Steenhoff to erect Potain tower cranes with new Grove GMK5250L-1
At the end of May, Steenhoff GmbH & Co. KG from Rhauderfehn in Ostfriesland, Northern Germany, took ownership of a GMK5250L-1, a strong and versatile five-axle crane from Grove, featuring an impressive 250 t capacity and 70 m long main boom.
- German construction equipment rental company Steenhoff GmbH & Co. KG collected its new Grove GMK5250L-1 crane from the Manitowoc factory in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, at the end of May.
- The compact 250 t all-terrain crane won the Steenhoff team over with its high capacity, as well as its sheer versatility in terms of cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness and operator comfort.
The equipment rental company purchased the GMK5250L-1 with a view to replacing its existing Grove GMK5130-2 model.
“Tower cranes have been getting bigger and heavier over the last few years. We’ll be able to get much more use out of our new GMK5250L-1 as we will also be able to use it to erect our large tower cranes. Our largest tower crane at the moment is a Potain MD 569 with an 80 m jib,” explained Martin Steenhoff, managing director of Steenhoff.
“Tower crane components often need to be lifted high up and a long way out. With the high capacity and long reach of our new 250-tonner, this will be a piece of cake.”
The Grove GMK5250L-1 is a lean, mean lifting machine, capable of maneuvering 14.5 t loads within a 22 m radius using its long 70 m main boom. It’s also extremely compact and can comfortably be used on confined job sites thanks to its narrow 7.8 m maximum outrigger width.
“With the new GMK5250L-1 from Grove, we will be more cost-efficient, and up to date with the latest environmental technology,” Martin Steenhoff added.
The GMK5250L-1 is powered by a 530 hp Mercedes engine that meets the latest Euromot 5 emissions standard and consumes up to 30% less fuel than previous generations. The crane is also equipped with a VIAB Turbo Retarder clutch, which offers outstanding maneuverability and operator comfort, as well as enabling wear-free acceleration and braking.
For managing director Christa Steenhoff, the handover of the GMK5250L-1 in Wilhelmshaven was “truly something special” or ‘Heel wat Besünners’ as they say in Ostfriesland.
“It’s not every day you buy such a big machine,” she enthused.
Following the handover, the Steenhoff crane operators received a technical briefing on the mobile crane. They were particularly impressed by the CCS crane control system, which is operated by an intuitive jog-dial button, as well as the boom configurator mode for optimal boom configuration. These features made it easier for them to work it the first time, which was just as well because the GMK5250L-1 went straight to Bremen from the Manitowoc factory for its first job, where it erected a Potain MDT 222 tower crane with 50 m jib — an easy task for the Grove all-terrain crane.
“We are proud that Steenhoff relies on our crane technology from Wilhelmshaven and that the GMK5250L-1 will make their fleet even stronger in the future. We are grateful for the trust they place in us and hope they continue to be busy,” said Holger Haber, area sales manager for Grove mobile cranes in Northern Germany and Scandinavia.
www.manitowoccranes.com
