If it has hydrostatic controls like a tower crain a good operator could probably do surgery with it.

 It'd be fun to see the first crain operator that climbs in it thinking he's gonna be a "pump operator"! How hard can it be right?

Incredeble,nice looking unit

Wow they are trying to make us pump operators lazy. I do not agree with this one bit. I think you should be able to hear what's going on at all times and that certainly won't happen sitting in an enclosed cab with the ac running. There are way to many things that could go wrong that you may not be able to detect because you are not listening to your machine. Let alone the poor hoseman if you don't have very good depth perception...

completely agree funnyboom.. This cabins only purpouse is counterweight for my sake.. you should be able to read the body language from the hoseman etc. Talk to them. Look at hight of the crete so you can antisipate what your next move will be. Besides the reason Im a pumper instead of a cranedriver is that I would never want to sit on my ass all day growing hemorides!!!

But I asume it comes with a remotecontol aswell?? The cabin is only for extreem situations..

very cool,i want one.

ummm your a placing boom operator , what are you gonna hear the trailer pump 30 stories below if it plugs ? concrete stops coming out the pumps off, you guys have to be negative about every thing, the real pump operator is on the ground in radio contact surely with the placing boom operator , no need for the operator to be standing next to the hoseman, I worked for a company if he caught you away from the pump you'd get a couple of days off, I think this is a good thing he can hear communication from ground level he's not in all the noise and can actually concentrate on the one thing he is there for to operate that boom the man below is doing the pumping.

Sure.. Every operator is different. (and almost all of them think their way is the right way ;-) 

Standing with your pump while pumping.. maybe with a size up to 30 something meters ok.. but over that?? A 58 operator standing with his pump while pumping 150m3 per hour?? Goodluck hoseman!!

Trailer pump and radio's,the operator down below does his/her job,boom operator does his.

If it were meant to be that operators are supposed to be at the pump. We would not have wireless remotes. Or even a remote at all. Stack valves keep you pretty close, use those instead. So for those of you that think you need to be on or near the pump. Just put your remote away and enjoy.

I do agree with BEAST. There is no machine to hear while operating a placing boom. I do not agree with sitting on the job while pumping. Pumping concrete is easy enough, there is no need to be lazy and sit down while concrete is being placed.

Very cool placing boom. Looks like a helicopter.

I run a placin boom regularly and it i constantly listen to the concrete flowin through the pipes. Any erratic noises that don't sound right with my equipment, etc. What if the guy on the ground is not paying attention, bullshitting with a mixer driver your hose is out of site so you don't tell him pump off because you don't see the concrete stop flowing?? There are already way too many variable working against us, why take away one of our senses? To each is own but I don't agree with this. If you want to sit in a can become a crane operator.

And I'm sure you all will be able to relate to this one.... Anytime you are out on a pour it's like everyone working that pour wants to stand between you and the hose blocking your line of sight. When youre standing there it's easy to step to the side real quick but what do you do when you're stuck in the seat inside that cab?

My how folks resist change,welcome to a new era

Hi Todd I have read most of the comments what we need to understand, is you require a special project for this type of equipment. 2nd The Zoomlion 45T comes with HBC radio remote control. So for those who don't like too sit on there fat asses don't have too 3rd I have been a Pump Operator, Placing Boom Operator & Mobile Pump Operator, What makes a Crane driver be better than a placing boom operator. Operating a crane is like a fishing rod that goes up and down left & right. A concrete placing boom is more complex to operate. Why do we have to degrade ourselves Concrete pumping technology and pump-able concrete mix designs is advancing every day so the OLD school operator have better learn to go with the flow or be left behind. The way we pump concrete is changing, and the new generation of operators will expect these luxuries as standard, just like buy a new car or truck, they come standard with heating, air con, power steering ect ect would you buy one without these basic luxuries. Last but not least, why are we comparing a mobile pump to a tower boom, if we want to do a comparison then compare a mobile concrete pump to a mobile crane & a tower boom to a tower crane The Zoomlion 45T is not the first of this design Putzmeister had a 42M Tower Boom in the late 80's with a Cab, and Schwing also had a similar version

Just for the record Equipcon Pty Ltd is a Zoomlion Dealer in Australia

As one that came up through the ranks,600-700 series Thompsons,Whiteman,sqeezer I have seen alot.As said,this unit has it's place,not every job.As with boom lengths we often asked,when will it end years ago.Looks like they built a 1st class unit for that job,will there be another ? anybodies guess.I have learned the sky is the limit and another good job   tks

epuipcon  If it was such a great succes in the 80s they would still be making them wouldn't they? Maybe on very specific jobs it works but this shouldn't be the standard for the future because operators demand it. I think its dangerous and not as acurate as standing on the floor. A crane is much easyer to drive when you sit in the cab. Much better feeling. Thats why they sit up there. But I think it doesn't go for a pump. There you have a constant flow so you have to be much more dynamic. A crane can drive 'blind' while comunicating on radio. Try that with a pump!!  Even with EBC it would be very hard.

