Product of the Month – Maeda MC815 spider crane
You can be a giant of your time and still be impressively compact – think Napoleon and Ronnie Corbett, or our Product of the Month for July, the Maeda MC815 spider crane.
The Maeda MC815 is the largest machine in Hird’s spider crane hire fleet. Yet it has all the characteristics of the smaller mini cranes in the range, in terms of power and flexibility, packed into a small frame.
Small as a van – huge lifting power
Put it this way, the spider crane has a maximum safe working load (SWL) of 8.09 tonnes, at a radius of 2.4m, but when stowed for transport, can fit inside the footprint of a Ford Transit van.
That’s in terms of length, width and height. Fully stowed, the Maeda MC815 is 5900mm long (from hook to front end), is just 1670mm wide (that’s less than a Mini Cooper) and just 2490mm tall.
This compactness is one of the big advantages that Hird crane hire customers love about all Maeda tracked spider cranes.
It means the Maeda MC815 can be moved through congested space, and across sometimes difficult terrain, for example on construction sites, before being set up to carry out lifts.
Then the mini crane’s four outriggers can be deployed, automatically at the touch of a button, to create the level and highly-stable platform needed for its impressive lifting power.
The variable outriggers can also be placed at multiple angles and levels to take account of ground conditions and obstacles, with the onboard load control system automatically setting safe lifting parameters.
Dual power mini crane lifting
The Maeda MC815 mini crane has a maximum lifting height of 19.6m, at which point it can lift up to 2.39 tonnes. Its maximum working radius is 18.8m, with a SWL of 340kg.
The spider crane can also be fitted with a hydraulic fly jib, with a maximum lifting capacity of 1.5 tonnes, which increases the working height to 25.5m and provides greater up-and-over reach.
The Maeda MC815 can also pick and carry loads of up to 1 tonne, extending its flexibility when lifting out of or into hard-to-reach areas.
Hird can supply the crane in two power versions: diesel or dual power diesel and cable electric. The diesel MC815 weighs 9,460kg, while the electric version weighs 9,700kg.
The dual power version has a diesel engine and a built-in 380v motor. This allows cable electric operation for both outdoor and indoor fume-free, low-noise electric operation, with no loss of power or function.
This versatility is ideal where Hird customers need to carry out lifts early or late in the day, or in sensitive locations – close to hospitals, schools, or care homes – when only low-noise activity is permitted.
Being able to operate the crane on electric power only also meets the low-carbon footprint operational requirements of Hird customers, and their clients.
Designed for safe and flexible operation
The Maeda MC815 mini crane also has a wide range of features that make lifting easier, more productive and safer.
Its large, touchscreen monitor can be used to control all functions and to monitor lifts. It has a joystick, rather than standard control leavers, that makes operations easier and faster.
The mini crane can also be operated from a seat or with a remote control unit, which also has the same joystick controls so the operator can move seamlessly between the two.
Other safety features include a tilt alarm and an outrigger interlock system to prevent the crane from being operated in an unsafe outrigger configuration.
The MC815 spider crane can be fitted with a searcher hook with a SWL of 1 tonne to support precision lifting in very constrained space, under low ceilings or around obstacles, like machinery.
It also has a 1, 2, 4 and 6 fall hook block, which is especially useful when lifting down the sides of buildings or in shafts.
For example, the 2 fall set up provides a SWL of 3.09 tonnes with a drop of 68m, while 1 fall allows a load of 1.52 tonnes to be lifted through 136m.
A spider crane hire choice that impresses
Given this superb performance and versatility, Hird was very keen to have the Maeda MC815 in its fleet. In fact, Hird took the first MC815 off the production line when it was launched.
Since then the crane has been one of the most popular and important models in the spider crane hire fleet, working on a huge variety of projects across construction, building maintenance, glass and curtain wall installation, and electrical and mechanical equipment installation.
An example was the use of the crane to erect steel sections during construction of a new designer outlet village at The O2 in Greenwich, London.
Hird carried out a contract lift to install steel beams weighing 1.8 tonnes up to a height of 14 metres, which was very close to the sloping roof of the venue, formerly the Millennium Dome.
The tracked spider crane’s boom also had to be positioned with care so it could operate very close to steel beams already in place.
As the director of one client, a glazing installation specialist, says: “The Maeda MC815, allows us to work at a very good height and get the load a good distance from the crane, which means we can work across a wide area from one lifting position.
“The mini crane also has very smooth controls, which allows us to get our glass panels directly into position with a good deal of precision, and with minimal manual handling.”
Find out more
Call Hird for more information about Maeda MC815 mini crane hire, and all other Hird lifting services, includes pick and carry crane hire, crane operator training, glass lifter hire, and powered access hire.
Email: [email protected]