Had a talk with an old hand about boom angles that changed my approach

Was on a job site last week in Jersey and an older operator named Pat came by my crane. He watched me set up for a pick and just said "you're killing your capacity with that angle, kid." I always ran the boom at what I thought was standard, like 60 degrees or so. Pat showed me how running it flatter by just 10 degrees gave me way more reach without losing stability. Has anyone else had some old timer drop a simple tip that totally changed how you run your lifts?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_beth25d ago

What makes you so sure that running it flatter actually helps instead of just making the boom whip more in a stiff breeze? Pat's advice might work fine in calm Jersey air, but it sounds like a good way to lose control when things get gusty.

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finley_bennett2825d ago

Funny enough I learned this lesson by almost taking out my own dock last spring in a gusty Chesapeake afternoon. Had it sheeted in tight like Pat says for "calm Jersey air" and the boom nearly snapped my cousins arm when a puff hit. Went home, flattened the traveler, and suddenly the boat felt way more planted even when the wind started bouncing around. Yeah the boom moves a little more side to side but it's a smooth motion not that violent snap like a fishing rod. I'd rather have a lazy swing that I can ease than a loaded spring waiting to launch someone overboard.