Manual vs. auto leveling on mobile cranes - not even close

I spent the last 3 years running a 50 ton Grove with automatic outrigger leveling at a site in Houston. Thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then I got bumped to a older Link-Belt that's all manual with bubble levels and hand cranks. Took me a whole week to stop cursing the thing. But after a month I realized I actually prefer the manual setup. The auto system would sometimes settle funny on uneven ground and I'd get that slight lean in the cab. With manual I can feel the ground give and adjust in real time. Plus I caught a soft spot on a parking lot last Tuesday that would've sank the auto rig before it even registered. Anyone else ditch the fancy electronics for old school controls?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_martin283d agoMost Upvoted

Have you noticed how this applies to everything now though? Like my buddy's new truck won't let him shift manually and it drives me nuts. Sometimes your brain just knows what's happening better than a computer does.

eva_lewis2d ago

Honestly, manual lets you feel the ground conditions before the crane does.