allmark
Participating member
Thanks Mark
more fun with knucklebooms
- Thread starter MikePoor
- Start date
Hey folks......first time poster.
First off I'd like to thank Mark for his boomtruck purchase.....I'm very pleased it's working out for you.
This whole thread was very enjoyable and I LOVE watching knucklebooms in action.
In regards to adding a grapple attachment to a boom with a flyjib---it can be done. One way is through the addition of a track system or a hose reel. My preference would be the track system as you don't risk having the hose work it's way out of the reel and busting on you. Also hose reels work off a spring system and eventually the spring looses tension and the hoses start to retract sloppily.
There is also advantages and disadvantages to booms with flyjibs. With a flyjib your "Core" capacity drops considerably however you do achieve greater reach and the extra articulating knuckle does provide you with greater maneuverability when booming over households or other obstructions. I will admit that the one picture of Mike's boom picking that huge trunk with the jib had me a little concerned. Large picks like that are very hard on the bushings and cylinder on any make of flyjib and would avoid doing those on a regular basis.
Both standard knucklebooms and knucklebooms with hydraulic flyjibs have their place depending on the Job.
If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask or email me.
gus@bikboomtrucks.com
First off I'd like to thank Mark for his boomtruck purchase.....I'm very pleased it's working out for you.
This whole thread was very enjoyable and I LOVE watching knucklebooms in action.
In regards to adding a grapple attachment to a boom with a flyjib---it can be done. One way is through the addition of a track system or a hose reel. My preference would be the track system as you don't risk having the hose work it's way out of the reel and busting on you. Also hose reels work off a spring system and eventually the spring looses tension and the hoses start to retract sloppily.
There is also advantages and disadvantages to booms with flyjibs. With a flyjib your "Core" capacity drops considerably however you do achieve greater reach and the extra articulating knuckle does provide you with greater maneuverability when booming over households or other obstructions. I will admit that the one picture of Mike's boom picking that huge trunk with the jib had me a little concerned. Large picks like that are very hard on the bushings and cylinder on any make of flyjib and would avoid doing those on a regular basis.
Both standard knucklebooms and knucklebooms with hydraulic flyjibs have their place depending on the Job.
If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask or email me.
gus@bikboomtrucks.com
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
Hi Gus! And welcome.
One question for you: Can you have two hooks on a boom with a flyjib? This way you can pick larger loads without using the jib, but not removing it?
You masy have to sell me another rig next year. Maybe something with 120' or so reach and possibly a flyjib! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif
One question for you: Can you have two hooks on a boom with a flyjib? This way you can pick larger loads without using the jib, but not removing it?
You masy have to sell me another rig next year. Maybe something with 120' or so reach and possibly a flyjib! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif
You can definitely use two hooks if the main on the boom still has an exposed eyelet to hang a hook from. This would be a much better solution for lifting heavy picks. The only thing to remember would be to remove it before folding and stowing the boom since it would interfere with the flyjib. Also, when ordering a boom with a flyjib it's a good idea to make sure the flyjib has a quick disconnect feature. This comes in handy when you are working in extremely tight jobsites. You can have the flyjib disconnected in 5-10 minutes with quick disconnects.
We are currently building another boom truck for a tree service company that has a boom with a flyjib but the thing that I think many here will be interested in is the aluminum body. It's pretty difficult to explain but when it's almost finished I'll put up a few pictures and hopefully a few of you can use some of my customers unique ideas.
We are currently building another boom truck for a tree service company that has a boom with a flyjib but the thing that I think many here will be interested in is the aluminum body. It's pretty difficult to explain but when it's almost finished I'll put up a few pictures and hopefully a few of you can use some of my customers unique ideas.
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
Sounds pretty cool to me Gus! Make sure you get those pics up. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
- Location
- urbana, il.
my experience with using the eyes on the lower boom to make a heavy lift is that the jib gets in the way unless you use longer slings. this does come in handy for lg. logs. that might otherwise be too heavy for some jibs. hey mark chisholm congrat's on your climbing in minn.!!!
Attachments
- Location
- urbana, il.
hey gus, welcome! in your 1st post you said there was one trunk pick w/ jib that concerned you. were you talking about the silver maple? that pick was 800lbs. below the max. for my jib. my old crane had quick connects on the jib and every time a piece of brush bumped them they leaked! the 1st thing i did with my newer crane was take the quick connects off. i'm trying to decide how much the hoseguides for the end of my jib would get tangled in brush. let me know what you think.
Mangoes
Participating member
- Location
- Greater Toronto Area
Hey Mike, any merit to installing a winch and block on your jib? Might help keep debris off the boom a bit better.
Norm_Hall
New member
- Location
- Wauconda, (Chicago),IL,USA
Try some long spider legs. Long enough to keep the brush away from the boom. The eye can always stay in the hook. No need to unhook, girth hitch and rehook.
[ QUOTE ]
hey gus, welcome! in your 1st post you said there was one trunk pick w/ jib that concerned you. were you talking about the silver maple? that pick was 800lbs. below the max. for my jib. my old crane had quick connects on the jib and every time a piece of brush bumped them they leaked! the 1st thing i did with my newer crane was take the quick connects off. i'm trying to decide how much the hoseguides for the end of my jib would get tangled in brush. let me know what you think.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the welcome Mike.
I wasn't sure of the weight of your pick and it's hard to eyeball a lift by just looking at a picture. If you were 800lbs below the chart then for the most part you're safe. The one thing with all flyjibs regardless of manufacturer is that there tends to be slop/play side to side where the jib connects to the end of the main boom when slewing and stopping suddenly. Even if you are below the chart and make a sudden movement the risk of bending or breaking the jib is very probable if you have the Jib in a full vertical position. As long as you take your time and move VERY slow with heavy loads this will never happen and being as it is your crane I'm sure you take extra care....unfortunately some operators rush and that's normally when you run into problems. A different industry that is very hard on cranes and flyjibs is the poured wall or foundation industry where there is constant side to side movement and the guys are rushing to get to the next hole since many are on piecework.
