Buckner buys LR 1750s for wind work

While the LR 1400 is a mainstay in wind farm development in the US, likely the next big hitter from the Liebherr brand will be the 825 ton capacity LR 1750, according to Doug Williams, president of Buckner HeavyLift.

“Realizing that at some point in the future a certain percentage of windmills will become higher and heavier than the current cranes can handle, we have taken a bold step and purchased two LR-1750s. “One is currently being utilized on a wind farm in the Midwest and the other is in transit from Germany,” said Williams. “This model has proven to be quite successful in the 'next' generation of wind mills throughout Europe.”

Williams said Buckner will be the only company in North America with the specialized LR-1750 “SLK” attachment which is designed specifically for windmill erection. This attachment consists of a folding main boom which allows the boom to roll up and hinge into the final main boom configuration, Williams explained, and the result is that extremely long booms can be erected without the need for derrick and ballast attachments to get the boom off the ground.

“The LR-1750 with the special SLK attachment can erect wind turbines at heights nearly 400 feet and weights in the 200,000 pound range,” Williams said. “Buckner's decision to purchase these cranes is somewhat forward thinking as the demand for this type windmill is still a year or more away.”