That time I tried a soft start kit on my 30 ton and it saved my gearbox

I run a Link-Belt 30 ton lattice boom and for years I just slammed the swing lever and let her rip. Last month I finally put in a soft start electrical kit after my mechanic kept yelling at me about shock loads. The first day I tested it I could not believe how smooth the boom came around compared to the old jolt. I figured it would just make things easier on the operator but it actually cut down on the groaning noise from the swing gearbox. My oil temps dropped by about 15 degrees after a full day of picks too which shocked me. I learned that even a little electrical tweak can save you a major rebuild down the line. Has anyone else tried these on a older machine or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa519d ago

Noticed the same thing with my truck, little changes prevent big breakdowns.

julia_carter7019d ago

Yeah I read something about this a while back actually from some old crane forum. There was a guy who put a soft start on a 30 year old P&H and he said it stopped the gearbox from whining like a stuck pig. That sold me on the idea even before you posted this. The oil temp drop is the part that really caught my eye though. I always figured the heat was just from normal running but if the shock loads are cooking the oil then thats a big deal. Glad you brought it up because now I'm thinking about getting one for my old Grove before winter hits.