[TheForge] Ahh, for a crane....

Mon Mar 24 13:28:00 2003

I have a Wallace portable gantry crane on my wishlist for the shop one day.
Wallace portable gantry cranes are handy beasts.

http://www.wallacecranes.com/

Ray Miller
Cincinnati, Ohio

> 
> From: RIES NIEMI <[email protected]>
> Date: 2003/03/24 Mon PM 12:19:58 EST
> To: theforge <[email protected]>
> Subject: [TheForge] Ahh, for a crane....
> 
> I must admit, I too have looked fondly at used cranes, but I have come to
> the conclusion that anything big enough to be really useful would be really
> expensive and a lot of maintenance. I have a forklift, which can be used for
> all kinds of things besides loading trucks. Put a pallet on it, and you can
> work on the ceiling. We use it all the time as a work positioner in the
> shop, holding heavy things at the right height to work on them.
> 
> A little boom truck, the kind sign companies or utilities use, is seldom
> able to lift more than a ton or two. There is a guy up here who has a really
> cool ten ton Palfinger Austrian crane, mounted on a flatbed truck. It is
> radio controlled from a belt pack with joysticks, and can bend and extend
> every which-a-way. However, I think with truck he is into it for at least
> 60-80 grand.
> 
> A real big crane would be nice- there was a guy where I used to live in Cali
> who had a 35 ton rough terrain crane- self propelled, kinda like a 4wd
> pickup. 
> 
> Entropy is a killer though... I find myself as public works crew for a small
> town at my place, what with having to keep the electrical, plumbing, air
> compressor lines, propane for heat, and all the misc. tools running. The
> more complicated a machine is, the more often it breaks down, and needs
> expensive parts and consumables. Cranes are no exception, and bigger than
> most.
> 
> On the other hand, I have lusted after a bridge crane for years. Nice and
> simple- one electric motor, some zerks fittings and a steel frame. I am
> thinking about building another shop building, sort of a storage and big
> assembly shop, and I am going to be looking for a used bridge crane for it.
> Nothing too big- 2-5 tons is plenty, but imagine the convenience of being
> able to pick up anything, anywhere in the shop, and move it anywhere else,
> or load it into a truck, with the touch of a button.
> I am getting older, and over the years comealongs, chainfalls, prybars,
> dollies, winches and inclined planes have lost their allure.
> 
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