Big Liebherr extends Herkules mobile crane fleet

At the handover of the new LG 1750 are, from left to right: Mateusz Rychlewski, Herkules; Florian Flöss, Liebherr-Werk Ehingen; Pawel Maciejak, Herkules; and Artur Heiduk, Liebherr Poland. Photo: Liebherr

Polish crane and heavy transport specialist Herkules has extended its fleet upwards with the addition of a new Liebherr LG 1750 lattice boom wheeled mobile crane.

Primarily for wind work, the new addition combines the flexibility of a 750 tonne crawler crane with the high mobility of a wheeled crane, Liebherr said.

The manufacturer’s strong presence in Poland was an important factor in the purchase decision. “Our confidence in Liebherr products, their high availability and reliable service led us to choose a Liebherr crane,” explained Pawel Maciejak, Herkules director of the crawler crane and wind energy division.

Maciejak continued, “High mobility and carrying capacity were decisive factors for the purchase of the new LG 1750.”

Conventional and hydraulic wheeled cranes with lattice booms were once a common sight for heavy duty work. In the last 20 years most if not all other manufacturers have dropped them from their ranges. The LG 1750 is the largest and strongest lattice boom wheeled mobile crane in the world.

While the lattice boom models of old were truck cranes the LG 1750 differs in that its carrier is more like that of an all terrain crane. It has an eight axle carrier and can be driven to site, unlike a crawler crane, so it moves in fewer truckloads and transport cost is lower than for a comparable tracked model. Component dimensions are 3 metres or less and the heaviest is less than 45 tonnes.

Its design has been optimised for wind work, erecting turbines with hub heights up to 170 metres using the SX boom system.

Herkules has a fleet of 300 cranes, including towers, wheeled mobiles and crawlers. It also offers specialized transport. There are 200 employees and several branches.