Finally tried a lattice boom over a telescopic on a tight job site in Portland

I was setting HVAC units on a roof last month and the telescopic just couldn't get the reach right without blocking the whole alley. Swapped over to a lattice boom from a guy I know named Mike and it was night and day different, the boom was lighter and I could actually see my load path. Anyone else find lattice just gives you better control when you're working in tight spots like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_webb6716d ago

Oh man, lattice all the way in tight spots like that (and I've been in plenty of them). The weight difference alone makes it way easier to maneuver, and you can really feel the load better through the controls. Plus, with telescopics you're always fighting that extra bulk and blind spots from the boom itself. Lattice just gives you that surgical precision when you're threading the needle between buildings and power lines.

foster.jordan16d ago

@jamie_webb67 hit the nail on the head about surgical precision. Lattice booms give you that feel through the controls that telescopics just can't match, especially when you're dancing around obstacles like power lines. The lighter weight of the lattice also makes a huge difference in how the truck sits, which matters a lot when you're on a tight city street with limited outrigger space. I've had jobs in downtown Seattle where a telescopic would have forced me to shut down the whole block, but a lattice let me sneak in and out with barely any disruption. Mike sounds like a solid connection to have, those rigs aren't always easy to find on short notice. Good call swapping over, you saved yourself a lot of headaches.

drew_jones3115d ago

Try telling that to my foreman after the time I forgot how much lighter a lattice rig sits and nearly tipped an outrigger on a sloped parking lot. Took me a solid hour of sweating and re-leveling before we even picked up the first load. Your point about feeling the load through the controls is solid though, that feedback is the difference between a clean lift and a close call every time.

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