Why I hate boom trucks

2012 40124 manitex. Looks like they laid the boom right on down....

169,000 miles and 13,000hours

That's one way to remove the extend cylinder........

How are these not just scrap

The Galion unit I cut apart decades ago went to scrap yard, no way could salvage anything and consider it safe to use.

crane operator said:

2023 load king. 50-155 = 50 ton with 155' main boom. Rolled, no hours or miles given, but it says 2023 so not likely very many.

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Bet the company owner wasn't saying Bravo after hearing the truck was rolled. That truck has be worth at least $1.5 million I'd guess. It looks like too much crane for a highway truck. Bigger isn't always better.

Such a shame to see such nice boom trucks destroyed.

I'm convinced! If I ever want to upgrade to a bigger rig than my 30 ton (but with a 1400 pound counter weight, giving it extra stability, or so it seems...) National, rather than a BIGGER boom truck, a truck crane, of 60 ton to 100 ton capacity, would be my choice, not a bigger boom truck. But in the meantime, I drove mine all over this week, one job 4 hr. round trip, two others both 2 hours out and back, plus a lot of in and around driving, and managed to keep it upright. The easiest part of my day is usually after I get set up, turn the sat radio on, get the coffee/ cup holder set up, and then start picking whatever, compared to driving Miss Piggy around anyway.

You can't be in a hurry or get complacent when driving any top heavy vehicle. Kind of like riding a motorcycle you have to pay extra attention to everything. One misstep is all it takes to end in disaster or worse.

Drive a Concrete wagon with 10 yards of water/rock in the drum and make a Left turn Drum Rolling to keep from damaging support roller bearings, gives a Unique concern causing pinch upon a seat cushion.

Just so I'm being a equal opportunity hater- here's a truck crane that's had a little boo boo. 2013 tms 9000E. Only 42,000 miles on it. Website of the owner only shows a boom truck, so this was maybe his first step up in size of crane.

The kick in the teeth would be the grove locking out the serial number and not selling any parts. I'm guessing the insurance man doesn't want to pay the grove dealer $150,000 to disassemble the whole boom, and have the dealer say "the boom is bent", for fear of throwing good money after bad. Grove isn't going to take any chances, if there's the slightest nick, they are probably condemning it. Sounds like the owner can't afford, or have the skills/equipment to remove it himself.

From the sales ad:

The unit sustained impact damage on 8/31/2022. It has been reported that the operator was using crane to lift HVAC unit to place on top of commercial building. Landing gear sunk into dirt causing cab and boom to tip over on right side and the boom came to rest on the top of a metal structure roof. Damages include but are not limited to scratches to outer boom skin, hydraulic cylinder mount, outrigger box (repair, foot pad assembly (replace), front foot pad (repair), and scratched cab rocker.

Unit starts, runs and operates. Insured has been operating unit for the past year. Boom powers up and working without issues. However, the unit incurred a total loss because Grove insisted on inspecting it before recertification. The expenses associated with dismantling and reassembling the boom were significant, and neither the insurance company nor the insured could cover the cost. Consequently, Grove has deactivated the unit's serial number in their system until recertification is completed.

The current operating and/or physical condition of the unit has not been verified by IronPlanet.

Unless self insured he should have had coverage to repair or total that. IF did do that and he bought it back, joke is on him, getting that recert would be as pulling Rooster Molars..

Certification? We don't need no stinking certifications!

It'll be flying steel down in Central America in a month.

Ain’t that the truth, or some third world African hovel.

It says he's been using it for a year since the incident. My guess is the ins. company and him have been fighting back and forth on a settlement, and the insurance man wants it settled. They aren't going to insure it any more, with grove considering it a "condemned" machine.

The insurance company/ customer has it insured for $550,000, Grove wants $150,000 to dismantle and another $250,000 to repair, Or the customer cheaped out and told the insurance company its only worth $300,000 and they are staring at a bigger probable repair bill. Cut some checks and walk away.

6/1 half dozen other. Condemn, wholesale as scrapper and walk away.

All for want of a $90 a day steel sheet or two, FFS. My old employer went medieval on that stuff but I cannot fault them for it.

Reminds me a burnt Lieberr crane that appeared near new that sat on Southway Crane & Riggings yard in Birmingham for several months. It was a 5 or 6 axle unit. Ouch.

One of those alongside the highway in BC, that they then bent another big crane trying to recover it onto a lowboy. Talk about from bad to worse!!

skyking1 said:

One of those alongside the highway in BC, that they then bent another big crane trying to recover it onto a lowboy. Talk about from bad to worse!!

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Was that the one on Hwy 5 around McLure?

Sounds right. I read about it here.

skyking1 said:

Sounds right. I read about it here.

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I know the spot where it went off. Probably a 50 foot drop almost straight down.