The line-up at Gravity Crane Services, previously Purcell Crane Hire, had also received a boost in the form of a new GT550E hydraulic truck crane delivered mid 2006. Along with the new 70 tonne GR-700EXL, the GT-550E took the Gravity Cranes Tadano tally to five with a 50 tonne TR-500M-3, 30 tonne GR-300N and 25 tonne TR-200M Tadano cranes already in service.

In operation since September 2003, Gravity Cranes is the result of company director Tim Purcell investing his depth of crane industry experience into his own crane hire company in Karratha, WA.

Developing a strong reputation in crane operation and project management, Tim Purcell saw an opportunity to service the increasing equipment demand within the oil and gas sectors along with large scale iron ore expansions in the northern region of Western Australia.

Tim Purcell’s crane experience encompasses a range of crane brands including Kato, Grove, Liebherr, Demag and Franna. Along with four Tadano cranes, the Gravity Crane fleet comprises a 70 tonne and 120 tonne rough-terrain Grove plus a 50 tonne all-terrain Demag. However, when it came time to purchase a new rough terrain, Tim Purcell looked to Tadano.

“I purchased the Tadano GR-700EXL because of its reliable reputation and operator-friendly design and equipment list,” said Tim Purcell. “It was also available in stock for when I needed it.”

“We first heard of James Equipment through the crane industry grapevine and have been happy with our new crane to date.”

The Tadano GR-700EXL features a 70 tonne lifting capacity with a 44m fully extendable boom and 2-staged swing-around boom extension. The crane carrier features a direct injection, 6 cylinder diesel engine delivering 750nm of torque, electronically controlled automatic transmission, selectable 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel hydraulic power-steering.

The Tadano GT-550E’s partially synchronised telescoping boom extends to 42m and boasts a 55 tonne lifting capacity.

“We are looking to consolidate what we have done in a relatively short period of time and then focus our attention on further opportunities within the local construction and resources sector,” said Tim Purcell.

Serving the crane industry with locations right across Australia, James Equipment has an excellent range of used cranes in stock from international manufacturers including Demag, Kato, Liebherr, and Kobelco.