My friend and his neighbor have a cabin and shop each to build in remote Eastern Washington. They want something that will do the trusses and logs for all of it. So far I have steered him away from too-short boom trucks and oddball cranes that have been on Craigslist forever. Boom trucks of any decent stick are quite pricey. He fixated on them but I have been showing him some of the light truck mounted cranes. The latest finds have been Groves, TMS300 and TMS250. The 250's have single steer carriers, and weigh around 50K. The 250 also lacks the dead boom section to deal with. The downsides are many, but most notable is the power. It ranges from 6v53 to 3208 Cat to a cummins 6, all of them pretty weak sauce for moving something that heavy.
The focus has shifted to small older RTs. A lot more crane for the money there if it still working. Right now looking at a p&h Omega 18 ton. It's got the 62 ft boom and a 22 ft jib. The load chart goes out to 74 ft. It's still good for a ton at 70 feet, and the biggest log in these homes is about a thousand pounds for a presentation log.
I have some bad experiences with Omega cranes and would never recommend one. ZF transmissions have a habit of dying by locking up and killing all functions on the machine. All I have had to work on did it with the boom in the air and a load on the hook in the middle of a time limited construction site. Three swivels down the middle of the machine, hydraulic, electrical and brake/throttle. Boom cylinder leaks onto all of them. I think Crane Operator has what you need to look for in a neck breaker.
I will second what John C. has to say about the omega's. The swivels are problematic. Some also use twin hyd. hose set ups that can be hard to source. Steer clear. I've got a tms 200 left that I've repowered to a 8.3 cummins. I repowered two of them from 3208's. The 8.3 is great. None of the factory options, 3208,6v53,555 are great choices. If you are set on a rt, get a older grove. The 35-40 ton are really heavy to move, they made a 25 ton that has the same upper as the tms250's. 80' main and jib. I've got a 15 ton galion neck breaker (FA150)- 5.9 cummins powered, and they are pretty reliable if they've been taken care of. They get you 60' of main and a 20' jib. Need a double drop lowboy to haul because they are pretty tall, but they are only 45,000lbs or so. Should be able to find one in good shape between $20-30,000. Rough ones may only cost $10,000, but the spring reel that tensions the tele hoses is $4,000 if its bad. So check it. They still use the galions in a lot of refinery, shut down, turn around work, they are a good tough little machine, just a little short sticked.
I see Grove RT58 with the same specs as the Galion.
Thanks John and Operator, I have only seen the upside of the Omega cranes they did not break when I was around. What years would the Grove RT be OK? I see little 22 ton older rigs too.
https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/197689411/1974-grove-rt65s-rough-terrain-cranes
That rt65s is the same upper as a tms300. I don't know what reimportation is like, I know with anything newer its got to have the epa tags on the engine or its not coming across, I don't know if there's a age limit on that. Look for a rt700b series or a rt635/640, it won't be much more money, and be a lot better crane. Joysticks, LMI, full power main. Most are mid 90's. The only thing to pay attention to is which LMI they have so you don't get a obsolete one. They will also be a narrower wheelbase and a little lighter, which helps for hauling, without giving up much chart. Something like this: https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/210205495/1990-grove-rt633c-rough-terrain-cranes
I never hear guys talk about the downcab grove's like they do the galions. I've never run a downcab grove, but I think they have a different/ oddball transmission if I remember right. Also a lot of them are detroit which isn't real quiet on the jobsite.
That one is a short boom one also- no dead stick so only 80' main. Also looks like rear winch may be a free fall. I would want the dead stick main in that model, it won't make a price difference and if I had to haul it around, I'd want all the boom for doing it.
I figured 70' of boom was the bare minimum for his sites, and 80' would be OK. This 25 ton looks promising, no jib just the 80' https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/203899703/1994-grove-rt625-rough-terrain-cranes
https://boise.craigslist.org/hvo/d/garden-city-30-ton-mobile-crane-lorain/7431880569.html
I kind of like the lorain crummy posted up. It would sure be a lot closer to you. Louisiana I always worry about salt air, but that grove doesn't look rusty. On the lorain-if its $15,000, not $150,000, its priced right, and right now, you just don't know what their price is. They made that same model in terex as a t230/340, and there are a ton of them around. Terex is no more, so your on your own for parts, and they aren't a terribly ridgid frame, if they've been used hard (overloaded repeatedly) , they are prone to cracks in the frame. I personally don't like the lorain/terex controls, as well as a grove, but its not like you're going to be running it everyday. I can make them work, they just aren't as smooth or precise. There's probably a red and grey cat running around their yard too- because they painted everything.
I found one of them at an auction to get the right model number. Thanks for linking that up to the Terex. I thought that looked familiar! I texted the seller. The ad is a month old so that is that. Seems those month old ads never end well The 25 ton I linked above is in Stockton Ca. That Louisiana seller is the same one as for the 18 ton P&H that I linked at the start of the thread. I too am fond of the old Grove controls myself. I like having the extra pedal, when I tested on it I would start something with a hand and then follow along with my foot as I did boom/hoist coordinations. For old controls they are nice IMO.
