5 Factors To Consider When Buying Cranes

A crane is an essential piece of equipment for any large project. It’s involved in hauling materials of different sizes and shapes. Although it can be a long-term investment, purchasing a crane may leave a huge dent in your hard-earned savings.

Thus, if you want to avoid incurring losses, it’s best to be extra cautious when buying a crane. Whether you’re building a multistory building complex or an off-road highway, you should understand that a crane will make it easier for you to finish the project on time and within budget.

This article discusses some factors you should have in mind when purchasing a crane. But before that, it’s a good idea to first understand what a crane is.  Read on to get enlightened.

What’s A Crane?

A crane is a piece of specialized equipment mostly used in the construction industry to move construction materials horizontally. It can lift or lower heavy materials to or from heights that are beyond human capabilities. Moreover, there are several types of cranes. Some of these include truck-mounted cranes, carry deck cranes, all-terrain cranes, crawler cranes, and others. Lastly, you can choose between fixed or mobile cranes.

Factors To Consider Before Purchasing A Crane

It’s important to conduct extensive research before purchasing this hauling equipment. This will help ensure you purchase a crane that best suits your project. With that said, here are some factors you need to consider before making this huge investment:

1. Purpose Of The Crane

How you use your equipment will help you choose the right equipment for your project. Typically, the purpose of the crane can be grouped into the following: future use or immediate use.

The need for immediate usage is usually the main reason people consider purchasing a crane. However, it’s crucial that you consider all the other factors involved before you complete the purchase. Ask yourself these questions: what’s the weight of the load that you’re planning to lift? What are their shapes? How often will you need to lift a heavy load?

As mentioned above, a crane is a long-term investment. Although it’ll help you accomplish immediate goals, you should consider its future usage too. Will your lifting needs change in the future? Thinking of your answer to this question will help you choose the right equipment to ensure you get the best ROI (return on investment) for your crane.

2. Working Area

This is another important factor to consider before purchasing a crane. The area you’ll be working on will determine the type of equipment you’ll be using. The working area can be categorized into outdoor and indoor areas.

If you’re planning to use your crane in an outdoor setup, you should consider several things. For instance, if you’ll be working on rough terrain, it’s important to purchase a special kind of rough terrain crane to make it easier for you to conduct your activities. Another thing you should ensure is waterproofing your crane. This will protect it from harsh elements such as rainfall, snow, and strong winds.

For indoor cranes, you should choose one with a 360-degree view. If the operator doesn’t have a good view, this may cause accidents and other life-threatening issues.

Another thing to consider is the stability of the working ground. The ground you choose should be stable enough to hold the immense weight of the crane. You may employ local inspectors to help you choose the right equipment for your working area.

3. Cost

Purchasing a crane may be costly, but it can be a worthwhile investment. The major factors that may determine the cost of cranes include the lift height, weight, and the need for special components. It’s advisable that you visit several sellers so you can compare the prices. Choose the best deal on the market—one that falls within your budget and has all the features you need.

Apart from the initial purchase cost, you should also consider the maintenance and working costs of the crane. Each type of crane will have different maintenance costs depending on the availability of replacement parts and the ease and frequency of repair. The crane you choose should have a low maintenance cost to ensure the best ROI for your equipment.

4. Size And Weight Of The Load

It’s important to understand that each crane is designed to lift different loads in terms of size, shape, and weight. When purchasing your crane, you’ll realize that all pieces of equipment have their respective pros and cons.

Understanding these will help you choose the right equipment for your project. Also, considering the shape of the load will play a huge role in ensuring that you purchase the equipment that best suits your need. For instance, if you’ll be lifting oddly-shaped loads, you should purchase a crane with special rigs to make it easier.

5. Ease Of Repair And Maintenance

Like any other construction equipment, a crane needs to be maintained and repaired regularly during its lifetime. So, before you purchase your crane, find out how easy it is to maintain and repair your equipment in case it breaks down.

Moreover, conduct research to find out how easy it is to find spare parts from the local shops near you. If you find a crane that costs you a lot of money to maintain, this can affect your budget. So, it’s best to go for a cheap crane that’s also easy to maintain and service. Just be sure that the crane you choose helps meet your business needs.

Bottom Line

Purchasing a crane is an important investment for any huge project. Specifically, it’ll simplify the lifting and hauling process. However, to work effectively and reduce unnecessary costs, you must choose the right crane.

As you’ve seen above, there are several factors to consider when buying a crane for your project. Some of these factors include the cost of the crane, the working area, the size and weight of the loads, its ease of repair, and the purpose of the crane. These factors will help you purchase the equipment that suits your ongoing and future projects.