-
Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!
new ride
- Thread starter Tradesman
- Start date
Hi all. I just joined the forum and got my first boom truck a few weeks ago. Its a 97 international. Has a 14 ton manitex on it. 61 foot boom with 24 foot jib. I run a small tree service I'll be using it for as well as renting my services to local construction guys. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what slings to buy. Weight rating, poly versus nylon, things like that. Any info would be great. Thanks everyone!
Welcome Cancotree
First thing you'll never have enough !
I don't know much about what you would need for tree work specifically but for general work here's some of the items I have that are used regularly.
4 - 6 ft. Wire rope chokers
4 - 16 ft. Two inch double web slings
2- 10 ft one inch web slings
1-four part line bridle. Mine is 3/8" x 16 ft. Longer maybe 20 ft. Would be better
2- tag lines. I have two so I can rotate them, a dry one and a wet frozen one
At some point you will wish you had a pair of spreader bars mine are adjustable to 10 ft.
Oh! And you will need a bunch of shackles, for a boom truck the weight rating isn't as important as the opening so you can fit them over stuff ,I find 7/8" are very useful.
The list goes on and on but the above will let you do a lot of jobs without jerry rigging stuff ( safer and more professional)
Good luck
First thing you'll never have enough !
I don't know much about what you would need for tree work specifically but for general work here's some of the items I have that are used regularly.
4 - 6 ft. Wire rope chokers
4 - 16 ft. Two inch double web slings
2- 10 ft one inch web slings
1-four part line bridle. Mine is 3/8" x 16 ft. Longer maybe 20 ft. Would be better
2- tag lines. I have two so I can rotate them, a dry one and a wet frozen one
At some point you will wish you had a pair of spreader bars mine are adjustable to 10 ft.
Oh! And you will need a bunch of shackles, for a boom truck the weight rating isn't as important as the opening so you can fit them over stuff ,I find 7/8" are very useful.
The list goes on and on but the above will let you do a lot of jobs without jerry rigging stuff ( safer and more professional)
Good luck
Last edited:
Thanks for the info Tradesman! I'll look into all that. Can't wait to get it out working! And thanks td25c. But its not 4 wheel drive. I have matts for soft yards so shouldnt really need 4 wheel drive. I've had my bucket truck for about 5 years and only got it stuck once(no 4 wheel drive as well). But that was kind of my own fault. I walked the yard and thought it felt soft. But I let the homeowner convince that "it should be fine". I made it up to the tree and all was well. But the truck rocking back and forth from the boom moving made it sink. Luckily the neighbor had a big ford tractor to pull me out. Howmeowner was cool about it too. Especially since it was his fault. Haha. Definitely lesson learned.
Tiny
Senior Member
dbl612
Well-Known Member
that ought to be handy for getting in tight spots with that rear mount. those front outriggers look exciting.
Looks good. I would stick with cables or chains on tree work. Tree bark on a nylon strap will wear one out fairly quickly.
On our taxi cranes we carry 4x20ft straps 4x15ft straps 2x6ft straps 20 ft 2 legged chains 15ft 2 legged chain 4x 4ft chains. O and 2 tag lines and 4 3/4 shackles, 4 5/8 shackles and 4 1/2 shackles. If that doesn't cover it we have various cables shackles and spreaders at the shop.
On our taxi cranes we carry 4x20ft straps 4x15ft straps 2x6ft straps 20 ft 2 legged chains 15ft 2 legged chain 4x 4ft chains. O and 2 tag lines and 4 3/4 shackles, 4 5/8 shackles and 4 1/2 shackles. If that doesn't cover it we have various cables shackles and spreaders at the shop.
What size two leg chain do you carry I've been looking but they are pretty spendy,I have two top sets of 5/16" for my spreaders but would like to get an all purpose 4 part for general lifting if I'm only getting one set for now 5/16 hardly seems heavy enough. Do you use clutch hooks for shortening. I'm all ears
I guess I should ask what size crane you have we could be talking apples and oranges 20,000 lbs is a hell of a pick for my 32 ton boom truck
On a last note to Cancotree don't let anyone talk you into using there unrated chain, slings or shackles
We have a terex bt4792, 2 30t truck cranes and just bought an old tms300. So your crane probably does a lot of the same stuff ours do.
Our 2 leg chains are 5/16. Honestly about the only time those really get used is on truss jobs. Most picks over 6-7k get straps. I know the straps we use are rated at 6400 lb. We have 2 sets of 1" cables we use for heavy stuff. The 4ft chains are handy as all get out. We use the heck outta those. We bought a small crane company that went from 7 crAnes to one and all the rigging came with that one last crane so we have chains, cables, and rigging stuff out the wazoo.
Our 2 leg chains are 5/16. Honestly about the only time those really get used is on truss jobs. Most picks over 6-7k get straps. I know the straps we use are rated at 6400 lb. We have 2 sets of 1" cables we use for heavy stuff. The 4ft chains are handy as all get out. We use the heck outta those. We bought a small crane company that went from 7 crAnes to one and all the rigging came with that one last crane so we have chains, cables, and rigging stuff out the wazoo.
Thanks tiny for flipping the picture. Couldn't figure out how to do it. Haha. And thanks all for your info. Its greatly appreciated. I got a few jobs lined up alreafy so I opted to grab a few poly straps to get me going. 2, 6 footers rated for 7500 pounds and a 10 foot rated at 19000.(choker ratings). Gonna look into the chains, cables, and shackles. Just gotta get a few jobs done and re-coup some cash. I'm tapped haha. Almost choked when they said 454 dollars for the license plates. Sheesh But i'm sure it'll pay off in the end. Thanks again guys.
Excellent advise! Thanks bud
First day on the job with the crane! So awesome! I love it already. I see what you guys mean by needing a few split chains. I had to spider leg a few limbs and it was kinda ackward. We used the 2 6 foot straps but there was no way to adjust them so they swung out a little funky. Definitely need to get the chains. All in all great day! Thanks guys!
That truck will prove to be a handy addition Cancotree . We have an old Ford F 600 4x4 digger derrick truck similar in size . Handy as a shirt pocket . Many times we use it in rough areas where I cant easily move the crane in . Old digger derrick truck .... just jump in the mud & get up close & personal with the job
Heck yeah. It was sweet! I put the jib on and reached over the house. Front yard to backyard. Gonna be great for those fenced in yards and yards that I cant get the bucket truck up to. Now I'm wondering why I didn't buy one sooner! Haha
We should all be ashamed of our selves we have encouraged a brother to become a junkie (crane junkie) his life will never be the same. his wife will be waiting on him to go somewhere and he will be in a dimly lit shop working on the crane. You poor sole, mine has never been since that first hit, I'm now a hundred thousand and debt and still checking my " dealers " web sight for the next bigger fix. May your sole be at peace brother:crying
Loving it
glen
Loving it
glen
Haha I believe! But I've got one advantage. My wife goes on the job with me. And she was just as excited as I was. Hell, she even asked to lower a few limbs down after I swung them over the house to the front yard. She was shaking and pale as a ghost but she did it! Just gotta teach her how to do everything with it and I'll sit at home. Mwuahahahaha