The Tasmanian construction sector is currently strong as a result of private and government investment in infrastructure. To help with the increased demand for cranes, Elliott’s Crane Hire has invested in two brand new Grove all terrains. This is the first time the business has purchased new cranes. Elliott’s Crane Hire managing director Greg Smith explains more.
“There has been a significant increase in general construction and infrastructure projects across Tasmania, but particularly in Southern Tasmania,” said Smith.
“In November of last year, we bought a brand-new Grove GMK4100L-1 four-axle 100t. It features 60m of full boom. Over the last few years, the business has developed significantly, and we have progressed to a point where we can justify the investment of these new cranes.
“We are extremely pleased with the GMK4100L-1, it has not missed a beat since we took delivery. It has been well received by the operators and riggers. Equally important is the fact that our customers have been really impressed with the performance of the crane.”
Today, Elliott’s Crane Hire runs a fleet of Grove all terrain cranes with capacities including 220t, 200t, a five-axle 100t, an earlier four-axle 100L, the new four-axle 100L-1, 80t and two 60t three-axle all terrains, including the GMK3060L which has just been purchased new. To complement the fleet of Grove all terrains are two 65t truck cranes, a 40t Tadano, a 30t Kato, a city crane, and four Frannas. Elliott’s also has a range of HIAB trucks and specialised semi-trailers & floats.
The new generation Grove GMK4100L-1 is a super compact machine ideal for the Hobart construction sector, said Smith.
“Hobart features tight streets and construction sites with very limited access, so the Grove is ideal for getting in and out of tight positions. And, with 60m of boom, it’s a great lifter in these tight situations.”
The Grove GMK4100L-1 offers unique innovations and class-leading capabilities in the taxi (road travelling) category. The four-axle all terrain boasts the best load charts in its class and its compact design makes it easy to access and manoeuvre on the narrowest of job sites. The 100t capacity crane replaces the GMK4100L and is part of a new generation of Grove taxi cranes.
lifting ability.
Grove was the first manufacturer to produce a 100t capacity crane on four axles when it introduced the GMK4100L. Now, the new GMK4100L-1 has raised the bar even higher with some notable improvements.
The GMK4100L-1 not only offers the best load charts in this class in its maximum counterweight configuration, but also in its most common taxi configuration with a weight of less than 12t per axle (a common axle load limit in many countries).
Compared with the older GMK4100L, the new GMK4100L-1 delivers 20%+ better structural capacities and equally strong improvements at longer radii with the max 26.2t counterweight configuration.
In the taxi configuration with 6.7t of counterweight on board, the GMK4100L-1 really shines with significant gains throughout the chart and 15% increases with the full 60m.
Boosting the crane’s overall reach is an 18m hydraulic luffing fly, which can be extended with an 8m boom extension for a total jib length of 26m. The telescopic swing-away jib offers an improved offset of 0–45°.
The GMK4100L-1 is more compact than its predecessor, making it even easier to access narrow job sites.
The GMK4100L-1 is powered by a single engine, which reduces the weight of the crane, allowing it to carry more counterweight and delivering superior lifting capacities by putting the steel where its needed.
The Tier IV Final/EUROMOT 4 Mercedes-Benz OM470LA is a six-cylinder diesel engine with a 320kW rating at 1,700 rpm and a maximum torque of 2,100Nm at 1,300 rpm.
The crane is also available with an equivalent Tier III engine. Better profitability for users is available through the inclusion of the Fuel Saver function on the Tier IV Final/EUROMOT 4 engine.
Life is also made easier for the operator with Manitowoc’s new Crane Control System (CCS) and the new Boom Configurator Mode. The standardised CCS is a user-friendly interface that Manitowoc is featuring on all new crane models.
The CCS components and operating software have been specifically designed, developed and tested by Manitowoc engineering and innovation teams worldwide to ensure the highest reliability standards.
The highly intuitive Boom Configurator Mode makes it quick and easy to select the optimum boom position for a specific lift.
The operator inputs the lift parameters such as radius, load, or boom length to be moved and the system calculates the best boom configuration.
Once the operator selects the preferred option, the boom automatically extends to the required length.
The look of the new generation has also changed with the Grove Cab2020 that includes new ergonomic features in the carrier cabin.
As one would expect, trademark features such as the Twin-Lock boom pinning system, Megaform boom shaping
and Megatrak independent active suspension are all included in the
new GMK4100L-1.
Elliott’s Crane Hire is also taking delivery of a brand new three-axle 60t capacity Grove GMK3060L.
“The new 60t Grove will replace our old 55t Grove. The GMK3060L is ideal for taxi work. We’ll be using it for steel erection and installing air conditioners. You can send it out and it will basically do anything you want it to do. It’s a great all-rounder,” said Smith.
The Grove GMK3060L all terrain crane is the successor to the popular three-axle GMK3060L.
It is based on its predecessor’s design but has a longer boom (48m instead of 43m). It features compact dimensions that allows it to access tight jobsites, manoeuvre easily around city centres, and even work indoors.
The chassis of the GMK3060L is almost as compact as a two-axle model and up to 1m shorter than competitive three-axle cranes, with a carrier length of only 8.68m and a minimum overall height of 3.48m with the suspension fully lowered.
The GMK3060L offers a longer, 48m seven-section Twin-Lock hydraulic pinned main boom and boasts significantly stronger load charts.
The GMK3060L is also equipped with Manitowoc’s CCS, as well as a boom configurator feature. As a result, operators can input basic lift parameters such as load, radius and load height, and the system automatically provides optimal boom options for performing the lift.
This saves time at the jobsite and makes the setup process much easier. The crane features the MAXbase option for variable outrigger settings and increase load charts in certain working ranges.
The Cummins QSL9, a 254kW six-cylinder in-line diesel engine, powers the new GMK3060L.
It is available in both Euromot III/Tier 3 and Euromot V/Tier 4 Final variants to cater for all markets. The crane includes
a ZF TraXon automatic transmission, giving it 12 forward speed options and
two reverse.
“We have plans to expand our fleet with further new cranes, and we are excited about the opportunities that future may hold,” said Smith.