Here's an interesting rig. A German-made Krone Big M mower, when in operation can mow 32' wide. Weighs 30,000 lbs. Trick was to get it down under 14' tall on trailer, which I ALMOST accomplished by deflating the tires. On the back is a Massey Ferguson 1540 4X4 compact tractor w/loader. Picked it up in Hammondton, NJ near Atlantic City, then down to port of Baltimore for the Krone. After finding the Krone needed more room to ride, I raised the loader up, braced it with a hardwood 4X4, bungeed it so it couldn't slip out and demo the brand new hood, and applied a little down pressure.Added a 2" ratchet strap from the bucket to the front brush guard for extra security against the 4X4 slipping out, and went to upstate New York with no tragedies. Krone was 10'6" wide, and settled down to 13' 9" high by Tuesday morning after the tires finally popped off the bead, and tightened the chains down to where the machine was resting firmly on the deck in some contact points. It was a white-knuckled ride up I-83 from Md. line to Harrisburg, Pa. with all the bridges marked...some were marked 13'4", at which point I was assessing from a distance where the "low side" of the road would be, and head for that side. Sometimes I was in the passing lane, one wheel on the rumble strip, to be in the gutter so I would be at the lowest point between the asphalt and the bridge girder. Other times, it was the opposite side, in the shoulder gutter. Whichever way the bridge ahead was pitched, I was looking to be in the lower zone. Made for a little tension till I got to I-81 where I was confident the bridges were all well over 14'...By that time, I was mentally wiped out (doesn't take much for me anyway,) and it was pitch black, so it was well past the time you are allowed to move any oversize, permitted loads. It's normally 1/2 hr. after sunrise to 1/2 hr. after sunset, but I didn't have much choice in this matter but to make it to a safe haven that night. Mission accomplished, somehow.:drinkup
You were supposed to bring that mower to my house, now how am I going to mow my yard!!! Nice lookin truck :drinkup
Lowboy- I like hearing about your moving expeditions. :drinkup How does the mower company expect to get these things moved? Is there higher height laws in other countries? I also move equipment about 1/10th the amount you move.
With a road speed of 25mph, the mower it will be driven between fields most of the time. If it is ever more than 90 minutes of roading it'll probably go on a trailer. The wheat guys move there combines from North Texas to South Dakota, and they' are a lot bigger than the Big M.
nice pics
Great story LowBoy :salute You're one of a kind buddy! I do mean that in a good way. Do you ever have just a...you know...normal run?? like boring??
Oh, absolutely, Grader4...I drug a 325C L Cat excavator from Vermont to Buffalo, NY last week. That was boring. 70-75 mph all the way, underheight, but 10'6" wide. Nothing to talk about here.:naughty :thumbsup (I even threw in a picture of the mundane episode to make you feel sorry for me.) By the way...that grader in your avatar...something you use every day, or just on the more tricky, intricate jobs?:beatsme
I've been demoted :crying
Bummer, eh. Must be quite drafty snowplowing. Got a wing for her?
It's in the shop now. Installing a cable wing. Will post pics when finished! Want the job of bringing her back for me? Be careful of those low bridges though! I'll have the permits ready. :thumbsup
I think I met my match on this bruiser. Better pass, let someone with some more courage tend to business. A man's got to know his limitations.:nono
Lol.. I hear ya...Sometimes it's better just to walk away. Nice pictures by the way.
Your stories sure are entertaining Lowboy!! Thanks for sharing!
But you know what the scary part is Steve...is they're NOT meant to be...:laugh
Lowboy, I have a '86 Trail King? 35ton detach trailer. Its a pain in the arse becuase its 9' wide and is overwidth even when its empty. I am a small time equipment mover , what is a decent 55 ton trailer to buy as far as quality built. Only pic of my trailer i could find. http://pub49.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=4146599797&album=45424 Thanks doug
I'd have to say in your case Doug, where these critical height issues that I wrestle with all the time really don't pertain to your business, if I were in your shoes I'd probably look into an Eager Beaver lowbed. Simply because of the ease of operation, being when you go to hook back up, they have those two big eyelets and pin setups that make it easier to align when you aren't quite level or square to it. The second choice would be a Fontaine Specialized like I use, but I gotta tell you, if you're not dead nuts square, level and exactly the same height as when you detached from this thing, it will make your temper flare in a hurry. I cringe when I get the occasional move where I have to drop it somewhere on a non-maintained road, or one that's rutted in the tracks but still crowned, or anywhere off-road. Makes for a struggle to get it back together again, once the neck shaft assembly and the mainframe hooks don't align perfectly anymore. But on the positive side, this thing is a rugged SOB. 1/2" beam flange, nice but you can't hook a normal 3/8" chain or binder hook to the beam on this one, unless they're stretched out a little. If Hale Trailer is still in Portland (I bought a dump trailer there 100 yrs. ago,) I'd check in with them to see if they have a slightly used Eager Beaver, or Fontaine hanging around. Talbert's another good choice, never used one for work, only delivered 3 brand new ones from the factory in Indiana to New York City public works dept. once. They're rugged too. As I said, in your line of work, and being close to Hale, and Joseph Equip. in Manchester, NH, I'd look into the Beaver, then the Fontaine myself. These 2 new ones we have came from Joseph. Good prices, substandard service. The rear tail light was wired with the running light on the high side all the time, and the safety pin in the gooseneck was virtually impossible to pull out and in when I first got it. I thought, for 65K, instead of me doing it, let the warranty pick it up. I didn't bring it back to Joseph Equip., another bird that worked here did. He watched the "mechanic" take a jack knife to the brand new 2007 wiring harness, slice, butt connect, and electrical tape the light back together. Then he watched as they lit up the gas hatchet, and blew out the hole a little bigger in the eyelet on the bottom of the neck, so the pin would go easier. Oh, it goes in nice now, because the hole is egg-shaped and an inch bigger in diameter. As soon as it got back to the shop, I took the light apart, soldered and shrink-wrapped the wires the proper way. Not much I could do with the hack job on the pin eyelet, unfortunately. So beware, good prices, bad (actually "NUMB" is more like it,) mechanical assistance. If you're thinking of stepping up into the big time moving business, then a drop-frame 55 tonner becomes a good tool. You can now get into the bigger stuff like forwarders, and 988's that are too high to move on a normal deck, being a drop-side will give you a 12" deck height. Downside to them is, a skidsteer or normal size dozer has to be loaded with one track up on the beam, tilted sideways all the time, because they can't strattle the beams. If you invest in a Fontaine or similar 55 tonner, then you can go to Milton in Scarborough and introduce yourself there as an option for them, with the right insurance and of course, operating authority. There, Doug, I probably confused you enough by now, and spent all your summer money.:drinkup
No not confused , thats good info from someone with experiance. I'll look at the Beaver , I bought a new Beaver 20ton tag in 95 and its still going strong. Rochester truck also sells beaver . Thanks , doug
I think that's a good call, Doug. Beaver's are tried and proven equipment. Plus, service and parts'll be close by for you too. Good luck.
I was sure I wrote something about the lack of short bridges out here. I only know of one bridge that is less in 14.5' in within 50 miles.