Old friction cranes had a rhythm you can't get back

I got my start in 2001 running a 1950s American friction crane on a job in Pittsburgh. That thing had a clutch lever you had to feel, not think about. I switched over to hydraulic machines around 2008 and they are smoother, sure, but the old one taught me load control like nothing else. Anyone else miss having to work the swing and boom with your feet on those pedals?

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johnson.jesse10d ago

That "clutch lever you had to feel" line hit me hard. I used to laugh at the old guys who swore by friction rigs, thought they were just stuck in their ways. But after running one for a summer on a bridge job, I totally get it now, your hands and feet become part of the machine in a way no computer assist can match.