I found an example of those controls and yeah, I preferred the pedal swing myself. The Lorain/Terex has only the pedal boom. With the Grove you could choose.
What LMI makes should we avoid?
There's work arounds for most of the old systems, or you end up simply replacing them. If its not working, and you want it working, just budget $5,000 and that may get you back up and running. Full replacment with reels and everything may set you back $10,000. And there's no way they should cost that much, because there's not that much to them, its just a limited market with a lot of liability. The old groves- if I have a scale (cranesmart is my choice) I don't need a2b- and I can stay in chart with a mechanical angle indicator and boom length (stickers on the boom). PAT systems are the best for me to service and keep working, but the GW versions (Grove Worldwide) don't have parts available. I hear that the early greers that terex/ linkbelt used the screens aren't available. And you can take your pedal swing- I can't run that. Left hand swing, left foot boom, right hand winch, right foot throttle.
Here is a 50 ton that looks to be in OK shape. Heavy but close, 400 miles from the site. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/205990377/1979-grove-rt75s-rough-terrain-cranes
that 25 ton in stockton also has the 5.9 cummins going for it. it is a bummer that in 1994 they still were making the old school controls and it has them. $25 seems like a decent deal, only 54K to move but 900 miles away.
11' wide and close to 80,000lbs. They are heavy old pigs and nigh unto indestructible. You won't wear it out, and the 653 will wear you out. But then again, you aren't running it everyday. Early pat- looks like it works. No rust, I don't see any serious problems. I would want to make sure the deadstick jack/stick is all working, and if you've never put deadstick in, don't break it from not knowing what you're doing. They are easy if you have someone to show you how to release tension on the pin, you can make a mess out of them if you do it wrong. But honest answer- for what you've said you need to do- The jib and main would be enough to do everything you need to do with ease, and not messing with the dead stick if its not working right.
On the 25ton, they made those trapezoid boom, hand lever machines virtually unchanged from 1973, until almost 2000. The winches are great, the booms tough, and they are smooth running simple rigs. The biggest problem is only 80' main, but maybe that's enough for what you have to do. Jibs are around if you wanted one, but that particular machine doesn't even have the stow mounts, so you would have to make those too.
I had not spotted that, thank you for your eye The jobs are ~45' square floorplans, so the 74' chart max is enough. That allows for 10' machine center plus 10' setback for any excavation, or just set up at the daylight basement end with no setback and higher boom angles.
my friend has registered here and is awaiting his confirmation email.
I think this link-belt has the optional dead section boom to 91 feet. That is what the chart inside has on it, but it also has the jib numbers. Maybe the jib went missing but I see 4 boom sections myself. This would be plenty with the 91' boom. The seller lists it as the 70 but not the first time an ad was wrong. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/205039957/link-belt-hsp-8022-rough-terrain-cranes I found a 28 ton with the same boom and I see the 4 sections here
Or the dead stick doesn't work, or they don't know how to put it out. It is the 91' boom with only 70 live being the 4 section. I've never run a dead stick on that era of link belt. Wonder what engine it has.
either a v6 cummins or the dreaded 8.2 I am going to go with " they don't know how to put it out" for $1000, Alex link to specs. https://cranemarket.com/specification-2132
The 8.2 would be a hard sell. the 555 v-6 cummins isn't much better.
it lists the V-378C for the cummins option. I don't know those either.
What I was told years ago was since the bigger engines are idling so much, they all develop slobber in the exhaust as they never warm up. These were seen as an improvement? I never had any use for either of them and they both would slobber oil all over everything anyway.
if it boiled down to engines that 25 ton with the 5.9 or the one in Denver with the 5.9, but I am showing my colors there. Always 6 in a row.
35 ton Terex with cummins 5.9 power. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/201374199/1993-terex-rt335-rough-terrain-cranes
18 ton Link-Belt with 4BT. Out of cert since 2011, that gies a shudder. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/31236673/1994-link-belt-rtc-8018-rough-terrain-cranes
I don't see the T handle tool, to operate the latch, that I recall being attached to the bottom of the boom of some of the machines I was around. Maybe it's just the way the picture is, and is in a different location out of sight?
That's what I was thinking. I have never messed with the dead stick but swinging jibs is simple. the 85' initial live boom would do the whole job, really.
I have one in my tms300 that has always been in the lower cab behind the seat since I've had the crane. Its not the factory handle.
They're not bad cranes, but they are even worse for frame flex than the truck cranes in that size. I was on a jobsite a few years back with one, and you could actually watch the frame wobble around as he swung around, to get the next piece of iron. He did have all the jib in it and it was a wobbly goblin with all that stick. When the terex were new, they were $50-100,000 cheaper than the same size grove or linkbelt, and you got what you paid for. At a powerhouse project the company I was working for had a rt230 terex like that, and a 2000's ish grove rt 600e. There's night and day difference between those two (the grove was a far superior machine- but its also larger). I've also ran a terex rt450, which has like their 70 ton lower frame with only a 105' main boom. It wasn't fancy but it was a picking beast on main with that heavier undercarriage. The rt230's are only a 8' wide carrier which is nice for transport, but it ends up being kind of light. I would actually take one of those with 5.9 power before I took the link belt with 8.2 if those were my choices for owning.
