Redneck Crane

[TnAndy]

Neighbor I sold 33ac to is building his house. I helped him set the floor trusses the other day using my mini-excavator. Didn't have near enough reach, so we took the bucket off, strapped/chained a 16' 6x6 to the stick, and it worked like a charm. Yeah.....I know....not OSHA approved....don't try this at home......

 

[EddieWalker]

Smart. I have something similar with my front loader bucket. I burned three holes in the side of the bucket and bolt on the top part of an engine lift. I've thought about doing something longer for setting trusses, but haven't done anything towards that yet.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Good old American ingenuity!

 

[TnAndy]

Smart. I have something similar with my front loader bucket. I burned three holes in the side of the bucket and bolt on the top part of an engine lift. I've thought about doing something longer for setting trusses, but haven't done anything towards that yet.

Yeah, I kept trying to think of something with a plate that would mate up to the bucket quick attach on the mini-ex, but that looked like a lot of work and welding for a one time job.....so we came up with the 6x6 as a solution. Trusses only weighed about 170lbs ea, so not a lot of weight out there, but dragging them across the basement wall, lifting the far wall by hand seemed like a lot of work to me....hence the 'crane'. For his roof trusses, he will have to hire the real deal.....ain't strapping a 30' 6x6 to the stick.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I like the idea! We took a 16' long 6" piece of pipe and beveled the end to weld a plate too. Then burnt 4 holes on the plate to bolt it to the inside of the backhoe bucket then we welded hooks on the outside corners of the bucket to chain binder the pole in the center against the lip of the bucket and used that to set trusses. Sorry no pics, I was a young kid when that happened and it was for a pole barn!

 

[hddnis]

I've done that and it works very well. As long as you are not under the load there is no safety problem.

 

[Stimw]

I have done that with a 6 X 6 X 18' clamped/chained and binded it to a 6000 lb forklift fork.
Worked very well with the lift and tilt of the forklift.
But never do it on a commercial job!

 

[bunyip]

I was expecting a bird picture.....

 

[rekees4300]

I was expecting a bird picture.....

Me too ... even did a google search for a Redneck Crane but apparently none exists.

 

[MacLawn]

That's the ticket.

 

[majorwager]

Ther just isn't much capacity remaining with extension beyond the bucket. The weight difference betwenn front wheels grounded or not will not provide margin for warning, a small bounce in the load, front end goes skyward.

The choices then are drop the load, ouch , or be thrown off rear of tractor, perhaps ending up under the hoe.

Pictures of when cool ideas fail, seldom posted. Guess we know why. Should carless behavior be encouraged? Melania said it best

Edit: Did not realize excavator in thread, No change in opinion however.

 

[bcp]

No cranes, but there are some redneck birds.

Fruit crow:



Redneck Grebe



Bruce

 

[EddieWalker]

Ther just isn't much capacity remaining with extension beyond the bucket. The weight difference betwenn front wheels ...

Where do you get your information that there isn't much capacity remaining? Excavators and backhoes are regularly used as cranes. They have considerable lift capacity.


What does weight difference between front wheels mean? Did you see that he is using a tracked excavator?

 

[majorwager]

Eddie
Mea Culpa, Did not realize it was an excavator. However, IF published load charts establish lifting capacities, it's only within the circumference of the boom/dipper max extention. When exceeding those boundaries, there is no chart to calculate the lifting capacity.

When fully extended, capacity is minimal, w/o consideration for unsanctioned extention. It is a small excavator
You're smart guy Eddie, take your hoe at full extention and lift say 1000 lbs and report back results. Now extend load forward 15 or 20 ft and report results, or ask nearest relative to post result.

No mfg load chart published, so mfg certified lift to only full bucket limit, 24 inch bucket? Extend that forward, stability decreases very quickly. Each member is responsible for their own actions.

The most important point here is my caption below previous post, if the operation goes south, I don't really care

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Major, I think you are being the safety police in this situation. Not every has a 90 ton P&H sitting around to swing something into place. (Not that you do but I'm being dramatic) you try and make do with the equipment that you have and try to be as smart as possible about it. There are alot of creative guys on here who can figure things out on their own.

 

[4570Man]

Eddie
Mea Culpa, Did not realize it was an excavator. However, IF published load charts establish lifting capacities, it's only within the circumference of the boom/dipper max extention. When exceeding those boundaries, there is no chart to calculate the lifting capacity.

When fully extended, capacity is minimal, w/o consideration for unsanctioned extention. It is a small excavator
You're smart guy Eddie, take your hoe at full extention and lift say 1000 lbs and report back results. Now extend load forward 15 or 20 ft and report results, or ask nearest relative to post result.

No mfg load chart published, so mfg certified lift to only full bucket limit, 24 inch bucket? Extend that forward, stability decreases very quickly. Each member is responsible for their own actions.

The most important point here is my caption below previous post, if the operation goes south, I don't really care

Except he’s lifting under 200 pounds not 1000. His other practical option was set them by hand. I’ll take the mini excavator over by hand any day.

 

[Ritothebull]

Any equipment with redneck in the discription does not need to conform to any regulations.

 

[TnAndy]

1,000lbs ? Yeah....I wouldn't have trusted the 6x6 for that. But these trusses only weighed 170lbs....more awkward than heavy. Even turning sideways with the excavator, there was no hint of tipping.

 

[TnAndy]

Any equipment with redneck in the description does not need to conform to any regulations.

And then, of course, there is that screaming disclaimer.......

 

[hddnis]

Eddie
Mea Culpa, Did not realize it was an excavator. However, IF published load charts establish lifting capacities, it's only within the circumference of the boom/dipper max extention. When exceeding those boundaries, there is no chart to calculate the lifting capacity.

When fully extended, capacity is minimal, w/o consideration for unsanctioned extention. It is a small excavator
You're smart guy Eddie, take your hoe at full extention and lift say 1000 lbs and report back results. Now extend load forward 15 or 20 ft and report results, or ask nearest relative to post result.

No mfg load chart published, so mfg certified lift to only full bucket limit, 24 inch bucket? Extend that forward, stability decreases very quickly. Each member is responsible for their own actions.

The most important point here is my caption below previous post, if the operation goes south, I don't really care

In a straight lift most mini's will limit on hydraulics before they will tip the machine over the side.

If they don't you simply try to pick the load at full extension and if you can then you move in a few feet and don't go beyond that.