When engaging in construction or renovations, cranes can be valuable equipment to have to assist in moving, lifting as well as lowering a variety of materials. However, purchasing this type of equipment can be quite expensive. As such, it is always best to consider the majority of work that it will be handling before making a decision on what type of crane would be best suited for your needs. Since there is an array of cranes to choose from, you need to establish various factors that would be prudent for maximum efficiency of your crane. These factors would also be applicable when contemplating crane hire for a specific construction job. Here are some of the factors that you can keep in mind before buying or hiring a crane.

Consider the maximum load that the crane can handle

Although cranes are designed for heavy lifting, they do not have the same maximum load capacity. As such, you will find that they comes in varying sizes to accommodate various load weights. The first thing you should do is determine what the heaviest loads will be on your site. Once you have this in mind, you should base your selection of a crane on which one will be able to handle the heaviest load.

It should be noted though that in some instances, the actual weight tends to become heavier than the load rating. This will occur if you have not considered other aspects that could increase the weight of the load such as spreaders, slings and other accessories attached to the load. Therefore, ensure that you have considered all items that may be attached to your heaviest load before selecting a crane based on its maximum load rating.

Consider the surface the crane will be operating on

The maneuverability of your crane will be largely dependent on the type of ground that it will be operating on. A crane may be mobile but if its wheels are not compatible with the terrain, you will find it difficult to navigate it around the construction site. As such, keeping the terrain in mind is essential in ensuring that you make the right selection.

For example, if your construction site is in an urban area with tarmacked ground, then you could settle for a truck-mounted crane. The tyres on this type of crane are similar to those on regular vehicles, thus will be able to navigate the site with ease. On the other hand, if you were primarily working on rough terrain, then you would be better suited with selecting cranes that are designed for all terrain conditions. These will have wider tyres with deeper treads to provide maximum traction when navigating the construction site.