kendal

I'll send pics of my completed one in a week or 2. I did not say it was the best crane I have seen. What I am trying to say is that for everyday service and install it is just as capable. I personally like that it is on an F550 which makes it more versatile with less maintenance. Elliott's version of that goes 45' working height with no lifting capabilities and costs 100k. It does the same job for less with the exception of lifting 6,000 lbs. So for me this crane will do 95% of what the others will do. It is a sign crane designed for the sign industry. I believe there was a huge void in that price range. It simply cannot cost $170,000 to build an Elliott or Manitex! They are very nice but overpriced. If you can afford it then yes I recommend those too as they are great products. Those pictures were to basically show that it is not the same crane that used to be built. It was not 100% complete as far as the winch goes. The controls have been moved to the right side and changed to a paddle control. You can also relocate the controls to the front if you like it there better.Larger lamp bin will be added to mine. Forks under the bucket to hold sign faces. Remember you tell them what works best for you as they are built to your specs. Of course you could nit pick anything on any truck if it wasn't made to your liking.

Step bumper was added to my trucks as well as relocating the hydraulic tank for more bins. As far as the basket access being dangerous are you kidding me? I hope when you are working on a sign you would have cones out or enough room to set your boom down somewhere. The strobe light will blind the operator? Really? These are the meaningless things you are bitching about? Everything you complained about is as simple as telling them where you would like everything to be located as they will put it wherever you like. That is the advantage of actually dealing with the factory and not a dealer. I'll do my best to make sure there is a crane at the next show. I can't speak for the owner but I am only 45 minutes from the Orlando show. Worst case, I'll drive it over there. And once again for all of you who are not paying attention " Sam Marcum is no longer there or has anything to do with I-CRANE!!!" as stated in my first post! Thanks for paying attention. Good Talk!

If they keep building the current crane with the improvements that have been made the reputation should turn around soon. I do agree that it will be an uphill climb.

Sam Marcum is no longer there. The crane you are speaking of used to be no good! I know first hand because I bought the first one and I still use it every day. It is not so great and you need to have some sort of mechanical skill to fix the problems. The new owner has spared no expense in making the new crane a top quality crane! Have you even seen the new crane? After looking it over I purchased 2 of them. I've been in the industry for 26 years so I have seen and worked on every kind of crane there is. In my opinion the new I-CRANE is just as good as Elliott or Manitex and even has a few features that are nicer. The lifting capacity is less but how often do you need to crane to pick up a 6,000 pound sign? This is not the same crane that was built by skylift. Heavier tubes, bigger cylinders, 360 degree rotate, steel cat track (not plastic), very heavy duty hydraulic outriggers, paddle controls in basket, etc. at 50k less than the other guys. This is an industry where people think that their used cranes are still worth the $165,000 they paid for them. So, get a 2007 Manitex or overpriced Elliott or buy a brand new unit from I-CRANE? I'll take the new unit on a new truck with no issues! So maybe you should take a look at the new crane before you trash talk the new owner who has other successful fabrication companies and has obviously invested a ton of money to make it a top quality crane.