Used Tower Cranes — A Buyer’s Quick Guide

Planning to buy a tower crane for your construction business? Used tower cranes offer a few advantages over their new counterparts, chief of which is the price. Plus, your operators will be more likely familiar with older tower crane models.

However, when you are planning to buy a used tower crane, it is crucial that you carefully inspect the crane before you purchase it to avoid costly repairs and other headaches associated with buying used heavy equipment. How do you do that?

Before actively looking for tower cranes for sale, whether used or new, the first thing that you have to do is to get a fair idea of the average costs of these. Awareness of the price of tower cranes will help you know exactly whether you can afford investing in one as well as help you negotiate for better prices. When it comes to used tower cranes, you have to be aware that the prices often reflect the condition of the equipment.

Once you have a fair idea of the going price of used tower cranes, the next thing to look for is the overall condition of the unit for sale. You have to inquire about the maintenance work and repairs the equipment has undergone. Again, knowing this before entering into the final phase of negotiation will help give you leverage during the bargaining process.

Once you have created a shortlist of potential units to buy, you can start narrowing down your list further by eliminating tower cranes that have not been subjected to an annual inspection. Ideally, tower cranes should be inspected at least once a year and the seller should be able to show you evidence like reports and certificates which show that the unit has actually been subjected to a thorough inspection.

In inspecting a tower crane, it is a good idea to hire an expert to conduct the inspection of the unit. That extra cost can help you save more money over the long term.

Typically, experts subject tower cranes to non-destructive testing in order to uncover defects. A qualified inspector will perform a crack test on the booms, counterweight sheave bracket welds, band brakes, slew ring bolts, tower bolts and pins. He may also conduct a test on the chord sections. A crack test focuses on parts that are known to crack. The thickness test, on the other hand, verifies the strength of the tower crane’s chords.