Recently posted through my door was the industry wide ‘Lift & Hoist International’ magazine to which I dived straight in to and am delighted to share with you one of the most interesting and revolutionary ideas brought to the table by globally recognised ‘Demag Cranes & Components’.

Recently acquired by the Terex group; Demag are regarded as one of the best. Manufacturing only the highest quality cranes featuring the latest technology, the reason these are not the cheapest on the market is simply down to the astronomical amount of dedicated research and development that goes in to every Demag product.

The V-Type overhead crane design is set to change the way manufacturers develop cranes FOREVER! Boasting lightweight revolutionary design combined with double service life, improved efficiency, improved safety, higher load capacity and reduced oscillation by 30%. The height of the new Demag V-Type height can be adjusted in fine increments enabling precise positioning when installing. Less wheel pressure meaning less wear and tear on some of the vital and most expensive components is always a bonus for buyers of the new V-Type crane.

Buying a Used Crane is not something many of us do every day. In this short guide I aim to outline a few things when it comes to making that big decision on the gamble of a Used Crane over a new one!

Age- I know as the old saying goes ‘age isn’t everything’ however with Used Cranes it kind of is, in fact it will pay dividends to buy the newest crane you can, you just have to be savvy to get the right price. As you can imagine with common sense I am sure, a newer crane will last longer (providing it was of decent quality to begin with). You should aim to purchase something up to 15 years old if you want it to really last you the next 15-20 years or so, and that really is achievable, provided you choose a reputable manufacturer then you will be able to get spare parts for the next 50 years or so, realistically you could own this crane for up to 50 years if good care and maintenance is undertaken, form a good relationship with your supplier and negotiate a preferential rate on servicing of your crane, after all they will want to secure your ongoing business, remember stay savvy when punting for a Used Crane, it’s a lot like buying a used car or machinery.

Brand Awareness- As I am sure you are aware salesman will do anything to get your money in some cases, choosing a reputable brand is important, don’t let anyone steer you in to a brand nobody recognises as this will cause havoc when you need to replace worn parts, check the manufacturer is still in business before considering any crane as many come and go over the years. Reputable brands that I can recommend are: Stahl, Demag, Kone, Verlinde, Fellows Stringer, Street, Abus, Morris (out of business, however spare parts still easily located), there are a few others but if you have any you wish to run by me then please feel free to comment, send me images and I will let you know my personal opinion on the crane you are thinking of buying.

Lifestyle of The Crane- This is very important, if your being offered a crane that worked in a foundry but has recently been painted you may want to look in to this further as it’s likely to have had a tough life. If your crane has worked in a glass factory it’s quite likely that it has been used to its capacity however it’s probably been in a clean environment and always been cared for.

Maintenance Records- Maintenance records for Used Cranes can reveal a lot to a buyer, these will be official documents from an inspection body and there should be one document for each year that the crane has been inspected (LOLER regulations require 12 monthly inspections on Overhead Cranes) this report will outline any defects found with the crane. One can quite easily infer from these reports as to how the crane has been maintained. For example if the report in 2013 states that there is a gearbox leak and that the gearbox has low oil levels and that immediate action should be taken and the same again in 2014 then it’s evident that the recommended maintenance has not been undertaken. However this is not everything, just something to consider, minor things like this may not even impact the crane significantly however it is always advised that you ask the questions and put your mind at ease. It can be a painful wait for your Used Crane especially if you have not seen it before.

The Dealer- What do you know about your crane dealer? Always check that they are a reputable company that has been around for some time, ask them for case studies on their previous supply if in doubt, note that a reputable dealer will show evidence of supply on their website, if they don’t it is a sign that they are probably not the kind of crane dealer you want to be buying from as you never know, three months down the line they could be gone, your five tonne crane you picked up for £3,000 cash now has no warranty and your stuck with no one familiar to assist and of course that means approaching a servicing company that will certainly not offer preferential rates should you be experiencing a breakdown. Remember a cheap crane is not always the best deal, think long term and save your company money, time, stress and downtime. If you want my advice I have purchased many Used Cranes in the past and have always used a company called Crane Handling in Stourbridge, UK. A professional and friendly team who have always been fair with me on price, their connections in the crane industry are global and not only have I used them for supply but also for the maintenance over the past 8 years, I never even have to pick the phone up to them they just drop me an email every 12 months and arrange a convenient date, the last thing I wanted was to be confused by having several different crane companies doing different jobs such as one to supply, one to install, one to test and one to maintain.

If you need any advice on a Used Overhead Crane you are considering purchasing then please feel free to leave a comment and I will let you know my honest opinion.

GIS Specialist GCH WIND Wind Turbine Hoist featuring cone to cover the hook when hoisting to prevent snagging as well as a unique chain collector, upper & lower limits and much more

Whether it be lifting tools or shifting components in order to maintain the modern day wind turbines which are rapidly popping up just about everywhere, the Electric Chain Hoist is perfectly suited to the job, however not just any hoist, only few will do!

The one of two that fits the bill is the Lodestar Electric Chain Hoist, the second of the two is a GIS Electric Chain Hoist (GIS also offer a special GCH WIND model hoist which is actually designed for the wind turbine market) the Swiss manufactured hoist is a favourite among many in the market (The Lodestar is manufactured in Virginia, USA).

A hoist to fit the requirement will need to run three phase power (you can run single phase but you will have to take many breaks as the motor gets hotter faster- you have a lower duty rating with single phase hoists) the hoist will need long heights of lift maybe up to 120m, dual speed hoisting operation with hook suspension (or other depending on the application). Many will request stainless chains but this is not necessary and is very expensive/impossible at this height of lift, simply lubricate and you will be fine.

An idea for cost, something like this will most likely be in the region of £2,500.00-£5,000.00 per unit ($4,215.00-$8,430.00).

Processes in factories take time, especially if it involves lifting loads that strain the worker there for causing them to slow down, these types of processes can be completed much quicker with the assistance of Lifting Equipment such as Jib Cranes.

Swing Jibs offer horizontal and vertical travel, ideal for suspending tools and lifting loads with capacities up to 5 Tonnes with standard deliveries there is pretty much a Jib Crane to suit all manufacturing where localised lifting and transporting is required. Jib Cranes can be manual or electrically operated depending on the specification requirements and buyer budget with single or dual speed operation.

Some companies on the market offer installation and commissioning of Jib Cranes while others just supply and deliver.

Points to consider when purchasing a Jib Crane:

• Do you have a forklift on site? If not there are solutions
• Is there clear access to the building for installation such as roller shutter doors to allow the forklift to enter the area?
• Will you require a floor counter plate or do you prefer to drill the floor and add a base plate?
• How long can you wait?
• Is there a 3 phase power supply?

There is lots more to consider when purchasing a Jib Crane but those are the most important points of information that one would require. Others would include things like capacity, height of lift, sizes of the crane, speeds and that nature of things which can again be tailored to suit a budget.