This is a pretty basic question,but here goes. I have been thinking about a mid 2000's terex t340 and the ones I've seen are long sticks. How the H&$$ does anyone run one without being an octopus, I've only ever ran a boom truck and my current rigg with short sticks. Do you swing with foot peddles ? I do realize that they can be ran quite smoothly, but I've spent the last four years working very hard to become a smooth operator and I don't want to start over again. Thanks in advance
You run the boom up/down with your left foot. Swing is your left hand, hoist right hand and throttle with your right foot. I don't how your boom truck is but I will say terex builds a light crane. At about 50% capacity the outriggers get light. That's what takes time to get used too. The boom will bend before the crane goes over but you get out to full chart over the side and there's definitely a pucker factor. That being said we love our T230. Very very simple crane. We work the heck outta that crane and really haven't had to do much to it. We've been kicking around the idea of a t340 xl with the 105 live boom.
Terex 340's are a great simple crane. Cummins 8.3 and 13 speeds or 8ll transmissions in most of them. It would open up more of the 10-20,000lbs lifts, that you really can't make in your boom truck. A very nice size for a one man/ crane operation. Not too big for everyday truss and a/c units, but big enough to get some more work. I think I'd look for one with 105' main, but 95' would do most of my work. You'd still have jib with the 95' main if you needed it. The three axle dedicated crane carriers are a great size for daily work. My tms 250's are great for everyday jobs (50,000lbs, three axle), in a way that my tms 300 (80,000lbs four axle with rear tag) isn't. If your looking mid 2000's, you may look for a grove tms 540. They would be joystick controls. There's not near as many used one's available as the terex's, but thats because they were $100,000 more new, and few businesses could justify the more money for a grove. The new price difference, has evaporated in the used market. I think there's a 2005 540e on machinery trader in georgia, for like $145,000, cummins powered. That's really about where the terexs of that age are at in price also, and the grove is a better crane, with far better support. Avoid the early ones with a cat 3126, find a later one with the cummins. Another option would be a link belt htc 8640, mid 2000's. They are also 3 axle 105' main+jib, great factory support. They are also rare, for the same reason as the grove, they were much more expensive new than the terex's. Any one of the grove, terex's or link belts will get the job done, but if its the same money either way, and they are all sitting in a row, I'm taking the Link belt, or the Grove, with the terex being my last choice. If purchasing a terex, I have been cautioned to look closely at the crossmember/ outrigger beam connection welds. Terex has had issues with them cracking and separating. I think its related to what knepptune said about them being a light built crane, the repeated frame flexing takes its toll. I don't think the problem is found in the rt's as much as in the truck cranes. I've found the three axle, dedicated carrier, crane to be a nice size, especially if you only have one crane. I think that it is also a dying size. Grove no longer makes a truck crane smaller than 70 tons. Link belt still will build you a 40 ton, but its on the 4 axle carriers it shares with the 60 tons. Terex is the only one left, with the 340's, but they have been on shaky financial ground, this past year they were almost sold to zoomlion from china. They just closed the factory where they make them in Iowa, to move operations to oklahoma. I think the crane manufacturer's have given up this size, to the larger boom trucks. The crane manufactures sales, and profit margins, are way better building rt's or all terrains. I think its related to the fact that with rental rates what they are, most taxi businesses can't swing a new crane, in the way that a large construction outfit with 40 million in projects in a year, can purchase a new 60 ton rt. With new truck cranes, or larger 30-40 ton boom trucks in the $4-500,000 range, I know I'm not in the market for one. If I'm dropping $400,000, I'm buying a 150-200 ton crane (that's 15-20yrs old), where the rates would more justify the expense. With the manufactures abandoning the market, I think in 10,15 years the available used truck cranes will be slim. (I'll probably still be running my dinosaur's). Back on point, I don't have 8 arms. I use the same pattern as knepptune, left hand swing, left foot boom, right hand winch, right foot throttle. Some times on a delicate pick, I'll move my left hand back and forth from swing to help control boom. I can go between my 70 ton P&h (its really a terex- push pull controls), any one of my 3 grove long stick cranes (2-250's, 1-tms300), and a grove rt 700 (4 axis joysticks). If I have to do a precision set in the blind at 80' radius, I'll take the tms 300. The 70 ton has a smoother swing, and is faster, but has less feel in the controls. The joysticks in the Grove rt would have you less worn out at the end of a long day. If you can be a smooth operator with your boom truck, you'll adapt to a different crane pretty quickly.
I'll second crane op. I would also add that if you really like how your boom truck rides and drives your gonna be a little disappointed in a crane. Especially a terex. The ride is absolutely horrible. Terex was the king of "that'll do" engineering. A 70's grove rides better then a terex. They stuck with with the levers long after all the other manufacturers deemed them obsolete. Dollar for dollar they have the best load chart for the money and I like their computer system better then the grove systems. Overall they're very reliable cranes but they cut every corner they could when making them. Im really not trying to knock terex. You can get more crane for the same dollar amount with one of those but there's a reason for it.
The Terexes also start rusting 20 years before Groves.
Thanks for all the good insight gentlemen. This is a long term plan I should have my current outfit payed off in the next year I only like to slay one dragon at a time.
Think I'm giving up on the t340, found this rig for sale today when I was on a bike ride. The paint's a little tough but I think I can bring it around
Wow this is a pretty old piece. I saw a real steam shovel at our local threshing bee show, it was so amazing I just kept on looking and looking. It was actually working.