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Using a telehandler for the 1st time

jonblakemore | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 17, 2007 07:51am

After years of wishing we had the right kind of job to use a telehandler, I’m finally getting the chance. We are framing a new house that is ~3,600 SF on a site of 121 acres. So there is plenty of room on site to use a machine. Up to this point, we have not worked on a job that was large enough to justify a machine, or the larger jobs were on lots that are too tight to maneuver.

We don’t have the machine on site, but it looks like we will be renting a Genie 6k lift with a work basket for $2,200 + tax. Since neither I or my business partner have any experience with a telehandler, I’m looking for the kind of advice you would give to the new guy on your crew about what to do and what not to do.

One of the first things I plan to do is pick up a bunk of OSB and slowly boom out with the forks barely above the ground. Hopefully, that will give us a good feel for the machines center of gravity and what can happen if you push too much.

Are there any other “exercises” to do that would teach us about the machine? Any blanket advice that you wish someone had told you early on?

I’m still on the fence about using the machine to set the trusses. We’ll know for sure when we get the second floor on, but I think the machine won’t have enough height to use for the main house. The garage and breezeway are one story, so I think we’ll set those trusses with the machine since the reach will not be a problem and it will give us a feel for the bigger roof, if we even attempt it.

 

Jon Blakemore

RappahannockINC.com

Fredericksburg, VA

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  1. davidmeiland | Mar 17, 2007 08:29pm | #1

    Jon, it's going to take you about five minutes to figure the whole thing out and get comfortable. Main thing I would say, stay away from slopes, and move slowly and carefully. I suppose from a legal standpoint you need to be a certified operator, and if something bad were to happen lack of certs could be a real problem. Might be worth looking into your state's view on that.

    1. User avater
      jonblakemore | Mar 17, 2007 09:09pm | #3

      Thanks David, I hadn't thought about certification. I will check on it. 

      Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

      1. davidmeiland | Mar 17, 2007 09:17pm | #4

        I used to work at a place that had a big warehouse. We loaded and unloaded semis on the street all the time, taking in units of sheet goods and sending out cabinets. One day a car tried to sneak by the forklift as he was grabbing something off a truck, and bumped him hard enough to knock him off the forklift. The cops came and the FIRST thing they did was check his certs, and luckily he had them. I drove the same fork all the time but never on the street, probably not a good idea even inside.

  2. User avater
    CloudHidden | Mar 17, 2007 08:49pm | #2

    Learn what the safe standing areas are, so that when one guy is operating, another can be the safety officer and keep klutzes out of the way. A backhoe, for example, can all too quickly swing sideways, so is more dangerous in that direction than most people imagine.

  3. frenchy | Mar 17, 2007 09:37pm | #5

    JonBlakemore,

        In all sincerity and not because I sell them either but can you rent an Ingersol Rand?    If it's available it's a lot more stable than Genie plus it's a lot more user friendly. The genie is better than some (Caterpillar) but worse than average in that regard.   Should be the same price..  Hopefully you got one with foam filled tires.. if not check air pressure every day and every lunch period.. a nail can soften up a tire and just when you are at max load or stability point the soft tire will yield, you'll tip over and now the fun begins.. PS if you get a nail remove it and use a plug kit to repair the hole. Then fill the tire back up to 75 pounds of pressure. If you get a nail in a sidewall you need to get a tire company out to tell you if it can be rebooted.. (some will some won't) if the side wall gets torn you've bought a new tire (unless it's foam filled). Should cost you about $500.00 (plus lost time)  $250 for the tire and $250 for the service call mounting and disposal of the old carcuss.

     Make sure you have insurance.. your own is better than the rental houses.. the rental house may leave you still responsible for some or all the damage in a lot of cases..  Your own is a tiny fraction of what the rental house will charge, just give your adgent the serial # of the forklift involved and it's value and how long you'll need coverage..  Once you have your own have your agent fax a copy of the loss payee statement to the rental house and they should remove the charge for insurance.

      All that aside your excercise will give you a taste of it's capabilities and what it feels like to operate the controls. Once you see how far out you can lift the cube of flooring try other cubes as well.  roofing material and studs just so you can feel what differant loads feel like at the extremes.

