Quick Question. I hope you can help. I currently have a 16 ton national crane that we use for setting trusses. It has about 72' of reach with a 24' jib. I have to rent a 40 ton national to set some motors on a cooling tower. It has 124' of stick and a swinging cab. My question is related to the joystick pattern. The 16 ton I have is a stand up lever type behind the cab and the 40 ton is a cab setup with joysticks. Can someone tell me how the controls are normally setup? I know there might be different styles, I am just looking for the standard setup due to the fact that this is a rental and it will probably be pretty simple. Thanks!
I am assuming that the left stick will be boom up and down along with swing. The right stick would be stinger in and out along with winch. Would i be close? Thanks! I need this crane tomorrow so any ideas would be appreciated.
the grove I just got off.. left is swing .. a push to the r or l.. back and forth was the telescope out... but also can be the aux winch.... as they replace the tele out and in with a foot pedal.. Right stick is boom down to the right... up is to the left... the winch is forward and backwards the controls should be labeled as to their function... but the grove crane could be set up different...
hmmm....maybe you should read the owner's manual....or go to a school where they teach you how to run REAL cranes.....I would have the rental barn send an OPERATOR to run it, it may save someone's life....which is REAL important, if its YOURS or someone that you love!!.........if you're in WI, I'm POSITIVE 139 has some GREAT operators that know EXACTLY how to run it!! The bigger the piece of equipment, the bigger the mess it makes!! CRANES KILL PEOPLE!!! especially when they do NOT know what they are doing!!
My question was about the pattern, not free advice what to do. If you have no idea how to answer the question I asked, please take your advice to a different section. I have plenty of experience on a crane. Thanks.
I have NEVER heard anything about crane controls being referred to as a 'control pattern'. I think you are just a 'boom truck' driver and you have NO real experience with cranes!! Maybe you should just go play in the dirt and leave crane work to the EXPERTS!!
Also it could have either a single axis or dual axis controllers... single meaning 4 levers...
I'll never understand why people think anyone can operate a crane. If they kill someone then they will real quick....
I love the fact that a question is asked and not one person person on here has a flippin clue who the hell they are talking to. I have four employees and two of them are 6 year crane guys with there NCCO certifications. In fact, the operator I had working just came back after a stint in Lake Benton running a 350 ton hydro setting up a wind farm. Is that crane REAL enough for you? The question was asked because different manufactures have different features. It's called homework. You probably haven't done much of that in Mille Lacs. BTW, the job went perfect and no one was hurt. So now you can sit on the couch and not worry so much. BTW, I will take as much crane work as I can get. Be careful, you might get called out and I will be the guy who tells you what to do. That is, if you are "certified". Yes, I am a 49er. I did notice you posted today at 11:32 A.M. You must be at home with the rest of the "EXPERTS". Funny how my crew is working and you obviously are not. Oh, I forgot, It's your day off. Just like yvettessherpa, 2:19 p.m. California, that's 12:19 p.m. my time. You must have posted on your lunch hour. Also, thank you heavylift for not making an assumption before you knew the facts. It was set up just like you said, a single axis. Have a nice boys, while I'm out getting work, you just keep telling everybody else how stupid they are for trying.
Fellas...keep it civil here...or we'll have to drop a demolition ball on this thread. It's easy for someone to read the first post by Tommjr and assume he only has experience with small boom trucks, but a simple "have you operated a larger crane" would probably have been sufficient for Tommjr to clarify his crane experience.
It seems to me that you 'have guys that operate' which is not the same thing as OPERATING them yourself. If you did, you might know that most guys(ME INCLUDED) usually INSPECT a machine they have never ran before. Part of the inspection involves checking the controls. You would know this IF you ran them!! Unfortunately, you are used to 'telling' people what to do. It does seem a little strange that your location says Wisconsin yet you say you are a 49er and Wisconsin falls under 139's jurisdiction. Last I checked 49ers are Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. You also make reference to Mille Lacs. I have NO idea what that has to do with ANYTHING that you are discussing. Unless, of course, you are making a racial epitaph. I still think that you have NO 'actual' "in the seat" experience!! ATCO.....I NEVER expected this to take this type of turn....SORRY!!....Someone told me one time, "You can't save your face and your @ss at the same time!" Saving lives is MUCH more important than saving face!!
The bottom line with any of these types questions as to operating a crane comes with read the operators manual!! It is OSHA rule that the operating manual be IN the crane cab. The manual is THE bottom line as to operating that particular crane. If you do not have the time to review or find the material /question you have then the owner of the crane has a problem. It is the owners responsibility to determine if you can run that particular crane and if you care about your life and the lives of others an operator will NOT be too proud to say I have never run that particular crane can I take the copy of the manual home and review it or can you send another man who may have more experience. \ Just because a operator has a NCCCO does not mean he know how to operate ALL types of cranes. A good employer would have a list of his operators and a list of which cranes his operators have been TRAINED to run and be able to fit in the right man for the job and the safety required for that job! Think First - Be Safe
Maybe osha should require a license for each crane operated... with the serial number of the crane on the license... plus a rigger and signal person also having to be licensed for each crane... I think the new rule states language of choice.. I think I take mine in Czech with a book of that language in the crane.... His asking the question about the controls is a valid inquiry.... He was doing some homework PREVIOUS to the job starting... Maybe this was an attempt to see if his operator(s) can operate this crane. Lets see I've never had a National Crane with a cab.... I wonder if the controls are different... HEF sounds like a good place to ask a question.. I might need to rent the crane with an operator instead of bare.. but is just like any other forum .... there is alway one buy a book or just google it... "ahoj"
I'm not sure where the personal attacks are coming from but he asked for information
thats what i thought. seems that a valid question was posted........are we here to help each other or to pump ourselves up by trying to berate each other? wheres the love?
assuming you mean a 40ton National.............should be similar for most single axis controls but not always... far left stick - swing...........back = swing left; forward = swing right inner left stick - telescope...forward = extend; back = retract inner right stick - cable........forward = line down; back = line up far right stick - boom..........forward = boom down; back = boom up
thats how our 1800 142 is set up also.
Every crane I've ever run,,, the left is always....swing..Thats a hyd, friction,neck breaker,,,,.....The hoist and boom levers dont have a rhym or reason...but the swing is uniform.
Swing direction depends on the cab location. But most cabs in the US ore on the left side.
I'm pretty sure the northwest I ran had the swing on the right(I was only on it for a day), thats what made it different from anything else I've run.
My bad, the direction you push or pull the control is backwards. The control is on the same side. I should have been clearer, sorry
Controls? I can't offer any help on this one, and really dislike boom trucks anyway! Good luck.
The old Northhwest rigs did have right hand swing levers. I did however have the chance to run a much newer one [it was air] in '84 tho that was set up like any other standard crane, with the controls having the lever on the far left being a swing clutch lever. Seems as tho NW had went to the more standardized control layouts by then.
40 ton Nationals are great! They run like a crane, I spent the last 3 yrs on one and never regretted the move, No more wrestling heavy pads and cables or stacking weights. Road legal with the pads on, CWT welded in place, heck I used to get an attitude if I had to get down and unhook my own headache ball...lol, the controls are as John h said unless it has 2 drums then the scope will be the middle pedal. I havnt seen one with dual axis joysticks (backhoe controls IMO) and hope I never do glad your job went well..Don Oh Rule of thumb on swingers= PUSH the boom away---PULL it to you