Rant: I was setting my outriggers wrong for a solid year

I was on a site in Boise, lifting a big HVAC unit onto a roof. My load chart said I was fine, but the crane felt 'soft' every time I swung. An older operator from another crew walked over and just said, 'Your front pads are floating.' He was right. I'd been setting them on gravel without digging down to solid ground first. I dug out six inches of loose stuff, packed it with road base, and reset. The difference was night and day. Anyone else have a basic thing they missed for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin6584d ago

A solid year with floating pads is honestly terrifying.

anthonykim4d ago

Consider how many guys learn from a book or a simulator now, missing the feel of the machine. @robin658 is right, it is scary, but that soft feeling was your clue. We used to call that "listening to the iron," and it's a skill that's getting lost.