We are a bunch of 5.9 efficianados in that group, so we have a bias.
This unit sold by me this fall, and it was a super clean crane with everything working. Its a 99 635c, I have a 700b model which is just a little bigger, and I don't have a use for two that size, but I still kind of wish I had bought it, it was that clean of a unit. Pilot hydraulics, the big 3/4" cable winches, 105' main plus two piece jib. https://www.ironplanet.com/for-sale...m|1,sort|d+asc,**|1&rr=0.5&hitprm=&pnLink=yes
I don’t think you could give me a 65s or 75s grove. Boom heavy and I don’t like their swing brake setup. The 65s had very little counterweight so you have separate charts for over the front vs over the side. 75s is similar. They’ll pick heavy up close but at any kind of radius they fall off quick. if it was my money I like that rt625. I’d find a jib for it, or find one with a jib. Those are a very good balance between physical size and useable chart. I’d bet it’s not far off from a 65s with a narrower chassis and lower weight. that Lorain could be a nice option. You can still get the parts from load king.(the bought the terex truck crane and boom division). I’ve heard their prices are getting a little salty. The only downside is that it has the heavy lift counterweights, which gives it a 98% chance of having a crack either on the frame or the boom cylinder mount on the upper. The only terex I’ve ever seen that didn’t have a crack that had been repaired somewhere was a t230 with the light counterweight package. Here’s a 625 with a jib. It’s got a 471 Detroit in it which is plenty of power for it. It wouldnt scare me off. I’d rather have the jib with a Detroit then a Cummins with no jib. I don’t think they have the yr correct. I’m betting it’s early 80s. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/210843215/1990-grove-rt625-rough-terrain-cranes
Shipping is going to be a significant part of the overall cost for these guys.
I paid $9,000 to get a 40 ton link belt truck crane from vegas to sw missouri. 67,000 lbs, not overwidth, but a 26' well. 1,500 miles so around $6/ mile. There's a lot of permits between here and there. The hauler is a guy I know from Kansas City and is used to hauling cranes. I'm sure I could have gotten it hauled cheaper off a load board, but a extra $1,500 for me not to have to worry about it, is money well spent. You just need to figure the hauling into the cost of the crane when you are shopping. Just figure around $5,000 for the hauling, and another $5,000 for fixing whats wrong with the crane. Because there's always something wrong that's going to take some money to fix. It might only be $2,500, but it might be $10,000. And it wouldn't be a total shock if it was $15,000. You won't really know until you get it and run it. But if the drop box/ transmission is going out of the rt you get, you're going to have to pull it out and fix it.
The current plan is for me to go down and do a pre-purchase inspection, set up, operational check. I would hope to discover anything as harsh as a transmission problem at that point.
Just because we were talking about terex cranes, I know nothing else about the pictures, except these are terex booms.
What the What! That reminded me of these really neat linkaged dock cranes in Germany that would hold the load mostly when booming down, but that is an intentional design.
Ouch, so that’s what that bold line on the load chart means
I'd be critical of that pick too.
The 22 ton Link-Belt in Idaho: I had the salesman send me pictures of the boom tip. The owner was the operator and never did use the fly, but you can see the big hole where the fly pin is missing. So it does have 91' of boom and a good enough chart. Then I had him send me this end-on picture. Two-blocked and not fixed. I think this plus the 8.2 4 stroke GMC is a no-go.
Snugged it right up in there, didn't he.
there is the hole for the fly pin, somebody must have used the fly pin for a paperweight or something. This thing is too rough.
zoom in on the two block picture and see where the cable is sawing in a new path. Maybe that is a lubrication applicator, but it looks like steel to me. That top shiv shaft is buggered too.
You would have fun trying to pull that pin to put block in. Torch time, or cut off wheel in the grinder. It would be tough to try to straighten out that boom head. There's more cranes for sale.
Here’s one I’d think about. I think it’s a tad high but looks to be in really good shape. And it’s in Oregon. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/210314895/1988-grove-at422e-all-terrain-cranes same guy has this tms300 for sale. Its a lot more crane but not nearly as easy to get around in. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/210314701/1980-grove-tms300-telescopic-boom-truck-cranes w hile the tms300 isn’t my favorite model that is a lot of crane for that money, and from the photos it looks pretty good. It doesn’t say which engine is in it but it’s either a Cummins 855 or 6-71 Detroit. The Detroit is a bit gutless but there’s nothing wrong with that engine. Crane op had(maybe still has) a tms300 with the Detroit. Good solid crane.
But the 422 is only 70' of main. I always thought they should make one of those with a 95' national boom truck boom and it would be the cat's *** for setting trusses in my hills. But that 70' main is a killer. You couldn't do anything on main. And I think that's more $$$ than they were looking to spend. My 300 is still in my back yard. It needs a tele cylinder resealed and I've been busy. Like for a year and half. Thanks for reminding me of things I haven't gotten done.
