Manitowoc’s dealer for New Zealand, Tidd Ross Todd Ltd., has delivered the first Potain Igo MA 21 self-erecting crane into the country. While self-erecting cranes remain relatively uncommon in the country, one local contractor has found the Igo MA 21 to be a perfect solution in terms of mobility, suitability and worker welfare.
Richard Mackley, general manager of Arrowtown-based, The Builders.co.nz Ltd., said his company’s purchase of the crane was made after careful consideration, as it was not only the company’s first Igo M purchase, but also its first crane purchase of any kind.
“This was our first crane acquisition and we were researching the market for over a year before we took delivery of the Igo MA 21,” he said. “It’s something different for New Zealand, but it suits us well and so far the crane has been bringing more efficiency to our operations. The Igo MA 21 is easy and fast to erect and easy and fast to move from job to job. We didn’t want a cumbersome product. And it can be set-up easily on sloping ground, which is useful here in the Queenstown area. It will also improve the welfare of our team members as they are required to do less lifting now we have the Potain.”
The crane will be used by The Builders for a variety of commercial and residential developments around the Queenstown area. Its first job was on a private residence where it helped construct multiple buildings. Tasks for the crane included pouring concrete and assisting with backfilling as well as placing frames, trusses and steelwork, and handling pallets of timber and blocks.
Robert Carden, engineering director at Tidd Ross Todd Limited, said the Igo MA 21 was proving to be a worthy investment for The Builders.
“We’ve now sold 10 self-erecting cranes into New Zealand and the guys at The Builders have been very happy with their Igo MA 21,” he said. “Although still a niche product in New Zealand, the Igo MA 21 has a number of advantages in this country, and we’re currently awaiting delivery of another unit for our stock. Most importantly is its mobility. We fitted some specialized transportation axles to the Igo MA 21 for The Builders and that allowed us to ensure the crane meets local roading regulations, which was essential for the customer.”
Richard Mackley agreed that having Tidd Ross Todd handle the axle fitting was an ideal solution.
“Having TRT fit the crane on road axles was much easier for us and meant we could get to work right away,” he said.
The Igo MA 21 has a 1.8 t maximum capacity and a folding jib that extends up to 26 m. It can lift up to 800 kg at its jib end. Mobility for the crane is key and it can be towed behind a standard truck at speeds of up to 80 km/h. The crane is also very compact, with an on-site footprint of just 3.6 m x 3.6 m.
TRT is based in Hamilton with an additional branch in Auckland, and sells and supports a large range of Manitowoc brands, including Grove mobile cranes, Manitowoc crawler cranes and Potain tower cranes. The company also has a large engineering division that handles a variety of other work, including the design and manufacture of a range of specialized heavy transport trailers. The family-owned business was established in 1967 and today employs over 170 staff.