Tower Cranes For Sale

About Tower Cranes

A familiar sight wherever skyscrapers, other multi-story buildings, and large structures are being constructed, tower cranes provide the long reach and high lifting capacity necessary to do the job. At the same time, the small footprint of a tower crane allows it to fit into congested urban worksites and buildings where surface space is limited. 

A modular tower crane can be erected by smaller cranes with a mast height and jib length that will allow it to slew (rotate its jib) and perform its work without interfering with the structure or other tower cranes on site. Construction firms use tower cranes to hoist building materials, prefabricated reinforced concrete components, generators, HVAC units, and much more.

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Potain MDT 219 J10 Tower Crane

Types Of Tower Cranes

Hammerhead tower cranes are generally T-shaped (or nearly L-shaped) with a vertical steel lattice mast and a lattice jib (or boom) mounted perpendicular to it. On a top-slewing tower crane, the jib slews around the top of the mast. The cab is mounted on the jib near the pivot ring. The crane’s hook block assembly can travel along the boom on a trolley (called “racking”). The counterjib is the part of the jib that extends opposite the hook side, bearing the counterweights, winch, and motor.

Hammerhead cranes have an A-frame on top of the horizontal jib for greater lift capacity. The A-frame’s mast is called an “apex,” “tower peak,” or “tower top.” Support cables (pendants) extend diagonally from the top of the apex to the jib and counterjib in the shape of the letter A. Flat-top tower cranes, also called “topless cranes,” resemble hammerheads but have no A-frame. 

Another tower crane variety, the luffing jib crane (aka a “luffer” or “industrial jib crane”) has a jib that is not limited to horizontal operation. It can also be raised vertically using hydraulics or a cable. Because luffers can raise the jib as well as slew, they can work on tall buildings in very constricted surroundings. Some luffing jib cranes can combine hoisting of the load with raising and lowering of the jib to move the load forward or backward at a set height from ground level on a horizontal load path, similar to level-luffing cranes used in shipyards and other applications. 

Self-erecting tower cranes, also called “folding cranes,” are mobile units that can roll onto a worksite, unfold (often hydraulically), and go to work. Self-erecting or fast-erecting tower cranes are useful for hoisting lighter loads on short notice. 

Most tower cranes are stationary, self-supporting cranes with a mast anchored to a reinforced base on the ground. Relatively few are traveling cranes with masts that can be relocated via train rail or other conveyance. However, Liebherr offers special tower cranes capable of traveling on crawler tracks.

Features

Some mast tower cranes have self-climbing capabilities. As they construct a building around themselves, they can use hydraulics, pawls, and climbing ladders to raise their mast height to work on higher floors. 

Ever-evolving control systems such as Manitowoc’s Crane Control System (CCS) and Liebherr’s LICCON make cranes safer and easier to use, even for less-experienced operators. The latter’s Litronic system provides precise, fine speed and movement control; multiple programmable jib boundaries to avert collisions with buildings or other cranes; a level luffing mode; and other features. 

Liebherr also offers fibre tower cranes with the soLITE fibre hoist rope the company co-developed with TEUFELBERGER. The fibre rope lasts approximately four times longer than steel rope. In addition, because it weighs just 20% of steel rope and is able to use a lighter hook block, fiber rope improves crane load capacity by 8 to 20%. 

More common features of tower cranes include remote controls and elevators inside the mast to safely lift the operator to the cabin. 

Capacities 

Tower cranes vary tremendously in their dimensions due to jib and mast extensions, not to mention self-climbing capabilities. However, they are more easily classified by their maximum lifting capacities. 

For example, Potain sells top-slewing topless cranes in North America from 2.5 to 40 tonnes (2.8 to 44.1 U.S. tons) of lift capacity, hammerhead cranes from 20 to 80 t (22 to 88.8 U.S. t), self-erecting cranes from 1.8 to 8 t (2 to 8.8 U.S. t), and luffing jib cranes from 8 to 32 t (8.8 to 35.3 U.S. t). 

Liebherr’s lineup of tower cranes include topless models with 5 to 125 t (5.5 to 138 U.S. t) of lift capacity, high-top and heavy-load hammerheads from 16 to 100 t (17.6 to 110 U.S. t), luffing jib cranes from 16 to 64 t (14.5 to 70.5 U.S. t), and fast-erecting and mobile construction cranes from 2.5 to 8 t (2.8 to 8.8 U.S. t).

Find Your Next Tower Crane

On CraneTrader.ca, you’ll find new and used tower cranes for sale or rental from current and former manufacturers including Comedil (now a Terex brand), Liebherr, Potain (from Manitowoc), Terex, and WOLFFKRAN. Mobile cranes used to assemble tower cranes can be found in the all-terrain cranes, city cranes, telescopic boom truck cranes, and other categories.