I
f it’s any indication the telescopic
crawler crane market is expanding
into new territory, look to Mardian
Equipment based out of Phoenix.
“We have been looking at the [telescopic
crawler crane] market for several years
and finally made the jump,” says Uli Mack,
general manager of Mardian Equipment.
The company just purchased three Link-
Belt TCC units – two TCC-750 cranes and
one TCC-1100 – for its rental fleet and
doesn’t plan on stopping there.
“We have had our reservations about the
TCC line but are looking forward to these
three and hopefully more in the future,”
Mack says.
Paul Autry, Mardian Equipment’s
regional sales/marketing manager, says the
company was interested in TCCs because
of their ability to complete lifts in urban
and all-terrain situations.
“With maximum payloads of up to
220 tons, the telescopic crawler crane is
versatile and mobile,” Autry says. “This
offers a huge benefit when a project is
centered within a lot of city construction.
The telescopic crawler crane may be
positioned in adjacent streets where the
access is particularly limited or restrictive–
it can then be telescoped over to complete
the lift at the appointed area with
minimum negative impact to traffic or
surrounding businesses. It has an effective
maximum radius and height reach,
making it ideal for reaching over obstacles
from nearby streets, to perform a lift.”
Mardian’s TCC units are all out on jobs
TELESCOPIC CRAWLERS
PRODUCT FOCUS
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JULY 2013
ACT
currently, Autry says. “As the economy
slowly stabilizes we are seeing an increase
in construction projects being resurrected
that were put on indefinite hold a few
years back. It’s exciting to see some of
these projects that will add so much
value to our community back on the
construction block. Hopefully that trend
continues through 2013 straight into
2014.”
Versatile units
The telescopic crawler crane is a features
and benefits-rich unit. With short set-up
times, ease of maneuverability and hefty
pick-and-carry capabilities, TCCs are
quickly becoming known as a must-have
piece of equipment for rental fleets.
“The market for telescopic crawler cranes
is growing as the number of players in the
market continues to grow and the range
in capacity continues to widen,” says Paul
J. Lonergan, president of Empire Crane
Company based in New York.
Empire Crane recently purchased two
Tadano Mantis 15010 77-ton TCCs during
Bauma in April. The company currently
owns 14 telescopic crawlers and the
Tadano Mantis units will join its fleet in
late 2013.
The Tadano Mantis 15010 is made for
pure lift applications as well as rugged
duty-cycle work, the company says. The
crane employs less counterweight than
other varieties of cranes to avoid rearward
stability problems on sloping ground. The
crane’s reduced counterweight, its 260
Telescopic crawler cranes
are gaining traction in
the North American
market as rental
companies pick up more
units to meet contractor
demand.
Lindsey
Anderson
reports
hp Cummins engine and high-pressure
hydraulics allows the 15010 gradeability of
up to 68 percent.
When asked what draws Empire Crane
Company toward TCC units, Lonergan
says it’s the versatility of the cranes’
attachments, from man baskets and augers
to pole claws and hydraulic hammers. He
also notes the units have been working
on pipeline jobs, windmill sites, storage
tank construction, slurry wall projects and
more.
“Foundation contractors are seeing the
versatility of the attachments,” Lonergan
says. “They can essentially have two
units for the price of one; a lift crane in
the morning and an auger unit in the
afternoon.”
Ed Hisrich, vice president/officer of sales
and customer support for Tadano Mantis,
agrees.
“Telescopic boom crawler cranes
are versatile and efficient: short time
from truck to work, no lattice boom to
assemble, no outriggers to deploy and they
(sometimes) have the capability to work
with different track gauges, thus they can
work in space-constrained worksites very
efficiently,” he says.
Hisrich also notes that since Tadano
Mantis designs its cranes for the global
marketplace, it has to insure compliance
with multiple standards.
“Steps, ladders and handrails designed
to meet global requirements for access
are very important,” he says. “While
the trend of utilizing all-terrain crane
Telescoping ahead
A Link-Belt TCC-750 demonstrating its
ease of operation in a tight space.
