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View Full Version : Bucket/Boom Maneuvers



mscheuerer
04-07-2008, 01:18 PM
Had a guy last week perform inverted/inverse (i.e. flip/reversed his boom) work maneuvers on a job we were working on so he could plant himself on the ground more quickly in order to be re-supplied and tied by his grunt. He also hoisted a few sections of cross with his jib in this position while returning to our normal 90 Deg. "L" working position. Now we have been taught not to perform these maneuvers and when questioned it was revealed that they do it all the time. (grunt told me) Now I am not one to bitch here and I know we don't talk to much about this kinda stuff, but does anyone else practice this? Both ways? or has done it without problems? I can understand not doing it the latter especially hoisting up a cross load etc... (His grunt says was told boom was capable and made that way so why wouldn't they use it)

Comments appreciated.

topgroove
04-07-2008, 01:25 PM
are you talking about an overcenter boom? if so I have landed transformers overcenter with the material handler jib. as long as you stay withen the load chart it is acceptable.

lewy
04-07-2008, 05:51 PM
All MHAD's can be used in any position you just have to be aware of how changing your upper & lower boom angles affect your ability to lift your load along with your jib radius.
Anytime I am lifting a heavy load I will have the booms in there work position & use the winch to lift.
They are also not designed for side pulls.
Bottom line you have to know how to read the load charts.

mainline
04-07-2008, 07:15 PM
We regularly work knuckled over. Our old booms had a lot of over center, now they don't. We now have to flip over to get things just like with older holens. Larger booms, those over 58' will not knuckle over due to stability concerns, but there should be no reason to prohibit it on buckets that are able as long as you pay attention to your load charts.

powerhotdog
04-07-2008, 07:40 PM
I believe if you read in those neat lil stickers on the lower boom it says do not side load.

Special ED
04-07-2008, 08:21 PM
We used our booms all the time over center in Louisville. They would have so much stuff on the pole and to work the field side of a 3 phase line you would have to knuckle over and rotate around under the neutral then boom up.. I had a 55' boom on an old single axle freightliner chassis. Cant buy em like that no more.. lol it would get a little hairy with the out riggers and keeping the truck upright. Now they require all new booms that big to have a double axel chassis under it.

The bucket babies love the over center booms. Ive seen them leave the lower boom racked and boom the top over center almost to the ground before pulling it into a driveway or alley way just to get out of climbing a pole. lol Of course these are older trucks without the sensors on the out riggers thats how they do it.

As for side loading the booms.. Big no no right there... Especially on the altec units.. We had crews using material handlers to sag wire and such causing huge side loads that would split the plates on each side of the lower boom right at the turn table. Altec had to come out and weld thick plates to the units and boy did they rip some ass..

mainline
04-08-2008, 05:52 PM
Altec still makes a 55' boom on a single screw freightliner. I have the misfortune to work on one. A 55' AM on a freightliner m5 series chassis. there was never a less reliable bucket and chassis combo.

Special ED
04-08-2008, 09:11 PM
Altec told us we couldnt get them anymore. Largest we could get was a 50 footer on the international single axle chassis.

mscheuerer
04-09-2008, 10:10 AM
Thanks guys, the truck in question was an Single axle (Dual wheel) Ford F-800 with a 48' Holan Rear Mount (over top of rear axel) body and top deck equipped with dual outriggers front/rear. I think it's similar to thee old connecticut utility vehicles. Mainline hit it pretty good with the "knuckled over" comment, thats exactly what they were doing. And yes they were equipped with their spinning loading gages. I'm sure they were withing their tolerances.