5 reasons Hird is the go-to counterbalance floor crane specialist
Counterbalance floor cranes, or material lifts as they are also called, are growing in popularity. Here at Hird we’d like to think we’re playing a part in making that happen.
They have some particular advantages that make them extremely effective for lifting materials and equipment in some of the most challenging conditions.
We stock top counterbalance floor crane brands, including KS Glasboy, and KS Glasmax. But it is probably Hird’s fleet of Wienold Lifte floor cranes that we are best known for.
All these brands have key advantages that make counterbalance floor cranes so useful. They are:
- Simple to use.
- Mechanically robust, so highly reliable.
- Easy to transport and move around a work space.
- Quick and easy to assemble and disassemble.
- Compact, so work brilliantly in constrained space.
- Ideal for combining with multiple lifting accessories.
These are all great advantages – and when combined with Hird’s own knowhow and experience, counterbalance floor cranes become a hugely powerful lifting option.
Here are 5 reasons we would like you to consider Hird if you need to hire a counterbalance material lift.
1. Comprehensive range
Hird has a comprehensive range of counterbalance floor cranes, in terms of working loads, size and functionality.
They include the Wienold SLK25, which has a SWL of 300kg, and the Wienold GML800+ which can lift loads up to 800kg with a remotely controlled electric-powered mast.
Hird can also supply specific counterbalance floor cranes for operating in particularly tight spaces.
The manually-operated Wienold WLU JS Premium can lift 400kg up to 4m, and can be fitted with a crane boom or forks as standard.
The Wienold GML Compact is a particularly compact version of the GML800 Manual and can still lift up to 800kg up to a height of 6.95m.
Meanwhile, the Wienold MFC750Ks – also known as the Shorty – is a compact variant of the MFC750K (MFC stands for mini floor crane).
Despite being just 1.2m long, it can lift up to 500kg on its shortest lifting arm setting, and 155kg at its maximum boom length of 1360mm.
2. A lot of accessories
Our counterbalance floor cranes can be combined with a wide range of lifting accessories that are also available from Hird.
For example Wienold material lifts – such as the Wienold GML500+ – can be fitted with a lifting boom or lifting forks.
They can also be used in conjunction with a chain block or lever hoist, as well as an electric chain hoist or the Minifor TR50 electric hoist, which can be supplied with various rope lengths to suit all projects.
Another popular lifting accessory is a glass vacuum lifter, like the MRT2, with a maximum lifting capacity of 135kg.
With the Wienold WLU glass manipulator, the two are combined. It is a counterbalance floor crane with a built-in vacuum lifter that can lift glass sheets up to 355kg.
Hird can also supply a Wienold GML800+ with a Kappel crane attachment that provides a reach of 950mm and can be swiveled left and right +/- 10 degrees for precise positioning of the hook and load.
3. Lifting expertise
Hiring from Hird means you are hiring from lifting experts. Our teams are not just familiar with the equipment, they know about lifting, because Hird carries out lifting as a business.
Customers can trust us to advise on selecting exactly the right crane and accessories for the task at hand, taking account of the challenges posed by specific locations.
That includes carrying out site visits, from one of our team of Appointed Persons, if necessary. Hird can also hire equipment with operators or carry out contract lifts for customers.
4. Excellent maintenance
Hird prides itself on its high maintenance standards – and that applies to looking after equipment when it is in our depots and out of hire.
We ensure all our counterbalance floor cranes are fit for purpose and meet all lifting regulations. And, if our customers need our assistance on site, Hird has a team of highly experienced mobile engineers who are never far away.
5. Hird helps design them
We have left the most telling point, perhaps, until last. Hird has been involved in the design and development of some of the most popular counterbalance floor cranes in our hire fleet.
Through a long and fruitful technical partnership with Wienold Lifte, we have identified equipment the market needs, and that Wienold has gone on to produce.
We have also worked closely with the Wienold team during this process to suggest functionality and design elements that customers would appreciate, and have trialed equipment before it has gone into production.
An example of this is the new Wienold MRC 751, a rotating counterweight mini floor crane with full 360 degrees slewing that provides excellent load positioning in the most confined of spaces.
It can lift up to 720kg to a maximum height of 2.91m and has an outreach, beyond its front legs of 104m. The mini floor crane is ideal for lifting materials up the side of the building, allowing loads to be safely brought onto a platform before being dropped.
This deep knowledge of the counterbalance floor cranes we supply is a key advantage for our customers, as they know the technical advice we give can be trusted every time to deliver efficient and sustainable lifts.
Find out more
Talk to Hird about counterbalance floor crane hire today.
We also deliver a one-day LEEA-accredited counterbalance floor crane course, which the training experts at Hird designed. All our material lifts are available for hire across the UK through our regional depots.
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