HCW Crane Service

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Which Crane Do I Need

Four questions, one plain answer. This orients you before you call. The operator confirms it against the load chart on site.

This selector asks four questions about your job: roughly how heavy the item is, roughly how far it has to travel horizontally, what the crane would set up on, and what stands between the two. It returns a starting point for the conversation, never a decision.

Read this first

This is guidance to help you ask better questions, and it is not a lift decision. It performs no capacity calculation and it will never show you a number. The operator confirms what the crane can do by reading the manufacturer's load chart for the exact boom length, radius and outrigger setup being used on your site, on the day. Where this page and that chart disagree, the chart wins.

0 of 4 answered

1Roughly how heavy is the item?

An estimate is fine. If it is factory equipment, the model number gives an exact figure and you can mention it on the call.

2How far does the load have to travel horizontally?

Measured from where a truck could realistically park to where the item has to land. Pace it out if you can. This is the number that most often decides which machine comes.

3What would the crane set up on?

The outriggers put most of the machine's weight through four small pads, so what is under those pads matters more than the rest of the site.

4What stands between the crane and the landing spot?

Height plus distance is what decides whether a path works. Anything overhead changes the plan completely.

Answer all 4 questions and a starting point appears here. It will be one of three sentences, and none of them is a substitute for the operator reading the load chart on site.

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Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this answer good enough to book from?

It is good enough to start the conversation and nothing more. The operator reads the load chart for the exact boom length, radius and outrigger setup in use on the day, and that reading is the only one that decides a lift.

Why does it never show me a capacity figure?

Because a capacity figure without a load chart, a measured radius and a look at the ground is a dangerous number. Anyone can act on a number. Almost nobody can safely act on this one, so it is not published.

It told me the job needs a site assessment. Is that bad news?

Not at all. It usually means one detail is unknown or one condition needs eyes on it, most often the ground or something overhead. Site visits are free and a short look often turns a complicated job into a simple one.

What if I have no idea what my load weighs?

Choose the not sure option and call. For factory equipment a model number gives the exact weight. For anything else, a photo and a description usually get us close enough to pick the right machine.

Ready to schedule your lift?

Tell us the load, the site and the timing. We will confirm capacity, access and a window.

(928) 249-2188Request a Lift