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Just some work pics

DMiller

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Hermann, Missouri
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Never fails as to contract worker hours. Most likely had a meet at the office, then a safety meeting then a organized what we gonna do today brief, all of which could have happened at the site rather than over coffee and donuts at the office. Hope you charge by the hour on that!!
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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8,273
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sw missouri
They are certainly on the clock, and extra for sunday.

They told me they would be there at 7:30 ready to go, so I like to show up a little early to get the crane ready to go. The real deal is the company sent them to nebraska for a string of 14 hour days climbing a big tower, in a wintery 20-30mph wind, and after getting home late saturday, sunday morning didn't sound like much fun.

Crew of 4 young guys (climbing cell towers is a young man's game), and I think they've been pushed just a little too hard the last while. You can tell them when and where they need to be, but the reality is they are going to show up when they want to. The boss can fire them, or realize he's pushing a little too hard and eat some extra crane time. I'm sure the boss is just going to eat some extra crane time. They were a good crew, just not gung ho on a sunday morning after a big week, and I can understand that.

Cell tower companies use cranes all the time, they know they are getting billed.
 

DMiller

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Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
Young guys willing to climb towers, poles, tall scaffold is leaning out pretty fast, most bosses will not fire them may lay them off to catch some rest awhile but are generally right back at it in a short time. Most crazier than a pet Coon.
 

Tradesman

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Apr 23, 2013
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Ontario
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Contractor
What did those tanks weigh ?
I had a guy try to get me to set some tanks last week. The bigger of the two was just under 14,000 lbs. on paper I could have done it but everything would have to be perfect, and I’ve been on this earth too long to think that’s going to happen, then I sit there saying I can’t do it, with a truck driver and a contractor mad at me for what was in their control. So I gave him a competitors number and went on my merry way. And as luck would have it on my way home I got a call wanting the crane for the same time slot, I call that a win.
 

crane operator

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sw missouri
Small tank was 14,000, large tank was 26,500. The biggest problem with setting tanks is what the hole looks like, and what the ground is like. If they have too much over dig, you are in trouble. If they have to be set from the end instead of beside the tank, you run out of chart fast. If you have to spin the tank, because they have it loaded the wrong way on the truck, that can cause issues. Its tough to get far enough away from the hole, so you aren't sliding into it, and yet be close enough to the edge, to have enough chart to set it.

Minimum for me for most tanks is my old tms 300, which charts like most 50 ton new cranes. I hardly ever set them with my 25 ton, which would chart out real similar to your boom truck. I find that by the time I'm far enough from the hole to not slide into it, I am out of chart. In rare occasions, you may be setting on poured concrete replacing a old tank, but even that I don't like to be setting on the edge of. I have tandem set tanks with a big excavator also, you need a good excavator hand though, they aren't made for precision setting, but for cycle speed.

I was probably 45-50' from the far tank, and around 30-35' from the close one. I usually figure 1' away from the edge, for every 1' of depth of the hole, I don't mind being closer if I'm setting on solid rock (which can happen in my area), but I've been on some really loose soil before, that the 1:1 wasn't enough.

Years ago I had ground opening up around the outriggers, when I got a big fiberglass water tank in the hole. THAT's a really bad feeling when you start seeing the cracks appear. They wanted to move that water tank a 1 1/2" to the west after I got it set down, and I informed them it was staying where it was, or they were getting a bigger crane. It was on black dirt, with a huge overdig. I got as far away from the hole as I could, for what I had for crane, and the soil conditions barely held up enough to get it in the hole. I was living in Iowa yet, and their good black dirt grows great crops, but it sure won't hold up weight.

Usually the tanks don't have the picking lugs clear at the ends either, that can mess you up with not being able to put out enough boom also. Most holes are at least 10' deep, so 10' away, plus 12' to your outriggers, plus 10' - 15' to the center of the tank depending on overdig. So you're looking at 30-35' radius most of the time, and that's what you have to be to spin most 45-50' tanks. Or to get them off the truck if the truck has to back them up to you. And you would be at least 50' away if you had to set it from the end in the hole.

Like you said, it would take perfect conditions to make it work.
 

DMiller

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I would have been squeamish on buckling those tanks with the lifting eye spread, but a Enganear figured it was good. Do not like wide spread on straps or running out of lift length to get those angles down.
 

petepilot

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Jul 7, 2018
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central shenandoah valley va,
The second tank was even longer, and it came with two pic lugs on each end. I asked the fuel guys why two lugs, so they called the factory. "If its going to hang for very long, you should use both lugs on each end, but if its just off the trailer and into the hole, you should be fine just using one lug on each end."

That's just nonsense- it either needs all the lugs or it doesn't, so we used all four lugs. Its really nice when they put the lugs clear on the outside ends, so you have to drag out 100' of rigging also.

View attachment 205939 View attachment 205940 View attachment 205941 View attachment 205942
from the size of those i`d say their hoping for a high volume sta.
 

Kiwi-truckwit

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Nov 20, 2016
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New Zealand
The second tank was even longer, and it came with two pic lugs on each end. I asked the fuel guys why two lugs, so they called the factory. "If its going to hang for very long, you should use both lugs on each end, but if its just off the trailer and into the hole, you should be fine just using one lug on each end."

That's just nonsense- it either needs all the lugs or it doesn't, so we used all four lugs. Its really nice when they put the lugs clear on the outside ends, so you have to drag out 100' of rigging also.

View attachment 205939 View attachment 205940 View attachment 205941 View attachment 205942
Those lifting points spread lengthways is odd. You'da thunk that they'd be side by side, further down the sides of the tank. Or just one reinforced eye at each end.
I've done a few gas station tanks lately, some of them like to do everything the most complicated way possible.
 

