PM 100 Crane Westen Star tractor mount

M

MattR

Location
Portland
I am looking at purchasing a crane an hope to get some feedback on configuration, crane manufacture, setup...

First of all have a medium size company, several cutting crews that go out daily, two rear mount terex 60/70 (three actually but one is for sale) brush bandit 1890 & 1590 chippers big and chip trucks.

However to this point i don't have a crane or a grapple truck or log truck and i thought i would try to fill these slots with one smart purchase if possible.

This truck seems to fit the bill. It has the reach (133')and lift chart of good size crane and its a tractor on larger jobs with multipal big trees i could tow a log trailer to the site, leave it out on the street to do the picks, than drop the jib and attach a big grapple and load my logs on the trailer to go to the mill.

Also the behind the cab mount disperses the weight over the two steer axels and the two rears to about 15k per axle which is less than my rears on the big chip trucks. This makes me feel better about taking it onto driveways and the prospect of damage.

This crane has a winch installed to the tip. 16' steel bed to bunk a few logs on smaller jobs. And a 35' bumper to bumper length and duel steer wheels on the westen star which i think has a decent turning radius.



http://www.bikboomtrucks.com/new-pm...tar-4800-ta-ta-470hp-allison-auto/?format=pdf


http://www.pmindustries.ca/pmcranes/100SPcrane.pdf
 
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I think with your current set-up and crew compliment that crane would be highly valuable to you. I think you can handle the logs, and handle the crane removals as well. My only concern would be what does the future hold? How do you plan to utilize this crane? Will your business grow with the addition of this crane and will you be producing more removals, faster?

I looked at your option when I was first looking into getting a crane. I was going to get rid of my log truck and have one vehicle that could do both. I ended up getting a good deal on a boom crane and have kept the log truck. With the addition of the crane, it has increased out work-flow tremendously. Now, I am able to have the log truck load logs while the crane is working. Also, the log truck can split off halfway through a job once its full and deliver to the mill. It can also go back to the job the next morning and grab logs while the crane and crew are working another project. Having two trucks keeps me much more efficient and allows us to produce at a high volume.
 
Royce thanks for the feedback. As far as what it will do for us going forward there are so many benefits.
1 Firewood- right now we to a lot of big removals. Unless there is lots of room to fall trees and stage logs with the track loader, or i rent a crane, i end up cutting most of the logs into firewood. As we know this is lots of added labor not to mention i end up hauling the firewood (of course i charge for hauling). However you can never charge enough for firewood hauling to make it work. We are right now selling processed firewood for $200 a cord and have 100 cords of rounds waiting for processing. Even though i have a Tempest ef5 Processer I can never stay cought up. Bottom line---i need to reduce the amount of firewood that enters my system.

2 Storm work- Last year i spent 35k on crane rentals, mostly for storm work and did not have the benefit of using the crane daily.

3 Efficiency - I obviously changes the flow of a jobsite where there are multipal big trees and allows me to charge less and make more on a project.

I could go on.

I guess my biggest question is about that particular set up. Do people have experience with big PM Cranes? Would pulling a log trailer behind that tractor be completely unpractical for some reason that I'm missing?

It just seems to me to be incredibly versital in that I could use it as a log loader with a grapple, Log truck, Debris hauler (i could buy some sort of 30-40 yard end dump).... and a bad ass crane. the load chart on that thing is awesome. And it weighs 30k which is less that others with a similar load chart.

I mean how can you miss... other than the almost half million dollar price tag. Haha

Oh and i could put a grapple saw it as well. Which would just be cool!!!
 
What weighs 30k lbs? The crane itself? The PM65 on a tandem Western Star at TCIA weighed in the low 40s plus the flatbed which had counterweight for working over the front. I was considering purchasing it, but didn't pull the trigger.

My thought is the PM100 with a log trailer will have very little payload ability before it hits 80klbs (if that matters).
 
If there's 15,000 pounds per axle on for axles that would be 60,000 pounds Check into your DOT regulations where you live and make sure you do or don't need an overweight permit What are the roads in your area like do you have a lot of tight intersections or do you have room for a trailer behind that to turn that would be a pretty long rig to be pulling a tractor trailer type trailer in the city situation
 
Quote--
My thought is the PM100 with a log trailer will have very little payload ability before it hits 80klbs (if that matters). ---Quote

My understanding is that the truck weighs 60k but has a 80k GRVW so i can put 20k of logs on the deck. But if i where towing log trailer i would have whatever the log trailer is good for? Am i not understanding that correctly?
 
allmark said:
If there's 15,000 pounds per axle on for axles that would be 60,000 pounds Check into your DOT regulations where you live and make sure you do or don't need an overweight permit What are the roads in your area like do you have a lot of tight intersections or do you have room for a trailer behind that to turn that would be a pretty long rig to be pulling a tractor trailer type trailer in the city situation
Click to expand...

95% of the work i do is in the suburbs. My chip trucks are huge for taking into the city. I couldn't imagine taking this truck plus a log trailer!!

I will for sure check on what would trigger a overweight permit. That would probably be a deal killer.
 
Also, don't forget to check out the the federal bridge weight formula. Just because your truck may have the gvwr to be a certain weight, does not mean you are necessarily allowed to do so. The degree of truck enforcement in your area plays a big role too.
 
MattR said:
Quote--
My thought is the PM100 with a log trailer will have very little payload ability before it hits 80klbs (if that matters). ---Quote

My understanding is that the truck weighs 60k but has a 80k GRVW so i can put 20k of logs on the deck. But if i where towing log trailer i would have whatever the log trailer is good for? Am i not understanding that correctly?
Click to expand...


Depending on your state (Michigan is a noteable exception), most states only go up to 80klbs combined (or less). Mississippi has a harvest permit that allows you to go up to 84klbs, Alabama allows 88k for hauling forestry products.

So in Mississippi, a 61klb truck with an 8klb trailer would have a 15k payload hauling logs. (84klbs with the harvest permit)
 
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