Pettibone MK30 AWD Crane

[MinnesotaEric]

Pettibone MK30 AWD Crane for Moving Shipping Containers?

I don't know if I should post this the construction equipment area or not, but I figured that somebody has done this before on TBN and the rural area is a good place to start asking questions.

I'm thinking about playing legos with containers on my new parcel, but one of the big issues I have is the ability to move and lift containers without paying through the nose for rentals and this work is in the context that I'm on a DIY budget and that I'm a bit disabled and cannot just plow through days without taking back breaks.

Anyway, there is a Pettibone MK30 AWD crane with all wheel steer and a 60' reach for sale a couple of hundred miles away and I'm wondering if anybody has experience with this piece of equipment. I'm considering purchasing the crane, using it for my container projects and then selling it again when I'm done.

Does anybody have experience with this piece of equipment or cranes in general (or building with containers for that matter) and be offer advice on what to look for or avoid?

Thanks.

 

[BKBoiss]

As long as everything works as it should I think it would work fine for what you want to do. HOWEVER, two things, make sure you check it over good because if something goes wrong that costs more than the machine is worth to fix then you just have an expensive lawn ornament. And two I have zero idea as to your background,experience, and skill so I will just say to be VERY careful as I have seen a few of those size cranes flipped over by people who underestimated how fast things can go sideways.

 

[hghvolt]

A big thing with cranes of any type is to know how to read the lift charts and stay with in those boundaries. That crane looks like what we call a 15 ton picker , it is only good for 15 tons with the load right next to the rig and the boom as close to vertical as the rig will allow.

 

[Stimw]

You don't say what size containers you want to deal with, 20'ers, 40'ers, 48'ers or 53'ers or how high you want to stack?
I have moved them with 15,000 forklift and double stacked also moved with a 4 high packer/stacker.
Having very level ground is essential! They are tippy!
Have also moved my 48'er about 60' and turned it 90* with my 35hp Branson. I chained from 3 point to corner pocket back and forth.

 

[bcp]

Maybe some ideas in these photos.

rough terrain container moving - Google Search

Bruce

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

I have zero crane experience. If I build using containers, I would move unloaded 40' HC containers and stack them. The containers are about 10,000 pounds and I do not know what kind of reach a 15T crane has. I have not been able to locate an online manual or lift chart.

I've asked for quotes on U-Ship to find out what it would cost to move the crane if I was to purchase it and I've started learning about container lifting slings and lugs.

liftech

 

[Rustyiron]

Eric a fun toy is one thing I'll never talk a guy out of justifying for himself, but unless their almost giving them away…….
Look at getting in & out of that thing, not for a guy with back issues. Also, pretty sure it's not meant to carry and drive with much more than a ton or so, the cab does not swing with the boom so with some pretty crappy looking visibility from down in that hole they call a cab, you'll need a helper. I'd find an older truck crane, that is what I know as a med. duty truck with about a 20' flat bed with a stick & outriggers mounted just behind the cab. Most of them will be an easy 15 ton and you can operate them standing on the ground next to it, usually from either side.

 

[s219]

When you say "move" containers, I think you'll be limited to the reach of the crane for a 10,000# load, and I bet that isn't a whole lot of reach on such a small crane. Most likely the full 60' reach is for a much more limited load, but that's a guess -- the specs will say for sure. My limited experience with mobile cranes at work has always been that the required cranes are much much larger than you'd expect.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Rustyiron, s219, I scoured the internet trying to find one of these cranes messing with a container. I found this video of a 25 lifting a container, which is a 25,000 pound capacity, 50' boom crane. Here is a link to the set-up of the lift. I also found a video showing what a PITA it is to get in and out of one of these cranes and now fully understand I'll need a ground man (or need to teach my sister how to run the crane).

Anyway, I've made an inquiry to the guy selling the crane and hopefully I'll get a call back.

 

[MossRoad]

A long time ago we were considering putting in a pond and I considered buying a used dragline, digging the pond, then selling it. A family member of ours owns a construction company and he has several cranes in several sizes. He specializes in bridges and retaining walls. I asked him about used cranes. He said you can get burned very easily if you don't know anything about them, and end up putting way more money into them in parts and labor than if you'd have just hired the job out.

$$$$$ Purchase
$$$$ Transportation to your place
$$$$$ Anything breaks parts and labor

When you're done with it, you hope you can find a buyer.

Really, really consider it before you do it.

Then, look back at your past tractoring experiences.... you've had some problems, no? You have NO experience with a crane. Overhead lifting is very non-forgiving. One mistake and you or your sister are flat as a pancake.

There are hundreds and hundreds of crane fail videos on youtube. Granted, most of them are in 3rd world countries, but you're in Minn... so what's the diff? :laughing:

Just think it over good and hard first.