boom pole- did i do something unsafe

[beenthere]

Getting in your car and driving down the road is unsafe. Can be done more safely, or less safely. As with most anything, it can be unsafe.

 

[IslandTractor]

Getting in your car and driving down the road is unsafe. Can be done more safely, or less safely. As with most anything, it can be unsafe.

No excuse for being ignorant of the risks or condoning risky behavior. Anyone can do anything they want but let's not mislead some newbie who reads this thread into believing towing heavy objects with a boom pole is as safe as a trip to the grocery store.

 

[pat32rf]

It doesn't matter how high your load is, the forces are still being applied at the TOP of the boom.(or FEL if using it to lift) If the load starts to swing things can get hairy in a hurry.
Just go slow, keep the load low and your hand on the lower lever. On jobs like this, creeping along with an HST is a definite safety asset....

 

[The Haymaker]

This is not true. Yes the load force will drop to zero when the load hits the ground BUT the dynamic forces already generated could cause the tractor to flip over backwards. Yes going slowly would limit risk but it is much safer to either use the FEL or just put the load on an old car hood and skid it.

I'm sure it doesn't happen often with boom poles but this isn't really much different with regard to physics than stump pulling with a load attached to the 3PT. People are killed doing that all the time. This summer a VP of BMW was killed in Connecticut doing that.

I find it hard to believe that any weight the tractor could pick up in the first place could cause the tractor to flip up and back fast enough for momentum to carry it over even after the load is dropped.

That said, I wouldn't want to transit a load with one on anything but flat ground unless it was straight up or straight down the slope.

 

[IslandTractor]

I find it hard to believe that any weight the tractor could pick up in the first place could cause the tractor to flip up and back fast enough for momentum to carry it over even after the load is dropped.

That said, I wouldn't want to transit a load with one on anything but flat ground unless it was straight up or straight down the slope.

Going straight up an incline with a heavy load suspended from a boom pole would certainly create conditions for a backward flip. And, while boom pole accidents are not reported much, the physics really are similar to stump pulling using the 3pt hitch/toplink. Flip overs occur much faster than operators can manipulate controls.

 

[texasjohn]

JDRANDYC, you have the right attitude...be aware when messing with heavy loads that things can go wrong, go slow, be ready to drop the load IMMEDIATELY if you feel funny.... your gut is an excellent indicator. Tractors can roll sideways or flip backwards or frontwards... but care by operator and slow going should keep things safe enough to get out of a dicy situation.

 

[The Haymaker]

Going straight up an incline with a heavy load suspended from a boom pole would certainly create conditions for a backward flip. And, while boom pole accidents are not reported much, the physics really are similar to stump pulling using the 3pt hitch/toplink. Flip overs occur much faster than operators can manipulate controls.

"Do not operate heavy machinery after taking this sleep aid"

 

[eastexan]

JDRANDYC, you have the right attitude...be aware when messing with heavy loads that things can go wrong, go slow, be ready to drop the load IMMEDIATELY if you feel funny.... your gut is an excellent indicator. Tractors can roll sideways or flip backwards or frontwards... but care by operator and slow going should keep things safe enough to get out of a dicy situation.

Agreed! :thumbsup:

And as already mentioned, keep the load low. Lift it just enough to clear the ground for movement.

 

[eastexan]

Did the tractor feel unstable? Were you on relatively flat ground?

A boom pole would be pretty useless if all you could do is lift. I move things all the time. I built mine out of a Harbor Freight hoist made for a pickup bed and a draw bar, the reason I did it was to move heavy "stuff". If it's real heavy I only lift it a few inches off the ground. I wouldn't use it on steep hills, but I couldn't imagine only being able to lift and not move either.

Argosy, how about posting a pic of your boom pole.
Interesting concept. I could probably use one of those myself. :thumbsup:

 

[59 Sons]

I built my barn with fel boom poles. a 4 foot long one to set 16 foot wall sections up on a 4 foot foundation. and a 20 foot long one to set upper gable sections, ridge beams and roof sections. Both are home built rigs, and indispensible.