Has your construction project reached that stage where it’s time to start moving items around? You might be weighing up the options between using a mobile crane or a tower crane.
While tower cranes have their specific advantages, the mobility of mobile cranes is becoming more popular in the construction industry. Aside from mobility, a host of other reasons make Franna crane hire a considerably better option for just about any construction project.
Why Mobile Cranes are Better than Tower Cranes
If you’re not sure if a mobile crane is the right option, then this article will help you decide. Keep reading as our experts highlight a few of the top reasons why you can never go wrong with hiring a Franna crane.
1. Mobile Cranes are More Mobile
Mobility is the number one reason why mobile cranes are a popular choice. In urban construction, site space is often limited. This means it’s very difficult to set up a tower crane when you have to work around power lines and other buildings.
In this instance, mobile cranes, or pick and carry cranes as they’re also known, are the perfect solution. Franna cranes are easily able to navigate around narrow passages and job sites with limited space. The flexibility of a mobile crane makes it easy to work around existing structures.
2. Mobile Cranes are Faster to Set Up
A considerable amount of time and effort goes into having a tower crane erected. Aside from the space required, the time factor can also slow down work around the site. Mobile cranes on the other hand, simply drive up to the venue, engage their stabilisers and work can begin.
3. Require Less Space When They’re Stationary
While construction sites might seem quite big, a tower crane might easily get in the way of other machinery. Mobile cranes are slimmer in design and therefore don’t require a large section of the construction site to be cordoned off while it’s in operation.
4. Mobile Cranes Can Easily Move Around Between Sites
Your current construction job might require loads to be moved around between sites. This wouldn’t be possible with a tower crane. Since Franna cranes are essentially cranes on trucks, they easily comply with Australian Road Regulations and can easily drive on roads to get from one site to another. Additionally, they can travel on narrow roads and fit through regular-sized entrances.
5. Mobile Cranes are Cheaper to Hire
Due to their enormous size, tower cranes would obviously cost a considerable amount to hire. You will also require trained and qualified staff to erect them, which leads to more expenses on your behalf. Mobile cranes require one person to drive them to the site, perform a quick set-up, do the job and afterwards drive away.
6. Mobile Cranes Are Much Safer to Use
Other than deploying the stabilisers, there’s no additional setup required. This ultimately means there’s less risk of injury. Tower cranes on the other hand can be quite risky due to their size.
7. Mobile Cranes Can Perform Different Hoisting Tasks
You’d be wrong for assuming that you need a tower crane to perform a big job. Franna cranes are well known for being able to hoist a wide variety of load weights—heavy ones too. This is thanks to multiple axels and improved hydraulic systems.
The general variety of cranes on offer include:
- Franna AT40: Boasts a lifting capacity of 40 tons
- Franna Mac25: Can lift 25 tons and features a super lift counterweight
- Franna AT22: Features a lifting load of 22 tons and a capacity radius of 1.4m
- Franna 12T: The smallest of the Franna range can easily hoist 12 tons with a radius of 1.53m, making it ideal for most worksites
The Advantages of Renting vs Buying
Now that we’ve convinced you that mobile cranes are the way to go, your next question might be whether you should rent one or simply just buy one. While you’ll never go wrong with owning your own mobile crane, there are a few benefits that will convince you that renting is the better option.
Renting is more economical because:
- There’s no need to find long-term storage space. This means you won’t have to rent another garage or warehouse to store the Franna between jobs.
- You won’t need to budget for repairs or maintenance. When a unit seems faulty or in need of maintenance simply contact the rental company and they will take care of it. This is a significant way to reduce your company’s overhead.
- You’ll always have access to the latest technology. Different jobs might require different size and types of mobile cranes and hiring allows use of the most advanced machine available which in turn gets the job done more efficiently.
Final Thought
As you can see, mobile cranes, (Franna cranes in particular) are both versatile and economical. Opting to hire a Franna crane will allow you to get the lifting jobs around your site done quickly, safely, and perhaps even ahead of schedule!