FEL Boom Pole

[f150skidoo]

I don't post a whole lot on here but figured you guys might enjoy this. This spring were going to be building a shop at a family members property so we needed a boom pole to lift the trusses on top the 10 foot walls. The pole will be used on my skid steer and was built so 95% of the time it's 8 feet but for the other 5% I can bolt on the 8' jib for 16 feet total length. Ideally I would've made it telescopic but I tried to build it with as much material I had laying around so the boom is fixed using 2"x4" .125" tube which I had a lot of. I made the SSQA plate using 2.5"x2.5" .188" tube with 3/8" end plates and 1/4" plate for the QA mounts that I bent on my press brake. To increase the strength of the 2"x4" tube I added a truss using 1/4"x2" flat bar and 2"x2" tube support gussets attaching the boom to the QA mount. On the end of the boom I welded a 3/8" flange that has six 1/2" holes for bolts, the hook is 3/4" plate that's also welded to a flange. I tested the shorter 8 foot boom by lifting my welding that was loaded with **** which weighs 1400 lbs, the skid steer felt like it could handle a few hundred more pounds.

 

[f150skidoo]

On the 8' boom extension I also welded the 3/8" flanges on each end and I added tie down point's on the one end for extra support by using straps or chain to the tie down eye's on the quick attach mount. When I used the ratchet straps in the pictures they really helped controlling any flex of the boom pole. With the boom pole almost vertical (about 80 degrees) I measured 26.5 feet from the hook to the ground. For testing the weight I lifted my pallet forks that weigh about 400 lbs. I tried to quickly drop the forks and backup to see if i could get the back end light but it felt fine. When the pole was parallel to the ground with the forks weight hanging you could see the boom pole deflecting so chains & binders would be better since they don't stretch like a ratchet strap. But a wooden truss weighs under half the weight of the pallet forks so it won't be a issue.

 

[texasranger556]

Looks impressive. How much does your skid steer weigh? I'll be hanging 34' attic trusses this summer on a 14 foot wall but I think I'll have to hire a crane or at least rent a telehandler.

 

[TMGT]

I have to build the same thing soon, hopefully I'll be building my shop this year and have to set 42ft trusses on a 15 ft wall.
I was going to build mine to attach to the fork frame.

 

[f150skidoo]

Looks impressive. How much does your skid steer weigh? I'll be hanging 34' attic trusses this summer on a 14 foot wall but I think I'll have to hire a crane or at least rent a telehandler.

About 7400lbs.

 

[skyhook]

Nice work.

 

[k0ua]

Nice work.

Ditto, very nice work

 

[Xfaxman]

Looks better than good! :thumbsup:

 

[Tractor Time with Tim]

Very Nice!

 

[breadtrk]

Around here a Truss crane is only $125 per hour. Back in my framing days, it never took more than a couple hours to sling trusses onto the 8,000 sq ft homes we were churning out.

Pretty cheap when you figure your time and helpers into it. Hour, maybe 2, vs. a couple days....... It's real cheap.