TIL a level check before every lift saves way more time than I thought

I was on a job in Pittsburgh last Tuesday and watched a guy spend 20 minutes re-rigging because his outriggers weren't level. Now I do a quick bubble check on the crane base before I even touch the controls, saves me rework every time. Anyone else have a habit that cut down setup screw ups?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancythomas21d ago

Guess I gotta disagree a little bit here. Levels are good but they can fool you if the ground underneath is soft or if the crane shifts after you set the outriggers. I've seen guys trust that tiny bubble and end up with a twist in the frame. I always do a quick visual walk around the whole setup first, look for any settling or gaps under the pads before I even pull out the level. The real time saver for me is checking the ground condition before I start placing cribbing, stops me from having to redo the whole pad setup.

ryan36921d ago

Saw a guy level off a rig on an old asphalt lot once that turned out to be hiding a drainage trench.

carr.elliot21d ago

Saw a guy level off a rig on an old asphalt lot once that turned out to be hiding a drainage trench. Yeah, and I bet he also saw a guy trip over his own shoelaces. This whole "never trust the bubble" thing feels like making a federal case out of a ten second check. If the ground's that bad you'd notice it setting the outriggers, not after. People act like a level is some arcane device that lies to you. It's a bubble in a tube. If it's level, it's level. The rest is just overthinking.