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I used to think the old Manitowoc 4100W was a dinosaur, but seeing one at the Port of Tacoma changed my mind.
I was down at the Port of Tacoma yesterday and watched a crew using a 4100W to set some massive precast panels. The operator was moving the load so smooth and slow, you could barely see the swing. He told me they've had that crane for 28 years and it's never missed a major lift because the parts are simple and everything is manual. Made me rethink always wanting the newest rig with all the screens. Anyone still running one of those old girls, and how do you keep them going?
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gibson.elizabeth6mo ago
Totally changed my view on those old cranes too.
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oscarb776mo ago
Remember my buddy who used to call them ugly scrap metal? He got a tour of the old dockyard and saw one up close, gears and everything. He came back saying they were actually kind of beautiful, just like you said, @gibson.elizabeth. Now he points them out like they're public art.
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kim.xena5mo ago
Watch how they move sometime, the way the whole thing sways a bit under a load. That slight give is what keeps them from just snapping. It's a machine built with a kind of forgiveness you don't see anymore. Makes you respect the old engineering a lot more.
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