Should You Hire a Crawler or Truck-Mounted Crane?

If you need to hire a mobile crane for your site, then you might not be sure whether to hire a crawler or truck-mounted machine. While both of these cranes are mobile, they each have their pros and cons. Before you make a decision, consider the following factors.

Lifting Needs

While both truck-mounted and crawler cranes can lift and carry loads around a construction site, these machines have different load and carry limits. It's important to think about what you will use the crane for before you choose which one to hire.

Both of these cranes can lift and carry heavy loads. However, you'll typically find that a crawler crane works better than a truck-mounted one if you have heavier lifting and hoisting needs. Crawlers also often have higher lifting capacities. They can generally reach greater heights than truck-mounted cranes.

Site Mobility and Access

Your site's ground conditions and access play a part in your choice of mobile crane. These cranes are useful on sites because you can easily move them from place to place to work on different jobs. However, this does depend on the site itself.

While truck-mounted cranes have robust wheels, they might not work efficiently if your site is completely undeveloped and unsuitable for regular vehicular use. If ground conditions are too rough or too soft for the truck, then a crawler crane might be a better option.

Crawler cranes run on tread tracks. These tracks are better able to move on rough ground and cope in the boggiest of conditions. The tracks run along the whole length of the crane, so they give it better support and hold.

However, crawler cranes aren't always the best choice if you have limited access to parts of your site. You might not be able to fit a larger machine into smaller spaces. Here, a smaller truck-mounted crane might be a better option. You can also drive these cranes outside the site and lift from there if you need to.

Transport

If you'll only use a mobile crane on one site, then either option could be a good fit. However, if you are working on a multi-site or divided plot, then you might need to get your crane from one part of the build to another.

If you hire a truck-mounted crane, then you can usually simply drive the crane from place to place. However, if you hire a crawler crane, you might need to hire a truck to move the crane for you. You can't necessarily drive tread track vehicles on regular roads.

If you need more help, contact crane hire companies. They can help you find the right crane for your job.