drive wheel traction

[foolish]

34/22dc genie boom lift. can i put snow chains on drive tires or put different tires with big tread for better traction. would this hurt the electric motors? does only 1 tire spin when on mud or should both? i was hoping to use machine around job sites but maybe it is only built for concrete surface.

 

[Delmer]

They're pretty useless on mud. It claims 30% gradability, I'm sure that's on rough textured concrete with brand new fully charged batteries and a 108 pound Jockey driving it, but it should be able to do something off of concrete. Putting plywood down is common for soft ground. One wheel will spin, but at least they're not on a differential so the other is still pulling somewhat.

 

[crane operator]

If you pull up genie 34/22, two different styles of tires show up. The "cushion" tire- no air like a warehouse forklift- those are hard surface.

There are also images of 34/22 with more of a pneumatic tire. If you have those, I would think you could get around on firm gravel or hard outdoor, but you probably aren't going mudding.

If you have the cushion style of tires, all you are is a rim swap and tires away from some more ground clearance and better offroad, but I bet that those rims aren't cheap.

 

[Delmer]

There's the DC version, and the engine, IC, hybrid whatever they call it version. My guess is the DC comes with the non marking inside tires, but it still claims 30% gradibility. The engine version claims 45% with 4wd like the bottom pic, so there may be more difference.

 

[crane operator]

I didn't notice the 4wd. sorry, I was just looking at tires. 30% gradeability is one heck of a slope, I don't see them climbing that.

 

[Tugger2]

What exactly is gradeability? Claims written in owners manuals for different machines most seem impossible to meet. The books on my truck cranes show 35%,which i know is impossible. Is there some different interpretation meant in the manuals? percent of of grade is what it says.

 

[crane operator]

We were out of gradeability today with one. Setting bridge beams, and they put a lift down in the creek. (nothing parties like a rental)

Every time I looked around it was stuck, fortunately they had tracked equipment to push it around with.

I kind of knew what was coming when they said they were diving off in the creek with it.

 

[Tugger2]

Handy looking attachment on the excavator.

 

[foolish]

sorry, i should of posted pix to start.
thanks for the responses. looks like fun in the water.
still wondering if both drive wheels should turn or spin on wet ground and it chains on tires will hurt electric motors'
thank you

 

[crane operator]

On the 4x4 ones, only one tire will spin on each axle, so only two tires spin when they get stuck. I have no idea if both drive wheels will spin on the 2wd like yours (I doubt it- likely as soon as one spins, you will be done). They don't have much for suspension/ articulation on the axle for traction, so they tend to be pretty helpless. Yours only being 2wd means its twice as helpless.

I can't see chains hurting it. They are individual drive motors. Personally, if I needed chains because it was slick (snow/ice), and it was a slope, I wouldn't be much for driving it around. That's a recipe for disaster. I'd leave it in the shed until better weather.

Handy looking attachment on the excavator.

Sure is, they drug the genie out of the creek today, and I think it has something broke in it now, they had to drag it all the way out and up the bank, and then it wouldn't climb a slight grade to the parking area. The excavator basket goes anywhere.