Tower cranes are familiar features in city landscapes. The tall, T-shaped cranes were developed in Europe. Their ability to shimmy up past tall buildings in small spaces between buildings has made them popular around the world. Tower cranes can be an integral part of your construction business.

Using tower cranes for construction could mean renting or buying a used tower crane. Before you rent or buy, however, you need the latest tower cranes information to educate yourself on the challenges these construction cranes present. Here are some tower cranes basics that you can use to make the best choice of crane and the best use of your tower crane:

1. Read up on safety issues that accompany tower cranes.

2. Look into tower crane rental for short-term needs.

3. Opt to buy a used tower crane to make a permanent addition to your business.

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Know the ins and outs of tower crane use and safety

When you use a tower crane, you'll hire an experienced and licensed operator who knows how to operate the machine safely. But with tower cranes in the news lately, it's good to know the latest thinking on tower crane safety and risks.

I recommend: Start at "How Tower Cranes Work" at HowStuffWorks.com for basic information about tower cranes. See the Washington Post for opinions on "Tower Cranes: Efficient, Versatile -- but How Safe?" ENR.com covers tower crane safety from the construction industry standpoint at "Tower-Crane Fears Drive Regulation."

Reap the benefits of tower crane rental

Depending on your construction business, you may need a tower crane infrequently or for short periods. Rental is the best way to go in this case, and there are many nationwide tower crane manufacturers to browse. Read your rental agreement and crane inspection records carefully before signing up.

I recommend: American Tower Crane and Bigge Crane and Rigging are two nationwide sources for renting an industrial tower crane. Heede Southeast covers the southeastern U.S. in particular, and Sowles Steel Erectors covers the mid- and northwest areas of the U.S..

Make a permanent purchase of a used tower crane for sale

If you're ready to buy a tower crane, used is a good way to go. Just be sure that any tower crane manufacturer or sales company you buy from can verify the condition of its cranes.

I recommend: Alibaba has a variety of suppliers of used tower cranes, as does EC Plaza. At Rodson Universal you can compare used tower cranes by brand.

Tips & Tactics

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• •  Find out what industry a crane you're interested in was previously used for; if it was used on the docks, be sure it doesn't have rust damage from years of use in spray and salt water.

Tower cranes are designed to do heavy lifting and are used in construction of some of the tallest buildings. Industrial tower cranes rise hundreds of feet in the air, extend just as far, and can hold many tons of weight. If you're working on a construction project that requires the use of a tower crane, find tower crane manufacturers online that offer the machinery you need.

Industrial tower crane supplier offer a variety of options and products. Find exactly what you need, including:

1. Browse through online catalogs to find products and tower cranes information.
2. Purchase used tower cranes for a deal on refurbished equipment.
3. For temporary projects or efforts larger than your stock of cranes can handle, find a business that offers tower crane rentals.

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Find tower cranes information and sales online

If you're looking for a new crane, look for tower crane manufacturers that offer online specifications and information about their products. Compare prices and products between multiple vendors to find the tower crane that best fits your needs.

I recommend: Morrow Equipment sells a variety of Liebherr tower cranes. Use their online catalog to find the exact product you need. Find horizontal jib cranes, self-erecting cranes, container gantry cranes and more. Eagle West Equipment has tower cranes for sale from many different tower crane manufacturers, including San Marco, Koenig, and Wilbert.

Get a deal on used tower cranes

If you need to find tower cranes for construction but don't want to pay the prices needed for a new crane, find a used crane dealer. Supplier of used tower cranes will often have multiple models from different manufacturers so you can find the crane that is the best fit for your business.

I recommend: See the MPS Tower Cranes for a list of their used tower cranes they currently have in stock. Request a quote from their website for pricing information. Bigge Equipment has a selection of used cranes in stock. Also see them for new cranes or crane parts and accessories.

Rent industrial tower cranes for construction projects

If you need a tower crane for your construction project but won't need it in the long run and don't want to buy a crane, find a supplier that offers tower crane rentals.

I recommend: Stevenson Crane Service offers a full rental service including rental, crane erection, a crane operator, and maintenance and repairs as needed. Maxim Crane Works rents tower cranes from over 35 locations.

Tips & Tactics

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• •  Whether you're buying new or used industrial tower cranes, inquire about warranty specifics before making a purchase. Find a supplier with a good warranty deal so you can be sure you'll have a crane guaranteed to be in working order for a long time.

