Driving MEWPs and similar things

[LXbydesign]

Its fun when you explain to management that you can do it faster and safer, but you would need to reinforce or just replace the stage so it can support a self-propelled Geni at around 950Kg. But they do make the job fast, easy and safe! (assuming you have no rake etc etc)

Their eyes bulge at the costs!

 

We have a genie - and I would just point out as to its use that the pro side is that - following the correct protocol - the device is extremly safe to use and greatly reduces the amount of manual labour required by a focusing team.

 

The down side is that when the cradle is elevated, and you wish to move forwards / backwards etc, the machine moves at an incredibally slow pace - even less so than being moved manually on a scope or scaffold tower.

 

In the past , for me to do a complete re-rig / focus on a scope / tower it took around 5hours, doing the same thing on a genie it now takes around 6 and a half. The only way to speed things up is to methodically work out your "route" of focus to reduce "driving time", because going up and down in the cradle becomes more time consuming as well.

[Tomo]

The down side is that when the cradle is elevated, and you wish to move forwards / backwards etc, the machine moves at an incredibally slow pace - even less so than being moved manually on a scope or scaffold tower.

If you're going more than a couple of metres, it's usually faster to come down, reposition and go back up.

Most of them go up and down pretty fast.

 

Some scissor lifts are slower than others elevated - but it is a very important safety feature, as you really wouldn't want to do a hard stop from full pelt!

The jolt's bad enough when lowered, let alone up in the air.

[Neil Hampson]

We have recently upgraded to a Genie Scissor lift for the main stage, while not quicker to do the actual focus it does mean that you can get on with the job without having 3-4 crew at the bottom moving you around that can be getting on with other things on the stage (I'm not advocating lone working here though)

 

The joystick control on our is unforgiving to say the least, in the lower position it will go from 0-top speed with the merest touch of the joystick, we have lot of lovely skidmarks from when it stops in much the same fashion. most of the users actually prefer to drive the thing with the lift up a few feet, just to get a bit more control, especially if there's lots of set and people on and around the stage

[Simon Lewis]

The joystick control on our is unforgiving to say the least,

 

Have you tried driving it with the "Tortoise" button engaged? It's a lot more controllable...

[Ynot]

The joystick control on our is unforgiving to say the least, in the lower position it will go from 0-top speed with the merest touch of the joystick,

Surely you can select 'snail' 'tortoise' or 'hare' when the lift is down? With restrictions on the top two when you're higher...

[Neil Hampson]

The joystick control on our is unforgiving to say the least, in the lower position it will go from 0-top speed with the merest touch of the joystick,

Surely you can select 'snail' 'tortoise' or 'hare' when the lift is down? With restrictions on the top two when you're higher...

 

There are several speeds that the thing will go, it's just a fine art to get it to go the slower speeds as the sensitivity of the joystick is such that a hair's breath is all you need to set it going.

To try to visualise:

0-10% movement of the joystick = nothing

11%-25% Movement = Analouge control from 0 to top speed

26-100% Movement = Top speed.

 

Yes, when the platform is about 1m up (when the mini-outriggers come dowm) the speed is proportionally reduced.

 

Apparently, this can be adjusted to be a bit more linear, but it needs to be done by the Genie service guy, rather than something we can do ourselves.

 

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

The joystick control on our is unforgiving to say the least,

 

Have you tried driving it with the "Tortoise" button engaged? It's a lot more controllable...

 

Tortoise Button, Sorry never heard of that one. I certianly don't recall a botton on the platform controls for that, is it on the main body control panel?

(We have a Genie 1930 scissor lift)

[rmarchand]

In my experience, I have only come across the tortoise/hair options on the Mobile Boom platforms (cat 3B), all the scissor lifts (1B) I have ever used only have a joystick and a toggle to switch between vertical movement or directional movement

[Simon Lewis]

OK, I have an 18 month old Genie 2632 scissor lift, and in addition to the drive/steer and up/down button, there is another button with a tortoise pictogram on it.

 

Joystick control in the slow mode is gradual and proportional. Trying to do anything delicate in full speed mode is rather frustrating ;-)

[GRisdale]

We also have a fairly new GS1932 scissor lift (about two years old) which has a "tortoise" button to lower the drive speed. On older machines it was more of a slope pictogram on the button I think... Sounds like your machine is set up all a bit wrong - the guy that does your 6 monthly service should know how to adjust it. As for skidding to a stop, at the end of the day the machine weighs 1500kg and doesn't have ABS... :P

 

Gareth.

[SoLiEn]

we have a Genie, and bloody hell does it make focusing easier. whereas before with the enforced ban by our council bosses next door the stage would take a good few hours to focus, ( all bars are counterwieght so we rig them up, then all we have to do is troubleshoot and focus up there) but with the genie it now takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to do a full on stage focus. as for the methodically working out a route, I used to think ok, next im going blah blah blah, now I jsut do it automatically, its lovely. beats a talle anyday. plus you can have tools in the basket, and we have a little workbench type thing up there too as part of the kit.

 

no more having to move bloody flats when they are in an awkward posistion. just raise the jib arm up and over.

 

Perfection.

 

oh and 950kg? in our respect thats majorly under spec'd. we have a fully fledged 2.5tonne beast.

[TeeJay]

2.5 tonnes?

 

You've just gone straight through our sprung floor onstage onto the level below. Hope you miss the mains intake room and offices down there ...

 

The problem we have with MEWPs is finding something that has an equivalent height to a 'scope without the huge weight at the bottom.

 

The nearest we've found is the Upright U-Drive 25 - equivalent to Genie's runabout but you'll get two for the weight limit ...

 

Of course, they don't make them any more and not many places have one but for those of us who don't have concrete slabs for floor ...

[TimmyP1955]

Safety first! This safety film in in German, but it doesn't matter ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IylMJzDwooA...feature=related

[SoLiEn]

we do have a strong stage I must admit, but we are fine. the orchestra lift I think has a dynamic load of around 3 tonnes if not more. its a beast of a thing!

 

If anyone cares, we have a Haulotte Star 10.

[Ben K]

we do have a strong stage I must admit, but we are fine. the orchestra lift I think has a dynamic load of around 3 tonnes if not more. its a beast of a thing!

 

If anyone cares, we have a Haulotte Star 10.

 

I care! :unsure: