I always thought hydraulic cranes were better until I ran a friction crane for a week

I've been running hydraulics for about 6 years and swore they were the only way to go for fine control. Then last month I had to fill in for a guy on a 50 ton friction crane at a job site in Midland. After about 3 days I started getting the hang of it and by Friday I was loading steel beams smoother than I ever did with hydraulics. The clutch modulation gives you a feel you just don't get with a joystick. Has anyone else made the switch back and stayed there?

3 comments

3 Comments

martinez.kim1mo ago

Friction cranes really test your touch, like learning to drive a manual after years in an automatic.

emma_dixon701mo ago

Yeah but at least you can't stall a crane and feel like an idiot.

robinf5129d ago

Did you ever try running one in the rain? That clutch gets real moody.