dylanmurray•26d agoTop Commenter

Stick with the older lattice boom or switch to the newer hydraulic? I'm torn.

I had a choice last month between running a 50 ton P&H lattice boom I know inside out or a new Liebherr hydraulic with all the bells. Picked the hydraulic because the job had tight clearances, but I spent half the day fighting the computer to go slow. Anyone else find the old mechanical feel more reliable for precision work?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_fox5025d ago

You mention "fighting the computer to go slow" and that hits home for me. I ran a Link-Belt 98 for years, then got into a new Grove hydraulic last spring. The computer was constantly overriding my inputs on a tight pick, drove me nuts until I learned to fudge the limit settings. My advice is to keep the lattice if you're doing open field work where you can spread your feet and take your time. But for tight spots with overhead obstacles, the hydraulic's auto-leveling and compactness are worth the headache of learning its quirks. Just plan on losing a week of productivity while you get used to the electronic babysitter.

grace50825d ago

I saw a YouTube mechanic talking about this exact issue with the new Grove models, how you gotta basically trick the computer into letting you do what you already know how to do. @jana_fox50 your point about losing a week of productivity is spot on, that's a real cost people don't factor in when buying new. My buddy runs an older Link-Belt and he says the same thing, the lattice cranes just let you feel the load better without a computer second guessing every move. The auto leveling is nice for sure but man, that learning curve is brutal when you're on a tight job site. I've heard some guys just bypass the limit settings entirely but that seems like a safety nightmare waiting to happen.