MINI MACHINES Ӏ CRANES AND CARRIERS
BEAUTIFUL SMALL IS
The mini crane and the mini transporter are ideally suited to working together. Julian Champkin reports.
The first spider crane from Japanese company Maeda. It was launched in 1982. Before that there were compact or small lifting machines but none with the distinctive spider-like outriggers that define modern spider cranes. According to some accounts Maeda designed these cranes as a solution to work in the narrow spaces between tombstones in Japanese graveyards. Japanese cemeteries are
often crowded with tightly packed gravestones and narrow pathways making it nearly impossible for traditional cranes or large machinery to operate. Maeda's compact spider cranes, with their small footprint, extendable outriggers, and precise controls, allow workers to carefully lift and position heavy stone monuments without disturbing nearby graves. This application is especially
important in Japan where respect for ancestral graves is a major cultural value and careful handling of the stones is essential. Maeda’s vision laid the path for
the development of the modern mini crane and now spider cranes, and their crawler tracked mini- crane counterparts, are used for lifting applications in all types of environments (especially confined ones) all around the world. And there is a plethora of
24 CRANES TODAY Jekko’s
lithium-powered JF235CL
choice available for users. To best suit the application environment the power source can be specified to be electric, hybrid, or diesel. And, depending on ground conditions, tracked mini-crawlers (for rough terrain) or spider cranes (for smoother ground) can be specified. Dimensions come into play, too, with some mini cranes being ‘more mini’ than others. To contextualise, mini crane manufacturer UNIC’s range stretches from the ultra- compact URW-094 (width 595mm,
working radius 5.17m) to the mega URW-1006 (two metres wide, with 21.9m working radius.) There really are manufacturers and mini-cranes available to fit all requirements. So, with this in mind, what’s new on the market?
LITHIUM-POWER The industry’s newest mini crane is from Italian manufacturer Jekko which launched the JF235CL in November 2024. It is Jekko’s first lithium-powered knuckle boom crawler and is the fully-electric
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