Hello gentlemen! I am the "friend" that Kelly is helping find a crane. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the info I have picked up here. I am a retired overhead crane operator and I gave very little .Obie crane expirence so I am getting a crash course. I am leaning hard towards the 1994 Grove RT625 in Stockton it seems like the best fit dollar for dollar but I do really like the joystick controls and main and auxiliary hoists on that RT633C
What is the deal with the oilcanning on the bottom of the 633 boom? is that typical?
yes 70 is really cutting it too close for the jobsites. 80' will do OK with a good placement. That 22 ton link belt would have been the cat's pajamas with 91' with the pullout fly, if it was not a piece of junk from 50' away.
My 700b has a little bit of that, but not nearly that much. I've never seen a "633". Everything I've seen of that model was a 635. But all that may mean is they had grove rate it at 33 ton because the union in their area was 35 ton and up required a oiler. My 700b is actually a 730b in the book. But there's essentially no difference between a 725b, a 730b, and a 740b, except inside of 15' radius. You could get whatever version you wanted from grove.
Those 635’s had to light of a boom. They would pick over capacity but feel stable. The boom was the weak point. If you stayed within chart they were fine but there’s a lot of them around with damaged booms. Either oil canning or popping the welds on the top of the boom. They weren’t as bad as the tms870’s with the 138’ main boom but still not as tough as other groves.
Welcome to the party mark. We sure don't mind spending other people's money. The big grove two speed winches are a really nice winch, but actually the smaller 5/8" winches are pretty smooth. And it sounds like you're mostly going to be setting trusses and logs, so really you wouldn't see the advantage of the bigger winches, which is really when running block doing heavier work. And I wouldn't get bent out of shape if the machine you end up with, doesn't have two winches. I bet I don't use two winches on any of my smaller stuff more than two- three times a year. And its almost always in tripping a tank by myself. The odds of you needing two winches is very slim.
How about a little outside the box thinking? https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/206874485/1988-tadano-tr-300e-rough-terrain-cranes https://cranenetwork.com/uploads/sp...tr300e_33-ton_rough_terrain_crane_network.pdf 92' full power main plus jib. Mitsubishi power. Two winches. Tadano is really going all out for US market share, and everyone I have talked to that has run one has liked them.
This first one might be stretching the budget, but I bet they'll take a lot less. Its 5.9 cummins, the 70' full power and the dead stick for 92'. Plus the jib. Joystick controls with LMI. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/207732825/1995-link-belt-rtc-8030-rough-terrain-cranes And they have one a couple years older that isn't as pretty. https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/208846169/1993-link-belt-rtc-8030-rough-terrain-cranes Also joystick, 5.9 and jib. The seller is a dealer and also bare rental outfit. I bet they want them gone because they don't want to mess with dead stick in bare renting. And there's just not a lot of demand for sub 50 ton rt's in bare rental any more. All the big contractors want 60-70 ton and up RT's. I got my Grove RT from this dealer. They are owned by Barnhart, a large nationwide rental/ contractor. I wouldn't offer $25,000 for either one of them- if you really don't want it, because I don't think it would take more than that to buy either of them. Barnhart has a washington location, and their own trucks. I'd try to swing delivery in the purchase price if I was serious about either one of them.
yes that tadano I have been interested in too. I see them in rental service in Seattle.
Could have had your galion today for $8,000 5.9 and 60' main with 20' jib https://www.rbauction.com/1998-gali...vId=13011832&id=ci&auction=houston-tx-2022117 Or a Grove with a detroit for $4,500 Also 60' main with 20' jib. https://www.rbauction.com/grove-rt5...vId=13033077&id=ci&auction=houston-tx-2022117
Those Link-Belt are joystick machines too. Good thoughts on having barnhart work them into a trip.
Just a extra FYI- the tadano's aren't a rigid front axle/ oscillating rear like U.S. RT's. That one has some kind of a leaf spring suspension, and I hear they road much better than the typical RT. They drive them around in Japan, no room for lowboys there.
Man if either of those link belts could be had for 25k I would be all over that! Love the idea of joystick controls like my 4 block cranes I used operate at work.
If you could get them to deliver that single drum one for the 30K, that would do the trick!
Barnhart has a shop in Kent east of the Komatsu dealer. Used to be Sicklesteel’s shop.
John, I found a local inspector on that Grove for a good price. Sounds like he knows his stuff.
Sounds good. Maybe save some travel expenses.
I have not yet called the guy to inspect the Grove RT 625 in Stockton https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/203899703/1994-grove-rt625-rough-terrain-cranes because I am really interested in the 1993 Link Belt RTC-8030 https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/208846169/1993-link-belt-rtc-8030-rough-terrain-cranes Both are Cummins powered which I really like and The Link Belt has more stick at 91' plus a jib and joystick controls. Are there any issues with the Link Belt that I should be concerned about? I am going to call on it to find out how many hours it has since it is not listed. If I can get the Link Belt shipped without breaking the bank I think I would prefer it over the Grove.
definitely a different class of machine for sure. That crane inspector I spoke to warned of the older Link-belts with twin boom lift cylinders. He said the outriggers on those are crap, and need gone through early in life. The crane you linked is not one of the twin lift cylinder models. I will ask him of he has an opinion on the 30 above. Knowing the hours would be helpful.
here you have the rare mating pair of terex ductile wrex.