Natman

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Dec 19, 2016
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I got a call last week to set rebar bundles down in a big excavation. 50' deep, with about 10 guys down there tying. The bundles were up to 2800 lbs., and I was putting them about 85-90% of my chart away. The crew stayed clear during the picks, they weren't stupid. So I had to make that decision, how close can I set up to the hole? It went fine, but there is something different about looking down when craning, then the usual looking up! This was the first time I almost needed my lower cab op window, which I replaced with aluminum deckplate last year after it got broke parked overnight at a truck stop.
 

DMiller

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Feb 21, 2010
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Soulee steel in SLC would deliver Steel Spaghetti to downtown construction projects back in My day, Watched a few times as worked on the truck or trailer(Expandable flatbed) trying to get it back to the shop for better repairs when cranes were picking that stuff, always limp wristed, hard to balance COG, weight shifting with every breeze, My Hat is off to ya working that crap!!
 

Tugger2

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Mar 22, 2018
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British Columbia
Working on the edge of a 50 ft deep hole does open up questions thats a serious excavation. I would assume its either hard rock or shored , hopefully then theres an engineer involved that can answer those questions. I go with the the 1 to 1 slope rule most of the time but that has limitations to. It might not have worked so well for you setting back 50 ft.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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sw missouri
Kinda a expensive week for me, I haven't paid the full bill yet, but I know its coming.

Tandem pick of a large houseboat, truck driver came over and said "you have a leak".

Of course we had finally just got the boat picked up to transfer from one trailer to another. Can't leave it hanging on the crane. Set the boat down, swung over and set down spreader bar.

Oil filters are remote mounted, and it had a engine oil line blown. Line was really bad to access, we got the line changed, but I think the damage was already done. Engine did fire back up, and we got the boat transferred, unloaded counterweights and torn down, and made it about 3 miles toward home when the engine started knocking hard.

I managed to get it into a quarry we do some work for, and we've about got the engine out.

20191202_121416.jpg 20191202_114330.jpg 20191205_091320.jpg

20191205_154437.jpg
 

Kiwi-truckwit

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Nov 20, 2016
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New Zealand
Kinda a expensive week for me, I haven't paid the full bill yet, but I know its coming.

Tandem pick of a large houseboat, truck driver came over and said "you have a leak".

Of course we had finally just got the boat picked up to transfer from one trailer to another. Can't leave it hanging on the crane. Set the boat down, swung over and set down spreader bar.

Oil filters are remote mounted, and it had a engine oil line blown. Line was really bad to access, we got the line changed, but I think the damage was already done. Engine did fire back up, and we got the boat transferred, unloaded counterweights and torn down, and made it about 3 miles toward home when the engine started knocking hard.

I managed to get it into a quarry we do some work for, and we've about got the engine out.

View attachment 206504 View attachment 206505 View attachment 206506

View attachment 206507
Ouch.....right on Xmas too. Hope it's not too painful.
 

DMiller

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Sounds as you are having the same week I am, sorry to say these come in groups anymore. Hope it isn't as severe as expect, at least you have positions available to pull it and machines TO pull it.
 

Tags

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Feb 19, 2012
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Connecticut
That sucks...hope you get it repaired as efficiently as possible, I’m not sure there’s a worse feeling than having an engine let go on a piece of equipment, especially THAT piece of equipment....
 

f311fr1

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May 11, 2016
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698
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Middle TN
I am so sorry for your misfortune. I know it how bad it hurts. I just picked up my Mack tri axle dump ffrom the repair shop from wreck damage. 20K in insurance, 5k out of pocket, 30 days of lost income 15 to 18K. And tags are due next week.
 

crane operator

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sw missouri
Liebherr is $63,000 for a all new engine, I've found 1 rebuilt engine here at a crane company that has their own engine shop, that company wanted $54,000 plus $20,000 possible core charge if mine is damaged. That's not worth taking the chance on the core charge, for the extra $10,000, I'll buy the new engine.

I'm trying right now to find a engine rebuilder to take it on. Two guys told me no. One guy says he is going to think about it. I just don't know where the liebherr parts rebuilding kit is going to end up $ wise, and it is probably going to make a big difference if I've spun a main bearing or damaged the block, because then I'm stuck going new engine. And if I'll need a new crank or not.

One guy I talked to, suggested looking for one from a john deere application, liebherr was building john deere big track loaders and dozers for a while, but I don't know if any of those used my exact engine or not yet. My engine is a liebherr D9406-TI-E.

I'm being hopeful, and thinking if mine is rebuildable, that we could end up being around $30-35,000, but I really just need to sit down with the parts book and make a list and see where it ends up $ wise. And guess at the labor.

At least if we rebuild mine, I'll be sure I have the right configuration engine.

I've thought about trying to rebuild it myself, but I'm just going to be honest, and say that I don't think I'm comfortable doing it. I could probably muddle through the book and maybe figure it all out, but its out of my everyday skill set. My mechanic guy that works for me, is a old race car guy and had his own repair shop for years, but he's never done diesels. I'm not sure this one should be our test run. 20191209_141829.jpg 20191209_142549.jpg 20191209_152021.jpg 20191209_150354.jpg
 

hvy 1ton

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Jul 24, 2006
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Lawrence, KS
One guy I talked to, suggested looking for one from a john deere application, liebherr was building john deere big track loaders and dozers for a while, but I don't know if any of those used my exact engine or not yet. My engine is a liebherr D9406-TI-E.

90% sure the LiebDeere 1050C used the same model engine. No idea on how much difference there would be, but I'd figured at minimum swapping the injection system.
 
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