Interested in hearing from the crane experts around here...

[rico]

Checkout the first 3 cuts starting at 11:45. I realize I am way behind the times, but is it now an acceptable practice to treat a crane as a floating rigging point and swing and drop pieces into it?

 

[Benjo75]

I saw that and wondered the same thing. I think he said that piece weighed about 300 lbs. I guess it wouldn't be much worse than him swinging back to the crane himself. If 300 lbs hurt a 55 ton crane then something would have to be wrong. But I still don't think I'd do it. But I'm definitely no crane expert.

 

[Reach]

Checkout the first 3 cuts starting at 11:45. I realize I am way behind the times, but is it now an acceptable practice to treat a crane as a floating rigging point and swing and drop pieces into it?

It is not, cranes are not rigging points, they are lifting machines. Cranes do not like dynamic loads. Will swinging 300 lbs. hurt a 55 ton crane? No, not unless the boom is laid out flat at full extension, then it could. However, it’s still a bad practice, no matter what.

 

[rico]

It is not, cranes are not rigging points, they are lifting machines. Cranes do not like dynamic loads. Will swinging 300 lbs. hurt a 55 ton crane? No, not unless the boom is laid out flat at full extension, then it could. However, it’s still a bad practice, no matter what.

My question was a little tongue in cheek, but I figured I would ask anyhow. Those first 3 cuts seem to fall under the category of something that will surely have catastrophic consequences if you continue to operate in that fashion. I actually cringed when I watched it....

 

[Steve Connally]

Cranes are designed to pick up a static load and put it down. It’s not for anything dynamic. It should “flew like it grew”. Even the snap cut is not acceptable despite everyone who thinks it is. Dynamic loads have no place in crane work.

 

[Rooted.Tree.Solutions]

It looks like you could have swung the jib on and picked those first 3 properly. When we cut corners in our industry is when people get hurt. Love your videos. Thanks for taking the time to make them!

 

[27RMT0N]

I checked out that video before this thread (used to work in the exact same area, so it's kind of a throwback to the work/location where I started doing tree work) and honestly I was surprised they did that move. They seem like a very pro outfit, plus putting videos out, seems like you want to be by the books and putting your best face forward at all times. That said, while it may be poor practice, a piece that small on a crane that big probably wasn't going to be an actual safety problem. But still.

I've been around some.... sketchy operators (years back, I certainly wasn't in charge) and the thing I saw that bothered me the most besides not putting out any dunnage under the outriggers on a gravel road, was someone using the boom-out movement of the crane to push logs off a big trunk after they were faced and backcut by the climber. Yah, pretty sure cranes aren't meant to be used that way either....

 

[deevo]

Checkout the first 3 cuts starting at 11:45. I realize I am way behind the times, but is it now an acceptable practice to treat a crane as a floating rigging point and swing and drop pieces into it?

I would shoot anyone who did that to my cranes, 100% not acceptable. Especially on a brand new crane, over time that’s going to lead to failure And stress on the boom, cranes are not designed for that. They should of put the jib on, jakes a good guy and does some good videos but that one, nahhhhhhh....... should of left that out of his library. Same is what Steve said, snap cuts and crane work shouldn’t be used either.

 

[southsoundtree]

Explaining to the Crane-op that he is actively injuring the climber by dragging picks across the climber, and the climber who doesn't yell "Stop. I need to move to safety." ...Seems super pro.

Dropping picks off the spar, rather than lifting them free so they can't crush the climber, seems like a funny approach.

Taking critical capacity brush picks, too...they still had more than a 10% buffer, according to the static load on a piece (lifted dynamically).

All go under categories I don't care for, "exciting" tree work, whereas, I like "boring" tree work. All goes smoothly, and as planne

 

[Sfoppema]

You can see all the extensions jumping around when he drops the top, 300 pounds or no. I'd have to imagine the forces generated would amount to significantly more than 300 pounds. Not sure how to factor in the pretty decent swing. Also. not a crane expert, but it seems like this particular group of guys should maybe not film their first couple crane jobs....

Plus the last pick. Seems like someone who is used to doing crane work would know to boom up instead of cable up to account for deflection with all that stick out there. Could have been worse I guess.

Not so sure

 

[Fivepoints]

There are definitely far better ways to do that job then what they did in the video. There's some bad practices going on in that one that eventually will get someone hurt or tear up some equipment.

 

[allmark]

This is why there are jibs and extensions for cranes. If that isn't enough rig it into the tree and then pick it out.
At 21:12 he cut vertically toward his lifelines.
They are picking in the air at 85% of capacity(4800# piece at 5600# capacity). Z133 states 75% as these are critical lifts.
Also at the end if it needs to be guided use a rope.

 

[allmark]

Cranes are designed to pick up a static load and put it down. It’s not for anything dynamic. It should “flew like it grew”. Even the snap cut is not acceptable despite everyone who thinks it is. Dynamic loads have no place in crane work.

When you refer to snap cut do you differentiate that from a bypass cut. I use these regularly and no shock loading. Knowledge of species is important though.