Mini Cranes on individual floors of a high-rise under construction,” he explained.“ In those applications, mini cranes streamline the installation process by lifting and place the outer glass panels with precision.”
When it comes to compact cranes, reach and capacity often lead the conversation, Vacek noted. However, he added, maneuverability and physical dimensions are just as critical on tight jobsites.
Considerations when specifying a mini crane, according to Michael Gnazzo, include site accessibility as well as the crane’ s maximum height, reach and load capacity.“ It’ s important to review load charts and plan where exactly the crane will be positioned on the jobsite, since load capacity decreases as outreach increases,” he added.
Latest Models
Introduced about a year ago, the Jekko SPX328 mini crane has a maximum height of over 56 feet and at the same time, when folded, is compact enough to pass through a standard single door. The model, designed with features for the rental industry, includes the Jekko Touch Experience, a user interface that displays a live load chart and stability area on the 10-inch touch screen display, which also includes tutorials for crane functions and operations without the need of Wi-Fi or Internet. An additional feature is Jekko Dynamic Pressure Control that allows for precise load handling and jerk free movement.
Böcker’ s latest innovation is the AHK 36e, a fully electric mini crane featuring a battery capacity of 12.2 kWh and an electric winch that also recovers energy when the load is lowered and feeds it back into the battery. The electric mini crane can be charged with a 230 V household socket. If there is insufficient fuse protection on site, the charging power can be reduced.
The new Böcker electric AHK 36e features the manufacturer’ s crane control system in combination with radio remote control, which facilitates automatically controlling both set-up and dismantling. Like all Böcker cranes it come equipped with Böcker Connect, a remote monitoring system that offers GPS tracking, performance data and diagnostic tools, allowing crane companies to support operators remotely and troubleshoot issues faster.
The Jekko SPX328 mini crane has a maximum height of over 56 feet and at the same time, when folded, is compact enough to pass through a standard single door.
Lightweight and Maneuverable
“ Using a traditional truck crane would have required shutting down the street,” said Michael Gnazzo, president at Innovativ Hoisting.“ Instead, a roofing contractor working on a building in Boston that was bordered on one side by a busy street and on the other by a tight courtyard used a Böcker AHK 36 mini crane. With the crane’ s wireless remote control, they were able to drive the compact machine through the narrow courtyard, and thanks to its light weight over landscaped areas without causing damage.”
The Böcker AHK 36 is trailer-mounted and has a GVWR of only 9,980 pounds, meaning it is towable without needing a driver with a CDL. The mini crane can also be equipped with an optional personnel basket attachment that transforms the machine into a 95-foot boom lift.
www. cranehotline. com • June 2025 19