Setting Trusses with my 2015 (check out the pics)

[SteveCornell]

Me and a buddy were trying to set the trusses on my new 24' x 40' shop and they were "kicking our butt" the trusses are 7\12 scissor trusses and while not very heavy are very difficult for 2 people to handle..............so I think how can I use my Mahindra 2015HST to help complete this task /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ....... I then go into "McGyver mode" and put one of my forks on the bucket then slip a basement jack I had lying around over the fork, I run a heavy nylon lifting strap down the basement jack tube and run a bolt through it, then I bend a piece of rebar and attach it to the strap and I have a custom truss boom pole, it worked great and the 2 of us had the trusses up in no time.... check out the pics below...

Steve

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

 

[wallace]

See honey I told you I would use the tractor if you let me buy it.
NICE JOB /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[billbill1]

Good idea /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Nice shop too, and it looks like your ROPS will clear your door.

 

[SteveCornell]

I bought the tractor in June about the time I started building our new house and I honestly beleive by the time I get done the tractor will have paid for itself with all the stone I've moved, ditches I've dug, landscaping, and little tasks like setting the rafters and today I set a 40' 10" x 4" wood beam on top of 9' high treated posts.
The tractor has sure been a lifesaver during the building process.

The ROPS will clear the door, the door will be 12' x 10'.
Here's a link to my website with pictures of the new home under construction.

 

[Tim_in_IA]

very nice!

 

[duckkiller]

Steve, I do alot of Construction work on the side. I was wondering with your boom pole ( which is very creative ) how high can you reach? I am getting ready to build a machine shop for myself. In the past, I have always hired a crain to set my trusses. I really like your idea of what you have done. I have a 2615 with a ML106 FEL. Also, your Shop and Home looks very nice!

 

[SteveCornell]

duckkiller,

I was lifting these trusses to 15', the pipe \ basement jack slipped over the clamp on fork is 8' long.

This put no strain at all on the bucket as the trusses were not that heavy, I was really supprised at how easy it lifted the trusses.

 

[demote]

Thanks for posting the pics Steve. Do you have a guess as to how much the trusses weighed?

 

[SteveCornell]

I would "guess" the trusses weigh 175 - 200 lbs each

 

[daTeacha]

That's a pretty long lever arm to work against the front bucket. I suspect a bigger load would be a problem, either with the bydraulics or balance, depending on how you use it. If you had some way to telescope the thing from a vertical position you could lift more with less risk. As it is, it worked great, but I bet OHSA would have fits with it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[wallace]

I would hope that if anyone else was to try this you would think every thing thru, not that I would"t do this myself but remember when things start to get ugly it will get ugly real quick. and you are not just tiping a machine over now you are crush and breaking everything that the boom pole hits as well

 

[orangebluegreen]

Wow what a great idea. I used to build a bracket for my FEL I could lift trusses to the first floor (garage) roof then we lifted them from that roof up another 3-4’ to the second story roof for the house...this was before we got smart and hired a crane. I’m surprised that boom didn’t slide sideways and fall down, but apparently your clamping force was enough.

Been thinking of a new building here and knowing it’s crane for truss clear span, or pole building with center post obstruction if I don’t want to hire a crane. That idea opens the mind to other possibilities.

Hope anyone who sees those pics realizes they better be braced real good cuz if you bump them with the machine.....well never mind haha.

 

[MikeD74T]

That "guess" seems a little high! I took down, for salvage, a barn with 50' trusses that have 2x8 top cord - 2x6 bottom & webs. They weigh under 200 lbs. Two men could lift and carry with some difficulty. Mine are 10' tall and originally were set on 10' walls. I made a similar pole from 4" schedule 40 steel pipe. It bolted to my Case 580 bucket & had 2 cable stays. It just reached to pick the trusses off the wall 6". It would not pick the trusses up again once set on the ground (with the pole horizontal). As Wallace pointed out one could quickly be overcome by leverage if things went bad. This remains a fine piece of ingenuity. I have pictures of me standing 18' tall x 16'-20' wall sections of my new barn with my Ford 841D & FEL. Unfortunatly I don't have a scanner to convert to electronic. When performing tasks with inherent risk try to plan an escape from the worst case failure senario. For starters I tell onlookers "don't stand too close to me - when everything comes to a stop I may need a lotta help !".

 

[garrett336]

very interesting,learn something new every day.keep the pictures coming.

 

[Mahindra3510]

Would'nt the base be better off centered on the bucket instead of the side?

 

[SteveCornell]

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted this....

Yes, I think my guess was way high on the weight, I'm sure these trusses were less than 100 lbs.

The tractor was not unstable at all (I also had my backhoe mounted and it's fairly heavy)

I mounted the fork at the side because the bucket does not have any plating in the middle and I didn't want to take a chance of bending the bucket but the trusses were so light that I don't beleive it would make any difference.