Link-Belt 120|HTLB helps build new mill in Red Cloud, NE
A 120-ton (110-metric ton) Link-Belt 120|HTLB hydraulic truck crane is currently assisting the construction of a new feed mill at Gottsch Feed Yards of Red Cloud, Nebraska. The site presently holds 50,000 head of cattle and looks to increase its capacity to 62,500 with the addition of the new mill, now its third on-site.
Purchased by Patriot Crane & Rigging of Omaha, Nebraska, the 120|HTLB is lifting auger conveyors, stainless steel pipe, and a new steam chest for the project. Measuring and weighing up to 3,800 pounds, the augers were lifted onto a 50-foot-tall mill, requiring the crane to extend out nearly 170 feet of boom, affording it a 120-foot max radius.
With a main boom max height of nearly 197 feet (up to 263 feet with maximum attachment), the 120|HTLB’s ample boom length decidedly met the needs of the job. Patriot crane operator Jeremy Anderson said the crane runs exactly as you want it to — smoothly.
“It swings real nice and smooth,” Anderson said. “All the functions are highly controllable, so it’s not jerky.”
Having two months of operating experience on the 120|HTLB, Anderson said he’s utilized the crane with full counterweight to set a 4,600-pound swimming pool at 142 feet and to lift cooling towers and air conditioning units at several local buildings. He included that the crane’s impressive chart allows it to extend deeply to the backs of the buildings and access the tops of cellphone towers with ease.
Anderson added that he likes the 120|HTLB’s Pulse 2.0 touch screen and charts capabilities as well as its vision package, noting its upper, dolly, and side view cameras are extremely helpful. Finally, he said the truck crane is incredibly maneuverable at job sites of all sizes and easy to drive on the highway.
“It’s a smooth ride,” Anderson said. “You don’t feel like you’re taking up the whole road.”