Nebraska Crane strengthened its fleet of cranes with the addition of Grove’s longest-reaching, highest-capacity rough-terrain (RT) crane: the GRT9165. The Kearney, Nebraska-based rental company has almost 95 per cent of its rough-terrain fleet with Grove cranes.

The new crane has been working non-stop since its arrival at Nebraska Crane’s facility in December last year, performing maintenance work on wind turbines in Iowa and, most recently, assisting with the construction of a large parking garage in Nebraska, where it is currently setting precast concrete panels.

“We are very pleased with the performance of our new GRT9165. Being a Grove product, it’s exactly what we expected: it’s superior to competitor’s machines. We expect excellence and they deliver it every time,” said Ty Noyes, Operations Manager at Nebraska Crane. “Its strong charts and boom length provide fantastic capabilities in the field. This job at the parking garage, for example, would traditionally be done with a small crawler crane. But we were able to do it with the GRT9165 at a lower cost while adding more flexibility to the job site, as we can move this compact rough-terrain crane around where we need it.”

With a 165 USt-capacity, the GRT9165 features class leading load charts and a 205 ft six-section, pinned boom — 5 ft longer than the closest competing model. It has been designed for easy transport, with a compact overall height of 12.4 ft. It also has a hydraulically removable counterweight system and outrigger boxes, both of which are fully self-rigging, which eliminates the need for an assist crane during set-up. The new three-axle carrier with hydro-gas suspension on the rear axles provides the ability to adjust the height for transportation, in addition to providing a comfortable ride.

“Operator comfort is an important factor for us. We really like the new cab design and how simple the crane is to run,” Noyes said. The GRT9165 also features Grove’s new, wider, full-vision cab with Crane Control System (CCS) for maximum operator comfort and intuitive and efficient operation.

Nebraska Crane’s rough-terrain rental fleet is deployed on job sites across the Midwest, and lately it has been largely used in the wind energy sector and commercial construction. As these cranes are often on the road, transportability and low cost of ownership — repair and parts availability — were crucial factors when purchasing the new machine.