There was more than one picture of that link belt where the ball was on the ground a little bit. That crane inspector in Sacramento thought that was a pretty good sign that maybe either the telescope cylinder or boom cylinder are bleeding off. The other explanation is a dork bucket salesman who just puts the ball on the ground because he doesn't know any better.
John the omegas didn't have the ZF that was the century series that had it and the 8.2 boat anchor , the only problems we ever had on the omegas were the wiring harness connections , redo those and they were dependable .
I talked to the sales guy on that Link Belt he said it's got about 5,800 hours on it and as far as the hook on the ground goes he said he told the guy who took the pictures run the boom all the way out and the hook all the way down and if the guy put the hook on the ground he is an idiot. He said the crane is currently in use and has current inspection on it and if it had a bleeding off issue they would not put it in service and he would check with the maintenance guys and find out if it has any issues.
I'd take that number with a pretty heavy dose of salt. You're talking about a 30 year old crane. Maybe it hasn't done a lot of hours in the last couple years, but someone used it sometime in its life. If its on current rent to someone, and they 've been renting it out all along, that's actually a great thing. Cranes being used is better than sitting. Anything you likely look at in that age, is going to be a 15-20,000 hour crane minimum. Not many business buy cranes to just have them sit, they are too expensive. Personally, I wouldn't care if it does have 15,000-20,000 hours on it, (which it likely does), if its in good shape. I realize the salesman has to say something, when you ask how many hours it has, but expecting it to only average under 200 hours a year, for 30 years is a bit much. I wouldn't worry about the hook on the ground in the pictures either. Things I would look at pretty close in a inspection- Tires- They are $2,000 apiece and not something I want to do myself in the backside of beyond. So its $8,000 if it needs new rubber. Structure- I want to make sure theres no welding, bends or huge dents in the tele boom sections. I don't mind if it has a cylinder or two weeping, that's to be expected. I don't really want a pouring tele cylinder- because that's going to be hard to fix yourself. But outrigger cylinders aren't a big deal to repair. You want a generally straight frame, most have some dents and dings on the fenders and such, but as long as its mostly straight, you'll be fine. I want a reasonable wear turntable bearing, I'd expect a little slop, but I don't want a rocking chair. Swivel, a leaky swivel is a pain to deal with. They aren't unfixable, just a bit much for a DIY project. Cable- a rusty or slight waves in a cable isn't a big deal, and actually cable isn't that expensive. You can put new cable on it under $2,000. LMI- I want it to work, or I want to be able to afford to fix it. Budget appropriately if it isn't working. A separate inspection is a good use of $3-400. It will give you a little piece of mind having someone look at it, that knows what they are looking at. Good luck.
You are probably right. Stuff is running together in my head now days. I can probably go back to my old time logs and see.
Thank you for the info! Now I just need to find somebody in the area to do the inspection. Skyking found the guy to look at the Grove in Stockton (thank you very much Kelly!!) I will follow his lead in searching for someone not affiliated with Barnhart to do the inspection. The sales guy said they had an empty trailer headed this way around the middle of March and he was checking on whether or not they could get it on that truck.
I know what ya mean John were all on the train of life some get to blow the whistle some shovel coal others set on their ass and get a free ride .
@crane operator , I have a couple different guys to inquire with about that independent inspection. Thanks for all your help.
We keep getting distracted in this search. The 35 ton Terex in Las Vegas looks really good, and it has mid and retracted outrigger charts. SQUIRREL! https://www.cranetrader.com/listing/for-sale/201374199/1993-terex-rt335-rough-terrain-cranes
That terex won't be a joystick machine, it will be levers on the dash- and a foot pedal for boom. Just remember, load king only took over the terex boom truck and truck crane lines- not the RT's. Terex told all the dealers they were out of luck when they shut down us production, they gave no warning, and some dealers were stuck with new cranes that were instantly worth a lot less $$$$. Terex is now trying to reintroduce in the U. S. rt's that they have built overseas (it used to be italy- but I'm not sure now). But enough people got burned last time around, that I don't think they have had many takers. So if you have a winch issue, or trans, or computer- there isn't anyone to call with terex. Not that they were great service, before they shut down us production, but there was a little help. You're on your own for figuring it out now. Better hope it comes with books. IF its the same $$$, I don't know why you wouldn't just get a grove or a linkbelt or tadano, there's no real reason to buy the terex unless its all you can afford. When I bought my 70 ton- which is a P &H from the year before terex bought P&H out, I gave $50,000 less for it than I could buy a comparable link belt or grove. At that time, terex was still in the crane business, and I do most of my own work anyways, so I bought what I could afford. There's no way I would have bought my P&H, if the link belt or a grove was the same $$$.
