To choose the right truck crane for heavy lifting, consider the load capacity, lifting height, and reach. For example, the Terex AC 100-4L has a 100-ton capacity and a 58-meter boom. Assess your site’s terrain, crane mobility, and fuel efficiency—models like the Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 offer superior lifting power, but come at a higher cost. Always consult load charts.

Max Load Capacity Check

You can't overlook the maximum load capacity when it comes to selecting the right truck crane. For better understanding, let's get down to some hard numbers. A Terex AC 100-4L crane has a maximum load capacity of 100 tons, or 200,000 pounds, and it is able to lift with ease those really heavy loads in an industrial setting. However, rated capacity isn't enough on its own. Load charts for this crane show that the maximum capacity of this crane decreases as it extends the boom. At a 60-degree boom angle, for instance, the load capacity may be reduced to only 20 tons. It's not just about the strength of the lift but to know how load distribution and angle of boom influence what the crane can safely carry.

To further complicate matters, the data in a load chart can vary greatly depending on a crane's working radius. A crane may be able to carry 30% more weight at a 10-meter working radius compared to a 30-meter radius, which is why distance plays such a major factor. As the radius increases, the load capacity falls, sometimes even as much as 50%. This is most often applicable at a construction site where, say, a crane needs to extend its boom to reach a certain point. Sometimes, as much as 60 percent of the lifting power can be lost if the load is too far away from the rotational center of the crane.

The given static load limit is contrasted with dynamic load limits, which are assumed to be interfered with in case the crane is in motion. For example, a crane that is lifting a load and at the same time moving applies dynamic forces to the load, reducing its lifting capacity by as much as 20-30% compared to when it is stationary. This is why quite often cranes are rated to have much higher capacities than what they can actually handle safely in motion. Cranes that specialize in port or logistics operations, such as the Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1, are designed to handle dynamic loads more efficiently. However, even with such powerful models, the extra risks that a crane operator has to consider always concern additional factors, such as wind or uneven terrain, which can further affect the stability and capacity of a crane.

Having worked with the Grove GMK6300L, for example, I can attest that it had a rated capacity of 300 tons. That sounds impressive in theory, but in practice we found that this rating translated, on a job that required extreme angle lifts over an extended period of time using an extended boom, to some 180 t of actual lifting weight safely achievable-nearly 40% down from the ratings. It is significant to realize that rated capacity is not an absolute but rather a conditional number, depending on working conditions, and the changes can sometimes be quite dramatic.

Terrain Adaptability Tips

When selecting machinery for a construction or mining project, the terrain adaptability of the equipment can make or break the operation. For example, if you’re working on uneven ground with a lot of slopes, you’ll want a crane or excavator that can handle grade slopes of 35% or more. Some heavy machinery, like the Caterpillar 775G dump truck, is even engineered to operate efficiently on slopes reaching 30% without sacrificing safety or stability. Even more specialized ones, such as the Komatsu 830E-AC haul truck, can manage to work on an incline of up to 60% in certain terrains and ensure you get maximum efficiency despite the difficult landscape conditions.

If you happen to be working in a rocky environment, then knowing how well your equipment does on rocky surfaces becomes important. For instance, the ground pressure of the Volvo EC950F Crawler Excavator is 0.065 MPa, much lower than most standard excavators, thus enabling it to distribute weight more evenly over rocky or unstable ground. This low ground pressure is important in environments such as quarries or mining sites, where the terrain can cause heavy equipment to sink or get stuck. Tracked vehicles tend to be also more adaptable when it comes to uneven terrain versus wheeled types since they would support the weight of the machines with more uniformity, rather than getting bugged down along the way or otherwise.
Terrains that require wet or swampy conditions, for example require specialized equipment such as the large Liebherr LTM 1400-7.1 crane weighing almost 70 tons with strong enough hydraulic systems used in soft ground conditions with apparent ease. Large rubber tires and outriggers give them wider footprints for better weight distribution, hence making them more stable. In fact, when operating on marshy lands, the pressure on outriggers can be reduced by up to 20%, which will avoid sinking, hence a feature valuable in areas where rainfall events occur frequently or are near water bodies.

Speaking from experience, there was one site where the equipment had to make constant crossings between hard gravel and soft mud fields. That difference in ground conditions and bearing pressure means very often the maximum load capacity of a crane changes dramatically. For instance, on gravel, the maximum safe lifting weight could be 50 tons, while on soft ground, it drops 25 percent to 37 tons. That means we have to plan every lift more carefully, taking into consideration the capacity of the load and the adjustments in terrain so that the operation would be safe.

Top Brand Comparisons

Various performance features like load capacity, fuel efficiency, and durability can be compared within the top brands of cranes: Liebherr, Terex, and Kobelco. For example, the maximum lifting capacity for the Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 is 450 tons, while the maximum lifting capacity for the Terex AC 100-4L is 100 tons. But it's also more expensive, at about $1.5 million, versus the Terex's price of about $900,000, considering the Liebherr crane is almost five times more powerful. This higher price for Liebherr equipment is justified by its exceptional lifting power but may not be worth the extra investment if your needs are more modest.

Fuel efficiency is another important factor to consider when comparing these two brands. Where the Kobelco CK1100G is a mid-range crawler crane, its fuel consumption of 10.5 gallons per hour is roughly 15% more efficient than some of its competitors, such as the Liebherr LR 1100, which burns approximately 12.5 gallons per hour. This could result in significant savings over time, especially on those projects where large numbers of cranes are used almost constantly. With the ability to lift as much as 110 tons, the Kobelco CK1100G works out as a very reliable cost-effective option where projects require this level of strength combined with any degree of economy in fuel use.
In relation to maintenance periods, Terex cranes appear to have larger service intervals of some 500 hours of operational time between visits, whereas models from Liebherr would visit every 400 hours and this can cause more frequent instances of downtime to increase the eventual total operating cost. However, Liebherr cranes tend to have a longer lifespan, often exceeding 20 years with proper maintenance, while Terex cranes, depending on usage, may last around 15-18 years before significant overhaul or part replacements are needed. This can make Liebherr more attractive for companies that want to minimize long-term capital expenditure.

Liebherr provides advanced technology on many occasions; its Liebherr's LICCON control system enables more fine-tuned handling of the load and easier handling, thus providing more safety and productivity. A model that had integrated this in its design is the LTM 1500-8.1, with a maximum lifting height of 166 meters using an extension boom. By comparison, the Terex AC 100-4L deploys an older generation control system. It still delivers some serious performance with a lifting height of 138 meters. Although the Liebherr system provides advanced diagnostic capabilities and helps operators troubleshoot issues in real time, the Terex system is more user-friendly but offers fewer advanced features.