Got my Light Material Handling Crane (LMHC) today!

[Awesomeness]

LMTV could self-replace its own engine. Although the stated weight on the cat vs the crane, pretty marginal.

This was actually my original plan, two years ago when I was replacing my engine, but I couldn't find a LMHC in time. I know the LMHC is only rated to 700lb with the boom extended, but it must have a crazy factor of safety on it. The cheap little Harbor Freight truck bed cranes are rated to nearly the same rating, and they are WAY WAY WAY flimsier construction than this LMHC.

 

[aleigh]

This was actually my original plan, two years ago when I was replacing my engine, but I couldn't find a LMHC in time. I know the LMHC is only rated to 700lb with the boom extended, but it must have a crazy factor of safety on it. The cheap little Harbor Freight truck bed cranes are rated to nearly the same rating, and they are WAY WAY WAY flimsier construction than this LMHC.

Possible the rating is originating with the pocket on the bed too, not the crane itself. Or the winch. Hard to say. I just wouldn't stand under it.

I like the crane a lot but I really hate cranking it. A lot of times what I'll do is pull in parallel to my M1082 trailer and move stuff across and ugh takes forever. How depressing. I've been wondering if I couldn't rig something up with a power drill to spin it after I saw a ham guy do the same thing to crank up an antenna mast. They make a lot of torque after all...

 

[Awesomeness]

Possible the rating is originating with the pocket on the bed too, not the crane itself. Or the winch. Hard to say. I just wouldn't stand under it.

I like the crane a lot but I really hate cranking it. A lot of times what I'll do is pull in parallel to my M1082 trailer and move stuff across and ugh takes forever. How depressing. I've been wondering if I couldn't rig something up with a power drill to spin it after I saw a ham guy do the same thing to crank up an antenna mast. They make a lot of torque after all...

Yeah, the crank is the a part of the design I would like to see improved. Mine came with both a long and short crank handle, but even the short handle can't clear the boom (so you end up doing a lot of back and forth). The crank also sticks out pretty far, and gets bumped by cargo going into and out of the bed - but you can't really turn it to face the front of the truck either or you really have to do a lot of back and forth.

It would be nice if it had a hex head, spline, or joint, and the handle was removable (without tools - quick disconnect). Then you could make a power drill attachment like you're talking about too.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Pics of the handle attachment?

 

[Awesomeness]

Pics of the handle attachment?

You can see the handle attached to the "waist" joint of the crane. The shaft to the permanently-attached ratcheting head of the handle sticks out about 8", and then the grip on the end of the handle sticks out about another 4". So roughly, the tip of the handle grip is protruding into the bed cargo space about as much as the folded down troop seat bench is. All of that is permanently attached (yes, you could take it apart, but it's on there with bolts, snap rings, etc., so it's not meant to be taken on and off while using the crane, with the current design).

If you look at the length of the handle toward the floor, you'll see there is a joint in the middle with two bolts. This picture has the longer of the two handles provided installed, and it reaches to maybe 6" off the floor. The shorter handle section provided is about half as long (below that two-bolts joint), cutting another 6" or so off it. I now always leave the shorter handle on it. Once the crane is rotated over the perimeter of the handle's swing (most of the time you're using it), you have to ratchet back and forth.

I haven't tried to take it apart yet, but from the outside it's not visible how the ratchet mechanism is keyed/splined to the shaft coming out of the waist of the crane. The shaft is round, and the bit of shaft protruding from the ratchet is round also. There are no visible splines, square portions, keyways, etc. I'll have to get it off one of these days (looks to be held on with external snap rings), and figure it out.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Looks a lot like the Autocrane Econo ton 2 with electric motor for the "swing" part(only yours is crank). Might be an easy swap to power the rotation.


Info starts on page 39:

https://autocrane.us/wp-content/uploads/EconoTon-II-IIR-999938-0200.pdf

 

[aleigh]

I haven't looked closely at mine in while, but IIRC the handle isn't that permanently attached, the ratchet is sitting on splines and snap ringed on. Something like that. So something that would fit the splines on the drive and go in a drill should work. The crane looks to me a lot like you'd find on a boat to handle a dinghy, painted green. There are certainly cheaper alternatives, but I was glad to get the original one.

 

[st8drumz]

Got some questions about the receiver hole in the bed. Did you install this yourself or was it something that was already there. I'm building one to put in an m1082 trailer and never considered that as an option. Would someone mind posting pics? I was just going to mount it on a 12" square plate and bolt it to the deck.

 

[Awesomeness]

Got some questions about the receiver hole in the bed. Did you install this yourself or was it something that was already there. I'm building one to put in an m1082 trailer and never considered that as an option. Would someone mind posting pics? I was just going to mount it on a 12" square plate and bolt it to the deck.

The M1078 truck beds have the receiver holes in all four corners of the bed, from the factory. The M1082 trailers do not have the holes.

 

[DukeNukem]

The M1078 truck beds have the receiver holes in all four corners of the bed, from the factory. The M1082 trailers do not have the holes.

Thanks. Yea a couple cranes would be nice

 

[jmpogue89]

I picked up an LMHC, and it finally arrived. The crate was weathered pretty bad, but everything inside looks ok. Data plate says it was made in '07. I got it all unpacked, and assembled in the truck. I haven't had a chance to clean the cables and terminals, so I haven't powered it up yet. Should be fun!

I'm a little surprised that it only has an 800 & 1500lb rating. The thing is built like a brick-s**thouse... way sturdier than crappy engine lifts I've had that were rated for far more. I'm not sure if there is an actual reason for that, or if it's just ridiculous military factors of safety so no dumb Joe could possibly ever break it?

View attachment 721941

I have a big ask. I just acquired the crane and it is missing the bracket that slips onto the stantion and holds the crane arm. If you find yourself extremely generous feeling one day, could you trace the side of that bracket and the pin holes and post it? I will be working on mine to clean it up and repaint it since it came from the surplus program. I don't have the controller, but I think I can make something up and paint it green.

 

[CMPPhil]

Hi All

These little cargo cranes are a great tool if you do projects that involve lifting or moving more than what you can lift alone. Here are a couple shots of using my 3 Ton CMP and its cargo crane to replace the front porch main beam. Silly beam developed rot after 50 years just don't make wood like the used to, of its 20 ft length 6x6 cross section one section had rot two inches deep on one side.

First shot is of moving the new 20 long laminated 2x6 layers of pressure treated wood into place. Once fully in place added another layer of 2x6 to both sides.


Second photo shows the lift arm centered over the beam CG ready to lift.

Last photo shows the new beam raised to the correct height and the far end set in the beam pocket. Can you see what the temporary supports are? In this picture the old beam has been cut away and is being lowered to the ground with the electric winch on the crane.

The drop side body on the truck makes such good staging from projects like this. Have you figured out the temporary supports? The are military tent poles, I have two that are cut to the correct length so that I can fold the side up, put the rod through the clamp hold slot and you can then walk on sides.

 

[jmpogue89]

in case you were wondering

 

[JD4044M]

Might have to look at the Crain I built a while back for my tractor. Just need to adapt it to the square hole and make it pivot around.