Thanks for the info Crane Operator!!! This is why I am here! I have no historical knowledge on any of these cranes and I saw that Terex which looks almost brand new and in perfect condition and the first thing that came to mind was "If it looks too good to be true it probably is" I need to make sure I am getting something that I will be able to maintain and service myself, I am too remote to depend on a shop for repairs and if I can't even get good service info I will be going at it blind. I just keep going back to that 1993 Link-belt RTC 8030 thinking that it would be the best fit for me.
I am waiting to hear back from the sales guy I spoke with about the Link Belt. He is checking on shipping it this way. They may have an empty lowboy headed this way in mid march that it might be able to hop a ride on. That timeframe would work out perfect for me.
I would not offer full price on that crane, with no jib. I don't see it selling like hotcakes out there in the middle of america.
The Link Belt I am talking about has a jib
I'd still lowball a bit and see, but that is me. I am trying to save your retirement money
If all you need is a 30 ton RT, you won't have any trouble finding what you need at a good price. There's no need to be in a big hurry, because as I said earlier, all the bare rental outfits can send to jobs anymore is 60-70 ton and up, there's just not much demand anymore for 30 ton RT's. There's so many 10-12k telelhandlers that have lots of other uses, that with the insurance and operator certifications, no one is interested in that small of a crane, its not worth the trouble. Honestly, I thought the newer one of the two link belts they have for sale, looked like a nicer machine, but its 10k more $$$. But sometimes that's money well spent if its got like new tires, and the other one is on junk rubber with a bad LMI. The only way you know is by going and looking. I really think if you have a little patience, you can probably come up with something that's a little newer with full power main for the same $$.
Thank you for all the good info! I appreciate it! I definitely don't need anything over a 30 ton, Boom length is more my concern it seems a lot of the smaller cranes have 60-80ft booms and I think 80ft is the minimum I want to go. I am on a serious budget and I do realize the newer Link Belt you showed me is a lot more crane for the money but I know me and if I don't draw a line somewhere I will end up spending way more than I can afford. The crane will see very little travel time. The 2 shops and 2 log homes I am building are only about 5 miles apart and that trip will only be made a couple times. The first shop gets underway about middle to the end of April depending on weather so I do need to have it on site by then for the trusses. We will be digging the post holes with an excavator so it can be used to stand up the posts. After these are done anything else it does is just side work. I do not plan on using it full time at all maybe just a small job here and there. Swinging a jib or extending dead stick is not something I am worried about doing I will have plenty of room to do so but with both places on relatively steep hillside (both are daylight basement houses) getting the crane to the site, setup and being able to keep it in one spot for the duration of the build is most important. this is why I am going for a R/T crane with preferably a 90 or better boom. Please keep posting up any knowledge you choose to pass on! I am listening!!!!
Tires are a concern for sure. Of the 2 Link Belts you gave me links to (which are my 2 front runners right now) the older one looks to have at least one bad tire and at a couple grand each that adds up fast. Add to that dealing with downtime because of a tire and how remote I am it makes for a real problem. I think I am going to have both those cranes inspected since they are in the same yard and see what the inspection says.
1997 8030- with a full power boom. It had been given a quickie ritchie paint job, and you can see rust in the black part of the boom extensions, so it may have been pretty rusty before they shot the paint on the lower. Sold for 27,500, but in florida at ritchie's, so that a pretty bottom price. Tires looked good though, but I'd prefer to see anything in person I was buying from them at auction. I've done sight unseen on some other things, but I'd prefer to see it. So the guy with the other two isn't really out of line with what he's asking, he just doesn't have full power boom, which isn't a big deal if you aren't setting up and tearing down all the time. https://www.rbauction.com/1997-link...vId=13034162&id=ci&auction=orlando-fl-2022101
35 ton but not much of a chart difference really. What amazes me is how poorly that 28 ton National 1195 charted. It was what I had and I made it work, but it was sad even looking at the little 18 ton P&H chart. The 28 ton boom truck was good for 3200 @60' These 30 ton RT's are good for 6200 @60', it picks the same 3200 @80'
Got to remember the tonnage is not apples to apples when comparing boom trucks and cranes. Most of the boom truck charts are rated at 5 or 6 ft radius. Most cranes are 9 or 10 ft for their tonnage rating. Also most boom truck dont really have a counterweight hanging way out the back like a real crane does.
1994 grove rt635. 105' full power main, with a jib. Looks like it just got a new coat of paint. Just under $30,000. Joystick two axis controls (I prefer them over 4 way). https://cranenetwork.com/crane/rough-terrain-cranes/grove/rt635c/344758
^that's a nice one too. Freight will be more but that is it. Pretty much the exact same crane as the one in Las Vegas, same vintage, same controls. That one had the oilcanning on the boom bottom that was noticeable.
I heard back from the guy with the 1993 Link Belt in Nebraska and they want 10-13K to ship it on top of the 30k price. I would be a serious player for 30k with shipping 1993 LINK-BELT RTC-8030 For Sale in South Sioux City, Nebraska | CraneTrader.com The 1995 at 40k is a nicer crane but with shipping on it we are way out of my budget. 1995 LINK-BELT RTC-8030 For Sale in South Sioux City, Nebraska | CraneTrader.com I am sure I could find cheaper shipping elsewhere but its a long haul no matter how I look at it its going to cost.
