Trip next monday

Truck Shop

Well-known member
I have a little trip to make this next Monday. I will fly to Jansen, Co. to look this one over and drive it back if it's ok.

Truck Shop

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Truck Shop

Well-known member
Is that a Holmes rig?
Yup that's a Holmes 750 25 ton. The interesting thing about Holmes is the fact that they rated on a full spool of cable. The 750 is actually 35 ton on the
first wrap of cable and the cable drums on a 750 will hold allot of 5/8 cable. This one is full hydraulic.

Truck Shop
 

Truck Shop

Well-known member
You know I suppose the newer two stage hydraulic boom tow trucks are great but the price of one is ridiculous. I know of one just bought used for $375,000.
The payments on that rig are huge and the tow bills will reflect that cost. The old 750's and 850's were main recovery and tow rigs for years and did a very good
job. This new tow philosophy is pretty silly-IMO. If the truck that's wrecked is totaled well it's pretty much junk aside from axles, trans and maybe the engine.
So what is the need for a $750,000 dollar rotater when you can just yard it over the bank with a standard tow unit anyway.

These high dollar towing outfits are for people that can't or don't understand how to operate with out it. It's nothing more than a Grove Crane that will do 75 mph.
Towing bills have gotten stupid, in Washington State if your on state patrol rotation the state patrol sets the rate. Class eight tow is set some where in the
$340,00 hr range. We have had 100 mile tow bills of $1,700 bucks- That's quite nuts.

Truck Shop
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
The trend here has been the hydraulic boom with a long wheelbase tandem plus a tag axle. Occasionally we'll see a rotator. I've often wondered what these things may cost, the chassis alone must approach $200,000. I suspected a rotator was simply a crane mounted to a truck frame. I'll see a rig with a sleeper now and then on the interstate but all the locals have day cabs. For years there was only one name in the area, but he retired and sold the business and since then another guy has gotten into heavy towing and within ten years he's gone from a couple used rigs to about 8 new rigs including a rotator! I wouldn't have thought there was enough business in the area to support all that equipment.
 

td25c

Well-known member
Nice find Truck Shop !

Trucking company close to me uses a Zack Fifthwheeler unit to drag in problem rigs .


http://zacklift.com/build-fifthwheeler/

They install it and haul out a good truck to wherever , swap it out with the trailer & haul back the dead truck for repairs at the shop .

I totally agree where your coming from Truck Shop ! Free market has a way of adjusting itself when the tow / haul bills get high enough .

People will take a second look and figure out a more cost effective solution to the problem .

I was trained on a 1968 single axil IH wrecker with a home built bed & 290 cummins . We drug everything in with that truck !

Then we set up a Holmes 750 on a tandem chassis & had the world buy the A$$ with the twin booms & all the options that came with it .

Pretty nice wrecker beds that were still simple and performed like a champion !
 

Truck Shop

Well-known member
Thanks TD- the reason we are looking at going this way is I've always liked the versatility of the 750. We can use it to pull an engine at the shop and so on.
But the slip on units means we would have to bring another truck off the road and use it for the transporter. Where with this unit it's there when we want it.
And if the truck and unit are in ok condition and the frame and mount for the Zack are right I will probably bring it home-1,250 miles.

The cost of this truck is 25K a Zack fifthwheeler is 33K. The 750 is worth 6 to 7K the Z30 wheel lift used is 10K so the truck comes in at 8 to 9K.

Truck Shop
 

td25c

Well-known member
No doubt Truck Shop ! Hard to beat the versatility of a well set up 750 Holmes unit . That truck will sure make tasks easier at a cost effective price Bro !

First thing I added to my 750 beds was a set of torch tanks & gas drive welders . Go anywhere & do damn near anything with them .

Pretty handy rigs when trouble comes knocking at the door .:D
 

Truck Shop

Well-known member
Didn't bring it home. Transmission was junk and cab was was real tired. To bad because the wheel lift and box and 750 were good with triple frame rail.

Truck Shop
 

td25c

Well-known member
That's to bad the KW did not check out .

Spotted a few Peterbilt rigs with Holmes 750's on them .
https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/18139415/1993-peterbilt-377

https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/17558875/1987-peterbilt-359


Nice looking Mack with the Holmes 750 military bed . https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/18658043/1974-mack-r685st

Have to open up the check book a little wider to get the under lift . This Freightliner don't look bad .
https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/17319267/1997-freightliner-fld120
 
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Truck Shop

Well-known member
Well right now the boss and I are looking at this 91 Pete and a 89 LTL Ford {not this blue one but also a yellow one-just an example}. Both have 35 ton units
with spades and integral wheel lifts rated at 38,000 lbs. Both have 425 Cats, The Pete has a 18sp with dual lockers the Ford has 13sp with one locker.
The Pete is 316 WB the Ford is 292 WB. I want to be able to run to N. Dakota or Colorado at the drop of a hat which is what it's for. Especially in winter.

Truck Shop

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Truck Shop

Well-known member
That's to bad the KW did not check out .

Spotted a few Peterbilt rigs with Holmes 750's on them .
https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/18139415/1993-peterbilt-377

https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/17558875/1987-peterbilt-359


Nice looking Mack with the Holmes 750 military bed . https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/18658043/1974-mack-r685st

Have to open up the check book a little wider to get the under lift . This Freightliner don't look bad .
https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trucks/for-sale/17319267/1997-freightliner-fld120
By the way thanks TD I did see those two also but those were to far away and this last one was actually to far also. The owner wanted to go with me so we drove 1,262 miles one way.
And the later model units he came up with then staggered when he found out the price. Tried to tell him.

Truck Shop
 
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Truck Shop

Well-known member
Another set up I'm checking out, might bag everything and go with something like this. 500 hp Detroit Series 60 with a 10sp, 290 WB, 40,000 Lb permanent mount
Zacklift

Truck Shop

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td25c

Well-known member
Yeah Truck Shop . I hate it when a guy cant find a truck close to home set up at least close to how he would like it .

Or if you do find one price is out of spending range .

Oh well , time to take matters in hand & build another wrecker that fits the need's & budget .

Mix in some old school Holmes 750 with a used Zack lift like on the KW you went to look at .

Time to build another wrecker .:)

I did spot this ( look's used ) Zack Fifthwheeler over at Zip's .
http://zips.com/major-equipment-detail/zacklift-z303-fifth-wheeler-12425
 
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