Tadano truck mounted crane for German firm

Michael Findeiß, the managing director of Riedstadt, Germany-based crane hire firm Hellmich Kranservice, recently took delivery of an HK 4.050-1 – the final of four cranes that the company had ordered from Tadano. The three machines he’d already received included two AC 5.220-1 and a first HK 4.050-1 – a crane concept he’s a fan of. “Truck-mounted cranes like this are fantastic from a road permit standpoint,” he said on taking delivery of the second HK 4.050-1 in Lauf. “That makes them a highly versatile option on a day-to-day basis. And that’s by no means the only great feature of the HK 4.050-1. For instance, we were also especially taken with its asymmetric H-style outriggers.”

The outriggers, combined with the crane’s manoeuvrability, mean the crane is particularly well-suited for use on tight construction sites, says Tadano.

For Findeiß, another advantage of the HK 4.050-1 is its cost-effectiveness: it uses a truck chassis, which is beneficial in terms of wear and operating cost. In addition, the standard commercial truck chassis is backed by the comprehensive Mercedes service network and benefits from ready access to affordable spare parts. Further efficiencies come from the crane’s two-engine configuration which, Tadano says, allows Hellmich to cut down on diesel consumption when operating the superstructure.

Hellmich ordered the HK 4.050-1 with a rope-pull system for the boom, for increased speed and efficieny to set up and operate on site. Other items of equipment ordered by Hellmich include the optional mounting for a folding swing-away jib as well as an aircraft warning light.

“Thanks to all these features, the HK 4.050-1 is the perfect complement to our fleet,” says Findeiß. “It means we now have even greater flexibility in responding to the needs of our customers.”

René Hellmich, a shareholder of the Hellmich group of companies, says he’s been a fan of truck-mounted cranes since the 1980s. “We’ve been using HK cranes for more than 15 years, and we’ve been known to have as many as ten of them in our fleet,” he says.