Remember when we used to eyeball everything from the cab?

I was setting a 20-ton generator on a new pad in Kent last week and decided to trust the new digital load indicator instead of my old feel. The numbers said I was dead level, but when I unhooked, the whole unit had a slight forward tilt. Turns out the sensor was calibrated for a different rig's geometry. I had to re-rig and reset the whole lift, which cost us about three hours. Now I always do a visual check with a level on the ground before I fully release. Anyone else had a sensor give them a bad read?

2 comments

2 Comments

faith_thomas1d ago

That bit about trusting the digital load indicator... I get it, but I've gone the other way. My old feel got me in trouble more than once, especially on long days when I was tired. A sensor might be wrong sometimes, but my eyes can play tricks way easier. I'd rather trust a tool that's usually right, even if I have to check its work now and then.

the_claire1d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that reminds me of the time I tried to eyeball the oil level in my car. The dipstick looked fine in the garage light, but I was a whole quart low. Fried the engine on a road trip the next week. Now I check it three times in broad daylight, no shortcuts. Sometimes your gut is just tired.