Why I hate boom trucks

[DMiller]

A great deal of the old truck cranes built like tanks, even the Bantams were heavy buggers. Suspension was generally the tires, everything else solid or on hard bushings, very damned little give.

 

[DMiller]

In 1982 we took a double frame 76 fleetstar from 38k spring hendrickson to rubber blocks. Had a behind the cab boom as the pete above yet tended to roll hard in turns. Bielsmith bros truss co. Front springs got two extra leaves and still settled to the nose. Truck barely moved 50,000 miles a year, more hours setting truss deliveries. Still had it when closed shops in 98.

 

[hvy 1ton]

Always wanted a truck set up like that with a lift axle. Would be handy as a shirt pocket to pull a lowboy for the lighter equipment and use on the job when we don't have a hoe to lift things.

I may have an unhealthy obsession with knucklebooms, but I'd want something like this.

There's an oilfield service company somewhere around Hutch that has/had a 9900 like this with an oilfield winch. Pretty neat unit.

 

[CM1995]

I'll take that KW with the Palfinger spec'd with a 550 Cummins and 6sp Allison. Put a pintle on it to haul the small stuff in tight spaces.

 

[skyking1]

nucks are nice, especially under tight overhead conditions. One would have set this tank easily.


We had a cute little city crane come do it.



Just a schmear of overhead fiber phone and cable.

 

[Truck Shop]

I'll take that KW with the Palfinger spec'd with a 550 Cummins and 6sp Allison. Put a pintle on it to haul the small stuff in tight spaces.

550 that's a little high on power, Plus you can't get one with the Allison-It would be spec'd with
a Eaton automated Manual model EEO, a way better transmission, The cost of adding a Allison
would shoot that down plus the extra weight.

 

[Truck Shop]

Crane Operator--you need to tally how many like them and how many hate them.
Check the score.

 

[DMiller]

Maybe he meant 555!!!

 

[Truck Shop]

PacCar is trying to regain some ground, Detroit-Allison is Daimler. So PacCar is pushing Eaton.

 

[CM1995]

550 that's a little high on power, Plus you can't get one with the Allison-It would be spec'd with
a Eaton automated Manual model EEO, a way better transmission, The cost of adding a Allison
would shoot that down plus the extra weight.

Allison specs -

4000 Series™

Allison Transmission’s 4000 Series™ is designed to make heavy-duty vehicles operate smoothly and efficiently. Allison’s 4000 Series is built for productivity and reliability to deliver both performance and fuel efficiency.

allisontransmission.com

These folks have one in Ohio - 2024 KW X15 565HP with Allison

2024 KENWORTH T800 For Sale in Canton, Ohio

2024 KENWORTH T800 For Sale in Canton, Ohio at TruckPaper.com

www.truckpaper.com

Also one on Illinois -

2023 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hinckley, Illinois

2023 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hinckley, Illinois at TruckPaper.com

www.truckpaper.com

2 more in Maryland -

2024 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hagerstown, Maryland

2024 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hagerstown, Maryland at TruckPaper.com

www.truckpaper.com

2023 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hagerstown, Maryland

2023 KENWORTH T880 For Sale in Hagerstown, Maryland at TruckPaper.com

www.truckpaper.com

 

[skyking1]

I operated a brand new KW with a 28 ton Manitex with the 550 Cat of that day, the year was 2000.
Talk about a waste of power!
No pintle or brake lines to the back, and about 4000# of useful load.

 

[Truck Shop]

That's good I'm glad they have that.

Allison specs -

 

[Natman]

The best $3400.00 I ever spent was on my 1400 lb. counterweight, real rare on a mid sized boom truck, 30 ton, at least until Manitex came out with the 11230S. One reason for more "mishaps" could be simply the entry expense to get in the op seat is low enough, as compared to a truck crane or other heavier piece of equipment, to allow less than qualified operators. Same with small planes.

 

[Natman]

I SHOULD buy a 90 ton or thereabouts crane to compliment my current, and only rig, the 30 ton boom truck. The nearest crane that size in my town is usually 50 miles away. But every time I eyeball one I think of all the jobs my 30 ton easily handles, setting trusses and HVAC mostly. Then the extra insurance, registration, annual inspection, I'd have to keep it outside (my National is always in a heated and secure building, no room left over though) at my town yard. Not to mention maybe hire someone to run it, and the hassles involved with that, as compared to my one man operation. Then I think of getting a 40 ton National, but then I'd have 4 extra tires/a third axle to deal with, higher registration costs, less room for rigging boxes/pad racks (I now have 4 of each) and for 90+% of my jobs, it wouldn't do any better, worse, when you account for the 26' outrigger span, compared to my 20'. I'm picking a 16 K pound genset off a lowboy tomorrow, almost a 2 hr one way drive away, but I can cruise at 65-70, getting 5-6 MPG, have cruise control, AC, SAT radio, power windows, and most important plenty of cup holders. Every time I see a 90 ton or so truck crane going down the highway, they don't look like much fun to drive. I can "zip" (relatively) around town, stop at the grocery store, run errands on the way back from a job, not too big or awkward for that. Anyone tipping a boom truck over screwed the pooch, their fault, not the machine's, we do probably go into more totally unprepped places than the larger rigs, so lots of opportunity for things to go wrong if you're not paying attention.

 

[renovator]

I wonder how do concrete pumps compare to boom trucks. I was following one today and it looks like they have a lot of weight up high.

 

[CraneMechanic73]

I really don’t see the problem with keeping it upright and on the road. Being on the mechanical side I hear all the excuses for why things go south. I get asked to taxi boom trucks to jobs for operators that can’t manage a CDL all the time. Have not flipped one yet and don’t intend to.

 

[crane operator]

Me and my big mouth. I had to run this today after my 40 ton Grove truck crane went down on a job. Went and borrowed it to finish.

 

[Truck Shop]

It was safe it had training wheels in the back.

 

[crane operator]

It was slow, awkward and unhandy, but it ran for the rest of what we had to do, which is more than I can say for what I brought to the job.

 

[Natman]

The other best thing I ever did for my 30 ton boom truck, was take the frigging jib OFF, It's on a stand in my crane yard, but taking off roughly 1500-2000 pounds from 11' high did wonders for my cornering speed. I take 25 mph listed curves at 40 all the time, familiar ones of course. Every single time I get on the interstate, right at the bottom of a big up grade, I turn off the county road onto the on ramp in high range, second gear, getting a bit light on the inside to the turn, but it makes a big difference as to my freeway entry speed. Taking it in grandma mode, I'd be hitting 30, taking it fast gets my entry speed up to 40-45. I know it well, and can throw it around pretty handily, but always and only when it makes sense to do so. I'm ready to defend my "wide radius" turns to a state trooper if I ever get called out, where I use all the asphalt and go over the painted lines, IF it means I can enter the flow of traffic at a safer speed.

MOD Edit - please don't post regular text in bold.
Thanks CM