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Working the National 1300A

DMiller

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Feb 21, 2010
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Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
Reminds me of the Security Searches at the Nuke!! We felt more in prison than on a Industrial Yard.
 

Tradesman

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Apr 23, 2013
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Ontario
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Contractor
Yesterday, after a 3 hour drive to an area I had flown to just the day before, (not knowing I'd be up there the next day working) doing some mountain landings along the way, I got to the gravel yard job that was being setup as a batch plant for, oddly enough, resurfacing the town's airport. I found that somewhere in that 3 hour drive, the right rear outrigger shoe had fallen off, the 2" x 1/2" flat bar attach bracket where it's stowed had crystallized at a weld (not mine, original) and snapped off.

We made do, and I got the work done, and on the entire drive back (all 2 lane road, except the last 20 miles on I-15) and on the drive back I of course kept my eyeballs peeled the entire way. Just a few minutes ago, I looked at the pic and saw that my shoe was still there, and this was only 25 miles from the site so greatly reducing the search area. I texted the contractor and this morning as he makes the drive, asked him to keep an eye out for it. It was just a coincidence that I took this pic of this area, because I had landed higher up the day before, but it may save the day for me if I find the shoe.

I remember hearing somewhere, that they cost about 1K if bought new.View attachment 218401 View attachment 218402 NOTHING would surprise when it comes to parts cost..... anyone have a handle on where I could conceivably find a used one? National 1300 series, but similar would work, today I will measure the ball diameter as whatever I use has to have the socket fit it. Anything like a crane and boom truck wrecking yard anywhere?
I agree with Crane Op I bought an extra one just to have, about four years ago. I first priced it at the Elliott dealership and it was $1,600 plus 4 hours driving to get it home with a two week wait, I said screw that got the name off the casting, phoned sauber told him what crane I had and it showed up at my door less than a week later for less than $600. Best thing is it’s the exact same one on the Manitex.
 

Natman

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I checked with my nearest Nat dealer, I was way off the price, they want $1500.00, plus sales tax and shipping. AND...at least 30 days out!

I will be jumping in the Prius and zooming back up there and this time, knowing more, I will look real hard in a now much smaller zone. I also sent a text with pics to a friend who is tied in with the big scrap yards in my area, $250.00 reward to whoever finds it. I also am going to make up a few signs, like people do when they lose a dog, with a picture and the reward, and when I'm back in the nearest town, post them in the cafe, bar, etc. Sounds like a big hassle but for the $ involved, it's well worth, Plus it's super scenic, and I'll take my fat bike. My last resort, if driving doesn't find it, is to fly back up, it's hard to say how far off the road it could be. this assumes someone didn't pick it 2 minutes behind me, again, worth a shot.

I will also of course get a hold of Sauber, as a backup, good info guys, thanks.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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8,275
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sw missouri
Until you get another plate, you can just have your local metal outfit make one out of steel plate. A half piece of pipe with two flat ears with a hole for the pin, welded to a piece of 3/8" plate should do just fine.
 

Natman

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You sure that Prius can handle that Shoe?:eek::oops::rolleyes:

You're thinking of a town Prius, I drive a country one. With the back seat folded down (always, unless I have passengers, as the front passenger seat is removed) it hauls a large volume, like two 55 gallon drums (empty) and is a great parts runner. No matter what, it always seems to deliver in the high 50's mpg on a tankful. Half the fun of owning one, is playing with people's Prius perceptions, they can be right zippy, you just have to put your foot down. Every morning I have an uphill on ramp onto I-15, just a 1/2 mile to a Port of Entry, so many time semi's are seeing my come up and I'm sure thinking I'll get in their way/be slow, ain't going to happen! Mainly, it's a great change from driving Miss Piggy around town, a great contrast at the end of the day. Bought it used BTW, and never wash it.
 

terex herder

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Nov 10, 2017
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Location
Kansas
Drive the route in something with a higher point of view than a Prius. I used to have an old cabover. It was always amazing what I could spot in a ditch that was never seen in a regular vehicle, even a pickup.
 

