How is the grain handling/farm related crane work keeping up for you guys. It use to be a major part of our customer base but it seems that farm related work is almost nonexistent. Of course with grain prices it's not that surprising. I know it's not completely crane related but I was just wondering how it's affected some of you guys.
We as your customers (we sell/install grain equipment) have been a little slow. We try to sell two or three months of work in November, December that is to be installed as soon as winter breaks. In late 2014, we didn't sell as much, but then in January 2015 we sold almost more than we had the previous season. Then everything kind of dried up from March to end of May. Now we are bidding on some bigger jobs again that will call for a crane. The millwright work tends to be a little more steady for us, regardless of grain prices, but we are a small outfit and it takes us a while to get a large (for us) project completed and move on to the next one. On the farm work, quite frankly, I try to use a telehandler or something similar so I can make my own pace on installing equipment, and not have to fret about that crane sitting there idling away my money.
That's interesting. How is this year comparing to years past. Our biggest customer on the grain handling side hasn't sold a single grain leg so far this year. They said the bin sales are holding up but no new legs. Which there's no need for a crane on a grain bin. It's a little bit of an adjustment for us. Last summer we could count on them to keep one crane busy three days a week almost every week. We have had one call from them so far this year.
Few of the bigger setups going in around here but my nephew who works outing up bins is busy. With the crash in grain prices farmers who can afford to are trying to store their grain until prices rebound. Many have corn from 2 seasons in bin. They kinda have to wait when for many the break even point is around 4.50 a bushel. That isn't counting harvesting or storage. Most of the stuff my nephew is doing is 40K bushel bins on farm. About the only time they need a crane is if the are tying into an existing setup. He says they haven't been putting in anything big like a few years ago that required a crane. Rick
This year-to-date is a little more sales than what we've done in the past, but every year we've grown. We've only sold three grain legs so far this year and last year we had five sold by this time. We've sold more bins this year. I wouldn't mind needing a crane every month, let alone every week. Then I could justify having my own.
Here's whatwe've been doing lately. My hat's off to these operators. They were very smooth and put the pieces just where we wanted them. I badly miscalculated the weight on the top section. We figured that out at about 6p.m. The crane company salesman lives near the jobsite and had stopped in. He made some phone calls and by 8 the next morning we were back in operation. Uh yeah, the boom had a bit of flex in it. 26,200 # and he was good for 26,400. Sorry can't seem to get more pics uploaded from my tablet.
I guess I need to make a couple posts.
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That's interesting GrainBinMan , that's going to be a nice grain handling set up . Curios about the boom removal & installation on the crane . In my area they remove all counter weight and use a boom dolly to move the rig . Most of my grain bin / Leg work is in July & august for the most part . If a farmer is going to make a big change that's when they will do it .
Good looking work GrainBinMan .
They put all the counter weight on one semi and the boom on another semi. I think they said the boom alone is 45,000#. They could get a permit to move the crane with the boom in it, but it would take 2 weeks to get that permit, was my understanding. I've seen cranes around here with a boom dolly. I've never paid much attention to crane sizes, setup and operation until this year, when I started considering getting my own. Ha! so farmers wait until July/August in Indiana too! I thought that was a south-central PA mindset. I was at a grain dryer service school in February and another local dealer was trying to explain to the presenter (who was from Iowa) that farmers think differently in Pennsylvania. This particular setup was to be done before wheat harvest. We didn't quite make it. The customer started Tuesday. But we're hoping to have him running today. Thanks for looking. Ask any questions.
It all depends on the locality that you are operating that crane in. A good example is ga will give you a blanket permit up to xxx weight but you still have to have a dolly for the boom if you can't axel out with the boom in the rest and even then I've had to pull booms and ship them separate b/c of bridges not rated for the weight of the crane with the boom in it.
I guess it always seemed that as soon as the crops were in the grain leg work was going. I guess I'll have to pay attention this year. Hopefully it takes off in the next week or so.
I think it will Knepptune . Farmers I work for call me in July and want to make a big change in August as that's when they have time to do it . By August wheat harvest & crop spraying are done . At the end of August they will start shelling corn . Although in my area with all the rain lately they will have some replanting in river bottoms so it's kind of crazy at this point to speculate . Just have to roll with it .
Nice looking grain setup. If I may ask, what size crane is that?
Not sure which crane you are referring to, so I'll share what I know about both. They both were Grove cranes. The yellow one was a what they called a 110 ton. The red one is listed on the job sheet as a 175 ton. I'm sorry I don't have the model numbers. I know that our structure is 150' to the top and neither of them had to put their jib on. Here is another picture of the 110 ton. None of the pics I got have the model number of the crane showing.
I guess I was shocked they actually pulled the boom off to transport. Typically that happens on 300 tonners and up.