Looking to buy my first knuckle boom crane with a grapplesaw.

[islandedge]

There was only 1 other guy with a mecanil on their effer for me to consult with in 2017 (now allmark has got his going as well)
effer at the time advised against the grapple saw on the k-boom, then said they could do it with the gmt then changed their mind and quit responding back. At the time i was under the understanding that the altec setup which was not available yet would not have the ability to hold it vertical. There is many circumstances I'm in where i make a horizontal cut but need to make it between wires and roof and am grateful that i can tilt it with a load (small) to a vertical position to clear my obstacles!
Palfleet, a palfinger dealer ended up doing the install for me in the end. My experience with the Mecanil was a game changer. I think effer booms are great but altec/effer have a lot to catch up to palfinger if your trying to run a k-boom with a grapple saw.

 

[islandedge]

Just about every job has obstacles that a vertical hold is a must.

 

[allmark]

Are You saying that when you make a cut you’re able to hold it vertically? I demoed some altecs today. I hated the way that the limbs drifted down automatically. Are you able to hold them vertically with your truck?

With the Gierkink head(which is what Altec is selling) once the cut is made it can be kept in the vertical position if it is not too heavy. It is a matter of not returning the paddle used to operate the sawcompletely to the neutral position

 

[oceans]

Effer definitely has to up their game for parts. If I were to break an extension I'd probably go out of business till it showed up

My crane sub has an Effer 1355. Its last trip to the service center left him down for over a month. When he got it back, it still wasn’t right due to a wiring harness issue that left the last main section inoperable.

There’s a Palfinger dealer in my town, but when I spoke to them, they said it would be way more expensive to use their shop because they service the marine industry. Everything is 3x the price because of that. I’m unsure where the next closest Palfinger shop would be that could service a boom.

BIK has a location just outside an hour from me. My lessons learned with my Easy Lift 87-48AJ have reinforced something I already understood, and that is service/support is everything. Definitely a major part of the decision making process.

 

[islandedge]

If i had bik next to me i would own a pm crane. But tiffin is only 1.5 hrs from me so that's probably the direction I'm heading next

 

[islandedge]

My crane sub has an Effer 1355. Its last trip to the service center left him down for over a month. When he got it back, it still wasn’t right due to a wiring harness issue that left the last main section inoperable.

There’s a Palfinger dealer in my town, but when I spoke to them, they said it would be way more expensive to use their shop because they service the marine industry. Everything is 3x the price because of that. I’m unsure where the next closest Palfinger shop would be that could service a boom.

BIK has a location just outside an hour from me. My lessons learned with my Easy Lift 87-48AJ have reinforced something I already understood, and that is service/support is everything. Definitely a major part of the decision making process.

What a sad story on effer's part.. Still no real service center

 

[islandedge]

@oceans are u in the market for a kboom?

 

[oceans]

What a sad story on effer's part.. Still no real service center

I guess we’d have to rattle Hiab’s cage on that one? They did buy Effer in 2018. Big mergers can sometimes have adverse effects.

I’ll be looking very closely and having lots of discussions this year at Expo. If you’re going, PM me. I’d like to meet you and anyone else with experience.

What do you like about the PM cranes?

 

[islandedge]

I guess we’d have to rattle Hiab’s cage on that one? They did buy Effer in 2018. Big mergers can sometimes have adverse effects.

I’ll be looking very closely and having lots of discussions this year at Expo. If you’re going, PM me. I’d like to meet you and anyone else with experience.

What do you like about the PM cranes?

I just like having a service center next to me regardless of brand

 

[JT31]

Service is always a big thing with any brand of crane as well as parts availability. If interested in seeing a Copma grapple saw crane you can contact Cranes & Equipment in Peoria, IL 309-674-7400.

 

[CanaryBoss]

I love my PM. I’m probably going to be buying the 210 ton this year. BIK is the way to go. Had an issue with my crane this morning (operator error). I called BIK. I got multiple calls back within minutes

 

[islandedge]

I love my PM. I’m probably going to be buying the 210 ton this year. BIK is the way to go. Had an issue with my crane this morning (operator error). I called BIK. I got multiple calls back within minutes

Now that's what I'm talkin about! A pm210 with a SG 580 with a 36-inch bar lol

 

[CanaryBoss]

You can’t run a 580 on a knuckleboom. Not enough flow. But that would be sweet

 

[islandedge]

You can’t run a 580 on a knuckleboom. Not enough flow. But that would be sweet

Wait that was supposed to be a joke. I don't think they make one

 

[CanaryBoss]

They are making a larger head but it’s intended for excavators I believe

 

[oceans]

I love my PM. I’m probably going to be buying the 210 ton this year. BIK is the way to go. Had an issue with my crane this morning (operator error). I called BIK. I got multiple calls back within minutes

Sounds similar to my experience with UpEquip. I would steer anyone in that direction based on my history with them and also from what I’ve heard from owners of other brands/dealers.

Did you demo other machines before choosing BIK/PM?

 

[CanaryBoss]

Sounds similar to my experience with UpEquip. I would steer anyone in that direction based on my history with them and also from what I’ve heard from owners of other brands/dealers.

Did you demo other machines before choosing BIK/PM?

Yes. Demoed Effer. Truck kept shutting off while I was using it and the other one they had there wouldn’t even function. Pump went out when they tried to use it. I hated their grapple-the way it tilts down. The other American builders wouldn’t even call me back and had nothing in stock.

 

[islandedge]

Yes. Demoed Effer. Truck kept shutting off while I was using it and the other one they had there wouldn’t even function. Pump went out when they tried to use it. I hated their grapple-the way it tilts down. The other American builders wouldn’t even call me back and had nothing in stock.

Wow.. I never knew you had that experience with effer

 

[islandedge]

Did you demo the small grapple truck with the main boom only? Or the 655 effer? As far as the boom goes the 655 has the best chart and reach in it's class. But as of the grapple saw I can't speak for it since I've never owned the GMT. They have a lot of catching up to the others in the grapple saw world

 

[CanaryBoss]

Wow.. I never knew you had that experience with effer

It was at an altec demo in Orlando in April.