Crane Cabs Have Come a Long Way

Even though I’m mostly retired, I still try to keep up with the interesting things going on in lifting, heavy-haul, construction and engineering.

Pretty much every day, I check out LinkedIn, Facebook and other websites to see the interesting projects and the equipment working on them.

Recently, as I was looking at photos of cranes at work in the summer heat, I was reminded of how much the operator cab has improved over the last three decades.

Things like full enclosure, climate control and tilting that are common today were once unheard of.

Although those earlier cabs were state of the art for their time, today’s versions offer another whole level of comfort, convenience and operator assistance. 

I wonder how many of today’s operators, who have never run a crane that was made before the 1990s, take for granted the creature comforts and operational aids that earlier generations of operators didn’t have.

At Manitowoc, for example, the model 4100W, rolled out in 1969, introduced the Universal Operator’s Module, that was a separate module.

On earlier models, the operator enclosure was part of the overall machinery house that enclosed the diesel engine, chain and gear drives, radiator and other machinery.

A big step up in comfort, the Universal Operator’s Module set the standard for about 23 years.

But as big an advancement as it was, that module was nothing like today’s cabs.

Though an air conditioner was optional, operators most often created ventilation by opening the door and windows.

And the science of ergonomics had not yet been deeply ingrained into the overall cab design, seat and controls.

The era of modern cabs began in 1992, when Manitowoc introduced the M-250, a 275-U.S.-ton capacity crawler crane that could self assemble without assist equipment.

The updated version of the M-250, introduced in late 1990s, is the model 2250, many of which are still working today.

The M-250 was a giant leap forward, and the cab reflected it, with improved lines of sight, electronically processed control, a comfortable seat that could be adjusted to specifically suit the operator and many other features. 

In creating that cab, Manitowoc partnered with a company that specialized in designing cabs for many kinds of equipment, including farm machines. 

Over the past two decades all crane manufacturers have continued to evolve their cabs with an eye to comfort, easier operation and more safety.

Almost all now come with fingertip controls, comfortable seats, climate control, computerized operator assistance, camera systems for better all-around vision and even upward tilt that makes it easier to see the boom tip and load at high boom angles.

Thoughts from an Expert

Although I’ve never been a crane operator, I’ve been on jobsites and have interviewed plenty of them over the years about what they like and would like to see different about their “offices.”

There’s nothing like the voice of someone who’s been in the seat, so I called John Egnatz, a friend who has operated cranes for nearly half a century.

Now mostly retired, John is a certified operator and a 45-year member of IUOE local 150 in Chicago.

He has run rough-terrain, all-terrain, truck and crawler cranes from all the major manufacturers, both past and present.

His perspective comes from running cranes of many generations, from rigs built in the 1960s to today’s newest offerings.

Also, Egnatz has a detailed memory and loves the iron so much that it has always been top of mind for him.

As he says, “I have always had cranes on the brain.”

Egnatz says that one thing he notices as being much better today are operator seats.

“An operator spends lots of hours in the seat, and manufacturers now seem to realize that seat design is really important to operator comfort and productivity,” he said. “The seats in the older cranes were often just a cushion with a back and were uncomfortable.”

Another feature of modern cabs that Egnatz lauds is maximum visibility.

“It was important years ago, but today’s cabs have so much more glass and fewer structural obstructions,” he said. “Some cabs look like the canopy on a helicopter.”

He also notes that being able to tilt many of today’s cabs upward improves both overhead visibility and operator comfort.

“Also, camera systems can help the operator see the load, the space around the crane and, most importantly, what the hoist drums are doing,” Egnatz added.

Today’s in-cab climate control also stands head and shoulders above what was available in the older cranes. 

“Whether it’s cooling in summer or heating in winter, today’s systems are a big improvement,” said Egnatz. “In the older cranes, if you wanted cooling, your only option was to open a window and the door.”

Today, some cabs have such good HVAC systems that you can keep the doors and windows closed and still be comfortable. “It’s like being in your car,” he said.. “I can’t imagine what the next generation of cabs will be like.”