Short set-up times and easy operation: Gerhard Mees is full of praise for his new crane.
  • Hack procures young used LTM 1650-8.1 crane due to short delivery time
  • The 700-tonne crane from Liebherr is now the most powerful crane in its fleet
  • Its first assignment was to dismantle a bridge over 100 years old

Hack Schwerlastservice GmbH has taken delivery of an LTM 1650-8.1. The 700-tonne model from Liebherr is now the most powerful mobile crane in the Neuwied company’s fleet.The high performance and compact dimensions of the LTM 1650-8.1 were major criteria behind the decision to buy. And due to the short lead times, Hack chose a modern used crane. It has already proven its ability on the dismantling of an old steel bridge.

Company owner Udo Hack explains: “The Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 is the market’s most compact and powerful 700-tonne mobile crane on eight axles. Since we have a high demand for missions involving this high performance class, we wanted to purchase the Liebherr crane without delay. However due to the long lead time for a new crane, we would not have been able to complete a number of jobs. Fortunately, Liebherr was able to offer us a young, used LTM 1650-8.1 with only a few operating hours and kilometres on the clock, which was delivered very promptly. The Liebherr plant had inspected the crane and we’re able to proudly say that we made exactly the right decision. We have complete faith in Liebherr’s service team.”

The LTM 1650-8.1 is a universal crane with a wide range of boom configurations. This is why Hack is planning to use its new acquisition for a broad array of missions: rail and road bridges, heavy lifting jobs in harbours such as ship loading or precast concrete parts, as well as the construction, dismantling and maintenance of wind power plants.   

Proven prowess on its very first job

The LTM 1650-8.1’s first mission took it to Wetzlar. In the district of Naunheim, an old pedestrian bridge over the River Lahn needed to be dismantled in order to create space for a new bridge. The 50-metre-long and four-metre-wide steel bridge was built in 1906 and no longer fulfilled safety requirements.

The telescopic boom, extended to 43 metres, sets down the bridge in front of the LTM 1650-8.1. The new bridge is already prepared under the tarpaulins, shown on the left in the picture.

Crane operator Gerhard Mees equipped the LTM 1650-8.1 with 155 tonnes of ballast. With a boom radius of 35.8 metres, the crane raised the bridge that had previously been freed from its position with cutting torches. “The bridge weighed 27.5 tonnes, but the LTM 1650-8.1 would have been able to lift up to 42 tonnes with this boom radius. The LTM 1650-8.1 was set up in a short space of time and the lifting operations turned out to be extremely simple. The crane is as strong as an ox, but its controls are as sensitive as a racehorse”, says Mees, praising the new addition to the Hack fleet.

Hack Schwerlastservice GmbH operates numerous branches from Düsseldorf and Eifel to Westerwald and Frankfurt, including offices handling construction crane hire and assembly as well as repairs. Mobile folding cranes, towing and recovery services, industrial assembly with special electric cranes, work platforms and heavy haulage are also part of the company’s portfolio.

The LTM 1650-8.1 from Hack dismantles and old steel bridge over the River Lahn near Wetzlar. A temporary bridge has already been erected next to it.

The crane fleet consists of over 36 mobile cranes, the majority of which were supplied by the Liebherr Plant in Ehingen. Founded as a family-run company in 1959 by Werner Hack Senior and his wife Apollonia, the company has been constantly expanded and is now run by the second generation of the family by siblings Irene, Werner and Udo Hack.

Source: Liebherr