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[liebherr1160]

I'm not sure his state requires licensing or even training, but this guy runs his own tree service and not only does he operate this crane, but he does it while in the tree via radio remote. He's like me a climber and an operator except he does them at the same time.

Cool ..Id pay money to be there when he's there alone...and drops the radio ....

 

[crane operator]

That knuckle boom looks pretty neat, provided you have 40' x 40' for your outriggers. Good luck setting that thing in a driveway, it doesn't look like it would even fit in most streets. Forget making repetitive lifts too. Imagine its cycle time from 15' radius to 100'. Most of them are really poor at swinging smoothly, no free swing at 100' radius would be a joy wouldn't it. Probably for him trimming trees by himself it's handy, and insurance on those isn't high, because the insurance companies haven't caught up with the size and complexity of the newest knuckle booms. Boom trucks, truck cranes, and all-terrains all have their place and price range. I sat side by side with a 36 ton boom truck setting trusses with a tms 300 grove. I set trusses way faster, but that 127' main boom goes in and out faster than dead stick and jib gets assembled, and he had a way smoother ride home. Forget taking the boom truck one day to set trusses and the next to unload a 30,000 lb press, the boom truck will just look at that and groan. Boom trucks are faster down the road, but most only weigh 50-60,000. Most truck cranes top 80,000. Tms 870 dolly and ctw. topped 115,000lbs. 85 ton gmk crane dolly and 5k ctw 125,000. 200 ton gmk I think are over 150,000lbs w dolly.

 

[crane operator]

A elevator/ grain storage company I was familiar with had this for a arrangement. They had a 40 ton National boom truck, 140' main. Loved it for pulling up to the job and hanging smaller spouts, changing motors, manbasket work, and hauling pieces to the top of concrete mill/elevator storage. Drive up- outriggers out - out boom and working (also most guys can drive one/ simpler to maintain). They also had a 70 ton link belt for better capacity with some reach. Also had a 150 ton demag. Unhandy with ctw loads, it was older and had a fairly short main boom (140-150'), but had quite a bit of lattice jib (unhandy to assemble and disassemble). They traded for I think a lieberr 90 or 120 ton. The 99 and newer lieberrs 120ton have 171' main and a small footprint and a great chart. You have to have a dolly though and ctw on semi trailers. Also be prepared to drop 500-700,000 for a used one. There is no free lunch. I've never run the truck version but the 70 ton link belts with 127' main in the rts are a rock/really stable, and they guys I've talked to who have one in the truck crane's really like them. (notice how much more $ they are used than a 870, there is a reason).

 

[Impact]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

I think I've sorta made an absolute decision. Here it is in a nutshell.

A 50 ton crane is minimal.
A 75 ton crane is average.
A 100 ton crane is maximum.

A good used 50 ton crane can be bought for $175,000-$250,000.
A good used 75 ton crane will cost $300,000-$400,000
A good used 100 ton crane will cost $500,000

A 50 ton crane will do 90-95% of my work
A 75 ton crane will still only do 90-95% of my work
A 100 ton crane would do 100% of my work.

A 75 ton crane doesn't help me any more than a 50 ton does.

I just can't justify a 100 ton crane. The cost to own it. The cost and hassle to move it. In my area trying to rent a 100 ton crane out to the general public just doesn't happen often. I'm much better off to hire someone else to bring in a 100 ton crane when I need it. Just not enough work to own a crane that big and expensive.

I sure like the AT700D Grove. I need it's twin brother.

 

[Impact]

I've never run the truck version but the 70 ton link belts with 127' main in the rts are a rock/really stable, and they guys I've talked to who have one in the truck crane's really like them. (notice how much more $ they are used than a 870, there is a reason).

I've noticed that. The guys with Link belts, seem to have a entire fleet of them. Tells you something. But, you're right...they're pricey.

 

[Impact]

What ..wadda ya mean ..

Men run cranes ...the rest run boom trucks ..

Snickering. Real men have big....rigs?

 

[classictruckman]

Snickering. Real men have big....rigs?

Yeah, but like crane operator said the rest of us can get it up faster and move onto the next one sooner

 

[qball]

a boom truck is a compromise. if you mainly haul, get a truck. if you mainly lift, get a crane. you will be much happier with your decision. i have run both, and, if you have to do any kind of precise work, a boom truck will annoy the hell out of you.

 

[liebherr1160]

Yeah, but like crane operator said the rest of us can get it up faster and move onto the next one sooner

Nope ..I ran a TMS700E for 2 years ,I ate a 42ton BT alive with it ..on site and down the road ..

36 minutes from the park button to having 166' boom out with a 25° offset..the hoist/boom has low/high and Boost.. You'd think the ball was falling out of the sky...Toot my horn here ..but ..roof trusses..p/u @ 40' ..bail them out to 115'-120 ..and return ..under 2 minutes cycle ...

At a 110-120kph going down the road ..on air ride suspension drives better than a boom truck ..

Id take that crane against anything in its class and rating and come out on top ..everytime.. no question

 

[liebherr1160]

a boom truck is a compromise. if you mainly haul, get a truck. if you mainly lift, get a crane. you will be much happier with your decision. i have run both, and, if you have to do any kind of precise work, a boom truck will annoy the hell out of you.

dont forget ..you always have that usless piece of radius behind you ..called a deck ...

