Pettibone
Perhaps the signature feature of the Cary-Lift is its forward reach. The lift arms can extend forward without the machine being repositioned, leading to faster loading and unloading cycles. A range of attachments, in different types and sizes, adapts the machine to specific pipe and pole handling jobs.
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Visibility is a safety issue on a busy yard. The forward-reach design keeps the load in front of the operator, so material can be placed with confidence and precision. The 180-degree unobstructed view protects both the operator and other personnel on site.
The contrast with traditional machines is clear. A wheel loader carries loads high, into the operator’ s sightline. A straight mast forklift’ s view is limited by the mast itself.
Stability Matters.
Stability is another major differentiator and, arguably, the strongest advantage of the Pettibone Cary-Lift.
ISO standard 14397-1 requires a 50 % operating capacity derate for articulating wheel loaders. In practice, a wheel loader carrying a load through a turn loses significant stability. To stay stable while turning, its maximum payload must be cut in half.
For operations that turn constantly while moving material around a yard, that derate is a major limitation. The Cary-Lift steering-axle design avoids the problem because the machine stays stable through turns without giving up half its capacity.
Frame Sway Control.
Rough, uneven ground adds another challenge. The Cary-Lift’ s standard Frame Sway Control lets the operator rotate the machine’ s position up to 7 degrees left or right of center to accommodate uneven terrain. The load stays controlled while the machine stays stable on surfaces that would unsettle other equipment.
Increased Productivity
Safety and productivity often result in a compromise of each. With the Cary-Lift these two important performance metrics are mutually reinforced. Because the machine is inherently stable, it can safely carry larger loads at higher speeds than wheel loaders, which means more loading cycles per shift.
The following points summarize the major advantages in productivity compared to straight mast forklifts:
• Less repositioning. The lift arms reach forward up to 7 feet, 9 inches without moving the machine. A side shift feature moves the attachment up to 6 inches in either direction.
• Less material damage. The frame shift feature rotates the frame up to 7 degrees either way to line the attachment up with the material. This prevents damage from misalignment during picking and placing.
• Greater range of motion. The Cary-Lift offers up to 4 feet more lift height than competitively sized wheel loaders and up to 42 % more tilt range of motion.
• Streamlined gondola loading. A 90-degree tilt-down range lets the Cary- Lift reach all material inside gondola rail cars, so no extra personnel are needed inside the car during loading or unloading.
• Easier operation and first-time accuracy. More control over machine position gives operators flexibility, and better visibility helps them pick and place material correctly the first time.
• Shorter loading cycles. Wheel loaders must cut payload by 50 % to turn safely. The Cary-Lift avoids that constraint, so each cycle does more work.
Together, these features remove the inefficiencies that accumulate during a work shift, i. e. backing up to reposition, re-picking a misaligned load, sending a worker into a rail car, or making two trips where one would do.
Cary-Lift Applications
The Pettibone Cary-Lift is specialized, but used across several industries, including:
• Pipe yards: moving, loading, and unloading loose or bundled pipe, and unloading trucks and rail cars.
• Utility pole yards: moving, sorting, and stacking poles, and loading charges into treatment tanks.
• Wood yards: unloading trucks, moving and stacking logs, and feeding mill conveyors.
• Tire handling: tire maintenance when paired with a tire handler attachment.
• Conveyor handling: repositioning conveyors in mining applications.
The Bottom Line is the Bottom Line
Many operations use whatever equipment is available, even when it isn’ t suited to the job. The Cary-Lift starts from a different premise: long, heavy, unwieldy materials need a machine designed specifically for them.
Every engineering design choice serves that goal. The overhead lift arm expands the operator’ s view. Steering axles avoid the 50 % turning derate that limits wheel loaders. Forward reach, side shift, and frame shift reduce repositioning and material damage. Extra lift height and tilt range make jobs like gondola loading simpler and safer.
The Pettibone Cary-Lift has been in service since 1949. Proudly produced in Baraga, Michigan, the Cary-Lift remains the reference point for forward-reaching rough terrain handlers. The Original. The Best. Period. For more information, contact Pettibone Traverse Lift, LLC, 1100 Superior Ave., Baraga, MI 49908, at 906-379-4529, or visit pettibone. com.
FEATURE Cary-Lift Wheel Loaders Straight Mast
180 ° Visibility Stability at Height Stability When Turning Handles Long Loads Rough Terrain Capable Load Control & Precision Operator Safety
The comparison is even-handed. Wheel loaders get credit for rough terrain, and straight mast forklifts get credit for stability when turning. But the Cary-Lift is the only machine with a check in every category. Each competitor does one or two things well. The Pettibone Cary-Lift covers the full set of requirements for long-load handling.
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