The 5 most reliable crane brands in construction
Cranes are used across a multitude of sectors within the construction industry with many different types of cranes available. Whether you’re after a compact crane or a tower crane, there are a number of crane hire companies who provide top quality machines that can suit any project. Cranes are a tool that have been used for centuries in construction and continue to evolve and adjust to the demands of modern construction practices.
Types of cranes
There are a number of different types of cranes, all of which are manufactured by different crane companies. Each of these types of cranes suit different requirements and projects and all vary in sizes.
- Tower cranes: used in infrastructural construction
- Crawler cranes: suitable for commercial or civil projects
- Rough terrain cranes: Best suited for those projects that may be tough to access
- All terrain cranes: similar to rough terrain cranes, can go just about anywhere you need them
- Truck mounted cranes
- Bridge/ overhead crane: used in ports or other cargo loading areas
- Gantry
- Bulk handling crane
- Hammerhead crane
- Stacker crane: Used in large scale infrastructure projects like high rises and skyscrapers
- Telescopic crane: can be compact and able to access limited spaces
Best crane brands on the market
1. Liebherr
Liebherr is the best crane company on the market today. This German manufacturer provides wheeled mobile, crawler cranes, marine and port cranes, and compact telescopic cranes. Founded in 1949 with headquarters in Germany and Switzerland they continue to grow as a company and expand their crane manufacturing worldwide.
2. Cargotec
Cargotec is the second largest global crane company, operating across the globe with 100 countries worldwide, and has rapidly grown from their founding date in 2005. They manufacture port and marine cranes and specialize in sea equipment.
3. Konecranes
KONE Corporation was founded in 1910. Located in Finland, this crane manufacturer provided numerous lifting solutions with their workstation lifting systems, overhead cranes, hazardous environment hoists, and more.
4. Manitowoc cranes
Manitowoc is the champion for compact and mobile cranes with the creation of Grove, National Crane, Shutterlift, Manitowoc, and Potain. In 2019 they saw their revenue increase dramatically with their crane boom trucks, crawler cranes, carrydeck cranes, and more.
5. Palfinger
Is an Austria founded crane manufacture established in 1932, their core product is their hydraulic knuckle boom cranes including their tech range cranes fitted with remote controlled stabilizers as well as their SLD range featuring HPSC- PLUS LOAD.
Some considerations to make when selecting a crane brand
While a crane brand itself is excellent and provide high quality machines, you need to make sure you’re selecting the right type of crane for your project. Some considerations when selecting a crane type may be:
- Site access- if it is a limited access site you may need to consider a smaller sized crane like a crawler crane or spider crane.
- Project size- you need to determine whether your project is a large scale industrial project, or a smaller commercial project which will determine the size of the crane and the permanence of the crane for the duration of the project.
- Travelling to your project site- If you need to travel a decent distance you may need to consider floating the crane to the site, or if it’s a shorter distance a mobile crane may be suitable.
Choosing the right crane hire companies
There are a number of crane hire companies on the market and so selecting the right one may be tedious and time consuming. To get you started, here are two crane hire companies in Australia who can get your started:
- Hi Range Crane Forks is one of New South Wales largest suppliers or hi-rail cranes and telehandlers. Hi-Range are an optimum choice for rail works with tailored machines and solutions to suit your project.
- Coffs City Cranes offer a range of cranes for hire including pick and carry models and slew cranes. Based in Coffs Harbour they service the Mid Coast, New England, and Manning regions of New South Wales.
Finding the right crane brand for you
There are a large number of cranes on the market and finding the right brand you want to use can be tough. Always do your research and look at reviews, manufacturing news, and any other relates sources that can help you make the right decision. Once you find that perfect brand and model of crane, you won’t turn back and your projects will be moving a million miles an hour.
