How To Find The Right Crane For Your Needs

Whether you are looking to rent, lease, or invest in a crane outright, the sheer volume of options available to you can no doubt be overwhelming. Thankfully you do not have to fret, as there are a number of simple steps that you can follow to narrow down your search in no time at all.

Asking the right questions will lead you to the right answer, so check below for some of the most effective questions you should ask yourself to locate the perfect crane for you and your unique needs!

How much do I need to lift?

One of the most important questions that you need to ask yourself is ‘how much do I need to lift with my new crane?’ Take all of your different daily tasks into consideration rather than just one specific job, as you’ll likely be using your crane on multiple occasions for a variety of reasons during an average day.

It's important that you remember that it’s totally fine to send a larger crane to pick a smaller load, but unfortunately the opposite will never work. Every crane has its limits, and this is something that needs to be respected if you want to operate a crane in a safe, risk free manner.

It’s also a good idea to think about the rigging equipment that needs to be used too, such as blocks, spreader bars and straps, as the weight of such items needs to be counted in the total load.

How high in the air do I need to go?

It's fair to say that working around residential housing will call for a different tip height when compared with working on a mobile phone tower, so you need to take height into consideration and think about how high in the air you generally need to go.

A wide variety of different crane types can be equipped with a jib or lattice inserts to increase their working height. However, it’s important to note that this usually does end up adding time to the setup and dismantling of the crane and terrain issues may make erecting the jib somewhat tricky.

Always seek out a crane that can accommodate the height you need to reach without the need for excessive adaptation, as this will improve safety.

How far away do I need to lift or place the load?

Whenever a load moves away from the centerline of rotation, the amount of leverage increases. So, as a result higher boom angles are actually more efficient for lifting - the longer the boom, the higher the angle when lifting at the same radius. Some cranes have capacity at low boom angles, especially a knuckle-boom loader, but generally speaking most cranes use higher boom angles to lift. Be sure to think about how far away you need to lift or place the load so that you can identify the most suitable crane.

If you’ve found your ideal crane, get in touch with the expert team at Crane and Lifting Services. We offer quality installation and maintenance services to help businesses get the most out of their lifting equipment.