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Big equipment is our specialty and there’s nothing much bigger than a crane! But at Wheeler Equipment, we’re not intimidated! Because of our vast experience with yarders and other large machinery, we’re eager to make the repairs you require should you start experiencing problems with any cranes that you own or should you decide to rebuild rather than replace a crane that’s currently in your fleet of equipment.

Cranes are an integral part of so many kinds of industries and jobs, especially the construction sector, mining, the lumber industry, shipping, railroads and other transportation, and more. Whenever heavy lifting tasks need to be accomplished, cranes are put to work.

Simply explained, a typical crane includes:

  • Hoist ropes
  • Wire ropes
  • Chains
  • Sheaves

However, cranes have changed a lot over the last 100 years. Today’s cranes use sophisticated hydraulic systems, electric motors, and internal combustion engines to accomplish the tasks with which they are charged. They are super-efficient and many owners of older cranes look to rebuilds to make their not-so-efficient machines much more so, saving money because they’re not purchasing totally new machinery.

Types of cranes

Not all cranes are created equal. They look different and function differently as well. Each is designed to do a certain kind of job and may be more commonly used in one industry than in another. Types of cranes include:

  • Tower cranes – These are generally the tallest cranes and are used for building skyscrapers and other large structures. They can reach as much as about 80 meters in height. They are fixed to the ground by means of a concrete pad. Being secured like this allows them to lift very heavy loads.
  • Mobile cranes – A mobile crane, as the name suggests, is mounted on a mobile platform. Some are quite simple and consist of just a telescopic boom on a platform while others are a full-sized crane. The beauty of these movable cranes means that they can access sites that might be difficult for other types of cranes to access, but they can still lift plenty!
  • Loader cranes – Fairly easy to operate and very cost effective, loader cranes serve to load and unload items from trucks and other types of vehicles. They can also be used for loading and unloading in very tight spaces or places where movement is restricted.
  • Overhead (suspended) cranes – Meant to lift very heavy loads, overhead or suspended cranes are often found in factories. They operate via a hoist that is set on a trolley of sorts that will move in one direction along one or more beams.

There are several other types of cranes, many classified by the type of boom they have (telescopic, lattice truss, etc.) and each carries their load weight differently.

Restoration and rebuilding

At Wheeler Equipment, we’ve completed major crane rebuilds and are considered experts in the field of repairing and restoring heritage (mechanical) cranes. We are no stranger to the equipment manufactured by companies such as Manitowoc, American, Washington, Lima, and others, and are eager to help area businesses upgrade their cranes so that they can handle plenty of hard work in the years to come.

As with any of our rebuilds, we often gut the entire machine and then get started with the long process of putting this equipment back together, inspecting every single part, assessing their usability, and making changes and/or adjustments, as necessary.

The end result? We promise our clients they’ve be left with a crane that’s far more efficient than the one they started with and we guarantee that by the time it leaves our yard, it’ll be the best they’ve ever owned. That’s because we take pride in everything we do and understand that our customers are our best advertisers.

Want to know more about our rebuilding services for your crane or other piece of heavy machinery? Contact the experts at Wheeler Equipment at 604-882-9995.