Hydraulics Power New Digger Derrick to Higher Levels (.PDF Download)

July 7, 2017
Hydraulics Power New Digger Derrick to Higher Levels (.PDF Download)

Although utilities in new residential neighborhoods generally are buried underground for aesthetic reasons, utility poles with suspended wires still are used extensively in commercial, industrial, and rural areas. In these applications, above-ground poles and wires are much faster and less expensive to install than underground lines.

Machines known as digger derricks bore holes into the ground for the poles and place them into the holes. Digger derricks are similar to truck-mounted cranes but are designed specifically with powerful hydraulics that position the boom and rotate the auger, as well as boom-mounted grapples to handle the poles.

Although a truck-mounted crane equipped with an auger attachment also can be used for this purpose, it requires a certified crane operator and is not tailor-made for digging operations. A machine designed specifically as a digger derrick provides better digging ability. It also can incorporate special features to enhance performance and make the operator’s job easier, including systems that improve the ability to manage side loads and controls that can be operated either from the machine’s console or with a remote device.