Udo Hack, owner of Hack Schwerlast GmbH, has nothing but praise for his five Demag City cranes: “They are 100% reliable and are simply unbeatable when it comes to indoor jobs and machine relocation projects,” he explains. This is why the entrepreneur from Neuwied decided to place an order for his sixth City crane, a Demag AC 45 City, with Tadano Sales Manager Frank Brachtendorf and added a Tadano ATF-220-5.1 to that right away. “The fact that we can now order cranes from both brands from a single source and a single contact is really a great advantage as far as we’re concerned. The merger between Tadano and Demag makes things a lot easier for us,” he points out. But it was ultimately the concrete technical advantages of the two crane models that were crucial to the purchase decision:
Tadano ATF-220-5.1: “Compelling down to the last detail”
For Maria Hack, the fact that even tall crane operators can get a clear field of vision from the superstructure cab is a strong plus behind the ATF-220-5.1: “Our big boys have always had issues with this, since they have to bend down to get some decent visibility when working with other models. That’s thankfully something they won’t have to do anymore,” she says.
She and the operators also have good things to say about the instrument panel display in the carrier cab: “It’s absolutely free of glare when driving at night. And you can tell that Tadano went for premium instruments and switches – even the symbols on the switches are illuminated when it’s dark. That’s important because it’s not something that goes without saying for all cranes.”
Easy lubrication for long operation
Another thing that has Udo Hack really excited is the many details that show that people with real-life and hands-on experience were involved in developing the crane. For instance, the cylinder suspension for the carrier features grease fittings on both sides and works together with the central lubricating system. “This means that there are no annoying squeaking noises when the crane is traveling on rough roads. And getting pins out during maintenance work is really easy, since the bearings are always lubricated,” he says. His master shop technician is extremely pleased with the new Tadano – he mentions, for example, the three-piece rims that were included with the order and that make it possible to reinstall the tires at the work site or underway if necessary. And as a mechanic, he knows that Tadano quality is rock-solid: “I don’t really have to work much on them. We’ve had an ATF 70-G4 for four years, and it has never seen the inside of a workshop except for when it needs an oil or filter change.”
In addition, the ATF-220-5.1 offers all the convenience of the new Tadano ATF generation. The newly developed Mercedes-Benz engines conform to EU Stage V for mobile machinery and, accordingly, to the latest emission standards. As is the norm for Tadano, these units work in the superstructure and carrier in conformity with a two-engine concept. “That helps us cut down on fuel costs,” says Hack. Together with the new transmission and intelligent control solutions, the operator of the Tadano ATF-220-5.1 can look forward to using systems and features such as the hill start assist system, rock-free mode function, and various driving programs. In other words, the crane is not only comfortable and convenient to use, but also fuel-efficient.
Udo Hack was able to take delivery of the ATF-220-5.1 in January, and the crane has already taken care of several assignments successfully.
Demag AC 45 City: “Because our customers asked for it”
Udo Hack also has nothing but good things to say about the Demag AC 45 City, a purchase that he owes to others in a way: “More and more of our customers were asking explicitly for a Demag City crane for their projects, since they’re seeing how easily and quickly jobs can be done with it at the work site,” he reports. For starters, it is the only crane with a boom that can be lowered to an angle below 0° with a load. An advantage that is especially useful in machine relocation projects where work needs to be done exclusively with a boom head traverse without a winch. In these cases, only the Demag City makes it possible to set loads down directly on a foundation. In contrast, other cranes need the load to first be propped up in a time-consuming process, since the boom cannot be lowered far enough. And then a hook with a winch needs to be installed again in order to be able to lower the load low enough to set it down at its intended location.
Another thing he finds practical is that the rope socket can be mounted at the top in the boom head so that the hook itself can be drawn all the way up even with three or five wire rope lines. And the thing that keeps impressing him and his customers: The runner takes only 15 minutes to install – and on the ground. “Our operators don’t have to climb a ladder to a height of four meters to do it, as is the case with other cranes. Needless to say, this makes installation much safer with the Demag City.”
And like with Tadano cranes, the outriggers can be extended and retracted without a remote control on the Demag too. In addition, once the outriggers have been extended and set in place, the Demag also makes it possible to lift up all axles on both sides by simply pressing a button on the operator box. “That’s a really nice feature,” Maria Hack points out. However, the biggest highlight behind the AC 45 City for him is the IC‑1 Plus control system: “Regardless of the position of each individual outrigger, the system detects that position and features a capacity radar that shows the crane’s available lifting capacity to the crane operator, and this within a +/- 30° slewing angle and radius. That really is an advantage when it comes to lifts with outriggers in an asymmetrical configuration, and something we find absolutely indispensable,” Stefan Hack clearly puts it.