Tower cranes, be they tower cranes for construction, or the massive industrial tower cranes, require tower cranes supplies and equipment to keep them running strong as well as safely. These massive behemoths require careful maintenance to keep them in tip-top running order. Failure to do this is fool-hardy, not to mention potentially deadly. One need only read the headlines to see accidents, some of which are fatal, involving tower cranes.

Some of the tower crane supplies and equipment that receive the most wear are rigging and slings. There are other considerations as well, such as getting the proper lifting beam for the job, not to mention the various other items like hydraulic oil and filters. Below, you will find tower cranes information that should help you determine what tower cranes supplies and equipment you need to keep your tower crane running smoothly and safely.

1. Keep an eye on tower crane rigging and slings.

2. Get the right tower crane lifting beam for the job.

3. Maintain the lubricants and filters of the tower crane.

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Maintain tower crane rigging and slings

Tower crane rigging and slings receive a lot of wear and tear in the course of daily use. Tower crane manufacturers will specify what tower crane rigging and slings work best for each of their tower cranes. The slings for tower cranes and the industrial tower crane can be made of chain, wirerope, roundrope and nylon. The various types of slings should be carefully matched to the lifting capacity, and care of the slings is important, as well as checking for any signs of wear.

I recommend: Safety Sling has wirerope slings of various configurations. Columbus McKinnon Corporation has various chain slings available in a variety of chain sling configurations (single or quad). Con Tex Products has a Magic Arm and a Magic Bucket that make placing and delivery supplies with a tower crane easier.

Get a lifting beam for your tower crane

Lifting beams are rated according to what they are capable of carrying. It's important not to try to lift more than their stated capacity. The lift beams can be custom-made according to your particular needs.

I recommend: Engineered Lifting Technologies manufactures lift beams and custom lifting beams. American Rigger Supply is also a good source for lifting beams.

Maintain your tower crane

The tower crane manufacturer will very likely provide information about tower cranes concerning the schedule of oil, filter, lubricant changes et al. However, this information can vary according to use and the conditions in which the tower crane is used. When you want to purchase a tower cranes for sale tower, be they new or used tower cranes for sale, or even a tower crane rental, there is the possibility that the tower crane comes with a maintenance contract. This can factor into tower cranes supplies and equipment.

I recommend: A handy table can be found in the book Construction Management Fundamentals. It states information provides advice about filters, grease and lubricating oil. American Tower Crane offers maintenance and service as a part of its rental service.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Tower cranes are wonderful assets to hard to reach or large construction sites. Should you have any tower cranes supplies and equipment questions, manufactures of tower cranes would be a fabulous resource.

If you use tower cranes for your construction projects, you should be familiar with tower cranes key terms. From the mast to the slewing unit to the arm, tower cranes can move a lot of heavy equipment and materials if you have the right configuration. You should not only be familiar with tower cranes key terms, but also with safety issues as they pertain to particular elements of the tower crane structure.

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Base

Tower cranes need a solid base. Reinforced concrete bases are the industry standard. Once the base is complete, the tower bolts into place.

I recommend: Cosmo Cranes designs and installs a variety of base systems, including bases that are embedded, anchored and static.

Mast or tower

The mast is the vertical portion of the tower crane. Sometimes called the tower, the mast provides the height needed to deliver goods and materials to high job sites. Masts come in different configurations and are modular in design so that height can be adjusted as necessary.

I recommend: See a section of mast on Bikudo.com.

Slewing unit

The slewing unit allows the jib to operate on a crane. Mounted at the top of the tower, the slewing unit rotates the tower crane as needed to lift materials.

I recommend: Custom Service Crane has pictures of slewing units, as well as information.

Jib

The jib is the horizontal, working arm of a tower crane. Some tower cranes have jibs fixed in a horizontal position, while others have jibs that can raise or lower. A flexible jib crane can work in tighter areas than a fixed horizontal jib tower crane.

I recommend: See flexible jib tower cranes as well as other styles at DirectIndustry.

Counterweights

Counterweights give tower cranes the balance necessary to lift heavy loads on steel structures. The counterweights sit on the machine arm of the tower crane that also houses the machinery necessary to operate the crane.

I recommend: Information about counterweights is available at Tower Cranes of America.

Cab

The cab of the tower crane houses the operator and controls. The cab is a small area that the operator must climb into via a series of ladders on the crane mast.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks has a picture of a tower crane cab.