Had to choose between a 50 ton and an 80 ton for a tight lift in downtown Seattle

Honestly, the site boss wanted the 80 ton for speed, but looking at the alley behind the Rainier Tower, I pushed for the 50 ton with a longer boom. Tbh, it took an extra hour to set up the mats and counterweights, but we cleared the HVAC unit with maybe 6 inches to spare. Anyone else had to talk a client into a smaller crane for a tight fit?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.ivan2mo ago

Man, I feel that. I once talked a guy out of a 90 ton for a roof unit swap because the only access was over a glass atrium. Ngl, my whole pitch was basically "you like that skylight? I'd like to keep it in one piece." We used a 60 ton with a luffing jib and crawled it in there. Felt like a hero until I realized I was the one sweating over the controls with maybe two inches of swing room. Still, way better than explaining a shower of glass to the building owner.

masonm702mo ago

Yeah, that's the real win right there. You didn't just pick a cheaper crane, you picked the one that wouldn't turn the job into a lawsuit. Those two inches of clearance are what separate a good operator from a guy who needs a new career. Smart move selling it as keeping the skylight pretty instead of just the cost.

alex_johnson2mo ago

Ran into a similar pickle last summer with an old bank building downtown. Had to get a chiller up on a roof that had a fancy terra cotta facade they were real proud of. I pushed for the smaller crane with a longer stick instead of the big hydraulic everyone wanted. Took a few extra picks but boy did it save us from having to tell the historic preservation committee we cracked their fancy clay. Sometimes the slower way is the smarter way on these tight access jobs.