Galion Dresser 150a Crane

[Olivetroad]

I just bought this at a auction. It came from a local water district that bought it new and never used it much - it is a 1981 with only 1500 hours. Pretty clean, straight, and unmolested crane. We put a new $280.00 battery in it and now it runs great. Even the turn signals work.

It has two live sections of boom, but while greasing it, I noticed that there is an additional roller support under the very end of the second stage like there is an additional section that either hydraulicly or manually extends. There are three large pins in the end of the second section that I think you would have to remove at least one of them to access the third stage. I can't tell which one or more to remove. I hate to remove the wrong one as I bet one of them goes through the end of the hydraulic cylinder that extends the second stage and I don't want to pull it out and not be able to get it back in place easily.

My local Komatsu/dresser dealer just laughed at me when I asked them for help. I won't be buying any filters from them. Any ideas?

I also need to find/make a FOPS type door for the top of the cab. The one that was in it was just plate glass, so they cut it into pieces before they sold the crane - thanks a lot.

I have a job I need an all-terrain crane like this for, but I have to have the door in place to pass muster. What can I make a door out of that won't yellow in a short time?

[randyp]

What make of engine is in it? Clean looking cherrypicker! randyp

[David]

Nice clean unit. About half way through the first day you neck will be telling you why it only has 1500 hours.

[umodelnut]

That would be handy for putting the cab back on my U model, Olive.

[Olivetroad]

What make of engine is in it? Clean looking cherrypicker! randyp

Good old 453 Detroit. Starts good and runs quiet - - - sorry Ben.

Nice clean unit. About half way through the first day you neck will be telling you why it only has 1500 hours.

HA! After the first hour, I was missing my stand up National. I can run that thing all day long without much trouble. This thing requires a degree in acrobatics to get in and out of the cab, and then when you have to work off the back, you can't see a dern thing without first plumbing in a hydraulic swivel into my neck. At least it has continous rotation. I am trying to install a anti-two block system on it so I can use it on a job in a few weeks and a recovery winch on the back. I really like the thing so far.

[umodelnut]

Crappy old 453 Detroit. Starts crappy and runs oily - - - Not Sorry Ben.

[Rob]

I just bought this at a auction. It came from a local water district that bought it new and never used it much - it is a 1981 with only 1500 hours. Pretty clean, straight, and unmolested crane. We put a new $280.00 battery in it and now it runs great. Even the turn signals work.

It has two live sections of boom, but while greasing it, I noticed that there is an additional roller support under the very end of the second stage like there is an additional section that either hydraulicly or manually extends. There are three large pins in the end of the second section that I think you would have to remove at least one of them to access the third stage. I can't tell which one or more to remove. I hate to remove the wrong one as I bet one of them goes through the end of the hydraulic cylinder that extends the second stage and I don't want to pull it out and not be able to get it back in place easily.

My local Komatsu/dresser dealer just laughed at me when I asked them for help. I won't be buying any filters from them. Any ideas?

I also need to find/make a FOPS type door for the top of the cab. The one that was in it was just plate glass, so they cut it into pieces before they sold the crane - thanks a lot.

I have a job I need an all-terrain crane like this for, but I have to have the door in place to pass muster. What can I make a door out of that won't yellow in a short time?

GE brand "Lexan" will hold up to sun exposure and is very tough. It is what motorcycle windshields are made of. Not cheap and much better than "plexiglass" commercially available in hardware stores.

Rob

[Olivetroad]

GE brand "Lexan" will hold up to sun exposure and is very tough. It is what motorcycle windshields are made of. Not cheap and much better than "plexiglass" commercially available in hardware stores.

Rob

Rob - I called a local glass shop and they said they can get me a piece of Lexan to fit. They can get up to two inches thick. My question is, how close to the edge can I drill holes to attach a metal frame so I can hinge it like a door? Will it tend to crack out from the holes? Or can hinges be attached to just the Lexan and if so, will it hold up without a metal frame?

[Rob]

Rob - I called a local glass shop and they said they can get me a piece of Lexan to fit. They can get up to two inches thick. My question is, how close to the edge can I drill holes to attach a metal frame so I can hinge it like a door? Will it tend to crack out from the holes? Or can hinges be attached to just the Lexan and if so, will it hold up without a metal frame?

Have a piece of aluminum broke to wrap the edge about 3/4" in from edge and center drill for through bolting ever three inches. In a FOPS application I would probably go with 3/8" or better thickness. The stuff really is pretty durable but a 3/8ths bolt falling from say 10 feet can put the hurts to a guy if it hits them. When I had interest in the sawmill cab manufacturing entity, we used 1/2" on the door and screen in front of the sawyer, and it would stop an airborne "kickout" chunk of wood without breakage.

