Tried a manual leveling boom last week, never going back to hydraulics

I was on a tight job in Denver moving steel beams between two old buildings and grabbed a manual leveling luffing jib instead of my usual hydraulic setup. That thing was way more precise for the tight squeeze, and I didn't have to worry about any fluid leaks messing up the concrete below. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a big difference in control?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonk9812d ago

Yeah, that manual control is night and day on tight fits... no fluid worries either.

zara_sanchez12d ago

Honestly I used to think manual was just old school and that anything modern with hydraulics had to be better. But I borrowed a friends setup last weekend for a tight spot in my garage and yeah, you were right. The feel is just way more direct, you can actually tell exactly where everything is without guessing. I spent like 20 minutes fiddling with it and it just clicked. No worrying about fluid leaks or a pump dying either, which is a big deal if you're out in the middle of nowhere. Kinda changed my whole opinion on the old stuff.

theajohnson12d ago

That manual setup really does change how you think about the whole job. I had the same kind of awakening a few years back when I was helping a neighbor clear out an old tractor shed and we had to use his granddad's equipment. Everything just felt solid and honest, you know? No lag or sponginess, just pure mechanical connection. Ended up buying my own old manual jack after that and I don't think I'd ever go back for the small stuff. There is something satisfying about knowing exactly how much pressure you're putting on something without any electronics or fluids in between.