What are the Different Types of Cranes?
When looking for a crane rental service, you will likely need to know what kind of crane you are after. There are so many different types of cranes out there, each with their own purpose and specialty, so you will need to know your gantry cranes from your telescopic cranes – one crane does not do it all! Luckily for you we’ve put together a full, comprehensive list of crane types and their usage, so you can make the best possible decision on what crane you should use for a specific job.
Spider
Spider cranes, or mini cranes as they are otherwise known as, are smaller mobile crawlers which can be folded and carted around for easy mobility. These cranes have outriggers that pull out – imagine industrial sized stand-up parking mechanisms seen on bikes – which can then be fixed to the ground for stability. Spider cranes are very versatile and can be found in a range of sizes and lifting capabilities, so you are sure to find one suited to the job at hand, which is exactly why we have a spider crane rental service as part of our rental fleet.
Overhead
An overhead crane is a huge scale crane that resembles a bridge that is supported by two beams (which is why it’s sometimes referred to as a bridge crane). These cranes are used to lift extremely heavy loads like shipping containers as their stability is highly reliable. You will often see these types of cranes at places like shipping docks or warehouses rather than a construction site.
Tower
If you have frequently visited a major city, you’ve probably seen tower cranes all over the place! Tower cranes are typically used to build large buildings like skyscrapers. These cranes are fixed position, meaning once they’ve been built, they’re staying put until the job’s over and done with. Tower cranes are unmatched for their ability to lift heavy objects to extreme heights.
A fun fact about tower cranes is that they are self-built (with the assistance of construction staff of course), using their hoisting power to light each segment of its body up and into itself, as shown in this video. A tower crane is operated by a crane operator, who sits in a cab which is situated at the intersection of the job and tower.
Truck Mounted
The truck mounted crane is a crane that is situated between a skip and the cab of a truck. These cranes are great for loading and unloading heavy materials from one place to another. Since they are for the most part a truck, this crane can be driven on the highway safely.
Rough Terrain
A rough terrain crane is a transportable piece of equipment that can handle working off road or on rough terrains. It’s similar to a crawler crane, with the main difference being its huge wheels in place of a crawler cranes tracks. Rough terrain cranes can be fitted with a telescopic boom and much like the telescopic crane itself, is also suitable for a wide array of projects.
Crawler
Another type of crane we love are the crawler cranes. Crawler cranes are a mobile unit ran by an operator who sits in the cab. The crane itself moves around on tracks rather than wheels and has a long arm that is able to lift and carry items with minimal effort on the drivers part. These innovative machines are great for multiple applications on construction sites, which is why we are proud to have a crawler crane rental service here at Preston Rentals.
Telescopic
If you’re looking for a crane that can change its length, a telescopic crane may be perfect for your needs. Typically, on the back of a truck, telescopic cranes utilise a boom fitted with hydraulics – this is how the telescopic extends and retracts itself. Telescopic cranes are one of the more versatile cranes, since it can be transported around and used for transporting heavy goods.
Floating
If the name didn’t give it away, floating cranes… float. These cranes are used on projects on the sea like oil rigs, bridges and other structures and operate on top of a barge that has the right counterweights and sizing. Floating cranes have a range of cables attached to the mast, boom, barge and counterweight holding it securely in place.
Stacker
Stacker cranes are cranes that use a forklift-like mechanism to lift materials and heavy loads to higher storage shelving, usually in warehouse. It’s an efficient way to retrieve or put away items that may take a person longer to do without, with less risks involved. These cranes can be automated too, for further convenience to workers in these warehouses, as demonstrated in this video.
With this new information on hand, you now know which crane is best suited to which job. There are no one size fits all kind of cranes, since there are so many different factors to consider like shape, counterweights and so on. However we think that spider cranes and crawler cranes come very close to being an all-rounder piece of heavy equipment fit for construction sites.
If you’re interested in our crawler crane rental or spider crane rental services, go to our contact page and get in touch today. We have dedicated teams in Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, California and Colorado who are more than happy to assist you with your crane rental needs. See also on tips to choose the right crane for your project.