I want to ask you one question do you know how to operate a mobile concrete placing boom blind?

Dipstick I did say it comes with a radio remote, if you feel that it is unsafe to operate from the Cab thats fine you have a choice remote or Cab.

I want one but the remote will be harnessed and the lunch will be in the cab.

Thats true.. I have a choice.

I have indeed driven a moblie placingboom blind on more that one occation. For exmple once the remote didn't work... pooring a wall on the 6th floor. Cable remote don't reach. Its so hard, specialy on that hight, that I only did it to empty the truck and wait for a new pump to take over.

I'm just afraid that if you have a lazy ass pumper on that thing that he might choose to sit up there while he actualy knows he should be on the floor.   

But ok.. on the right job its a great invention.. I give you that.. But it will and should never be the standard. Unfortunately the are so many inovations in concretepumping that are ment good but in reality are just a pain in the ass. (Like pumps packed with computers for example)  

I agree for old farts like us use to a carby & a dizzy it is a pain in the ass but we can't stop it so you have to go with it. Take our kids for instance, this computer stuff is nothing to them Xbox,Playstation, Wii and they are taught in school so it has becomes second nature them. We are building there future and the newer machines are being designed by them so there is no escape from this computer technology

Can I say, How may operator use radio remotes?   Has it become a must have, all because of technology so we have learned to embrace this fantastic piece of technology we can not turn our backs to change

As for the operator who will sit in the cab and not go to the ground to help, well odiously he is an irresponsible person and even if he was on the ground he probably would do nothing

just a thought.. why is there a winching gear at the rear of the cab???

why is there a winching gear at the rear of the cab??? The 45T is self climbing, the winch is used to raise it's own tower section

I cant understand what the big deal is !

Take it or leave it , its very simple ... I prefere to move with the the time not against them at the end of the day the boom operator is there to operate the boom , not the pump not the hose not the job just the boom !! Its very simple I think the cab is not a bad idea it takes away all the distractions a boom operator might have on the ground , a block isnt upto the boom operator he has no pressure guage to look at its the pump operators job to that !!

As for operating blind ... not hard as long as you have good communication skills, just relax and listen for you radio its not that hard at all....

well ill just say this in responce to the changing times,  after walking on rebar,standing on rebar,standing on concrete,trying to see the hoseman around all the muddy water all day im looking for a seat.be it a bucket,wall,block or a heated or cooled cab so be it. I WILL BE THE FIRST TO WELCOME THE CHANGE.nuff said...

dipstick Ive ran 58 meter booms while on the truck and have had my boom next to competitors while im on the truck and hes on the side of the hose and made him look silly , so maybe you cant see that far or do not have the experience neccessary to do so, but for me I can, but can understand operators with eye problems would have to get closer, my point if the ground man is at the bottom the boom at the top what would we be helping with ? finishing , vibrating, what ?

after reading more posts , I have been in this industry for 20 plus years ,so the comment about sitting on ones fatass, come on if your a pump operator your not lazy, we all know that, the line of sight , your elevated you should have a better view, the sound oh yes theres nothing like hearing the sound of concrete slide thru pipe, and that is a very important sense that concern could be alleviated with a pressure gauge installed in the cab,or opening a window,I am not for or against, but do find it interesting that some do not like it,just goes to show we're not lazy at all, but maybe not so smart either,lol

I was talking about when you can't see the tip at all. And ment actualy driving on the manualt sticks on the truck its self.

You maybe can drive the boom from 50m distance better than your coleage but that might say more about him than you.. I always have extreemly satisfied customers and get quite a lot of compliments about how I drive the boom. Maybe thats because I make sure I stand close and folow exactly whats happening. When the guy with the laser wants a bit more crete at some spot I am often already moving the boom that way before the hose man even realizes whats going on.  When he wakes up the hose is already back where it was. I can hear the laser beeping so I hear when they have to much or to short.  I don't think you can see if there is a bucket of crete to short some where from 50m distance. But maybe your aim is lower.. 

When the hoseman has to point out to me where the hose has to go I feel like thats a failure from my side.