RGN's - Mechanical vs Hydraulic

It really depends on what you were going to be doing. If you plan on doing OTR work with it getting a mechanical neck is a no-brainer. If you don't have to get an extendable the weight savings are quite a boon to guys having to permit bigger loads by keeping their empty weight down. They can be a little trickier to hook up in certain situations, but, by the same token, they are far simpler than a hydraulic neck. Even if I were doing local work, if I were an O/O I would still get a heavy duty mechanical neck because of the simplicity. Less to work on and have to go wrong. I save money because I either a.) don't need a wet-kit on my truck and/ or b.) need to maintain the pony motor on the neck.

That being said, I like working with a hydraulic neck, less work (obviously). Certain machines sit much better on certain models of hydraulic RGNs, they're typically a lot faster than a mechanical neck is and won't wear the driver out as quickly. As far as hydraulic RGNs go I'll take a Trail King over just about anything else.

 

Funny! A smart guy would have a hydraulic neck and if he moved really heavy stuff he would have hydraulic suspension also!

 

Mechanical neck always work pony motors don't always start.

 

Unless you have a wet kit! If that motor don't start you don't have to worry bout the load!

 

Not yet... because I still can't decide to keep that truck and go all in with the APU, weight gauges, height sensor, tire pressure sensors, top quality tires, etc. If 4.8 is the best fuel mileage that truck's gonna get I'm gonna replace it. Just had it tuned with a 500/1750 European program and a few mechanical problems fixed and hoping it gets up closer to 6mpg. Have you seen it with the raggidy white loaner hood on it? Looks like Stroker Ace's ride.

 

Just unloaded next to 2 guys with mechanical necks. I was unhooked, unchained, unloaded, rehooked and gone before they even had all there chains undone. These guys had no ramps so watching the trailer drop to the ground with the load on when they pulled out to unhook the gooseneck is not the way i would want to treat a trailer.