A small trick for spotting boom twist before it gets bad

I was setting up a 150-ton crane on a tight site in Pittsburgh last week. The ground was uneven and I kept getting a slight, slow drift on the load even with the outriggers set. My old foreman once said, 'Watch the shadow of the boom tip on the ground at noon.' I tried it. When the load was centered, the shadow was a clean line. When the boom started to twist from ground pressure, the shadow would wiggle in a specific way before I could even feel it in the cab. It gave me an extra few seconds to correct. Has anyone else found a simple visual check like that for tricky setups?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric7231mo agoMost Upvoted

Nah, it's not the only check, it's just an extra tip. You've still got all your normal gauges and feel. The shadow thing is just a free early warning sign if the conditions happen to be right. It's like how you might notice a weird sound before a warning light comes on. You don't rely on just one thing.

jenniferw8224d ago

First 5 gallons of hydraulic oil cost more than the time it takes to check the boom twist with a level on the deck. Sounds like a cool trick for the right situation but I wouldn't bet my day on the sun being in the right spot.

ellis.mia1mo ago

So you're telling me your main safety check is a shadow puppet show? That's a new one. Guess we're all just hoping for clear skies and perfect noon sun now. What happens when it's cloudy, do you just wing it and pray? Honestly sounds like something from a cartoon.