Last spring i bought a grove tm 250t from a friend of mine.He owned it for meney years and maintaind it well. I had a good summer&fall working with it setting trusses and grain bin augers. anyone else own one of these crane's.
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Love my old grove
- Thread starter td25c
- Start date
willie59
Administrator
25c, my hat's off to ya'. I've been where you are, an independent guy providing crane service for your area. When I was younger my dad's company evolved into steel erection/crane service. We had a boom truck and a Bucyrus-Erie 45C series II 30 ton. I've set more trusses than I care to think about. It looks like you have a good handle on operating your rig, and I can see in your pics that your doing something that I was always picky about when I operated mobile cranes; always use cribbing under outrigger pads! Always! That's a nice machine you have. I haven't operated the 250T. I have operated a TMS100, which was a couple of years after your rig, but similar to your machine. Also the TMS45 and TMS50, Link Belts, P&H's, Clark's, and Lorain's. The Groves from back in the 70's were strong machines. I hope at some point your able to give your machine a paint and decal job. And just out of curiosity; how are you terminating your cable at the wedge socket (beckett)?
I realy enjoy the crane side of the buisnes.Its always interesting.I to always use cribbing with the outrigers.The crane operates smooth and it has a good " feel" to it.Mabe this summer I will be able to put some new color on it.I always keep it under roof when not in use.I dont like it out side in the whether.I terminate the cable with a staderd 5/8 beckett& wedge.
willie59
Administrator
I was more referring to how you terminate the "dead cable" coming out of the wedge socket, just wanted to make sure your not using a rope clip clamping dead cable to load line
. As I stated before, I haven't run that rig, but the TMS100 wasn't a whole lot different and that's one of the smoothest operating hydro's I've ran. From someone who's been where you are, I hope you do well and have a blast doing it. Working a crane "service" is a heck of a job. You do a lot of different things for a lot of different people, man could I tell some stories. Have you slung a concrete bucket yet? That's the thing that will make you a really good operator. And I'm glad to see you use good cribbing. It's always been my contention that overkill of good outrigger base is better than not enough outrigger base. I've seen cranes go over because an operator sunk a pad with no cribbing. :usa
TheKid
Member
The older groves are great
I agree that the older groves are far greater then some of the newer equipment. I currently operate both a 65ton and the 80ton in So. Cali. Great cranes and the 65ton grove surely over powers our newer 06' 75ton linkbelt. Dont get me wrong, im a computer guy too, and the electronic controls are great but i can hook the space shuttle with the older groves and put it on the moon if wanted to. i will post a few pics as soon as i get some.
I agree that the older groves are far greater then some of the newer equipment. I currently operate both a 65ton and the 80ton in So. Cali. Great cranes and the 65ton grove surely over powers our newer 06' 75ton linkbelt. Dont get me wrong, im a computer guy too, and the electronic controls are great but i can hook the space shuttle with the older groves and put it on the moon if wanted to. i will post a few pics as soon as i get some.
willie59
Administrator
Dang, your making me feel old! Back when I was running cranes, the PC hadn't even been invented, much less computers on rigs! One of the strongest one's I've operated was the TMS375. It had a shorter boom than the 475 (with dead section), but it had lifting capacity to make up for it. I did a job lifting two very old wooden rail cars off of their wheel trucks and loading them on lowboys for transport. The first was a Caboose, not too bad. The second was a "refridgerated car". We're talking early 1900's wooden rail cars. There was no such thing as styrofoam insulation back then. A reefer car from that era would be a box car made of very thick hardwood loaded with ice. I don't know what the weight was, but it's all that 375 / 45 ton wanted. Was lifting over the rear and had front outrigger pads 2 feet off the ground when it finally lifted off the wheel trucks. Verrry Carrrefully started booming up/cable out until things settled down. Load chart don't apply here, that's operating by the seat of your pants in a strong old crane!
I was more referring to how you terminate the "dead cable" coming out of the wedge socket, just wanted to make sure your not using a rope clip clamping dead cable to load line
I dont use a cable clamp on the dead end,just the wedge socket.When installing the cable and wedge I always "seat" the wedge whith a mallet by hand before installing the headake ball.I havent slung any concete yet but I do halve a 3/4 yard funnel.I am going to fabricate a spreder bar for the wider truss sets.
