ALL purchases LTM 1650-8.1

Making it’s debut at last year’s Bauma trade fair, the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 is the the successor to the LTM 1500-8.1, the best-selling large crane ever, according to Liebherr. The ALL Family of Companies has purchased an LTM 1650 which will join their existing fleet of five LTM 1500s next spring.

The Liebherr LTM 1650 offers a 770-ton capacity, exceeding its predecessor’s capacity by between 15 and 50 percent, depending on the equipment package selected. 

The LTM 1650 also offers greater flexibility of use thanks in part to technology inherent in VarioBallast, which provides high performance with a smaller ballast radius. This makes the machine ideally suited for the limited space on mill, refinery, or power plant sites. Ballast radius can be infinitely adjusted between 21 and 27.5 feet using a simple hydraulic slewing mechanism. The crane can set up close to buildings and obstructions while safely maintaining its swing.

“The 1650 will be able to go where a crane of this capacity could never go before,” said Hutton Strader, business development specialist, ALL. “In tight spaces, even with its back literally against a wall, it will still handle significant picks. It gives plant managers a new way of thinking about how they maintain equipment and where they can install bigger pieces. It opens up spaces never before possible, something lift engineers in all industries can be excited about.”

The LTM 1650 has two telescopic boom lengths (177 feet or 263 feet) with an easy change system. 

“Having the two boom lengths adds great flexibility for our customers,” said Strader. “We can use the long boom system when we need it, and use the short one when we don’t, which will reduce transport costs and setup time. The short boom configuration is also ideal for long-reach, up-and-over applications, providing additional luffing jib strength.

In addition to its obvious advantages for maintenance and installation work for mills and refineries, the LTM 1650 is also expected to find a home in the wind power industry.