 

[liebherr1160]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.

I think I've sorta made an absolute decision. Here it is in a nutshell.

A 50 ton crane is minimal.
A 75 ton crane is average.
A 100 ton crane is maximum.

A good used 50 ton crane can be bought for $175,000-$250,000.
A good used 75 ton crane will cost $300,000-$400,000
A good used 100 ton crane will cost $500,000

A 50 ton crane will do 90-95% of my work
A 75 ton crane will still only do 90-95% of my work
A 100 ton crane would do 100% of my work.

A 75 ton crane doesn't help me any more than a 50 ton does.

I just can't justify a 100 ton crane. The cost to own it. The cost and hassle to move it. In my area trying to rent a 100 ton crane out to the general public just doesn't happen often. I'm much better off to hire someone else to bring in a 100 ton crane when I need it. Just not enough work to own a crane that big and expensive.

I sure like the AT700D Grove. I need it's twin brother.

If thats what your thinking ..check out the TMS 700E ...of the rear its compareable to a 70T on the reach in places ....over the side a 60 no question ..but ..
If you do look at them ..take notice of the winches ..the Axial winch motors are better than the ol'gear and planetary Grove was farting around with for who knows how long ..They ramp into high speed versus the click or snap of the old style ..and quieter ..

 

[classictruckman]

dont forget ..you always have that usless piece of radius behind you ..called a deck ...

Thats right and I would never have a "boom truck" that was mounted behind the cab. I'll admit so far my truss cycles aren't as fast mainly because I can count the number of time I've been sent out to lift trusses on one hand, but my dad has his between 1.5 and 2 minutes if the carpenters are organized, and our setup time to have our boom up and out fully (because we don't own a jib) is easily under 15min.

 

[liebherr1160]

Thats right and I would never have a "boom truck" that was mounted behind the cab. I'll admit so far my truss cycles aren't as fast mainly because I can count the number of time I've been sent out to lift trusses on one hand, but my dad has his between 1.5 and 2 minutes if the carpenters are organized, and our setup time to have our boom up and out fully (because we don't own a jib) is easily under 15min.

I looked at the charts they (Manitex)are not the best over the side ..With that 700E ..I could do a 300'x100' barn in 2 setups from the out side ,,over the side ..Best Chart ..110+56@25° SWL1500lbs @ 145'
That 55Ton Manitex ..best chart ..155+39@30° swl1300lbs @ 110'

Hey its an extra set up ..Im just say'n ..




Its really funny in away ..these Manitex boom trucks ..Grove did what they could in recent years to get away from the rather large difference in the over the rear and side charts ...
Manitex ..is going reverse along that same path ..On the reach 360 capacity is not worth a boot ..Rarely can you do an entire production job from the rear ..
..


No sense having a jib on a boom truck anyway ..Can you say fly rod ? ...

 

[classictruckman]

Depends what you do I guess, I'm not sure if it would be possible to do this, but you could setup a litte offset, so that one end is over the rear at 145' @ 1020lbs and the other at 115' @ 1310lbs. I do mainly tree work so you could line it up so the tree was over the rear and boom up(a hell of a lot) and place it fairly close to the crane.

 

[liebherr1160]

Give it the old kick ..yep ..been there with the ol' Groves..but like the old Groves ...coming around to the side, a guy had better be on the ball ....

No reason you couldn't do that ..That puts you on 2 set ups ..I scaled it trust me ...
.but you may have to delay the boom until it's of the rear on the reach ,and again coming back ..the crane would have to boom up before turning that rear corner to the side .. .... makes the crane slower than just high-ball start to finish ..and back again ..


Good catch ..I missed that ..because normally they just give a guy enough room to drive down beside it ..the rest is fresh turned ,unpacked ..gelatinous goo ..for ground

 

[td25c]

Older Grove TM800

Meanwhile,back at the ranch I thought about Impact when I found this crane at www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=7028366

 

[liebherr1160]

Meanwhile,back at the ranch I thought about Impact when I found this crane at www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=7028366

Geez....It's just an old whore in a new dress ...:tong

 

[classictruckman]

wow a machine that old, with only 6000 hrs on it! with a new paint job too.

Did Grove buy Krupp to get away from that trapezoidal boom?

 

[Impact]

td...Wow..low hours...and they got her looking good. Those are the sorta cranes that scare me though. I'd spect a 74 model 80 ton Grove to cost twice as much in repairs as my 76 model 35 ton Grove. LOL

By the way...you asked about the snow. We had about 8-10". It's about all melted. We may get a little more this weekend.

 

[liebherr1160]

wow a machine that old, with only 6000 hrs on it! with a new paint job too.

Did Grove buy Krupp to get away from that trapezoidal boom?

No ..the underlying reason was to get on top of TEREX ..If memory serves me correct..and to break into the AT market ..

The ovaloid boom was a Liebherr concept ..followed with imitations such as Mega-Form by Grove ..

Interesting though ..Demag sued and won a class action lawsuit against ,Liebherr and Grove over the "Super-lift" ..Both had to pay restitution against every machine they produced with super lift ..