TheKid
Member
Yeah, I was setting these new style bathroom facilities at a tourest park a few months back which comes in 2 half. Each half was 48k and not an issue when your sitting on it with the 80ton but when some smart guy desides to build perminent picnick tables and a retaining wall in the way, tends to be hard. With the long reach on unimproved soil, both rear outriggers pushed all the cribbing and mats about 2' deeper. front end was high enough that my oiler could have greased the ball joints standing on a small step stool. with nowhere to land but the only obvious spot, i proceeded to pucker up and landed the half i was working with in the right spot in a sorta controlled crash landing. Was a great feeling to know i didnt have to re pick that darn thing again just to reposition it.
I agree,the older groves by todays standerds are over built,thicker steal,my outrigers are boxed in and have holes in the square tubing for a safety pin.
TheKid
Member
as soon as im over this "probationary member" stuff i sould be able to post some pics. Im just a youngster and im wondering what ever happened to putting cranes on pierce chassis? over built but very rigid.
Mine has the "FWD" chassis,I like the twin steer axel arrangement.The only thing I would like to change is the detroit engine to a big cam cummins.
willie59
Administrator
25c, I ain't trying to Hijack your thread, I'm waiting on more posts from you as I love your old rig, but in the meantime I'll respond to TheKid. Pierce built a high quality carrier, but I'd guess they were edged out by the cost. By the time the 70's came around, Crane Carrier Corp was providing carriers for a number of crane manufacturers. The CCC was a good chassis, but was not "over built" as you put it, making them more "cost competitive" for crane manufacturers. Then the 80's and 90's came around, more crane manufacturers were making their own chassis for their rigs. Another "heavy duty" carrier from the 70's was Consolidated Dynamics out of Canada, they built a carrier like an anvil. The 45C Bucyrus that my father bought was on a CD carrier, one heck of a stout carrier. I have a buddy of mine that runs a crane company that has a Link Belt 108B on a CD carrier, he said he wouldn't trade it for a handfull of 108's on a CCC. Times change, and money/cost is usually involved.
willie59
Administrator
Texasgary
Member
I rember them days and no power down, so i would throw the master clutch out and pull the hoist lever in and use the draw works for my power down. The old Groves were a good crane.Dang, your making me feel old! Back when I was running cranes, the PC hadn't even been invented, much less computers on rigs! One of the strongest one's I've operated was the TMS375. It had a shorter boom than the 475 (with dead section), but it had lifting capacity to make up for it. I did a job lifting two very old wooden rail cars off of their wheel trucks and loading them on lowboys for transport. The first was a Caboose, not too bad. The second was a "refridgerated car". We're talking early 1900's wooden rail cars. There was no such thing as styrofoam insulation back then. A reefer car from that era would be a box car made of very thick hardwood loaded with ice. I don't know what the weight was, but it's all that 375 / 45 ton wanted. Was lifting over the rear and had front outrigger pads 2 feet off the ground when it finally lifted off the wheel trucks. Verrry Carrrefully started booming up/cable out until things settled down. Load chart don't apply here, that's operating by the seat of your pants in a strong old crane!
craneguys1722
New Member
use to have one too,very stout unit. i'll get some pictures on here for you
Detroits up and down,71 series in the truck,53 in the crane.10 speed roadranger in front of a 3 speed auxiliary,rockwell 6.44 rearend.
willie59
Administrator
willie59
Administrator
Texasgary, that brings back memories. I've done the same on a 108 Link Belt. No power down. Knock out the master clutch, engage hoist up clutches, ease off brake and let those big gears turning control the descent. Wow, those were the days! Oh yeah, that old L-B had screw outrigger jacks! Give me a break, yeah right. Throw out the outrigger beams, get the pads and cribbing ready, put the boom in the old girl, and lift something heavy with the boom flat out. Swing her a little to one side. When the outriggers raise on the opposite side, throw the pads under 'em. Repeat process on other side, we're ready to go. Screw jacks my _ _ _ _!
:drinkup