Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Any experience with DIY crane rental?

Hi all,

I'm looking ahead to a raising next spring. I'd originally been planning to rally the troops and do it by hand (with a little help from John Deere). After setting that plan aside, I started to look into hiring a crane company to assist. Now, however, I'm looking at the options for renting a crane (or telehandler) to do the job.

Do any of you have direct experience with renting a unit such as a Broderson carry-deck crane or a Genie telehandler? Pluses or minuses to each option?

Thanks in advance.

~ Kevin

I have over the years hired crane services and part of the process of choosing a service is the answering of basic questions relating to experience, qualifications, suitability of equipment of the servicing company. I would first suggest turning the interview process around focusing on the operator within your company. Honestly, if you just want to bat around pros and cons then I feel that you may not be at all qualified for taking on crane operation.

Gravity is always serious.

A local company was using a telehandler to raise a steel building. The members were simply slung with nylon straps, a load shifted, sliding in the nylon strap cutting it, the load all went to one strap laying the telehandler with the boom extended over on its side, no one was injured, the boom was bent. They were lucky.

"Gravity is always serious" decisive and quick.

You will want plenty of room around the building for the telehandler, it great for moving material on the ground but not ideal for swinging loads.

How big is this frame?

Block and tackle with a gin pole?

The deck crane looks interesting. Is the capacities within the scope of the project?

Staging timbers with a telehandler is fast and easy. Raising a frame with one is not. I suggest you hire a crane service to help with the raising.

A small raising with a large telehandler is doable, but tedious. Large raisings are much more difficult.

One needs to be careful with telehandlers, I've seen a 6000 lb. rated Pettibone at the tipping point by a 2000 lb. load at full extension, this was a weight at the dealers yard that demonstrates risk and limits of the machine. By the nature of circumstance, a telehandler will have to work with the front wheels close to the foundation, will the loader rely on fill for support and will the foundation support the surcharge? Tight control is a critical issue that can extend into areas beyond the machine itself.

We've been using our lumberyard's boom truck for our raisings now. We don't have a good local crane service, so a crane would have to come from about 1.5 hour away. The boom truck is 20 minutes away, and he can reach 70' horizontally. He's really good too--he can drop things right on the money. Might be worth asking around your local lumberyards.

Thanks to all who have provided feedback. I certainly appreciate the concern for safety. That is actually one of the reasons why I've been leaning toward the rental vs hiring crane and operator. I like to take my time with these sorts of things and don't want the overriding pressure of an operator on the clock pressing things ahead at a pace I'm not comfortable with.

As one who grew up in the Vermont farming tradition, I am a generalist who is no stranger to heavy equipment. I've been running a variety of machines since my legs and arms were long enough to reach the controls. My buddy John (Deere) has been a reliable companion, as have been the many friends and family who've helped with raisings in the past. For this particular project, a 30 x 40 Monitor style barn, my primary concern is at the ridge. It is a common rafter design with pentagonal ridge beams spanning the principal trusses (splined together across the principal truss king posts). The telehandler or carry-deck crane seemed like good options to get those frame components in place atop the monitor.

Thanks again for your feedback, and I especially appreciate the words from those who've had direct experience with the machines.

Best,
Kevin