Telescopic boom crawler crane

Telescopic boom crawler crane first for New Zealand

March 2023

The very first HSC 650TLX hydraulic telescopic boom crawler crane to land in New Zealand has already proven its worth on a tricky but picturesque site at Diamond Harbour near Christchurch, where wharf repairs and the construction of an adjacent floating pontoon and ramp are being carried out by multi award-winning local firm, Hunter Civil.

Operations manager, Julian Fairmaid, says the 650TLX’s ease of set up, manoeuvrability, and exceptional lifting performance have made it the ideal machine for the firm’s temporary and permanent piling works at the site, where it has also been used to drive temporary sheet piles for a piling gate and four new 762mm diameter, 20m long steel casings for anchoring the new pontoon. “The telescopic boom really suits hanging a vibrating pile driver and drop hammer off it, which was the main reason we went for that particular model. The crane was easy to move around and set up on a 500T self-propelled barge with all the plant, material and equipment we needed for the job. It got through the work faultlessly, and really suited the application. Our guys are rapt with it.”

Diamond Harbour

“The 650TLX is doing a fantastic job for us”

Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Cranes (HSC) released its first hydraulic telescopic boom crawler crane back in 2017, but Hunter Civil’s new HSC 650TLX is the first one ever sold in New Zealand. “We’ve already had a Japanese guru from HSC visit us to see the crane, given it is a first for them in New Zealand,” says Julian.

The 650TLX is equipped with a 4-section 10m telescopic boom (extending to 30m) with a lightweight, high-strength and high-rigidity structure, mounted on a proven crawler crane body, resulting in unsurpassed operating ease, and huge benefits when it comes to transportability. Compared to lattice booms, telescopic booms have fewer components to worry about during transportation. The crane can be assembled in the tightest of spaces, and the assembly and disassembly time is much faster overall, benefits which have already been noticed by the Hunter Civil team, says Julian. “The crane is so mobile and easy to set up, which is pretty crucial for us. We can drive it around on a transporter, get it to site, and within 45 minutes, can have the counterweights on and the crane ready for action.”

Hunter Civil has also used the crane to install a large pre-fabricated wet well for a big waste water pump station at Kirwee, and it is currently set up at the firm’s own yard, where it is assisting with the lifting of the completed pre-cast concrete pontoon units for the Diamond Harbour project.

The 650TLX is already proving to be an adaptable and reliable workhorse with its Isuzu GHK1 210kw (285HP), four-cycle, water-cooled, direct injection, turbo-charged diesel engine, 70.9 tonne operating weight, and powerful hydraulic system which includes 3 hydraulic power outlets for running augers and vibro equipment.   All these features are well suited to a range of applications on construction sites with tough, diverse working conditions. These include everything from large scale lifting, vertical construction, and bridge building, to pile driving, and demolition and foundation works that involve pulling out old piles or vibration hammer operations. The crane has an ‘Excavation Mode’ suitable for foundation construction work such as drill augers and drilling pylon holes.

The 650TLX’s boom foot is positioned at the rear for excellent weight balance and practical lifting performance, even on worksites with limited height (or low headroom). Powerful 7t rated line pull winches with 22.4mm diameter rope, have been used at the front and rear.   An optional 3rd winch is also available for work requiring entire casing drivers to be lifted.

Along with a highly functional, comfortable seat, the cab has a large screen display with an interactive interface, which provides excellent visibility of the worksite, and a range of information available to the operator at a glance. Safety features include an overload warning alarm, handrails and a catwalk installed as standard, a swing restriction unit, boom auto slowdown, and height restriction setting to prevent hook overhoist.   Remote sensing allow’s monitoring of the crane’s operating condition, fuel consumption, movement and location. “The crane is ticking every box with our operators in terms of comfort and safety,” says Julian.

Hunter Civil operates mainly throughout the South Island, but has also worked on a handful of projects in the North Island. The firm cleaned up at the 2022 Canterbury/Westland Contractors of the Year Awards, winning four categories, including the Contractor of the Year Supreme Award. It has a longstanding relationship with CablePrice, says Julian. “All the machines on our fleet above 10 tonne are Hitachi. We had never used the HSC brand before, but know Hitachi is a good product and have a great relationship with CablePrice which keeps us coming back. Although it is early days, the HSC 650TLX is doing a fantastic job for us.”

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We have a great opportunity to expand your knowledge working with some fantastic brands, if you’re an enthusiastic Equipment Technician in Hamilton looking for your next opportunity please apply now! Visit: https://okt.to/ots7rz
Check out the time lapse of the team hard at work assembling New Zealand’s first EX3600E-6 electric face shovel for Oceana Gold

**Correction for the previous video which was a few years older.
Autumn is here as so is our latest edition of the Partsolution!
Packed with deals and discounts on all your favourite products from Hitachi, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and many more. No matter is you’re looking for parts for a construction machine, truck, or van, we’ve got you covered.
What are you waiting for? Download your copy today visit cableprice.co.nz/offers
Are you ready to join a world-class company with a great product range? Forge new customer relationships and foster long term business solutions in an industry that really moves? Here is your chance to join the team!
 
 We have an exciting opportunity for experienced and enthusiastic Equipment Sales Specialist to join our team in the Hawkes Bay region! To find out more about this exciting opportunity visit www.cableprice.co.nz/careers
Showing 50 years evolution of the Hitachi Excavator
Sinton Contracting’s ZX135US-7 stumbled upon this 10t UH04 from the mid 70’s.
Fair to say the operators of today are spoilt for comfort!
We have a great opportunity to expand your knowledge working with some fantastic brands, if you’re an enthusiastic Equipment Technician in Hamilton looking for your next opportunity please apply now! Visit: https://okt.to/ots7rz
Check out the time lapse of the team hard at work assembling New Zealand’s first EX3600E-6 electric face shovel for Oceana Gold

**Correction for the previous video which was a few years older.
Autumn is here as so is our latest edition of the Partsolution!
Packed with deals and discounts on all your favourite products from Hitachi, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and many more. No matter is you’re looking for parts for a construction machine, truck, or van, we’ve got you covered.
What are you waiting for? Download your copy today visit cableprice.co.nz/offers
Are you ready to join a world-class company with a great product range? Forge new customer relationships and foster long term business solutions in an industry that really moves? Here is your chance to join the team!
 
 We have an exciting opportunity for experienced and enthusiastic Equipment Sales Specialist to join our team in the Hawkes Bay region! To find out more about this exciting opportunity visit www.cableprice.co.nz/careers
Showing 50 years evolution of the Hitachi Excavator
Sinton Contracting’s ZX135US-7 stumbled upon this 10t UH04 from the mid 70’s.
Fair to say the operators of today are spoilt for comfort!

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