What service crane are the better ones out there. Or the industry leader with safety features or are they pretty similar. Does anyone know who exports them as made several email inquires but no responses as of yet, any idea of the cost of these cranes. I'm look at one that can lift about 350 to 450 kilos at 15 foot or max reach. Any help or contact ideas would great.
Are you looking at what we would typically call a HIAB in the UK (aka knuckleboom to our US readers) or something more like a rigid boom crane that goes on a US-type service truck..?
I agree with Nige, need more info on what you're looking for, and that in the UK one typically sees the articulated booms, HIAB or maybe Palfinger. I don't know what straight booms are available there. But across the board of brands, if it's a name brand unit, I wager the quality and safety features are very similar. I can only speak for units here in the USA, but of all units I prefer one that has proportional control of boom functions with the remote box. I've used booms that are toggle on/off of boom functions, gets a little tricky with a heavy load, proportional control makes life much more stress free.
Articulated booms in the UK tend to be HIAB (Swedish & been around for years) or Fassi (Italian). I think tctractors is involved with a UK distributor for Fassi as I see them in a lot of his photos.
I'm looking more to what the American market use straight telescopic boom. Weight and reaches are about the same. Service cranes do lose out a little but not enough for me to worry about. I'm looking at as an extra pair hands basically. But they do appear to have extra reach, over the knuckle boom that are favoured in the UK. On the smaller/lower end of spectrum with regard to weight lift capacity. And I hope it give me more versatility than a knuckle having seen a lot of pictures and images I see on this forum. As I work out side in the main I don't see the height been a problem. And would other a greater work scope to be obtained. How often I would use it I have no idea on that. But I done a few jobs of late where some proper equipment would have been a real bonus.
Palfinger certainly do a similar crane to what out us friends use in there PC range which can be supplied with or without the wire rope hoist and the uk agent are not too far from you in Devizes in Wiltshire it is a Very good product can be radio remote or wired remote or even stick to box th white the uk agents have extensive experience in fitting to all vehicles
Having used both I'd pick an articulated boom over a straight boom any day, not least because you can pull and/or push with them, something you can't do with a straight boom.
Having worked for palfinger and used all kinds of cranes over the years I could agree more with nige I would go for a knuckle boom crane every day of the week but the advantage of the pc crane for the British market where most of us are using 3.5t vans is its weigh compared to a knuckle boom
Half a ton at fifteen feet is a pretty small unit really, shouldn't be hard to find something reasonably priced. If it was me here in podunktown US of A, I would probably build my own if I couldn't find a used one close to hand at a good price. Not much regulation on these little units as far as I know.
I'm not a field guy, but the company I work for seems to favor Autocranes on the service trucks.
I've always had ridged cranes. 2 cobra 5500, a cobra 6600, and now a IMT 2020. Not sure if these are available where you are. Very reliable, and no complaints. I have a IMT crane now, for the last 6 months or so. Its not quite as refined as the cobra cranes (no infinite swing, and a bulky control cable), but it works, and I have had no issues as of yet. I believe IMT is a lot cheaper then other brands, if price is a factor. One more thing to consider, your truck may not be built to mount a crane on, which could involve some serious modifications.
Straight or Ridged boom Cranes would be Very Very hard to find in the U.K. as there is little to No market for this style of equipment, this leaves the knuckle boom, there is also the C Boom design that is about as good as it gets,I often get involved with fitting Fassi Cranes to trucks-trailers for a top end user with 200ton @ metre kit down, most cranes now sold new in the U.K. are remote control, Fassi and Palfinger would be the more common make to see with the best after sale back up. tctractors
Palfinger makes straight boom service cranes, as I believe they bought up Omaha? But probabaly only for North and South American markets....
What vehicle are you looking to fit it too
I have worked along side machinery removal and installation companies. Like Beck & Politzer, Pickfords Vangard, Wheelers and PDG to name a few. Over my years of employment and self employment. So I can seen the uses of knuckle boom or Hiab and smaller boomed cranes eg iron fairy to big 150ton straight boom cranes. All of which are different to small truck mounted cranes. Either straight or knuckle boom style, for what I'm looking as extra pair of hands on some of the heavier jobs I get on site.
I was looking to mount to 5 ton Iveco with spec-lift body. With spec-lift removed or even down 7.5 ton route as may to get restricted or normal operators license. Although I seen a CAT service transit going down th M5 the other week with roller shutter tool box and Hiab on the back. And that started me thinking. Plus how is it before us or someone we going to get hurt carrying on how we do in the UK, good point to show this changing a slew motor how do we do it. We know have we do it and risky to say the least.