Best Dragline Crane??

[notime1977]

Hello all....I am new to the forum, but this seems to be the place to answer my questions..so here goes. We are a small construction company that has been building drilling sites for the oilfield in the Texas panhandle for 30 years. We have slowed some in the past year and I am looking for other work to aid in keeping everyone busy. We run 9 D6R sized dozers and have a Cat 320 trackhoe for support equipment.
My question is what recommendations do you all have for a small to medium sized dragline crane?? I would like to run a 1 to 1.5 yard bucket ....mobility is somewhat important, we have annual overwidth permits and overweight to a total of 120,000 gross. What I want to know is what brand i.e. Bucyrus, LinkBelt, etc. would be the easiest to work on and still find parts for. Also what about contols?? Air, manual or hydraulic, better?? Any general recommendations or opinions welcomed!

 

[willie59]

Welcome to the forum notime1977.

I'll jump in here and say a Link Belt LS98 or LS108. Those are crawler cranes, which are generally better for dragline conditions more than are mobile cranes. Contact Tony Inman at Inman Texas Company. http://www.inmantexas.com/

 

[Buckethead]

Welcome to the forum notime1977.

I'll jump in here and say a Link Belt LS98 or LS108. Those are crawler cranes, which are generally better for dragline conditions more than are mobile cranes. Contact Tony Inman at Inman Texas Company. http://www.inmantexas.com/

Link-Belts are nice machines, very comfortable for the operator. They have been used as draglines, they were very common with gas pipeline contractors for drag and clamshell. Bucyrus_Erie is another common make for dragline, very simple, rugged machines. Northwests are pretty reliable too. Some people don't like the earlier NWs because the swing lever is on the right, opposite of other machines.

 

[willie59]

Link-Belts are nice machines, very comfortable for the operator. They have been used as draglines, they were very common with gas pipeline contractors for drag and clamshell. Bucyrus_Erie is another common make for dragline, very simple, rugged machines. Northwests are pretty reliable too. Some people don't like the earlier NWs because the swing lever is on the right, opposite of other machines.

I agree with ya Buckethead, I'd say it would be arguable as to which machine is better than the other. It's hard to beat a 30B Bucyrus for being solid as a rock. I suggested the LS Link Belt for reasons you mentioned, comfort. For all day lever pulling like dragging, the comfort of the short lever table top contol station of the LS Link Belt is sweet. And L-B has some dang good drums.

 

[td25c]

Yep,I agree Bucyrus & Linkbelt.I passed up a good deal last summer on an LS 98 my buddy had .He had repaced all the clutch linings and rebuilt the hydraulic actuators had both drag & clam buckets & hook block.He sold it for 15,000.I thought that was pretty cheap but I did not have a job for it.Dang! I'd still like to have a crawler crane.

 

[willie59]

Yep,I agree Bucyrus & Linkbelt.I passed up a good deal last summer on an LS 98 my buddy had .He had repaced all the clutch linings and rebuilt the hydraulic actuators had both drag & clam buckets & hook block.He sold it for 15,000.I thought that was pretty cheap but I did not have a job for it.Dang! I'd still like to have a crawler crane.

LoL...you could have rented it to notime1977!

 

[notime1977]

What could a person rent one for? I was planning on charging about $95-100/hr. at least that is what others have charged locally. Is this about right?

 

[td25c]

LoL...you could have rented it to notime1977!

I would have gladly rented it to nowtime1977 and traveled to Texas to dig the pond.I would tell the wife we are going to Texas for a vacation.That would be alot of fun.

 

[willie59]

I would have gladly rented it to nowtime1977 and traveled to Texas to dig the pond.I would tell the wife we are going to Texas for a vacation.That would be alot of fun.

I knew the wife had to be involved here somewhere.

What could a person rent one for? I was planning on charging about $95-100/hr. at least that is what others have charged locally. Is this about right?

I don't know about the rates. Inman Texas Co does rent though.

 

[Drag.liner]

Link belt 98 with the pipeliner undercarriage.

 

[Rick Rowlands]

25c if you want a crawler I'll sell you our Insley once we get our building done.

 

[willie59]

25c if you want a crawler I'll sell you our Insley once we get our building done.

Hot dang...that would be perfect 25c!

 

[Hyperpack]

Ls 98

AS Drag.Liner mentioned The Pipeliner would be an excellent choice, They have a heavy undercarriage with long Cat type tracks they will go anywhere.
My Dad ran a 1958 LS 98 for 30 years, it had the crawler pads on it and worked well. Dad always thought Linkbelt was the best dirt machine for many reasons. They were tough and somewhat lighter than many because of the welded steel frame rather than the heavy castings others used. The link belt had the hydraulic controls that were easy on the operator and easy to keep setup, they have large slow turning brake drums and hold well under heavy drag buckets. The crawler tracks are taller than some others which helps greatly in soft conditions, they tend to climb better out of the mud.
I bought an ugly old LS 98 Pipeliner myself a couple years ago to fix up someday, with 60 foot of boome she tips the scales at nearly 40 ton.
Hyperpack

 

[TOPD]

i bought a lima 44 and it seems to be a pretty tough machine... i am haveing some drum brake problems though if anyone could help me with that i would appreciate it alot!!!

 

[dutchy]

I don't know if this one is the best, but it's one of the biggest (crawlercrane based) dragline in Europe. It is a 2010 Liebherr HS895 HD with a 5 cubic meters bucket.

Greetings from Holland!

Eric

 

[qball]

a northwest #6 or # 25.
you just cant kill them.
as for comfort.........

 

[65Jetstar]

A 1.5 cubic yard machine… Avoid a NW 41. The newer high speed Murphy won’t last. The old Murphy 12 would be much better if you must have a NW. NW has been utilizing open gears, bronze bushings, and oil wicks in applications where their competitors have be using enclosed gear cases and roller bearings for decades! A NW is not something you want to fix and maintain. Link-Belts are a good “beginners” machine. The controls are easy, but have no “feel” for the more experienced. The travel is kind of cool on the L-B, but hydraulic controls mean it is a matter of time before you have hot oil all over the inside of the house when something blows. They have one of those hydraulic accumulators sitting in the back of the house by the engine... oh yes. Just stick with air controls! The other thing I do not like about Link-Belt is the small diameter of the drum laggings, slow line speed, and a cramped house. Stay away from makes and models with large counterweights and expandable tracks like the BE 30-B super cane and American 5299 etc. They are lift cranes and not duty cycle cranes. They might be more stable, but are a bigger hassle to move around and set up, and yet the dragline ratings are the same. The BE 30-B HD is a good choice. My first choice in that size class would be the American 595 or 597. The BE and American I am talking about are 12” wide across the tracks like a D-7 mould board and weigh in at just under 90K. Just drive them off the trailer and no monkey business with the tracks! They are both simple well designed machines with good aftermarket support. Go with the bigger engine options and avoid the independent travel, 3rd drum, power down, etc. if you don’t need them. These things crowd the inside of your house and make them more of a job to keep clean and maintain. Remember that a direct drive (no torque converter) crane like the NW 41 with air controls is not good for precise lift service. The American 795 and 797 are right at 120 K and are only about 12 feet wide across the tracks if you want to swing a 2.5 yard bucket! I know I am kind of at a late date, but hope this helps if you are still looking.

 

[old dirt]

I would say Link Belt LS98 or Buck Erie 30B both good rigs.
old dirt

 

[jwar100]

I have an old Lorain crawler crane i use for draglining.

 

[john1066]

We use a koehring 405 for drag work as well as working in the yard. Very simple to work on and run with air controls. And it is one year newer than our grove rt65s