Visibility and Control

Enlarge Image Image 1: Pettibone's T8044 with traversing boom lands loads inside narrow openings.

The key advantage of a telescopic handler with a traversing boom is the operator's ability to move the load horizontally, permitting loads to be landed inside narrow openings, such as windows, or to more readily be able to spot a pallet of material onto a scaffold.

One of the newer models from Pettibone, Baraga, Mich., is the T8044, an 8,000-pound capacity, 44-foot maximum reach machine, which features a boom assembly that traverses 70 inches at any lift height. Read on for details on the power and operating systems behind the T8044 and an assessment of
its serviceability.




 

Power and operating systems

Power comes from a Cummins 4.5 liter electronically controlled Tier II compliant engine; the turbocharged engine peaks at 110 hp. It is mid-mounted in the frame, a more traditional direct drive installation location. And although the engine is loud, as many Cummins installations are, this one wasn't as loud as many I've seen. Certainly a few dollars worth of insulation would have been worth it to mitigate the noise inside the cab. The engine's mid-mount position presents service issues for the placement of the starter and the oil filter, neither of which are very easy to access.

 

Power is transferred through a Carraro-supplied power shift transmission. The TLB2 transmission offers fully modulated four speeds in forward and reverse. In other words, the fully modulated transmission protects itself from damage if you are driving at 20 mph in fourth gear, for example, then suddenly drop it into first gear. Instead the transmission allows for deceleration to a safe RPM before shifting into the selected gear.

 

Carraro also supplies the entire driveline. Trunion-mounted axles provide a 55° turning angle, producing a very impressive turning radius. In four-wheel steering mode, the inside turning radius is less than 12 feet. Two-wheel and crab steer are also standard. Pneumatic 13:00 x 24” tires, inflated to 80 psi, are rated at either 14 or 16 ply depending on the supplier.

 

The unit features an all-new hydraulic system developed in conjunction with Parker Hannifin and Pettibone's distributor G.S. Hydraulics, Milwaukee, Wis. It is a pressure compensating system, used in favor of the more common load sensing system. Although pressure compensating is not new technology, it is new to this application.

 

Central to the system is a pressure compensating variable displacement piston pump supplied by Parker Hannifin. The secret to its success is that the system runs at a constant 2,850 psi, producing zero hydraulic flow until requested, peaking at 38 gpm.

 

According to Pettibone, this hydraulic system offers quicker response to controller input. In addition, Sun Hydraulics supplies a sequencing valve which gives priority flow to the steering and braking systems. Although unlikely, if the system pressure drops below 2,600 psi, optimum flow is ensured to these two critical functions. Proportionality for the main and auxiliary boom functions come from a combination of pilot operated hydraulic and fully proportional electro/hydraulic valves.

 

Enlarge Image Image 2: The hydraulic oil reservoir features a dirt box inside it to filter oil before it enters the secondary tank.

What's more, it takes a very large wrench • the size only a mechanic would have • to remove the hydraulic oil reservoir's plug. This design choice makes it highly unlikely that anyone would accidentally pump diesel fuel into the wrong tank.

 

Parker Hannifin has supplied a “dirt box” inside the hydraulic oil tank to improve filtration. When new oil is introduced, it goes into the initial tank where it passes through a 10-micron filter before entering the secondary tank. This reduces the potential for contamination coming from the oil drum or any vessel used to transfer the oil into the tank.

 

All hoses are protected by an external sheath and hose brackets. In addition, each hose is strategically located to protect them from
premature wear.

 

However, the hoses that will experience the most wear are those that provide a bridge from the chassis to the boom's moving sub-frame, extending over the engine. Only time will tell how these hoses will stand up to heat produced by the engine.

Enlarge Image Image 3: Extra steps have been taken to protect hydraulic hoses from premature wear

The boom itself is robust, offering full power in and out and employing a single double acting cylinder. The cylinder works in conjunction with a roller chain to deploy or retract the tip section.

Booms slide pads are oil-impregnated nylon; only the weight-bearing pads, those on the bottom of the boom, have to be greased. All slide pads feature steel threaded inserts and are held in place with lock bolts. Removal is as easy as loosening the bolts and sliding them out.

Enlarge Image Image 4: The boom is shown here traversed in its maximum forward position. When in this position, hoses must reach across the engine, exposing them to radiant heat.

The paint finish is a combination of two-part epoxy and powder-coated components. Pettibone is moving toward powder coating as many of the components as possible. The largest, and in my opinion, the most appropriate, component of the machine that receives the powder finish is the boom assembly. This should help it withstand wear and tear associated with constantly sliding in and out.

 

One last service point: sealed pivots, pins, and bushings are used where appropriate in order to increase life.

Icing on the cake

Subsequent to my review of the T8044, Pettibone announced in March that its full line of material handlers delivered after April 1, 2005, will be equipped with Qualcomm's GlobalTRACS equipment management system as standard equipment. The GlobalTRACS system is designed to collect, manage, and transmit equipment operating status and location data. All the information can be accessed via a Web-based application or integrated into existing back-end business software systems. Other advantages to the system include the ability to report engine hours, monitor the security of the machine, and allow users to create virtual boundaries, or “Geo Fences,” with both entry and exit alerts. Upgrades to the system can be completed remotely. In the future, it's expected to be able to remotely monitor vital machine functions.

 

And to top it off, Pettibone backs its products with a limited two-year or 2,000 hour (whichever comes first) factory warranty.

Likes

• The T8044 features robust construction • generous use of heavy steel plate translates to added stability and operator confidence when placing loads.
• For a high-mounted boom design, visibility in the T8044 is excellent.
• Proportional controls on all boom functions, including secondary functions, allows for true variable flow for three functions simultaneously.

Dislikes

• Noise from the engine is hard on the ears.
• The absence of a tilt steering wheel detracts from otherwise well-positioned controls.

Verdict

• Unique design, quality construction, and efficient operational features make this a high-dollar product worthy of its price tag of
  $117,077 list.