Ran an older Grove with no load indicator yesterday and it humbled me quick

I've been running cranes for about 4 years now, mostly newer stuff with all the bells and whistles. A buddy asked me to help him out on a small job in Cleveland, just moving some HVAC units on a roof. His backup crane is this beat up older Grove RT with no load indicator, no anti two block, nothing. I figured no problem, I know my limits. Second pick of the day I got way too close to the edge of the chart. Felt the boom start to flex and the outrigger lift just a little. Caught it fast but my heart was pounding. I learned that day that those digital helpers are doing a lot more work than I gave them credit for. Has anyone else had a close call switching from a modern rig to an old one?

3 comments

3 Comments

mia7001mo ago

Read a safety report that said older cranes are the reason digital indicators became standard.

jana_jones29d agoMost Upvoted

I think that part about older cranes being the reason is a bit off. The big push for digital indicators actually came from newer, more complex booms and telescoping setups. Older cranes just didn't have the same kind of load moment issues that modern ones do with all their extensions and attachments. So while safety was definitely a factor, I'd say the tech evolution itself drove it more than just old crane accidents.

lee84729d ago

You said older cranes didn't have the same issues, so what kind of load problems are you actually seeing with the newer setups?