Product of the Month 2023 Roundup
Well, that was quite a year!
As the giant pick and carry crane of past achievements loads 2023 into the hopper of history and we look forward to driving across the blank page of possibilities that is 2024 (with non-marking tyres, of course), it is time, once again, to do a quick roundup of our Hird Products of the Month.
Here we go!
January – Genie Z-45 DC all-terrain boom lift
We began the year with a New Year’s Resolution – let’s make 2023 a greener year, with the Genie Z-45 DC electric rough terrain boom lift. Use of electric RT MEWPs is gaining traction fast, so it made perfect sense.
The Genie Z-45 DC is an articulating cherry picker with a working height of 15.9m, outreach of 7.65m and a 227kg platform capacity. We highlighted the benefits of electric power, including smoother drive, low noise, reduced carbon footprint, and inside as well as outside working.
February – Valla V80R pick and carry crane
We reached a new low with our report about the Valla V80R industrial mini crane. A positive one. Because the Valla V80R is one of the most compact pick and carry cranes ever built.
One of the latest models (at the time) in Valla’s new V range, it is about the same size as a small SUV yet has a safe working load (SWL) of 8t. Drive and lifting are operated by wireless remote control, allowing the operator to supervise the lift from the best location.
March – Winlet 400TL glazing robot
Next, we commented on how footballers love a double-barrelled name, and that our Winlet 400TL (max lifting capacity 415kg) can go one better, because it is so adaptable it is triple-barrelled.
The TL stands for terrain lifter, because it has enhanced all-terrain capability. It also has DHBs, double hydraulic booms, giving the glazing robot a longer reach. While its HS – hydraulic side shift – allows the Winlet 400TL to move loads, with precision, from side to side. Triply impressive!
April – Genie GS-3232 electric slab scissor lift
It is the electric slab scissor lift by which many others are judged. Yes, the Genie GS-3232 is the market-leading scissor lift that launched a thousand rivals, all of them still playing catch-up.
The Genie GS-3232 ticks so many boxes. It’s highly compact (just 812mm wide), provides 11.6m of working height, has long-lasting, reliable electric batteries and has been operated with ease by just about every experienced MEWP operator in the UK at some time or other.
May – GML Compact counterbalance floor crane
In lifting, size does matter. More precisely, it matters a lot where space is limited. This is where May’s PoTM, the GML Compact counterbalance crane comes into its own.
It is designed to be as compact as possible. So it can more easily be moved around complex spaces, and positioned within them, to provide the safest and most productive lifting performance – with versions that deliver SWL of 800kg and 600kg.
June – Pop Up + low-level personnel lift
We dipped into our repertoire of pop classics to showcase the Pop Up + personnel lift, invoking Tina Turner’s hit song The Best – better known as Simply the Best.
That’s because the Pop Up + scissor lift is simple to operate but provides the best, safest and most productive way to work at low level height. Forget ladders and aluminium platforms. This push-around scissor lift, with battery-powered lift, provides a working height up to 4.6m.
July – Secondary safety device
We featured what must have been the simplest product Hird has available for lifting projects when we published an article about the secondary safety device. It’s a lifting strap, but a clever one at that.
Our secondary safety device is a strap system that can be used to enhance safety when lifting glass – and is compatible for use with many different types and makes of glass lifter. It gives peace of mind and satisfies lifting methodologies on all worksites. Neat and simple.
August – Valla Fork Attachment
Our customers value our determination to give them lifting solutions that are as flexible and powerful as possible, which is where the Valla Fork Lift Attachment comes into its own.
The attachment can be combined with our Valla V80R, Valla V210R and Valla 250E pick and carry cranes. It can be positioned hydraulically and is self-levelling for quick and safe operations. And it combines the versatility of lifting with forks with the distinct advantages of Valla cranes.
September – Oil&Steel OctoPlus 17 spider cherry picker
For September, we introduced a new addition to our access platform hire fleet, the Oil&Steel OctoPlus 17 spider cherry picker, and a lithium electric powered one to boot, delivering enhanced sustainability benefits.
With its quick-release basket removed, the tracked spider lift is just 785mm wide and 1998mm high so can be moved through single doorways, along narrow paths, through garden gates and over rough ground. It provides 17m of working height and 7.6m of outreach.
October – Genie Z80/60 cherry picker
With the construction industry reported to be on the up, we showcased the Genie Z80/60 cherry picker to make the point that it is the go-to large platform for working on many construction sites.
The articulating boom lift delivers a maximum working height of 25.8m and a massive working outreach of 18.28m. The diesel 4×4 rough terrain boom lift is specifically designed to maximise working at height productivity for high reach applications.
November – Valla V110R pick and carry crane
It is, we claimed, the mini crane that gives your lifting project wings. We were bigging up the Valla V110R mini crane. It is fast becoming big hit with aviation maintenance specialists.
Like other Valla V cranes, the V110R is operated using a wireless remote control so the crane operator free to stand anywhere during the lift. Its SWL is an impressive 11t. It has a maximum working height of 10m (SWL 4t) and a working radius of up to 6.2m (SWL 1.9t).
December – Machinery moving
Our last PoTM of the year was actually a service – machinery moving. We took the moment to praise our machinery moving team for their problem solving prowess. Lateral thinking comes naturally to these people.
They also happen to be highly qualified and experienced and to have some extremely cool kit to help them dismantle and lift machines at one location, take them to another, and assist in putting them back together. No mean feat.
At one end of the spectrum, it has been a year of innovation and technical achievement, through application of sophisticated world-leading technology. At the other end, was the secondary safety device.
Hird will continue to provide customers with the most capable and most sustainable equipment, with exceptional technical support. So talk to our friendly team about mini crane hire, mobile crane hire, powered access hire, glass lifter hire, and machinery moving.
See you in 2024.
Email: [email protected]