problem evans. I'll run you through a couple little trial lifts.
Situation #1
I'm in a tms 475 and I roll up to xyz quarry. They want to pull the cone crusher- no idea what it weighs. I proceed to set up the crane as close to the crusher as I can. After set up, I take my tape measure, and its 32' over the side of the crane, from the center of the turntable, to the center of the crusher/ pick point. Go now to the chart in the cab. 32' isn't listed as a radius, so you go to the next longer radius- 35'.
View attachment TMS475-Load-Chart.pdf
Left hand side of chart (over the side) lists radius of 35' as having a capacity of 20,280lbs, with any boom length (thank grove for building stout booms). So you only have 20,280lbs of capacity. Deduct the weight of your block, ball (if running both winches), stowed jib, and rigging. 290lbs for stowed jib, block weighs 800lbs (it should say on it), and your chain sling at 1,000lbs. total is 2090 lbs. 20,280-2090= 18,190lbs. That 18,190 is the maximum you can safely lift. Reeve the block with 2 parts of line, when the winch starts to stall out (10,000lbs per line), you're probably at capacity, if the cone crusher isn't coming up, you better stop.
Situation #2.
Roll up on site, dozer to unload off semi, no known weight. You back the truck up right behind the back bumper, stretch out your tape measure, 10' from center of turntable to back bumper of the crane, 4' to the dozer tracks, another 5' to the center of the dozer. total 19'
Now we'll use the chart on the right (because we're over the rear). no 19' radius listed, so we go to 20' (always go to the lesser capacity). You've shot out a little boom so we go to the 40' boom length, chart says 52,200lbs. We subtract stowed jib (290), block (800), rigging (1000). That's 2090 again. 52,200-2090= 50110lbs. If you have a becket attach point on the block, you could run a 5-part. If you don't you'll need to run a 4-part (40,000) which is actually better in this case (you'll see).
The dozer doesn't want to come off the trailer easy with your 4 part. The dozer acts like its coming , but hasn't. Being johnny expert operator, you know the winch will do 10,000 per line easy, but if you throttle up that detroit, (or cummins if you're so blessed), the winch will do 13,000 before stalling completely. 13,000 x 4 = 52,000lbs. Either the dozer comes off there, or you better stop, because you're over. If you have the 5 part, your actually right up to chart (before you know it), and a 6 gives you way more line pull than capacity (could pull 60,000, with only having 50,000 of chart). In having to rev up the crane, you know its between 40 to 50,000 lbs, and now you look like johnny expert operator.
Situation # 3
Roll up on site, they've got a piece of pipe over the other side of a storage tank, you need to remove the old pipe, replace with new. You set up, stretch out trusty tape measure, and its 75' over there. 5,770 chart over the rear. Subtract our ball (250lbs) (your only good for 5700- you don't need block), stowed jib (290), rigging (200- you got some small nylons, instead of that huge chain) 5770-250-290-200=5030. Easily within line pull of 10,000. How do you know when you're getting close? Options:
#1 tell them you have to know what it weighs- use the new pipe shipping ticket- but that doesn't tell you if the old pipe is heavier-thicker wall- or full of material (and they won't know- they'll just stare at you like they're stupid)
#2 Pick until the crane starts to get light. You're in the tipping, not structural portion of the chart (below the bold line), so the crane will get tippy, not break. But-this is bad. Being boomed down that far/flat once it gets light, its too late. If it starts to go, you won't be able to bring it back. Nobody wants the crane laying over.
#3 Johnny expert operator. The old grove engineers save you, they've equipped this wonderful crane with 2 speed main winches. Low speed is 10,000 line pull easy, but slow. Winch has a high mode. In high mode, the winch has twice the speed but 1/2 the capacity (5000). Flip the switch to high speed, stay out of the throttle so its not zipping up too fast, and now you're creeping up with your 3-4,000 lbs load, that you know, with no scale, that you can safely lift. Johnny expert operator saves the day- safely. This little option saves you also, when you have your 4 part in, but swing over to where you're only good for 20,000lbs. Switch to high speed on the winch, instead of 40,000, now you're at 20,000 when the winch stalls. Winch stalls= stop.
If you get to lifting items where you're below 5,000 in capacity, you're going to have to know the weight. Scales are available for the crane, shipping ticket, stamped weight on the item. When you're at 110' over the side and only good for 1700lbs, if they say it weighs 1700, but they're off by 255lbs (or 2 big workers are leaning on it), you're coming over. 85% chart gives you a big margin when you're good for 40,000lbs. Not so much when you're only good for 1700.
