Product of the Month 2021 Roundup

We started the year with a class-leading vacuum lifter. The Kappel DSKZL2 is a brilliant compact glass vacuum lifter that does not so much get you out of a lifting hole, but gets you into it. That is because its slimline and lightweight design allows the lifter to be positioned in the tightest of spaces, for example behind scaffolding.

It can be operated in two formats. In its most compact form, the DSKZL2 has a maximum lifting capacity of 300kg. By adding two extension arms, lifting capacity increases to 450kg. It has 360-degree lockable rotation and 90-degree lockable tilt. A great start to the year.

As we pointed out, when workforce is under stress smart help with material handling is a big plus. With the UK in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction sites were definitely under stress, which is where the Winlet ErgoMover electric transport trolley pays dividends.

The electric trolley has a maximum safe working load of 1500kg, yet its carrying deck is just 700mm wide and 1645mm long. Its chunky wheels and 4-wheel steering make light work of rugged terrain. And when you are trying to do more safely with less resource, it is a great piece of kit to have on the worksite.

As the new UK and Ireland authorised dealer for Oil&Steel, we have been excited about bringing this hugely strong access platform brand back to the UK, so what better reason for making the Snake 2010H truck mounted platform our PoTM for March.

The Oil&Steel Snake 2010H is a fully articulating boom lift mounted on a 3.5t IVECO chassis, so it can be driven and operated on a standard car licence. It provides working height up to 20m and outreach of 10.2m, with a 225kg basket capacity, and has lots of smart features that contribute to a highly-compact operating footprint.

Our PoTM for April was the tilting glass trolley. We make sure we have a comprehensive range of glazing trolleys for carrying glass of all shapes, sizes and weights. With the tilting glass trolley, we have a piece of kit that will lean into a glass transport challenge and overcome difficult problems.

Construction sites can pose major problems for glass installers, with constraints and obstructions coming from all angles. Our tilting glass trolley helps overcome these by allowing the glass load to be tilted over to get through small apertures, get around obstacles, and provide the best angle for lifting.

In May, we did some skirmishing with our PoTM, the Oil&Steel Scorpion 2013 truck mount. It is the access platform that will keep you moving forward, as you attack the day’s working at height projects. Moving quickly from worksite to worksite is what the Scorpion 2013 truck mounted platform is all about.

We explained how, like all Oil&Steel truck mounts, the Scorpion 2013 follows some clear design principles. It is robust and reliable, easy to operate, has industry-leading safety features, is highly stable and has fast set-up and stow for better productivity.

We become a little philosophical in June for our PoTM, the Oktopus GGA-E-B 2500 counterbalance lifting beam (OKTOPUS CBL2500). The Greeks valued balance in their lives. They saw it everywhere (mostly where it did not actually exist). But balance is central to the working of the Oktopus GGA-E-B 2500.

It leads a new generation of lifting machines designed to make it much easier to install glazing panels and other materials into buildings that have large overhanging structures. The lifting beam has a maximum working load of 2,500kg and can be used in combination with other Hird lifting accessories, notably equipment from our glass lifter hire range.

Our ‘GML family’ is a range of powerful, productive, sustainable and easy-to-operate counterbalance floor cranes manufactured by Wienold that we showcased as our PoTM for July. Key characteristics include compact design, simple and safe operation, very high lifting capacities and highly sustainable operation.

Whether you need the Wienold SLK25 Counterbalance hoist, the WLU KS Premium counterbalance material lift, the GML800 Manual counterbalance floor crane, the mighty GML800+ Counterbalance floor crane, the GML500+ Counterbalance floor crane, or the GML Compact counterbalance material lift, there is likely to be a family member you can rely on for excellent lifting support.

Our PoTM for September proved the point that equipment does not have to be complicated to be effective. Our crank angled lifting beam forklift attachment allows our clients to adapt their own machines, for example forklift trucks and telehandlers, so they can carry out vital lifting tasks safely.

It is a low cost and highly sustainable way to carry out lifting tasks that would otherwise present difficult challenges. For example, cranked angled beam has an angled lifting arm for reaching over and beyond obstacles and under low ceilings or obstacles.

Every month, our PoTM features a critical, new or interesting piece of kit that defines the service Hird provides. That was until September. Because we then took another route to focus on the Hird transport fleet, the unsung professionals that keep our show on the road.

Hird sets the highest standards for equipment delivery and collection, with the most modern and sustainability transport fleet possible. For example, over the summer of 2021, we took delivery of five new trucks, including two 32-tonne Volvo FM460 8×2 trucks and three 18-tonne Volvo FM280 trucks. Our hire equipment arrives on time, safely, and in style.

Our Hird Product of the Month for October was the Valla 220SE pick and carry crane As we said at the time, it is packed with so many useful lifting features, it could be called the Swiss Army Knife of lifting. The Manitex Valla 220SE was designed specifically for the aviation industry, supported by Hird’s significant insight and expertise.

But it is so capable and versatile that the electric mini crane can do an unrivalled job in any industrial environment, especially where fume-free, low-noise operation is a must. It. It has a maximum safe working load of 22t, a working height of 15.5m, a maximum radius of 13.5m, and can slew its boom continuously through 360 degrees.

Hird is continuously updating the capability of its vacuum lifter hire fleet – a process epitomised by our PoTM for November, the Hydraulica 2100 Curved vacuum lifter. One of the latest additions to our heavyweight glass lifter range, it can lift loads up to 2.1t.

What is special is that it can lift curved glass panels from the concave and convex side, as well as irregular loads, thanks to the ability to shut off suction cups. The Hydraulica 2100 Curved glass vacuum lifter also has 360⁰ continuous powered rotation and hydraulic tilting between vertical to horizontal axes. It is powerful and precise.

We came to the end of 2021 with something very new. In fact, two scissor lifts that are very new. The all-new Genie GS-1932m scissor lift and the Genie GS-1432m scissor lift, both from the E-Drive range thanks to their AC all-electric drive.

Two Products of the Month for the price of one. The GS-1932m has a maximum working height of 7.55m, with GS-1432m a max working height of 6.3m. What is special about both scissor lifts is the smart software that sets up both MEWPs to work indoors and outdoors at a touch of a button.