looking at cranes for some cabin and shop projects

[skyking1]

My friend and his neighbor have a cabin and shop each to build in remote Eastern Washington. They want something that will do the trusses and logs for all of it.
So far I have steered him away from too-short boom trucks and oddball cranes that have been on Craigslist forever.
Boom trucks of any decent stick are quite pricey. He fixated on them but I have been showing him some of the light truck mounted cranes.
The latest finds have been Groves, TMS300 and TMS250.
The 250's have single steer carriers, and weigh around 50K.
The 250 also lacks the dead boom section to deal with. The downsides are many, but most notable is the power. It ranges from 6v53 to 3208 Cat to a cummins 6, all of them pretty weak sauce for moving something that heavy.

 

[skyking1]

The focus has shifted to small older RTs. A lot more crane for the money there if it still working.
Right now looking at a p&h Omega 18 ton. It's got the 62 ft boom and a 22 ft jib. The load chart goes out to 74 ft.
It's still good for a ton at 70 feet, and the biggest log in these homes is about a thousand pounds for a presentation log.

 

[John C.]

I have some bad experiences with Omega cranes and would never recommend one. ZF transmissions have a habit of dying by locking up and killing all functions on the machine. All I have had to work on did it with the boom in the air and a load on the hook in the middle of a time limited construction site. Three swivels down the middle of the machine, hydraulic, electrical and brake/throttle. Boom cylinder leaks onto all of them. I think Crane Operator has what you need to look for in a neck breaker.

 

[crane operator]

I will second what John C. has to say about the omega's. The swivels are problematic. Some also use twin hyd. hose set ups that can be hard to source. Steer clear.

I've got a tms 200 left that I've repowered to a 8.3 cummins. I repowered two of them from 3208's. The 8.3 is great. None of the factory options, 3208,6v53,555 are great choices.

If you are set on a rt, get a older grove. The 35-40 ton are really heavy to move, they made a 25 ton that has the same upper as the tms250's. 80' main and jib.

I've got a 15 ton galion neck breaker (FA150)- 5.9 cummins powered, and they are pretty reliable if they've been taken care of. They get you 60' of main and a 20' jib. Need a double drop lowboy to haul because they are pretty tall, but they are only 45,000lbs or so. Should be able to find one in good shape between $20-30,000. Rough ones may only cost $10,000, but the spring reel that tensions the tele hoses is $4,000 if its bad. So check it.

They still use the galions in a lot of refinery, shut down, turn around work, they are a good tough little machine, just a little short sticked.

 

[skyking1]

I see Grove RT58 with the same specs as the Galion.

 

[skyking1]

Thanks John and Operator, I have only seen the upside of the Omega cranes they did not break when I was around. What years would the Grove RT be OK? I see little 22 ton older rigs too.

 

[skyking1]

https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/197689411/1974-grove-rt65s-rough-terrain-cranes

 

[crane operator]

That rt65s is the same upper as a tms300. I don't know what reimportation is like, I know with anything newer its got to have the epa tags on the engine or its not coming across, I don't know if there's a age limit on that.

Look for a rt700b series or a rt635/640, it won't be much more money, and be a lot better crane. Joysticks, LMI, full power main. Most are mid 90's. The only thing to pay attention to is which LMI they have so you don't get a obsolete one. They will also be a narrower wheelbase and a little lighter, which helps for hauling, without giving up much chart.

Something like this:

https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/210205495/1990-grove-rt633c-rough-terrain-cranes

 

[crane operator]

I never hear guys talk about the downcab grove's like they do the galions. I've never run a downcab grove, but I think they have a different/ oddball transmission if I remember right. Also a lot of them are detroit which isn't real quiet on the jobsite.

 

[crane operator]

https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/197689411/1974-grove-rt65s-rough-terrain-cranes

That one is a short boom one also- no dead stick so only 80' main. Also looks like rear winch may be a free fall. I would want the dead stick main in that model, it won't make a price difference and if I had to haul it around, I'd want all the boom for doing it.

 

[skyking1]

I figured 70' of boom was the bare minimum for his sites, and 80' would be OK.
This 25 ton looks promising, no jib just the 80'
https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/203899703/1994-grove-rt625-rough-terrain-cranes

 

[Crummy]

https://boise.craigslist.org/hvo/d/garden-city-30-ton-mobile-crane-lorain/7431880569.html

 

[crane operator]

I kind of like the lorain crummy posted up. It would sure be a lot closer to you. Louisiana I always worry about salt air, but that grove doesn't look rusty.

On the lorain-if its $15,000, not $150,000, its priced right, and right now, you just don't know what their price is. They made that same model in terex as a t230/340, and there are a ton of them around. Terex is no more, so your on your own for parts, and they aren't a terribly ridgid frame, if they've been used hard (overloaded repeatedly) , they are prone to cracks in the frame.

I personally don't like the lorain/terex controls, as well as a grove, but its not like you're going to be running it everyday. I can make them work, they just aren't as smooth or precise.

There's probably a red and grey cat running around their yard too- because they painted everything.

 

[skyking1]

I found one of them at an auction to get the right model number. Thanks for linking that up to the Terex. I thought that looked familiar!
I texted the seller. The ad is a month old so that is that. Seems those month old ads never end well
The 25 ton I linked above is in Stockton Ca. That Louisiana seller is the same one as for the 18 ton P&H that I linked at the start of the thread.
I too am fond of the old Grove controls myself. I like having the extra pedal, when I tested on it I would start something with a hand and then follow along with my foot as I did boom/hoist coordinations. For old controls they are nice IMO.

 

[skyking1]

I found an example of those controls and yeah, I preferred the pedal swing myself. The Lorain/Terex has only the pedal boom. With the Grove you could choose.

 

[skyking1]

What LMI makes should we avoid?

 

[crane operator]

There's work arounds for most of the old systems, or you end up simply replacing them. If its not working, and you want it working, just budget $5,000 and that may get you back up and running. Full replacment with reels and everything may set you back $10,000.

And there's no way they should cost that much, because there's not that much to them, its just a limited market with a lot of liability.

The old groves- if I have a scale (cranesmart is my choice) I don't need a2b- and I can stay in chart with a mechanical angle indicator and boom length (stickers on the boom).

PAT systems are the best for me to service and keep working, but the GW versions (Grove Worldwide) don't have parts available. I hear that the early greers that terex/ linkbelt used the screens aren't available.

And you can take your pedal swing- I can't run that. Left hand swing, left foot boom, right hand winch, right foot throttle.

 

[skyking1]

Here is a 50 ton that looks to be in OK shape. Heavy but close, 400 miles from the site.
https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/205990377/1979-grove-rt75s-rough-terrain-cranes

 

[skyking1]

that 25 ton in stockton also has the 5.9 cummins going for it. it is a bummer that in 1994 they still were making the old school controls and it has them. $25 seems like a decent deal, only 54K to move but 900 miles away.

 

[crane operator]

11' wide and close to 80,000lbs. They are heavy old pigs and nigh unto indestructible. You won't wear it out, and the 653 will wear you out. But then again, you aren't running it everyday. Early pat- looks like it works.

No rust, I don't see any serious problems. I would want to make sure the deadstick jack/stick is all working, and if you've never put deadstick in, don't break it from not knowing what you're doing. They are easy if you have someone to show you how to release tension on the pin, you can make a mess out of them if you do it wrong.

But honest answer- for what you've said you need to do- The jib and main would be enough to do everything you need to do with ease, and not messing with the dead stick if its not working right.