Mechanical Wrecker's

I was looking at a new tow truck the other day and I started thinking of the truck I used to operate when I first started. It was a holmes 480 with a electric over hydraulic wheel lift on a 1977 chevy c-30 chassis. it wasn't pretty but she could pull anything you hooked up to it. Now very few mechanical wreckers are out on the road.
 What set these old wreckers apart from the hydraulic wreckers of today?? It was their ability to keep working way past the overload limit, the would literally work until something broke. And what would break wasn't always what you were uprighting.

stick boom & holmes 750
operator Pablo Contreras(double M towing)

 Two examples come to mind when I think of old mechanical wreckers one is the Holmes 750 and the other is Don Heins stick boom. The holmes 750 was rated at 25 tons but was a very versatile wrecker with the ability to do side pulls off the mast and having booms that swung open. The Don Heins stick boom was rated at 35 tons and had the capability of bringing the boom out, and was very user friendly.
 Both Holmes and Don Heins wrecker's were common sight on the Southern California freeway's in the 60's 70's and even in the 80's picking up everything from wreck's to disabled trucks.

 25 and 35 tons seem's like a low rating compared to the 50 ton rating of most hydraulic wreckers on the road today, but with the right operator and proper rigging these old wreckers can out work a hydraulic wrecker. It wasn't uncommon for only one truck to work a wreck you had to work with what you had, now the same wreck would require 2 or 3 trucks. A few companies out in the southern california area still run these old wreckers on newer chassis adding a underlift for everyday towing. Some have even converted them to hydraulic boom's giving them more versatility. I've had the privilege of working side by side with some of these giants of the past and have seen them do things that seemed impossible.
 Towing and Recovery has come a long way in the past years. We the newer generation in the industry really have it easy with all the new equipment. Not only is the equipment easier to operate but our trucks have all the comforts a passenger car. When you see one of these truck's on the road not only are you driving next to a piece of towing history but also a real tow truck operator who has more stories than he can tell you in a day about their equipment and experience.
  Here's a few picture's of wreckers still in service still going strong today after many years of service.

Pico pete around 1977 sitting in front of Engs motor truck co. in pico rivera ca

Pico pete 2012 still working presently owned by J&M towing Brawley Ca.

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"Blackie" owned by Riverside Towing 

hydraulic stick boom lifting 44k lbs.

Holmes on a military truck owned by Statewide Towing




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