This guide contains:

Background on cranes
Important features of cranes
How to find the best crane for you

This short guide was created to help you understand the basics of cranes and to help you choose the right crane for you. We do not sell any cranes ourselves, so you can be confident that all of the information in this guide is unbiased and independent.

Background on Cranes
A crane is a tower or derrick equipped with cables and pulleysthat is used to lift and lower materials. Cranes are commonly used in the construction industry and in manufacturing heavy equipment.

Construction cranes are usually temporary structures, either fixed to the ground or mounted on a purpose-built vehicle. Cranes may either be controlled from an operator in a cab that travels with the crane, by a pushbutton pendant control station, or by infraredor radio control. Where a cab operator is employed, workers on the ground will communicate with the operator through a system of standardised hand-signals; an experienced crew can position loads with great precision using only these signals.

Crane Features and Functions
Tower crane - The tower crane is a modern form of balance crane. Fixed to the ground, tower cranes often give the best combination of height and lifting capacity and are used in the construction of tall buildings. To save space, the vertical part of the crane is often built in a well in the center of the building, which is then converted to an elevator shaft when the crane is dismantled. A horizontal boom is balanced asymmetrically across the top of the tower. Its short arm carries a counterweight of concrete blocks, and its long arm carries the lifting gear. The crane operator sits in a cabin at the top of the tower.

A tower crane is usually assembled by a telescopic crane of smaller lifting capacity but greater height, and in the case of tower cranes that have risen while constructing very tall skyscrapers a smaller crane will sometimes be lifted to the roof of the completed tower to dismantle the tower crane afterward.

Truck-mounted crane - A crane mounted on a rubber tired truck carrier which provides the mobility for the crane. Outriggers that extend horizontally and vertically are used to level and stabilize the crane for hoisting.

Rough terrain crane - A crane mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires that is designed for pick-and-carry operations and for off-road and "rough terrian" applications. Outriggers that extend horizontally and vertically are used to level and