Boom Pole Users

Have a chance to get 1,2 or both boom poles.

One is the standard Cat 1 (500 pound)and the other is the Heavy Duty for Cat 1 or 2 (2000 pound) for a slightly higher price.

I only need one and for heavier jobs will use on a Ford 860 (45 HP)....is the heavy unit overkill?

Or should I get the heavier unit just in case I get a bigger tractor?

thanks, Tim

Don't have any extra weight on the front end of the tractor either.

The 2000 lb. pole is definite overkill and will be much harder to hitch/unhitch.

Dean

Over kill yes but you will find it is far better to have over kill then to have under kill. When I build something I always build it over kill that way if you need it strong it is. The one rated for 500lbs at best will get you or some one else hurt if you really use it to lift any thing. A common run of the mill 2 bottom pole will put the 500lbs at its limit if not over

(quoted from post at 11:34:41 03/15/12) Have a chance to get 1,2 or both boom poles.

One is the standard Cat 1 (500 pound)and the other is the Heavy Duty for Cat 1 or 2 (2000 pound) for a slightly higher price.

I only need one and for heavier jobs will use on a Ford 860 (45 HP)....is the heavy unit overkill?

Or should I get the heavier unit just in case I get a bigger tractor?

thanks, Tim

Click to expand...

Definitely get the bigger unit. If you get the smaller one, and then decide to upgrade in a few years, the smaller one will be worthless as a trade-in, and you won't be able to sell it either.

My first thought is get the heavier of the two. That being said, I bought the light duty cheapy at TSC a few years back assuming I would bend it the first time I used it, and then I would beef it up to my liking.
What I like about it: It's light and easy to move around by hand. I usually just store it on top of the well house shed which is about 4 1/2 feet tall and I have no trouble setting it up there by myself.
One day we had a large tree fall near the house. I was in the middle of taking the tractor apart when this happened, but I fired up it's half naked body and hung the pole on the back so I could try to move the tree. Tree was more than could be moved, so I chained it and lifted it until the front wheels were off the ground and proceeded cutting off sections of the tree. Each section the tractors nose would drop some and the tree would get higher. Safe? No. But my point is, the pole didn't bend and to this day I still have not bent it. I guess you just never know.


And in this pic I had it tied a ways forward on the pole, as I recall it was a bit light in front and I had to haul these pieces a pretty good ways to the burn pile far from the house. This is a Ford 3000 diesel by the way, no front weights. (I doubt the lack of sheet metal had much effect)
This would have been a lot easier with a FEL, but hey...you use what you have and be darn grateful you have what you have!

I started with the light weight one...it works OK, but it scared me unloading big stuff off the trailer.

So I bought a heavier one...now I never ever use the lighter one.