DMiller

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Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,435
Location
Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
As you drive on I presume this is asphalt surface look for the aluminum scuff that shoe left as it skidded
Should be quite prevalent
 

Natman

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No joy on the float search, I am pretty confident that if it was still there I would have spotted it. I put up a few notices on the small towns "hotspots", listing a $250.00 reward, and will give it another week or so to surface.

But, great news from Sauber, after not responding for several days, I got a call today. $550.00 plus shipping, which beats the National dealer price of $1500.00 by just a tad. In the meantime, I have a chunk of 3/4" plate with some handles welded on it, and it works fine other then it's a bit of a grunt throwing it up onto the truck bed.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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sw missouri
I looked all over in my shop, and I can't find that old terex pad that I swore I had. Sorry.

The 3/4" plate is a exercise plan. I figured Sauber would be the way to go.
 

Natman

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THANKS for the heads up craneop, I may have eventually realized contacting them direct was the way to go, but you expedited things.

Here's my make do pad. The micro lam pads are my usual thing I use, and have been for years now. I carry enough of them so that I can stack them up quite high when needed, to deal with a sloped setup,IMG_20200601_132937010~2.jpg which seems to be most of my jobs here in Idaho. I lately have been slipping it in the racks my pads go in, rather then up on the bed (and over the sideboards) much easier to load.IMG_20200601_071410385.jpg

A commercial medical arts building, with 60' span flat trusses (minor slope actually), as per my past experience it took 3 or 4 attempts to find the sweet spot to pick them, this was it.

The next day, another glass swimming pool, about 3600 pounds is all, though make for an impressive pick when you swing it over the home. The diggers got it wrong, meaning a 2 hour downtime for me (but on the meter) while they got the hole right, so I jumped on the e bike I carry and rode 2 miles to lunch and back. I got back, and they still needed more time, so I took another ride around the high dollar neighborhood, just looking at the houses and being thankful I don't have to pay their property taxes.
 

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Natman

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I have never seen a pad this clean, it almost looks worth the $640.00 (with shipping) it cost. The old ones don't have the NO STEP cast into them, (I think, never noticed anyway). I don't get that, probably an OSHA thing? It came via UPS just like this, no box, the last thing I got that came sans box etc. were my plane's bush tires.IMG_20200616_133904089~2.jpg

After I had pulled the trigger on buying it, I had the opportunity (great weather and time off) to make a flight up and low level fly the 33 miles stretch it the old pad disappeared on, from 50' high and 55 mph, it isn't there, period.
 

Natman

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Got it, he must have slipped and sued, or filed a workman comp claim, or both! I was thinking more "how could that hurt the pad?"
 

Natman

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In the airplane world, "no step" or "no push" placards are common, but they are meant to protect the airplane! That's why I saw that warning and thought "how could me stepping on it hurt it?" But yeah, I could see some dummy jumping off on to a retracted pad and getting a surprise. It does make me wonder though, how much more that pad cost me, to pay for the resulting lawsuit that instigated that warning? I sometime, if working in town and only driving a short distance, will leave them on in transit, but I am over width when doing so, and if ticketed would just congratulate the officer on his sharp eyes.
 

Natman

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For the third time this year (so far) I got a call about a job, and managed to find an excuse to fly into it. Besides the usual off airport considerations, having the gift of gab or just being sneaky about it ("I'll drop by and check it out", didn't say I was going to be driving....) I have never had any bad repercussions in doing this, and I've been doing it a long time. I'm more proud of that, that deviousness, I guess you could call it, or maybe just correctly reading a situation before I land, IMG_20200626_085711542_HDR.jpg then my flying ability.

This house job had a 40 acre field so super easy for my plane and it's big tires. But I quickly realized once I met the husband, he was convinced his excavator could do the job and my services would not be required. His wife had called me, without him knowing or maybe against his wishes, she being smart enough to figure the ex would not be the machine for the job. The husband did like the plane though, and odds are I'll still get the work once he breaks a truss or two.IMG_20200626_090009386.jpg
 
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