Crane - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 07-18-2013, 07:15 AM

Yesterday morning I went down to my building at 735 am. I had arranged for the alley to be closed, a load of lumber to be there, my carpentry contractor and a 100' crane to set the materials on the roof of my building.

I expected a full blown self propelled crane at 100' but it was on a two axle truck chassis. It was a telescoping hydraulic with a cable and a hook. Of course it had the large iron ball on the hook.

The crane driver was a big fellow maybe 6' 5 or so and not slender. He was very very courteous and very skilled. Before he started any work I pointed out to him all the high voltage wires festooning the back of my building. He had to maneuver the load around the wires each time up and down. He put the boom arm within inches of the parapet of the building and dropped the load right where the carpenter asked for it.

I was glad I was there as if I had not been I think the carpenter would have had him put the load on the roof of the penthouse which is a fairly weak reinforced concrete structure which already has about 3" of belly in it.

After placing the building materials on the roof we dragged an old AC unit over to the area where the crane could pick it up. He sat it in my dodge.

The job came off without a hitch, no damage to anything and nobody got hurt. The crane cost me $225, a bargain I thought. This is the first high lift light duty crane I have seen.

I took the AC unit straight to the salvage yard and got Nearly $50 for it. the ac unit plus an old Studebaker wheel weighed exactly 500# which surprised me.

Simpler=Better · #2 07-18-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Yesterday morning I went down to my building at 735 am. I had arranged for the alley to be closed, a load of lumber to be there, my carpentry contractor and a 100' crane to set the materials on the roof of my building.

I expected a full blown self propelled crane at 100' but it was on a two axle truck chassis. It was a telescoping hydraulic with a cable and a hook. Of course it had the large iron ball on the hook.

The crane driver was a big fellow maybe 6' 5 or so and not slender. He was very very courteous and very skilled. Before he started any work I pointed out to him all the high voltage wires festooning the back of my building. He had to maneuver the load around the wires each time up and down. He put the boom arm within inches of the parapet of the building and dropped the load right where the carpenter asked for it.

I was glad I was there as if I had not been I think the carpenter would have had him put the load on the roof of the penthouse which is a fairly weak reinforced concrete structure which already has about 3" of belly in it.

After placing the building materials on the roof we dragged an old AC unit over to the area where the crane could pick it up. He sat it in my dodge.

The job came off without a hitch, no damage to anything and nobody got hurt. The crane cost me $225, a bargain I thought. This is the first high lift light duty crane I have seen.

I took the AC unit straight to the salvage yard and got Nearly $50 for it. the ac unit plus an old Studebaker wheel weighed exactly 500# which surprised me.

Renting the right equipment and hiring a skilled operator is always worth the money.

How many hours would your guys have messed around if you block & tackled the materials?

t walgamuth · #3 07-18-2013, 12:05 PM

The alternative is toting them up six flights of stairs....for anythign not fitting in the elevator. The elevator does not go all the way to the roof and the last story is by a ships ladder. Prolly not a lot cheaper to use the crane but my carpenters are nearly as old as I am and they would not be fit for work if they had to tote it all up there!

Now if they were young bucks it would probably have been a wash.