buying a crane

[murphy4trees]

I AM thinking of buying a crane. Have to be at least 30 ton...
The new style with the wire for the computer inside the boom soounds like the way to go...
Any suggestions are appreciated. We'd use it to chase Wilma for starters.
thanks

 

[Dadatwins]

Business must be good, congrats on having the ability to consider the purchase. Please don't take this as offensive but given the other thread about your workers throwing some steel in your chipper, do you have someone qualified to operate the crane? Also if your intention is for storm chasing, my opinion would be to purchase a self loading grapple boom with dump, or a skidder setup with grapple for yard cleanup. Good luck.

 

[PTS]

Storm Chasing

Not an expert in storm chasing in any means but I just recently arrived back home from Katrina and Rita. Learned a lot and I have to agree with you, if you want to make a killing a crane sure wouldn't hurt. Reality is that the work isn't there for ever like previously posted. You got to be there early and go as fast as you can. The job pays so much, so if it takes you 1 hour or one day you make the same as long as you aren't bidding by the hour. Get as many jobs done as possible. Loyalty from the customer is a myth in storm, they don't care who you are or where you came from they want to know how soon you are going to take care of them and how safe you can be while doing it. My vote GO CRANE.

 

[spike-columbia]

job pay?

PTS,

What kind of $ were being charged in the storm areas you were at?

Thanks,

Spike

 

[PTS]

I heard reports of up words of $10,000. per tree (horror stories, and a disgrace to our profession), however I would say a good competitive average was $1000 per tree off of house or building and around $500 for down trees not on anything. And as always multiples got package deals. I heard crane rates of 1000-2000 an hour.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

After Issabel we were billing an average of $900 per crew hour with a 70 ton grove.

Daniel was stump grinding and paid for his new grinder in a matter of weeks. I'd work with him any time. Good man, down to earth.

 

[murphy4trees]

The trees in fla are not quite as big (generally) as some of those monsters in Va., so the 70 T may be a bit overkill, and I'd like to get at least 30, but probably 23 could work. There are a couple of highly experienced and skilled climbers that are ready to go or I'd just stay home. Also I think I couold swing the finacing on a crane. And there's a new disease BLS, OK really not that new, that has infected a huge % of big oaks back home. They'll be dying for years, so a crane is gonna come in mighty handy in the future.
I'd like to use the hurricane for a big shot in the arm to justify the initial purchase,and then hold the piece for future use, kinda like we did with the the Super 50 after Isabel.

Any suggestions about insurance financing etc.. would be good.... Thinking of buying a good smaller used piece for the storm, then selling or trading in for a bigger piece when the party is over. Best to sell it right down in fla before leaving. Which means the finacing could bite me hard on the interest if I don't get the right loan.
And of course it all depends on how Wilma hits. I't's all speculative now.
thanks,

 

[murphy4trees]

Also definitely would bring a skid steer with a grapple. Bring thaty before the crane.

 

[Husky288XP]

Want to add another climber/ISA Cert. Arborist.

 

[murphy4trees]

Steve... you ready... if not get ready... you'll learn a lot bro..

We may or may not go depending on Wilma, but would welcome you to the crew...
Can you beg, borrow, or steal a camper trailer?
email me or call 610-688-3669

 

[Husky288XP]

Hey Dan,
I'll only go if BigJohn goes.LOL

What did you think of EHAP here in State College?

 

[murphy4trees]

never made it!
got shocked later this summer too... only service lines, but scared me hard... Major series of brain farts on that one! Hadn't been sleeping much for weeks... breaking up with girlfriend was indeed life threatening...

 

[Shaun Bowler]

How did your employee chip 12 lbs of (metal) equipment?

 

[Tree Trimmer]

A retired stock broker who operated a crane in college decided to buy one to have something to do. He got a 35 ton Altec with 127 ft. of main boom mounted on a '05 Sterling. The cable is inside, and with that 127 ft. he can still manage around 3000 lb from 75-80ft away.

Brand new with spreader bar, timbers, plywood, slings, chokers, etc. the whole package was just under $200,000. At the moment he charges $100/hr. to set trusses, and $120/hr. for just about everything else. He can definately operate the machine safely, but productivity in tree work is an issue sometimes. I think that's why his rate is usually about $15/hr less than the competition. However from what I've seen that machine do so far, I'd say it'd be hard to beat overall. Just make sure that the operator matches whatever you get. There are some trees (mostly sprawling oaks) where we go for the competition because they can pick it much faster than he can with the same set-up. I'm talking 2hrs difference between the two operators.

One thing to consider also is set-up. This machine has to be perfect for the computer to behave right. I've seen a 25 ton boom truck get into places this thing would never go. From the looks of the pictures that you've posted in the past, it seems that your business is in tight residential areas. A bigger machine isn't all that great when you can't get close enough for it to be of use.

I'm sure you've thought of most of this, but said it just in case you haven't. My father-in-law is retired with little to do. I've been trying for the last year and a half to get him to think about buying a crane. His son is a carpenter and could hook him up with all kinds of truss work. Add that to the 7 or 8 crane jobs I do per month and it's a no-brainer on finacial feasibility.

TT