Dollar for dollar with plenty of boom length more than enough capacity, good tires, LMI and Cummins power (which is huge for me I know the 5.9 like the back of my hand) and this being 250 miles closer if I could get this for closer to 35k with shipping it might not be a bad deal. 1990 GROVE RT633C For Sale in Brighton, Colorado | CraneTrader.com
I'm going to throw out something, and really want you to think about it- I don't really think you need a crane. I mentioned this to skyking when he told me about your project. If I was doing what you are talking about building, I wouldn't use a crane, except for what I "had" to have a crane for. I sure wouldn't buy a crane. I might use a crane to set the trusses, but that's because I own the cranes. The biggest trusses are 40' for the shop and you don't have to have a crane for those. If I was building a new house for myself the first thing I would do is rent or buy a telehandler with a work basket and a jib, and put it on the house site. And I own enough cranes that it wouldn't cost me anything to put a crane on the site. Hire a crane if you need to for setting the timbers or the trusses. Last log cabin I did was 2 days, and we could have set them in 1 if they would have been on the ball. Same thing with the shop- most shop buildings the size you are talking, is a one day project to set the trusses. So the only thing the crane would "be nice to have" for is really at max 6 days of work for the project. Even at $1,500 per day, that's 9k which is less than the freight to get you a crane. I think you would be so much better off spending your "crane money" in a different way. What you really need is a 8k or 10 k telehandler with a work basket and a jib. You can use it to unload trucks and carry materials around the site. You can work out of the basket for siding and roofing. Put a bundle of sheeting up on the roof or steel up for the shop buildings. There's a reason you see a telehandler on every jobsite you drive around. They are much more multiuse, in a way that a crane is pretty specialized. . I can rent a telehandler by the month for less than $3,000. You don't have to have two guys to do everything , like you do with the crane. With the crane, if a truck shows up that you need to unload, you really need one guy to rig and place what you're unloading, and one guy to run the crane. A forklift is a one man game. In doing your projects, I could see using a telehandler about every day for the whole project, it would make a lot of things a lot easier. Carrying around concrete forms. Unload your floor trusses. Unload and set the logs. Set the roof. Put the sheeting on the roof. Stand in the basket with the windows to install them. Stand in the basket putting soffit on. Gutters. Every day you will find something to use a telehandler for, and the crane "it would be nice to have" for about a week. And if at the end of your project, you don't want the telehandler any more, it will sell in a quarter of the time, for the same or more $$ than you will get out of the crane. But I think you will want to keep the forklift for maintence around the property and they are so handy for so many things. And at the end of the project with a crane like you are looking at, I think its going to be a lot harder to sell, and its going to sit in the weeds and go to crap because you have absolutely no need for it. I don't mean to rain all over your parade of buying a crane, but I wouldn't feel right about not saying what I really think, about what you need to do.
I would be looking at this kind of stuff, in what you need to do. In your budget range, I would be looking for a skytrack 10054, a lull 1044-54, or maybe a cat - but the cat only because of the cat support system if that's important to you. The cat's aren't as simple or as easy/ cheap to fix. The skytrak's and lulls are dirt simple robust machines. There's not a lot on them that can't be fixed by a trip to NAPA. I don't know your site, but you may be able to get by with a smaller 8-9k machine- they have a small advantage in not being as long of wheelbase in a tight spot. I just went to machinery trader and put in 20,000- 30,000 for a price range, and these are a few that caught my eye. Rental houses are always rolling over old ones, and you can probably source something much closer than a lot of these are. https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/211845047/1995-sky-trak-10054-telehandlers-lifts https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/209231375/1999-lull-644b-42-telehandlers-lifts https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/207021607/lull-844c-telehandlers-lifts https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/114864015/2009-jlg-g9-43a-telehandlers-lifts https://www.machinerytrader.com/listing/for-sale/29255777/2006-caterpillar-th460b-telehandlers-lifts https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...3-lull-1044c-54-highlander-telehandlers-lifts
The visibility on those low boom Cats is great.
I'm on the other side of that one- I would say the low boom is the worst thing about those cats. I much prefer a high rear boom like a skytrak/ genie/ jlg. (or one of the cats made by jlg with the high boom) With the low boom, as soon as you get the load 1' off the ground, you have no visibility to the right side of the machine, none. All you can see is that boom. And every bundle of plywood and boards, I like to carry about 2' off the ground. You really don't get visibility to the right back, until the forks are 6-7' off the ground. Its like driving around a rt with the boom horizontal, you can't see anything to the right. We had two cats when I worked at that powerhouse, and I was never so worried about running someone over as when I drove those. There were so many guys walking around all the time at that site, and visibility is so bad with a load on the forks. I actually preferred running our end loader with a set of forks over the cat telehandlers, at least you could see. A high rear boom machine, you just look under the boom.
