Dead Stick?

[boaterri]

On the looking for a crane for cabin project thread the term "dead stick" has been used on several prospective cranes. What is a "dead stick" verses a "live stick?". Why is a dead stick undesirable?

Thanks,

Rick

 

[crane operator]

So on the link belt 30 ton. There is 70' of "live" stick. You hit the lever in the cab, and 70' of boom goes out. It also has a 20' section of boom- the very tip section- that is "dead". Its not powered out when you push the lever.

To put out the dead section, you push out the 2nd section (and the tip goes out with it), then retract the 2nd section after locking up the "dead" section in the extended position. Then you install a big pin, locking the dead section in the extended position. And then you unlock installing pin or latch. Providing you with another 20' of main boom.

If you know what you're doing, and by yourself, you can extend the dead section in only two trips out of the cab, once to lock it, once to put in the pin and unlock it. If its one you're unfamiliar with, it really helps if you have someone else to help you extend and retract into the right spot to get the pins installed. Otherwise it can be a bunch of in and out of the cab.

A "live" boom or "full power main" means no installing pins, push the lever in the cab and all the boom goes out.

The reason for a dead section, it gets you another 20-30' of stick, without adding more extension cylinders or extension cables, both of which can be maintence items. The dead stick is just a big old pin holding it out. But with some in and out of the cab to get it installed/ extended.

Live power boom means no in and out of the cab, but likely extension cables or extra cylinder weight inside the boom (which means maintence and/or chart reduction). Dead stick means more work to get boom to full extension, with a stone simple means of holding it there. There are a lot of jobsites where you may not have the 60' of flat open area to install the dead section, and it takes some time to put it out.

 

[boaterri]

Makes perfect sense now that it has been explained. Thank you!
I have worked around a Manawetoc (sp?) crane with 100' of stick, 50' telescoping folding jib and a 48' extension that we would install temporary microwave antennas on so I have a very basic knowledge of truck cranes.
By "locking the dead section" and retract the second section do you mean attach the tip to an immovable object?

 

[crane operator]

By "locking the dead section" and retract the second section do you mean attach the tip to an immovable object?

No on the immovable object, the grove's and my old p &H have a internal lock that locks the tip to the top of #3 section, holding the tip extended while you retract #2. My grove and the P&H aren't exactly the same, but they work on the same principle. I don't know what link belt uses on theirs, I've never done one, but I'm sure its something similar.

The locking device is all internal or external on the crane itself, no other equipment needed.

 

[boaterri]

Thanks for the reply.

Rick

 

[John Griffin]

Don't be afraid od a dead stick. As crane Op mentioned, most are very simple. There are some power pinned versions that you never have to leave the cab to use. Think of it as extra reach when needed and you'll be glad to have it. Our tms300 has a dead stick that gives it 104 ft of boom vs 81 ft if it didn't have the dead stick. Takes us maybe 15 minutes to deploy it. That extra reach is well worth 15 minutes of time when we need it. To me its much easier vs swinging the jib.

 

[Tyler d4c]

I think they make a medication for that problem

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

I think they make a medication for that problem

Young Whipersnapper

 

[HATCHEQUIP]

Only thing Ive ever seen a problem with a dead section is moving around a tight uneven job site because you cant suck the boom all back in without going thru the pin process

 

[crane operator]

Only thing Ive ever seen a problem with a dead section is moving around a tight uneven job site because you cant suck the boom all back in without going thru the pin process

Far worse- put out dead stick to reach something- and it won't reach it, and then you need jib too. Doesn't take too many times of that, and if you think you might need both- you put jib on first.

 

[skyking1]

That right there is why they want them out of the rental fleet.

 

[NwbHoss]

Thanks for the Dead stick education Crane Operator!
It was confusing the heck out of me a lot of the adds I am looking at have the "full power boom" box checked yes but they actually have a section of dead stick. The 1993 Link-belt RTC 8030 I am looking at is one of them. The add states 4 boom sections and the pictures only show 3 and the sales guy told me the boom was fully extended. I went back and looked at the photos after reading this and you can see the large pin for the dead stick section on the end of the boom.
Another lesson learned!

 

[crane operator]

The add states 4 boom sections and the pictures only show 3 and the sales guy told me the boom was fully extended. I went back and looked at the photos after reading this and you can see the large pin for the dead stick section on the end of the boom.

I have seen one crane that was advertised as 80' boom, but had a dead stick (so it should have had 104' with dead stick). Turns out, they had bent the dead stick, cut the tip (dead section) off 4' long with a torch, and shoved it back in the crane with the pin in it. So they weren't technically wrong on selling it as a short boom crane, but they weren't telling the whole story either.

 

[NwbHoss]

That goes to show how important an inspection it!

 

[boaterri]

I have seen one crane that was advertised as 80' boom, but had a dead stick (so it should have had 104' with dead stick). Turns out, they had bent the dead stick, cut the tip (dead section) off 4' long with a torch, and shoved it back in the crane with the pin in it. So they weren't technically wrong on selling it as a short boom crane, but they weren't telling the whole story either.

Makes you wonder what else they bent/abused......

 

[John C.]

Seeing something like that would indicate to me that the machine had been shock loaded as well.