Trusted a 20 year vet about the two-block rule, glad I did

Been running a Liebherr LTM 1090 for about 4 years now and always thought I had the two-block figured out. Old timer from the job site in Tulsa, guy named Ray, told me to listen for the cable tone change before the warning light even flickers. First time I tried it on a real pick last Tuesday, that sound hit and I stopped the load just before the block kissed the boom tip. Saved me from a nasty rework and probably a load chart violation. Anyone else rely on sound over the sensors or am I just paranoid?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahclark7h ago

Man, I hear you but I gotta push back a little. Sensors exist for a reason, and they don't have bad days or tired ears. Your cable tone trick works until you're wearing earplugs or it's windy or you're just distracted by a spotter yelling. I ran a Grove for six years, and the one time I trusted my gut over the gauge, I was off by almost two feet. Lucky nothing hit, but that's a dumb way to learn.

campbell.robin7h ago

Exactly why backups exist, the gauge catches what our gut misses.