Crane rental specialist Hawks Crane Hire is expanding its crawler fleet with the addition of another new Kobelco lattice boom model.

The UK company ordered a 100 ton capacity CKE900G-2 lattice boom crawler during a visit to the Kobelco plant in Japan to see its latest Kobelco CKE2500G-2 roll off the production line. Visitors on the trip included Elliot Hawkins, Hawks Crane Hire managing director, shareholder Alex Hicken and Elliot’s brother Marc Hawkins, who owns a crane rental company in Mongolia.

The 250 ton capacity CKE2500G-2, due for delivery in the first week of December, has a maximum boom length of 91.4m and it will also have a luffing fly jib. Elliot Hawkins commented, “We’re really pleased with the handling of the CKE2500G-2 in both configurations. The luffing jib will help us cope with the demands of lifting pre-cast concrete panels and beams to higher heights then we’ve been able to do so far, which is important because we’ve seen a rise in demand in the residential sector for this type of work, particularly in London. In fact, once this machine arrives in the UK it’s going straight to a high-rise job in East London”

Both new cranes will be fitted with Kobelco’s KCross remote operation management system designed to help maximise machine efficiency and uptime. Stage IV/Tier 4 Final engines are also fitted. The CKE900G-2 will be supplied with main boom and a fly jib. It will go to work on the Royal Wharf high-rise residential project in East London.

Hawkins continued, “We know what to expect in terms of quality, but what’s really impressed me is the fact these machines are so reliable. Back-up, when we need it, is also great, but the fact these machines breakdown so little was the major selling point.”