Wasted $150 on a remote control crane add-on that was pure junk

Bought one of those wireless remote kits for my 20-ton Terex last spring thinking it would save me time on setups. Worked twice before the receiver started glitching during a pick near downtown Milwaukee, almost dropped a beam on a crew truck. Anyone else have luck with aftermarket controls or are they all this bad?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix1551mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you read that report from the crane safety council last year about aftermarket wireless controls? They found about 30 percent of those cheap kits have interference issues around city radio frequencies, which is exactly what hit you near downtown. I heard a buddy of mine with a Grove had the same problem, his receiver locked up mid lift and he had to hardwire bypass it on the spot. Those remote add-ons from no name brands just don't have the shielding or the fail safes that factory systems have, so it's basically gambling with your load. Might be worth checking if your Terex dealer has a certified retrofit kit, or you could stick with a pendant setup that won't drop signal when a delivery truck drives by.

blake3021mo ago

Nah, those aftermarket kits work fine if you install them right. User error kills more lifts than interference does.