Spierings Cranes has handed over the first unit of his newest and biggest model to rental company Verschoor Kranen at a factory open day in the Netherlands on 8 November attended by 1,800 guests.

Leo Spierings, founder and owner of the innovative manufacturer, has named his new six-axle mobile folding crane the Mighty Tiny in honour of his late wife Tiny who helped him establish the company in 1987. Tiny Spierings died in October 2001.

The crane lifts a maximum of 10t on four falls of rope out to a radius of 13.2m and can lift 1.7t at the end of its 60m jib. Maximum hook height is 35m.

Verschoor Kranen has another five six units of the Mighty Tiny on order, to be delivered in stages during 2004 and 2005. Spierings has 20 orders for this crane, in total, from customers in the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium as well as the Netherlands.

Leo Spierings says that, despite its size, the crane takes just 15 minutes to assemble once the outriggers are out and down. In terms of reach, it competes with conventional telescopic boom all terrains in the 160t to 200t class, he said. Outrigger footprint is 7.9m by 7.45m. The carrier is 3m wide and 12.03m long and the whole vehicle length, including overhang at back and front, is 16.3m.