Product of the Month 2022 Roundup
As we’re about to fall off the edge of 2022 into the warm fluffiness of 2023 (some hope) it’s time for us to do a quick roundup of all the Hird Products of the Month over the last 12 months.
It has been a highly varied year, in line with the many different types of mini cranes, glass vacuum lifters, glazing robots, MEWPs, and lifting equipment available for hire from Hird.
So, here goes!
January – Octopus CBL8000 counterbalance lifting beam
At the start of 2022 things were hanging in the balance, not because the year ahead was uncertain, but because we were featuring the Octopus CBL8000 counterbalance lifting beam.
With its maximum lifting capacity of a whopping 8,000kg, it is one of six counterbalance lifting beams in Hird’s hire fleet. It is ideal for lifting under overhangs as deep as 3m. So it is perfect for installing glass, cladding, steelwork or even balconies on buildings under deep eaves or soffits.
February – Maeda CC985S-1 mini crawler crane
The following month we showcased a new mini crane for Hird, the Maeda CC985S-1 mini crawler crane. Before this little baby came along, we only stocked spider cranes made by Maeda. But we could see some customers need Maeda lifting power on the move.
The Maeda CC985S-1, with a SWL of 4.9 tonnes, can be moved quickly to different locations to carry out lifts. Also, because it has pick and carry capability, it can lift, move, and drop loads precisely where they’re needed.
March – Valla V36R pick and carry crane
Here we had another crane with great pick and carry credentials – and one that proves being smaller can definitely be an advantage. The Valla V36R is one of Hird’s new Valla V range cranes, with a maximum SWL of 3.6t.
What is special about the crane is how ultra-compact it is. To twist a phrase, it takes lifting to a smaller level. The Valla V36R is significantly smaller in all dimensions than a comparable standard pick and carry crane, with drive and lift controlled by a remote control unit.
April – Maeda MC305 electric spider crane
As we said in April, going green is now a necessity, which is why we chose to feature Hird’s new electric Maeda MC305CB-3 ECO, with a SWL of 2.82t, as Product of the Month. It’s one of a range of new electric cranes Hird is introducing to meet customer demand for green lifting.
The spider crane’s super-efficient lithium batteries provide all electric power for low-noise, zero-emission and low carbon footprint lifting, with wireless remote control so the operator can be positioned in the most effective and safest place to manage any lift.
May – Heavy Drive Trolley
While March and April, arguably, celebrated the small things in life, in May we went large, with the Heavy Drive Trolley. It is needed by out glass installation customers because glazed panels are getting bigger and heavier.
With a maximum capacity of 3,000kg, the Heavy Drive Trolley – actually two glass trolleys in one – can hold glass panels from 1.7m up to 12m long, reducing manual handling, and the risk of damage to the panel and to surrounding structures, to a minimum.
June – Winlet 350TH glazing robot
Being a bit different is a good thing. And when that difference is combined with being as innovative and useful as a Winlet glazing robot, that’s a very good thing indeed. The Winlet 350TH glazing robot does not have its own wheels. Instead it can be attached to a telehandler to install glass at height.
With a maximum capacity of 350kg, the glazing robot can be used to glaze upper floor windows without the need for scaffolding and across the most boggy construction sites, saving time and money. and maximising safety.
July – Winlet ErgoMover Manipulator
In July – remember that heat? – we featured the Winlet ErgoMover Manipulator. We called it the Swiss Army Knife of transport trolleys because it can carry loads, lift and lower them, and tilt them upright for safer unloading.
The electric transport trolley, with a capacity of 1,500kg, can be used to carry a wide range of materials, including brick and block packs, plasterboard, cladding panels, wood, paving blocks and stone. Manual handling is minimised and productivity maximised.
August – Righetti CL1-6 cladding lifter
At the height of summer, we featured the Righetti CL1-6 cladding lifter, a powerful vacuum lifter designed specifically in response to a modern construction and commercial phenomenon: the shed. Not the garden variety, but the giant warehouses for storage and distribution.
The Righetti CL1-6 has a maximum lifting capacity of 400kg, is battery powered, and has an onboard 110v charger. It can be configured to lift cladding of many different shapes and sizes, and is controlled remotely by a cable or wireless unit. There ain’t not warehouse big enough for the Righetti CL1-6!
September – Hydraulica 500 GRCS cladding lifter
We stayed with vacuum lifters and cladding for September with the Hydraulica 500 GRCS stone cladding lifter. Stone cladding remains popular, especially for building blocks of flats, which is why the Hydraulica 500 GRCS is in such demand.
It has a maximum capacity of 500kg and can be configured in different ways to lift stone sheets of varying shapes and weights. The cladding lifter’s suction cups can even cope with rippled and textured stone, as well as plasterboard, porcelain, plastic and wood sheets.
October – Manitou 200ATJ-E
At Hird, we like firsts. Hird was the first rental specialist in the UK to take delivery of the electric Manitou 200ATJ-E rough terrain boom lift. It has a maximum working height of 20m and is just as much at home working indoors as outside.
As an all-electric articulating cherry picker, it meets all pollution control requirements, especially for working in low-emission zones, as well as working at height in sensitive areas, for example near schools, hospitals and care homes.
November – Valla V210R pick and carry crane
As autumn set in, we returned to the Valla V pick and carry crane range, with the Valla V210R mini crane, highlighting its rather modern and stylish looks, as well as its impressive lifting capabilities.
The Valla V210R pick and carry crane can lift loads up to 21t, has a maximum working height of 12m and a maximum radius of 8.15m. What’s also special is the number of accessories that can be fitted, including a fork attachment, a winch and a fly jib.
December – Genie S-60 FE cherry picker
We ended 2023 featuring another first, as Hird become the first rental specialist in the UK to take deliver of the new Genie S-60 FE boom lift, which also happens to be the world’s first hybrid boom lift in the 20m working heigh class.
We pointed out the Genie S-60 FE can be the first MEWP on site to support steel erection using diesel/electric hybrid power. And it can stick around, working hard, to become the last to leave, after supporting internal fit-out using all electric battery power.
There you have it. It’s been a year of firsts and of innovation. With electric power emerging rapidly as a force in Hird’s mini crane, glass lifting and powered access hire fleets, a trend we are sure will continue as we take delivery of more exciting machines and equipment in 2023.
If you like what you see or want to talk about any other lifting challenge you need to overcome in the next 12 months, call the expert and friendly Hird team. We are here to help, operating nationally from our regional depots.
Email: [email protected]