Rant: Everyone says newer cranes are safer but I disagree after 20 years

I've been running the same 1987 Link-Belt at the Tampa yard since 2005, and after watching a 2022 model nearly drop a load due to some sensor glitch last Tuesday, I'm convinced all those electronic safeties just give operators a false sense of security. Any other old-timers here trust their mechanical feel over computer warnings?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_schmidt6012d ago

I get where you're coming from but I've seen it a little different over my time. Had a 1999 Grove that I ran for years and it was all muscle memory and seat-of-your-pants feel. But two seasons ago I jumped in a newer 2020 Terex and honestly the load indicator saved me from a bad pick where the ground was softer than I thought. My point is those sensors are another set of eyes not a replacement for experience. You still gotta know your machine and the site conditions no matter what year it was built. The new stuff has its own headaches for sure but I wouldn't trade all the old mechanical feel for a computer warning that might glitch.

finleyw999d ago

Funny you say that about trusting the beep. Buddy of mine runs a 2018 Liebherr and his load indicator went haywire last spring. Started screaming at him during a simple pick over flat concrete. He ignored it because he knew the load was fine and the ground was solid. Turned out a wire harness got chewed by a rat and was shorting out. If he'd been on soft ground and actually needed that warning he would have been screwed because the system was crying wolf. So yeah sensors help but they break too and then you're back to gut feel and manual calculations anyway. The real skill is knowing when to trust the computer and when to tell it to shut up.

king.derek12d ago

pat_schmidt60 brings up a good point about the load indicator, but I gotta gently call something out here. Your 2020 Terex didn't save you because the machine knows dirt better than you do. It gave you a warning because the outrigger pad sank a little or the frame tilted just enough to trigger the sensor. That's still your experience knowing to trust that beep instead of ignoring it. A computer glitch will ruin your day way faster than a bad gut feeling if you're not paying attention. I've seen guys with brand new cranes get cocky and still drop a load because they thought the sensors did all the thinking. The old mechanical feel isn't perfect but at least you know exactly when something is off.