          The advice on the slopes was partially correct.. when working on slopes you need to remain vertical,   that's what frame tilting is  all about.. watch the angle meter on the overhead guard (not the one on the boom)  adjust as you go but keep the load as low as possible.

     In fact keep the load low whenever traveling..  Travel slow, just creep in fact, speed comes with experiance, if you try for speed too quickly you will actaully slow down..

      I don't recommend using a telehandler to set trusses.   If it's reasonable to call a crane service in.. do so, the time you save will more than offset the cost of the crane..  To set trusses you'd want a swing carriage and I don't believe that Genie offers that yet. Setting trusses without a swing carriage and a jib is simply too slow of work.    You can turn a couple hour job into an all day job..

     A Jib adds 12 feet of reach to the 42 feet you have already so you might be able to do it but it's a slow job without experiance and a swing carriage  (swing not tilt) 

      The maximum you can do with a telehandler is 68 feet.. that's an Ingersol Rand 1056 with a 12 foot jib.   but that's a big machine.. a full foot longer than a regular 6000 pond forklift plus it requires outriggers so you lose 18 inches of forward reach.  (and it's another $30,000 when purchased new) 

     I totally disagree with you regarding the size of lot you need to use one efficently.. I built my house using one and you can tell by the pictures that I have a tiny lot!  That's a 5500 sq.ft house built on a lot that was 50 foot wide.. one side was less than three feet from the property line!   A lot of the time there was only room for the forklift and not the forklift and basket unless I raised the basket to clear everything and drove in with the basket in the air.. few machines are stable enough to do that, Only the Ingersol Rand.

       This first house is a learning experiance. How to use it in the first place.. You'll need to find out how to stage materials to use one efficently.  How to use it when it seems unlikely that it will work  (there are a lot of clever ways and not all of them involve risk or taking chances) what the machines limits really are

     Smooth really counts here,, you'll have a lot more capability if you can be smooth than if you're jerky. and as I said speed comes from practice.. `

      Anyway with experiance you'll find that you can build using one less grunt and still build 20% faster. (those are extremly conservative numbers but it's doubtfull you'll achieve that speed with your first attempt..

     Couple of points to look out for.. check road restrictions. Around here it's not uncommon that the local  roads have weight restrictions that require unloading at the main highway and driving it in. when doing so switch from 4 wheel steer to front wheel steer, four wheel steer at max speed is too dangerous.. then switch to 4 wheel steer when  back on the job site.. 2 wheel steer is only for the road not for working..  Crab steer is vary handy in certain circumstances so figure out how to select steering modes.  Usually it's get the rear axle straight and then switch modes. 

      Hmm A lot to learn are you sure they won't send a rep out to help you? we do, in fact unless I know you're familar with the equipment I'm out there for as long as it takes to ensure that you know what you are doing..

      As for license.. it's the law and been the law for nearly 7 years now. Few home building jobsites get visited by OSHA unless there has been a complaint filed (usually by a former employee) or a lost time/ fatality accident.

     I know I'm forgeting a dozen things, so feel free to ask.. I've been doing this for over 16 years so I love to help peaple learn about them..

  4. IdahoDon | Mar 18, 2007 04:40am | #6

    It's quite easy to stay safe around one, and just as easy to kill someone.  The power of any piece of equipment should be respected.

    Watch out for backing into things or bumping walls with the forks.  Keep bodies safely away from situations that might get them pinched or crushed.  Quite easily done.

    Have fun!  Those things are great.

     

    Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.

    1. User avater
      bstcrpntr | Mar 18, 2007 05:12am | #7

      Watch the guys as much as the machine.  Everyone wants to be an operator.

      Had a guy get his leg crushed this summer., and we still debate daily whose fault it was.  Not something that helps you sleep at night,

      There are blind spots, that even the mirrors can't pick up. It is very hard to see to yoru right, I normally travel with my boom up enough to see, but that can be dangerous too.

      take your time, take all day.  Dont just boom out, boom up.  Move slowly and the machine "speaks" to you. It is a deffinate feel from experaince.

      Full pallets of shingles are heavy, and they "boom down" fast, ask me I know.

      Hope I've helped

      Jeremy

      ps   we have to be certified here in illinoism and unions only allow carps to us ethem 4 hours a day, after that we must have an operator.The bad news is you've done exactly the right things to be exactly where you are today.   

        "IdahoDon  1/31/07"

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