@crane operator is on point about the telehandler. I started using them on build sites 6 years ago, and was amazed at how late to the game I was in doing so. For most house work stuff, a 6000 pound, 42 ft boom handles everything. The last one I rented was $1500 for a week and we ran it daily. We set all of the trusses with it, moved all the roof sheeting, moved a lot of the wall and roof steel, etc. Also, used it to drag my stuck JLG out of the mud. Also, with 4x4x4, you really can get them into very tight spaces to place material. The bigger machines might not handle a tight space as easily, but the reach gets you there when the machine can't get closer.
I hate the low boom telehandlers almost as much as crane op hates horses. If I was only allowed two slaps for the rest of my life I’d happily slap that engineer twice. Just seeing one of those gets my blood pressure up. Man, I hate those things. Can’t see anything out of them if your load is an inch off the ground. Got to climb a ladder to get into the cab. I can’t believe that idea ever made it to market. I don’t have a lot to add. Jlg would be my choice on a telehandler. Maybe because I’m most familiar with them but they have the best visibility and aftermarket support in my opinion. Thanks for mentioning a low boom telehandler. Put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
Stupid horses.
Hahahahaha! Best line of my day! I have definitely felt that way before about stupid designs. Another good choice would be the engineers responsible for inaccessible engine oil filters, cartridge oil filters on the top of an engine, or John Deere's old school upside down oil filters on side of block. I mean, these things need regular service, why put them where they will make the biggest mess possible everytime to change it.
Ive gota ask whats the deal with CO and horses ,,he get nibbled
Me riding a horse:
LMAO I actually remember that toon
LOL my life revolves around horses. I couldn't imagine life without them. Well a recon this is why I came here to get an education on the subject. the biggest reason for wanting a crane is I am a crane operator and its what I know. I suppose what I should do is some research on log home construction and get some better ideas on what equipment is best suited for the task at hand. Thank you for the slap upside the head. I have had a very narrow focus I might need to broaden my horizon a little. Everything I have seen so far has always been a crane stacking logs and trusses
I know this is the wrong forum for this but something along these lines? 2000 Terex SS-842 For Sale in Choteau - Equipment Trader
We have done several log cabins in a resort near here. We set logs on 4 of them a few years back, and we did two this winter. And they built the other 20 or so cabins with only a telehandler to stack the logs. The only cabins they have me lift logs for, are when there are trees surrounding the cabin, and they can't get close enough with the forklifts to set the logs. Two of them were on a slope/ cliff bluff, and too close to one another, that they couldn't get the telehandler where they needed to, and so had me set logs. But the telehandlers are on site from day one until they are finished. And they have me set logs for a day or two. On the terex telehandler- We've got a local contractor with two old terex/ square shooters. They are a simple tough old machine, I can't believe the abuse his machines have taken. Like everything else terex- it was originally the "square shooter" company, terex bought them out, built them for a few years, and sold the line off to genie. In much the same way as in the cranes- they bought the old P&H/ lorain/ american crane lines- operated for a while, and then got out of it. Terex was kind of known for that in equipment lines- and I think its a crappy way to do business. So you won't get any terex support for the machine, but its really not that complicated.
Genie is the parts supplier for the Terex units. They have changed some suppliers though. I worked on one in the last year or so and put a hydraulic pump in it. Pump was a different manufacturer and there was no information on how to set it up. I found a web site describing the pump for another machine and used that to calibrate the pump to the machine. That's the kid of stuff you can expect from Terex.
We use the 10054 skytracks at work and they are handier than a shirt pocket. We have had a couple get buggered up when someone tries to extend out 40’ and pick something up ridiculously heavy. I’ve seen two guys bend the booms on them through brute strength and ignorance.
I'm going to put in a picture of a couple jibs and a work basket. I prefer the pin on jib, rather than the jib that slides on the forks, it really saves on weight. When you get your work basket, make sure it has forklift pockets in the center and on the end, you will use both at different times. And always put the pin in that locks the basket to the forks, we lost a guy here in town 8-10 years ago when a green operator tilted down instead of booming down, and slid the basket right off the forks.
The jib makes it way easier if you are trying to place logs or trusses, you simply scope out to where you want to be, and then can tilt down on the fork function, for placement and unrigging.
A 1056 or 1054 with outrigger and jib can get a lot done, safely. As mentioned above know your limitations, the ground you are on. They tear the heck out of soft sites.
They do tear up the ground, but dirt gets pushed around and reshaped every day. Just plan for a day in a skid steer to do final grade at end of construction.
Thanks for all the great into gentlemen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for linking this post @crane operator , this job is coming up this summer, and now the hunt can begin again. The logs for the first cabin are due in late April if the roads are good for it. We can get creative with the backfill and grading and get pretty close with the telehandler, I think.
I turned down a job a few weeks ago, that had the ground all tore up by their tele when we had a thaw, like 12" deep ruts all over, then it froze hard again. I didn't turn it down so much as put them off, and I was glad to see when they got tired of waiting (1 day) they set the trusses using the tele, it just took a lot longer.