Get light gray tint of about 15%-20%. It's not dark enough to hinder working at night but will knock the sun intensity down a lot.

Rob

[randyp]

I hire out every now and then to 2 major corporations here Olive, well, re-phrase that, I hire out to a contractor with the million dollar insurance, I run under his insurance, he pads the bill and makes money offn me sweating, I even have to put his magnetic stickers on my equipment. Long story short, evry time I do, they give equipment a thorough inspection, reminds me of old days and MSHA inspections, every light better work, backup horns, zero leaks, fire extinguishers up to date, etc. I have checked into insurance, cant afford for the amount of work I do for them. I dont mind long as i get my going rates, but the inspections get to be a hassle. Im not much into hard hats and safety glasses anymore. randyp

[Olivetroad]

R

I hire out every now and then to 2 major corporations here Olive, well, re-phrase that, I hire out to a contractor with the million dollar insurance, I run under his insurance, he pads the bill and makes money offn me sweating, I even have to put his magnetic stickers on my equipment. Long story short, evry time I do, they give equipment a thorough inspection, reminds me of old days and MSHA inspections, every light better work, backup horns, zero leaks, fire extinguishers up to date, etc. I have checked into insurance, cant afford for the amount of work I do for them. I dont mind long as i get my going rates, but the inspections get to be a hassle. Im not much into hard hats and safety glasses anymore. randyp

I carry crane insurance as I have a National truck mounted crane I hire out with, so it is nice to have another machine to hopefully use more often. I right now only run the crane about one or two days a week, so this should help to spread that stinkin' overpriced crane insurance over more days out of a year. That is the nice thing about this little crane, everything works on it and no oil leaks or anything. The only thing it needs is the roof covered and some sort of anti-two block protection installed. I hate those anti-two block wires running down the boom as I always rip them off doing tree work in tight places. But I have to install it to work on a state contract coming up.

I kind of appreciate the hard hats and safety goggle more now than I did years ago. I think in my single and fancy free days I was either three sheets to the wind or so hard headed that I never noticed knocks to the noggin like I do now. I for sure don't let my sons help without all their safety gear in place. I don't care much about my flesh, but I am kind of partial to theirs! The blushing bride toted them around in her belly for too many months for me to get them hurt when they are just trying to help out.

[other dog]

GE brand "Lexan" will hold up to sun exposure and is very tough. It is what motorcycle windshields are made of. Not cheap and much better than "plexiglass" commercially available in hardware stores.

Rob

oh...yeah, well I guess that would be better than what I was gonna say about a piece of exterior plywood.

[other dog]

I need an all-terrain crane like this for fishing, we have some huge carp in Kingdom of Callaway Lake, but I have to have the door in place in case a storm comes up. What can I make a door out of that won't yellow in a short time?

By the way, here's my favorite carp recipe-

clean and scale the carp- leave it whole, no fillets!

stuff carp with fresh green horse manure

bake in oven at 350 degrees until the fish flakes easily with a fork

remove from oven, throw carp away, eat horse manure.

.

[Olivetroad]

That is more water than we have seen all year. Our catfish pond is at half full and they are starting to die. All of our other ponds have dried up to where we can't water the cattle with them. We are watering 160 head of cattle from a garden hose coming from the house. I have to run out and shut it off so we have enough water pressure for showers! If our well dries up, we are going to be in a world of hurt.

Your photoshop powers are impressive as always..........that photo really gave me a lift....get it? I wrote lift.......you know, lift as in crane?

[other dog]

That is more water than we have seen all year. Our catfish pond is at half full and they are starting to die. All of our other ponds have dried up to where we can't water the cattle with them. We are watering 160 head of cattle from a garden hose coming from the house. I have to run out and shut it off so we have enough water pressure for showers! If our well dries up, we are going to be in a world of hurt.

Your photoshop powers are impressive as always..........that photo really gave me a lift....get it? I wrote lift.......you know, lift as in crane?

Thank you, and yes, I get it.

Hope you get some rain out that way soon. We got a nice shower Friday evening, but that's all it was, a shower. About a quarter of an inch I think.

[randyp]

Hes my hero and mentor Olive! randyp

[Olivetroad]

Hes my hero and mentor Olive! randyp

Cool - Now I know who to blame!

We had 3/8 of an inch last night, didn't even settle the dust or wash off the cows.

[other dog]

Cool - Now I know who to blame!

We had 3/8 of an inch last night, didn't even settle the dust or wash off the cows.

cattle are starting to look like alligators around here, or hippos- a lot of them get in the farm ponds belly deep, now i'm seeing some where all you see sticking out of the water is their heads and the top of their backs.