First pull with the 750

[Orcas Tow]

Received a call at 9 pm to bring the big truck for an excavator in a pond. I requested we do it in the light. The customer asked if we could do it tonight as it was submerged, he said he would do the dirty work:) I figured it was worth a look.I have not yet put the 750 to any winching load & thought about bringing the 14 Ton also but figured Id see if what the old timers say about the old Holmes 750's is true.

I showed on scene to find an18,000lb excavator in the middle of a pond with the arm/bucket fully extended. The operator was working on the edge of a clay bank reaching out across the pond to grab a fallen tree & the excavator slid down the bank to the middle of the pond.

 

 

I backed the old girl into position, lowered the hydraulic spades & started to pull cable, 2 2 part lines with 1/2" grade 80 chain at the excavator with the hooks terminating at the wrecker boom fairleads. The excavator owner & his helper did all the swimming/rigging underwater to the carriage.

 

 

I engaged the winches & man she drug that excavator plowing sideways through the clay all the way up to dry land without as much as an inch of wrecker movement or any indication of strain from the truck. Definitely some noise from the cables as they were wrapping on the winch drums but very impressed with the ability of this truck. I rotated the excavator around once on dry land, broke down the rigging & was back at my office within 2 hours of getting in the truck, didn't even get wet.

 

 

Mooresbp said:

Sweet

 

Roach901 said:

OH NO !! The next post was the listing for the 14 ton. Looks like the 750 pushed the 14 ton out of the nest.

 

Builder2 said:

Congrats, first winch out with a new rig can be a learning curve.

 

Orcas Tow  said:

Its for the love of Tow Trucks that I even own anything bigger than an 8 Ton. I bought the 750 as a "Collector Toy" & have found it is very capable to do anything towing related I ask of it for business also. My calls that require anything over an 8 Ton wrecker are few & far between so I hate to see the 14 Ton sit, guaranteed the nicest 2001 International for its age, very well kept but it needs to go to someone who can use it on a regular basis.

 

MACk6X6 said:

As you have just found - seeing is believing.  Say what you want but dollar vs bang you just can't beat the old Holmes Wreckers for straight-line bull winching.  Most will overwork the chassis they are mounted to - thanks for posting, Steve.

 

truckrepair said:

Dad taught my brother and I on the 750's we had. They are terribly underrated for their capabilities. We were once called to move a 276,000 transformer for TVA. We used two 750's and got the job done! Besides, they are the original rotators!

 

Trex said:

Great!  i love 750 winching machines keep us posted!!

 

phxpksdave said:

Uzek; Welcome to the 750 Believers club. As you`re quickly finding out there`s a reason so many are still old school believers.

 

JacksonAutoandWrecker said:

the cable s and booms will talk to ya as you heard was training an operator on a rolled loadedpacker he heard cables start talking and quit winching lol  thanks for posting love the old wreckers!!!!!

 

tntower said:

Nice to see some old iron still working. good job.

 

kcservak said:

Do you have pics of this truck in the daylight.
Keith.

 

Orcas Tow said:

Heres a couple pictures when I brought it home.

 

kcservak said:

Uzec That truck is awsome wise you the best of luck with it and please keep posting pics of it working because that is what it is made for.
Keith.

 

Orcas Tow  said:

Thank you Sir.