OT(?) Small Truck Cranes?

[steamandsteel]

Hello,

I'm looking for small powered cranes that you can mount onto a truck / service trailer. I've seen them a couple times but not sure who makes them or what they are exactly called. Usually some sort of hydraulic setup, extendable boom, capable of lifting 500-2000lbs? I saw one that might have been six or seven feet for total retracted length, and something in that size/weight range would be ideal for me.

Not looking to lift more than a ton most likely. Just want to be able to cherry pick stuff around and not have to break my back or mess with an engine crane.

Steel stock, scrap, drill presses/machines, etc is what I'm looking to lift. Basically, looking for some recommendations for what you guys do to manage stuff like th is. Open to any and all ideas for lifting stuff like this!

Thanks

 

[petersen]

The first brand names that come to mind are " Auto-Crane" or "IMT".

Wouldn't be "OT" in the material handling section.

 

[SteveF]

Searching on "pickup mounted crane" seems to find them.

Western Mule Pickup Truck Cranes

Steve

 

[Tci_]

I think ours are Auto Crane. Most of them are 3.5 Ton what we have on our service trucks and have to have outriggers. Probably heavier than what you’re after but maybe they make some lighter duty.

 

[Andy St]

Steve beat me to it but for a pickup truck I really loved my Western Mule type bumper crane.

Western Mule Cranes

Mine was a different brand but very similar. Can be used as a winch also. I also had a hitch mounted high lift pallet jack and / or lifter stacker that I could take with me and not take up any room in the bed.

One of the knuckle cranes that seem so common in Europe on small trucks would be even better. I have never seen one on a pickup however.

Andy

 

[Andy St]

A set up like this would be very nice for the type of things you do.

T-HiDuo 038 Power, Safety & Precision for Utility Trucks

Andy

 

[Bill D]

Might check where folks use lighter versions to lift material into a lathe or mill. Some are even mounted on a tool post to lift the chuck.
Sky Hook is the brand?
Bil lD

 

[Rob F.]

Use a lift gate?

 

[TDegenhart]

Have to be careful with the bumper cranes. You have to be sure the bumper and take it. Owner of Furnas Electric decided to purchase a bumper crane company as an investment. The crane was supposed to be able to handle 1000 lb. Only problem was that the bumper buckled after about 700 lb.

Tom

 

[Andy St]

Tom what brand was that? I'll have to remember to steer clear of them if I ever get another one. The western mules and the one I had make the bumper on normal pickup look like a beer can.

Andy

Have to be careful with the bumper cranes. You have to be sure the bumper and take it. Owner of Furnas Electric decided to purchase a bumper crane company as an investment. The crane was supposed to be able to handle 1000 lb. Only problem was that the bumper buckled after about 700 lb.

Tom

 

[MrWhoopee]

Harbor Freight. Hand pumped, rated capacity 1000 lbs. I hung my 700 lb. Kalamazoo 8CW bandsaw from it and left it overnight. It didn't bleed down.



I've since powered it with an old snowplow pump.

I don't think it will lift as much as with the hand pump.

They have other types.

 

[TDegenhart]

Tom what brand was that? I'll have to remember to steer clear of them if I ever get another one. The western mules and the one I had make the bumper on normal pickup look like a beer can.

Andy

that was 20 years ago. I just don't remember.

Tom

 

[Mud]

One of the knuckle cranes that seem so common in Europe on small trucks would be even better. I have never seen one on a pickup however.

Andy

I saw a Hiab on an F250. It looked like there wasn't much GVW or bed space left for hauling goods, but it looked good on the truck.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Harbor Freight. Hand pumped, rated capacity 1000 lbs. I hung my 700 lb. Kalamazoo 8CW bandsaw from it and left it overnight. It didn't bleed down.

View attachment 278308

I've since powered it with an old snowplow pump.

I don't think it will lift as much as with the hand pump.

They have other types.

I was coming to post that one...

 

[moonlight machine]

I had a truck crane, I now have a lift gate. The lift gate is a lot more useful for me. I'll never have a truck without a lift gate again.

 

[D.D.Machine]

I have a lift gate on my old shop truck and keep the truck around just so I can use the lift a few times a week to get chips into my dumpster. I think I use the liftgate more than my forklift

 

[Mud]

+1 for a liftgate. Tommygate makes lightweight lift gates suitable for a pickup truck. I have one on an f350 box truck, it's most of the reason I own that truck. Capacity 1000 lbs.

 

[steamandsteel]

Awesome replies, thanks for all the information guys. Wanted to make sure I knew what they were actually called, and some manufacturers. I'll start some research!

MrWhoopee - nice creative solution with the HF Crane. Many times I've wanted to haul full rounds but have had to split or saw in half before trying to lift.

 

[JoeE.]

Many times I've wanted to haul full rounds but have had to split or saw in half before trying to lift.

Wish I'd had a smart phone back in the day.

I was cutting up a downed Red Oak tree...it was a live tree, wind had blown it over. The trunk was between 4 and 5 foot dia. at the base where I was cutting.

Those trees are just dripping with water... they thrive in wetland areas around here.

Anyhow, since the stuff was so heavy I was curious what the pieces weighed. I have a harbor freight hoist, like the one in that video, mounted on my splitter beam. It's got radio remote control electric winch mounted to it, and that and some log tongs are how I lift these monster pieces up on the beam.

I got down to the last piece and lifted it up onto my splitter and just pinched it to hold it in place with the hydraulics so I could travel back to town to my shop, where I had a platform scale.

Rolled the scale out onto the drive in front of the shop and let the piece down onto the scale.

It weighted 648 pounds. 2 foot thick and about 40" across. Splitting it... sometimes it looks like squeezing water out of a sponge!