Appreciation post: how I used to level cranes with a carpenter's level

I remember back in 2005 on a site in Denver, I'd spend 20 minutes each morning getting the crane level using a cheap bubble level and shims. Now I just pull up the digital leveling system on my 2019 Liebherr and it's done in under 2 minutes. The old way taught me patience though, I could feel the ground shift under the outriggers. Has anyone else noticed the newer cranes feel less connected to the ground than the older ones?

4 comments

4 Comments

jana_shah1mo ago

A whole 45 minutes with a cracked level? Dude, no way.

max_torres441mo ago

Wait, you're telling me Henry spent 45 minutes leveling a crane with a cracked bubble level and nobody noticed but the foreman? @jana_shah I'm with you, that's insane. Sounds like something that only happens when you're so focused on the process you forget to check the tool itself.

henryp401mo ago

I once spent a full 45 minutes leveling a 50-ton Grove on a job in Ohio back in 2008, only to realize the bubble level I was using was cracked and reading wrong the whole time. I felt like a complete fool when the foreman walked over and pointed it out. So yeah, I get what you're saying about the old way teaching patience, but it also taught me to double check everything twice. As for the connection to the ground thing, my mileage varies on that. I've run both old and new cranes and honestly I think the digital systems just let me focus on other stuff, not that I'm less connected.

uma_williams1mo ago

Buddy of mine had a similar thing happen with a leaking hydraulic jack on a crane pad. Spent an hour thinking he was going mad until someone spotted the fluid trail.