With a 259.2-foot-long main boom, Tadano’s new five-axle AC 5.250L-2 all-terrain crane offers plenty of reach in a compact package for urban jobsites.
It has a maximum main boom extension of 98.4 feet, with all main boom extensions from 19 to 98.4 feet being self-erecting. The available maximum system length of 357.6 feet allows the crane to easily lift loads over obstacles and onto tall buildings or help assemble large tower cranes, Tadano says.
“Our AC 5.250L-2 is also top of the class when it comes to load moment, which at up to 736 metric tons is one of the best on the market,” said Peter Kleinhans, Tadano project manager. “This high load moment is achieved with a working radius of 23 feet, a 44.3-foot-long main boom and a load weight of 231,920 pounds.”
An optional heavy-lift attachment can handle loads up to 305,780 pounds on the short boom with additional sheaves.
Use as a Taxi Crane
Tadano says the AC 5.250L-2 is just as easy to transport as the AC 5.250-2 model it is based on. A 530-horsepower Mercedes-Benz engine with maximum torque of 1,917 pound-feet powers both models.
In Eco Mode, the engine only delivers as much power as the crane needs at any given time. Standard hill start-assist eases starting and maneuvering on inclines.
The crane with 10 x 6 drive can be moved on 16-inch steel wheels on public roads while remaining in compliance with the 26,500-pound axle load limit. With a 10 x 8 drive, it meets the 36,400-pound-per-axle limit. Both configurations can also carry additional equipment and gear and remain within the limits.
Easy Counterweight System
The AC 5.250L-2 can pick up its maximum counterweight of 176,400 pounds in three lifts: 109,300 pounds with a radius of up to 22.3 feet at a full radius of 360 degrees and two 33,500 pounds with a radius of up to 42.7 feet divided into 22,050 and 11,500 pounds for hanging on the right and left.
If required, the counterweight can also be divided into smaller pieces. For example, the 12,150-pound base plate can be picked up from up to 75.5 feet in a full radius. No part of the counterweight weighs more than 22,050 pounds, allowing smaller trucks to transport the weights if needed.
The crane’s IC-1 Plus crane control system determines the maximum load capacity of the crane in real time for each boom position, depending on the superstructure’s slewing angle. Tadano says this allows the crane to always use the maximum available capacity – especially when lifting over the outriggers. The outriggers can be extended asymmetrically in five positions of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent.
“Thanks to the standard IC-1 Plus crane control system, the possible radius can be increased considerably in certain areas of the slewing angle,” adds Kleinhans.
The IC-1 Plus system also includes a fuel-saving start/stop function that turns off the crane engine at the touch of a button without deactivating the control software.
Comfortable Cab
Tadano positioned all noise-emitting hydraulic components far from the upper cabin to keep things quiet.
Both cabs are spacious and designed with safety in mind. Access steps, attachment points for the driver’s safety equipment and a step that can be extended from the undercarriage allow for safe entry and exit to the upper cab.
The optional pendant light and a load view camera also ensure enhanced safety during operation. These can be mounted alternately on the boom head and the extensions so that one system can be used for all configurations, Tadano says.
When lifting over interfering edges with an extension, the optional repeater can be mounted on the boom head to ensure a wireless connection to the camera.
Surround-View Camera
The optional Surround View camera system uses six cameras to display the maximum possible extension widths of the outriggers at the crane’s current position onsite.
“With Tadano Surround View, the crane operator can see on a display in the cab exactly how he needs to position the crane on the construction site in order to extend all outriggers sufficiently and ensure the required slewing radius. This eliminates the need for tedious and time-consuming measuring and trial-and-error when searching for a location, so that the crane is ready for use more quickly,” says Kleinhans.
The system also displays the surroundings when turning for added safety.