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Self-Propelled Mini Crane
"It's handy. I use it every day," says Les Asbury, Lafayette, Colo., about his 3-wheeled, self-propelled"mini crane" built out of an Army Jeep drive train, Volkswagen car steering box, and the single tire and front end off an old Case tractor.
Asbury' s "mini crane" is equipped with the Jeep's 30 hp 4-cyl. gas e
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Self-Propelled Mini Crane MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Forklifts 18-1-8 "It's handy. I use it every day," says Les Asbury, Lafayette, Colo., about his 3-wheeled, self-propelled"mini crane" built out of an Army Jeep drive train, Volkswagen car steering box, and the single tire and front end off an old Case tractor.
Asbury' s "mini crane" is equipped with the Jeep's 30 hp 4-cyl. gas engine, 4-speed transmission, and two of the wheels. The single tractor wheel mounts on the back end of the crane controlled by the Volkswagen steering box (which is hooked up to the Case tractor steering assembly). A 12-ft. boom mounts in front of driver, equipped with an electric winch that runs off the rig's 12-volt battery.
Asbury runs a farm machinery repair business and also restores antique tractors. "I use it to take engines out of old tractors and haul them into my shop or to load equipment onto a 28-ft. long goose-neck trailer that I built. It'll lift up to 1,000 lbs. as high as 10 ft. I also use it to lift front-end loaders off tractors.
"It steers almost like it has power steering because of the Volkswagen steering box. It steers on both ends. I put a 2-way valve on a hydraulic pump. One valve raises or lowers the boom and the other valve steers the front drive wheels via a hydraulic cylinder connected to the steering tie rods on each end of the axle. I push the valve forward to turn right and back-ward to turn left. I use the steering wheel to turn the single wheel in back. It really turns short. I didn't gear down the 4-speed Jeep transmission so I usually go in first gear except for when I drive it in local parades."
The single wheel is bolted to a frame built from 4-in. channel iron. The frame is welded to the Jeep's steering arm and is controlled by the Volkswagen steering box.
Asbury spent $200 to build the mini crane.
Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Les Asbury, 214 N. 120th St, Laf ayeue, Colo. 80026 (ph 303 665-5683).
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