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About Cranes

Cranes are an integral part of any tree and landscape management equipment fleet. Using a crane in tree removal makes the job safer and faster, causes less damage to the surrounding area, and gives professionals better access to an entire tree. 

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Altec DC47TR Truck-Mounted Digger Derrick Crane

Felling trees requires a lot of space—up to double the tree height and more. Even with skill and great care, trees can fall unpredictably, so crews rarely take them down in one piece. Cranes move the resulting heavy pieces more efficiently and safely than pure manpower and help protect the surrounding area, which might include nearby buildings, power lines, and other obstacles. 

Cranes also have the lifting capacity and reach to move trees and other materials over structures and plants within the path from jobsite to truck and, for cranes with buckets or platforms, can lift workers up to perform work at great heights.

In addition, cranes are handy for planting mature trees, which can be very large with massive root balls and can weigh thousands of pounds. A crane can lift and place the tree for planting and support it in place as a crew fills in the rest of the hole. When it comes to finding the right crane for the job, tree and landscape professionals have an array of lifting capacity and reach options from which to choose, as well as features such as telescoping booms, platforms, buckets, augers, and others that will make their job easier.

Boom Truck Cranes

Available in mounted or unmounted varieties, boom truck cranes tend to have lower maximum load capacities than tower or crawler cranes but make up for it with easy transit between jobsites and short setup times, making them a good fit for use by arborists, landscapers, and tree care professionals, as well as contractors and utility operations.

Mounted boom truck cranes typically come affixed to a flatbed truck, or in some cases, a truck with a service body, although the latter variety is generally less powerful. Some models have a dedicated operator cab, while others have standing controls located near the turret.

As the category name suggests, unmounted boom truck cranes are sold on their own, without a vehicle or other platform. Unmounted boom truck cranes may be brand-new units that have yet to be mounted, or they may have been removed from a truck to be sold separately.

Rough-Terrain Cranes

Rough-terrain cranes are designed for heavy lifting in hard-to-reach areas, with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering to ensure traction and maneuverability. Most rough-terrain cranes require a truck and trailer to transport from site to site as they are not designed for highway driving. 

Knuckle Boom Cranes

Knuckle boom cranes are generally truck-mounted units that feature a joint in the main boom, letting the outer boom fold against the mast when not in use. This design makes a knuckle boom crane much more compact than a standard boom truck crane. When folded for transport, these cranes often leave room on the truck for hauling additional payload, and a knuckle boom crane requires less off-duty storage space than a standard one, as well.

Knuckle boom cranes are commonly attached to flatbed trucks (mounted knuckle boom cranes are purchased as a package deal with a truck), but they’re also popular for offshore vessels due to their compact nature. An unmounted knuckle boom crane refers to the crane only, which will be mounted on a truck, boat, or other vehicle or surface before operating. Many knuckle boom cranes have remote controls to allow operators to stay on the ground at a safe distance away while the machine is in use.

Bucket Trucks & Service Trucks

Bucket trucks and service trucks (two names that are often used interchangeably) are trucks with one of a variety of cranes mounted behind the cab. The feature that sets bucket and service trucks apart from most other truck cranes is the bucket or service platform attached to the end of the crane arm, which enables arborists and other landscape professionals to work safely at considerable heights.

Digger Derricks

Digger derricks are available in two types, track and truck-mounted. They are used to drill holes, lift and set poles, and lift and move heavy materials. These cranes typically have a boom-style design to increase the horizontal and vertical reach of the machine. 

Track digger derricks have a pair of tracks or crawlers to move around the jobsite. The larger contact surface area of the tracks distributes weight more evenly for better traction on uneven or soft terrain. 

Truck-mounted digger derricks usually have two or three axles and a boom-mounted auger on a rotating turret. Some models also have hydraulic outriggers for added stability.

Choose The Right Crane

Find the best crane for your needs. TreeTrader.com is your go-to resource for comparing thousands of new and used cranes for tree and landscape care. Popular crane manufactures include Altec, Fassi, Grove, IMT, Manitex, National, Tadano, and Terex, among many others.