Tips please on using forwarding trailer/crane.

[cessna]

A landowner has kindly said I can use their Botex forwarding trailer/crane unit,to move some wind blown.I would appreciate any basic tips on using one for the first time. I do not wish to tip it over!!! Thank you.

[jltree]

remember to put legs down....

[Chris Sheppard]

remember to put legs down....

 

and remember to lift them up when you set off......

[monkeybusiness]

and remember to lift them up when you set off......

 

Bang on!

 

And be careful that you don't hit the tractor with anything - it is easy to stack alongside yourself nice and high but it can all go wrong very quickly if a log is dropped too early (wrong lever etc) or isn't balanced on the stack very well. Watch out for stumps as they don't mix well with tyres... Be careful of side slopes, especially with an empty trailer (fold the crane down low when empty, so the grapple is near the tractor and the boom is low to the spine of the trailer to keep the centre of gravity down). Watch your hoses and rams - they can be easy to snag and fittings can quickly get damaged. It is unlikely that you will break a timber trailer (other than lights and tyres), but it is easy to damage parts of the crane and really easy to smash up your tractor and/or any bystanders...

 

Take it steady and get used to the crane controls before picking up anything too long! And take some pics.

[Brushcutter]

Use the extension and dipper together. Dont put one boom straight then extend the next one.

[Stephen Blair]

Get stuck in, the most important lever is the down 1, if it all goes wonky, push that down.

It's common sense and practice. Keep the revs down, pull everything in close and low and don't lift high until you need to.

Expect to nearly whack the tractor and forget about the legs in the excitement.

If your lifting light stuff with a strong crane it's easy, the best way to learn is in the pitch black, at the side of a busy road reaching over a big jaggy hedge, fishing I call it!

It's more fun in a roof mount into gardens, furniture bingo I call it ! Nearly had a BBQ once:001_rolleyes:

[dent]

go slowly dont even try to speed up u can learn to do a job well but its very difficult to learn to do it quick that is something that comes wih practice.

i was always told with machinery when learning take your time and just get very accurate and when you get good the speed will come naturally without damaging stuff

[Gray git]

If you are lifting lots of small stuff don't over fill the grab because most don't maintain pressure so can open slightly and you end up with a big game of pick up sticks, stay away from low branches as it's surprising how smaller branch it takes to rip a pipe of without you noticing. When unloading watch you don't pull the bolsters out as the rest of the load can spill. Smooth slow multi lever movement is more productive and better for the machine than fast thrashing about with lots of revving.

Always turn towards you exit while empty and load on the way out, less chance of getting stuck that way and easier to see backwards when empty.

 

sent while pretending to do something important on my mobile.

[cessna]

Thanks guy's,really useful info, for a new 63yr old boy much appreciated.!!!

[Stephen Blair]

Take 2 adjustable spanners with you aswell, 1 big 1 small:biggrin: