Ifor Hiab Project.

[Stroppymonkey]

I muttered about doing a mini Druid style report on our crane trailer project - so here it comes.
It all started back in 2019 when after nearly 20 years of installing plastic oil tanks, there came a few changes in regulations which meant that fire protected oil tanks became more widely spread. The plastic variants of these were 2-300kg but manhandleable, but steel fire protected tanks were much more compact and proved to be more functional when replacing existing tanks with restricted clearances. Compared to 150kg for a normal plastic bunded tank the original steel ones were 600+kg and the first couple we installed required some skill in transporting and locating them. The first one was in a garage so we used the same technique as we do for Agas and Rayburns, namely scaffold tube rollers and brute force.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

We then moved on to getting the local Hiab lorry in on the odd job, but access often became an issue. Nice wagon though. This was on a local school job. Managed to sell both of those old tanks for some sensible money during lockdown. Abnout 7000 litres each one. Both bunded. Metcraft made them, very helpful company as they went through old files for me and dug out the drawings from 1996 so I could calc the lifting weight. Had to move them onto trailer to get into my top yard. Neighbor helped with his FLT as bigger than mine. He has a different H&S policy to me though....

 

[Stroppymonkey]

It was about June 2019 that we upped our game and bought the 'Beaver 10-07' tracked carrier. We used this for moving steel tanks around, loading in the yard then driving it into position and lifting off with a cheap engine gantry and block and tackle. The gantry had a 8ft beam and was a 3 man erection, so we had some narrower beams fabricated to suit it, then had them tested and LOLER. We tried the Beaver for different tasks and explored its limits of stability.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Then one Friday afternoon a gem popped up on Marketplace (or whatever it was called in 2019).. a little Fassi crane on a bespoke spider trailer. The seller was in Bristol in a unit repairing ride on mowers. He bought it for rescuing mowers for repair but didn't use it much. Original built by a fabricator in South East in 2006. It came with ALL the original design notes and drawings/calcs/invoices etc. Originally built for erecting lighting poles on sports pitches IIRC. Came with a brochure so it looks like they tried to make/sell more of the same, but not sure if any were ever made. Originally had sliding out legs which were in the brochure, but once I tracked down the original owner (in Thailand now) he said the legs were cut down and welded for less weight. The seller already had a buyer the next day but I managed to gazump them by getting upto Bristol that same evening (horrible storm). I think I paid just under 5K for it and might have got the Vat back as well. Seller wasn't too sure about the tyres so I took up the LM105 trailer behind my camper as outside of my 100k radius and didnt want a tug in the work van for no tacho. It was a bit of a big to load but went on backwards in the end. Looks like I weighed myself on the way home, and clocked my mpg for the trip as well.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Once I got it back to yard we had a play with it, then straight out on site next week to drop a plastic tank over a hedge. Spent the next year with it learning new tricks and uses for it within the business. Always a bit annoying having to take 2 trailers and vans on every job, one with the crane and one with the load. We had some good times with it, despite Covid-19 doing its best to interfere. Although still had the big Fassi in occasionally, and the Beaver got good use for many heavy things. Gantry still got used where we needed to when nothing else would fit.

 

[DaveDCB]

Have you seen the little hooka lifter things? That would be ideal surely?
Follow a few guys who use them for lifting steels into house builds, some very dodjy lifts but no way other than 20 blokes under it all for a lot of them!

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Have you seen the little hooka lifter things? That would be ideal surely?
Follow a few guys who use them for lifting steels into house builds, some very dodjy lifts but no way other than 20 blokes under it all for a lot of them!

I did look at those. At the time couldn't find any to hire around these parts and a lot of money (30k maybe?) for new ones. also a bit wide as lots of ours need to go down 800mm gap. Also the hookah designed for dumpys or pallets and not optimum for carrying long thin tanks on trailers. Would be handy for the final lift sometimes. Quite often we will drive steel oil tank on the beaver onto or next to the new slab then reach over hedge or fence with Fassi (at max capacity) and lift just enough to get the beaver out. Don't mind pushing my luck when everything close to the floor but not when its not! We had the apprentice (big lad) sitting on the outriggers with 2 bags of sand before. The capacity of the crane was much more than the trailer could handle.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Thread Resurrection time.
This was the original fabrication and a brochure that was made. Wonder if any others were made? Circa 2006.

@Mogman do you think you could move this Thread to the members blog section if possible? Thankyou in advance.

 

[V8Druid]

Thread Resurrection time.
This was the original fabrication and a brochure that was made. Wonder if any others were made? Circa 2006.

@Mogman do you think you could move this Thread to the members blog section if possible? Thankyou in advance.


View attachment 69771

Mog's hiab is good -- but not that good ... you need to ask @Regy53 for a move .... he's the captain of the ship

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Mog's hiab is good -- but not that good ... you need to ask @Regy53 for a move .... he's the captain of the ship

Doh. Dunno what I was thinking. Have edited now.

 

[Regy53]

done so

 

[Stroppymonkey]

done so

Thankyou Sir