Old timer told me to stop rushing my clutch work on crawler cranes

I had this crusty old operator, must have been 70, watch me for a minute on a job in Portland. He just grunted and said "you're jerking that lever like a monkey with a joystick, ease into it." I was always trying to beat the clock on picks but he showed me how a slow, smooth engagement saves the clutch plates and gives you way more control. Ever since I started taking that extra second I've had way less snatch on the load. Anybody else get a piece of advice from someone that made you slow down?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jenny1mo ago

Did you end up breaking the habit of rushing after that?

casey161mo ago

Whoa, hold up. A 70 year old operator still working? That's wild man. I've been in this game for a while now but I can't say I've ever seen anyone past maybe 55 on a crawler. Must have been doing it since before I was born. That smooth engagement stuff is gold though, he wasn't kidding. The heavy clutch wear comes from that initial shock load when you pop it in fast. A slow, steady hand keeps the drums from snatching and the load from swinging like a pendulum. Surprised he was still out there climbing up on that machine at that age, but I guess the old timers really do know their stuff.

rowan_roberts491mo ago

Yeah the smooth engagement thing is key. I've seen guys burn through a set of clutches in six months just from banging gears. That old timer probably had a feel for the sweet spot where the dogs catch without grinding. Idk if it's something you can teach, more like you just get a sense for it after enough hours. And honestly, a 70 year old climbing up on a crawler doesn't surprise me that much. Some of those guys never learned how to stop working. They'd rather be out there doing it than sitting at home.