In regards to the quick disconnects....I'm familiar with the problem you ran into. The simple solution to that is wrapping them in a sliding nylon or a plastic sleeve and a wrap or two of electrical tape....I know it sounds a bit ghetto but it does the trick and protects the connections. This will also eliminate most "Hang ups".
Adding functions to the tip requires hoseguides (hydraulic power to the tip) and the most popular system is the hosereel with rollers along the length of the jib. The hosereel is slightly cleaner but you'll be going through hoses like I go through Canadian beer on a long weekend. I think for your application the track system is a better choice. You'll get hung up a little more but if the track is a heavy enough steel gauge it will snap and cut the brush without incident and your hoses will remain protected. There is also the option of running the function internally but it's VERY expensive and if something goes wrong inside be prepared to leave your crane for a few days to get repaired. Less access to crane components means longer hours in the shop and much larger repair bills. Truth is Mike, your going to get tangled in brush regardless of what system you go with but IMHO I think a "Heavy Duty" track system would be a better choice for you.
hey gus, welcome! in your 1st post you said there was one trunk pick w/ jib that concerned you. were you talking about the silver maple? that pick was 800lbs. below the max. for my jib. my old crane had quick connects on the jib and every time a piece of brush bumped them they leaked! the 1st thing i did with my newer crane was take the quick connects off. i'm trying to decide how much the hoseguides for the end of my jib would get tangled in brush. let me know what you think.
[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the welcome Mike.
I wasn't sure of the weight of your pick and it's hard to eyeball a lift by just looking at a picture. If you were 800lbs below the chart then for the most part you're safe. The one thing with all flyjibs regardless of manufacturer is that there tends to be slop/play side to side where the jib connects to the end of the main boom when slewing and stopping suddenly. Even if you are below the chart and make a sudden movement the risk of bending or breaking the jib is very probable if you have the Jib in a full vertical position. As long as you take your time and move VERY slow with heavy loads this will never happen and being as it is your crane I'm sure you take extra care....unfortunately some operators rush and that's normally when you run into problems. A different industry that is very hard on cranes and flyjibs is the poured wall or foundation industry where there is constant side to side movement and the guys are rushing to get to the next hole since many are on piecework.
In regards to the quick disconnects....I'm familiar with the problem you ran into. The simple solution to that is wrapping them in a sliding nylon or a plastic sleeve and a wrap or two of electrical tape....I know it sounds a bit ghetto but it does the trick and protects the connections. This will also eliminate most "Hang ups".
Adding functions to the tip requires hoseguides (hydraulic power to the tip) and the most popular system is the hosereel with rollers along the length of the jib. The hosereel is slightly cleaner but you'll be going through hoses like I go through Canadian beer on a long weekend. I think for your application the track system is a better choice. You'll get hung up a little more but if the track is a heavy enough steel gauge it will snap and cut the brush without incident and your hoses will remain protected. There is also the option of running the function internally but it's VERY expensive and if something goes wrong inside be prepared to leave your crane for a few days to get repaired. Less access to crane components means longer hours in the shop and much larger repair bills. Truth is Mike, your going to get tangled in brush regardless of what system you go with but IMHO I think a "Heavy Duty" track system would be a better choice for you.
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
Great info Gus. Again, Thanks!
So, would you say that the flyjib with the added hydr. winch cable would work better to keep the brush away? Or does that limit the benefits of a knuckle over stiff boom?
Oh, and Thanks for the compliment Mike Poor! (How can you use that name with a crane like yours, I don;t know) /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
So, would you say that the flyjib with the added hydr. winch cable would work better to keep the brush away? Or does that limit the benefits of a knuckle over stiff boom?
Oh, and Thanks for the compliment Mike Poor! (How can you use that name with a crane like yours, I don;t know) /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
- Location
- urbana, il.
i don't have touble keeping the brush away from the boom unless i'm reaching under limbs from an adjacent tree or using shorter slings to stay under overhead obstacles (i was talking about tangle problems if grapple was installed) from what i understand about fly jib winches is that they're only good for 4k lbs. (fine for brush, but not logs) hey gus you're right about hosereels! had them on my old crane (expensive and troublesome) hey norm i need to talk w/you sometime about getting a good spider leg for balancing
- Location
- urbana, il.
- Location
- urbana, il.
- Location
- urbana, il.
the trunk was7 feet across and doesn't count the root flare! (i didn't have my 72" bar w/ me so i cut it at the smallest point) owner wanted trunk left on site. it was SAD to see such an amazing tree get struck! unbelievably the other catalpa on this estate is even Bigger and could rival nat. champion (maybe i could sell lightning protection for it)
Attachments
- Location
- urbana, il.
Excellent pictures Mike!
I love seeing knucklebooms do what they were designed to do. Many crane operators and companies just don't understand the flexibility and capacity a KBoom has. Your pictures and how you're utilizing it will open many eyes for sure. We're almost done completion of a 80 Ton/Meter with a Flyjib for a crane rental company. This thing is a monster. When it's done I'll open it up and post a few pictures. I only wish they would allow me to pick a few trees with it /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I love seeing knucklebooms do what they were designed to do. Many crane operators and companies just don't understand the flexibility and capacity a KBoom has. Your pictures and how you're utilizing it will open many eyes for sure. We're almost done completion of a 80 Ton/Meter with a Flyjib for a crane rental company. This thing is a monster. When it's done I'll open it up and post a few pictures. I only wish they would allow me to pick a few trees with it /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif
