Australia’s premier crane specialist, James Equipment, was recently on hand to deliver a fourth new Tadano crane to the Monadelphous operations in Western Australia.

Three 70 tonne Tadano GR-700EXL rough-terrain cranes have now taken up works in the Engineering Construction Division currently serving port upgrade works in Dampier, expansion works in Port Hedland and on a Nickel project in Townsville, Queensland.

Monadelphous has also taken delivery of a new Tadano GT-550E, a key replacement for the company’s Maintenance and Industrial Services Division in Western Australia. The 55 tonne hydraulic truck crane is currently based at Kalgoorlie serving a broad spectrum role in taxi work, short-term shutdown and minor construction support.

According to an official spokesperson for Monadelphous, steady company growth and a carefully considered crane assessment lead Monadelphous to the Tadano brand.

“Monadelphous’ selection of equipment is based on a number of factors which include machine capability, currency of technology used in the manufacture of model, capital cost, potential whole of life cost and supplier after sales support,” said Monadelphous spokesperson.

“Strong growth of Monadelphous’ engineering construction sector has necessitated sustained capital purchase including cranes and Tadano cranes were assessed against these criteria. The Tadano GR-700EXL machines are considered a good match to the site based construction work Monadelphous performs.”

In operation for over 30 years, Monadelphous has built an enviable reputation for efficiently delivering major multi-disciplinary construction projects, maintenance and industrial services for customers around Australia. Monadelphous’ commitment to efficiency and safety is reflected in the calibre of crane machinery chosen to work across 10 regional project locations Australia wide.

Having existing Tadano brand experience was beneficial to the decision making behind the recent crane acquisitions.

“Monadelphous has previously purchased only one other new Tadano product, a 50 tonne 1998 model TG-500E hydraulic truck crane,” said Monadelphous spokesperson. “This crane remains part of the Monadelphous fleet and is presently located at the Maintenance and Industrial Services Roxby Downs operation.”

“Monadelphous managers confirm that the GR-700EXL is a good quality product with a versatile chart. The fact that three cranes have been purchased testifies to confidence in the operational performance of the machines.”

Boasting a 70 tonne lifting capacity with a 44m fully extendable boom and 2-staged swing-around boom extension, the Tadano GR-700EXL is the flagship Tadano crane for all rough terrain applications. The crane carrier features a direct injection, 6 cylinder diesel engine delivering 750nm of torque, electronically controlled automatic transmission, selectable 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel hydraulic power-steering.

The Tadano GT-550E hydraulic truck crane continues to find favour with Australian crane operators for its remarkably low operating costs, compelling list of safety features and a top-end highway speed of 83km/h- an economic blessing when covering large distances between project sites. The GT-550E is also Euro 2 emission compliant and is widely regarded as the worlds’ premier hydraulic truck crane.

“Monadelphous has a growing relationship with James Equipment that has been underpinned by their performance and flexibility,” said Monadelphous spokesperson.

“The GT-550E was purchased to replace an existing machine and its presentation has provided an Asset focal point for the facility. The crane was exceptionally well presented by the manufacturer.”

Establishing a solid reputation over 15 years, James Equipment has a broad knowledge base of crane engineering and a large network of international suppliers to draw upon. Serving the crane industry right across Australia, Melbourne-based James Equipment has an excellent range of used cranes in stock from international manufacturers including Demag, Kato, Liebherr, and Kobelco.

For further information on this story contact:

Brendan James
Managing Director, James Equipment
Tel (03) 9369 6823
Fax (03) 9369 1777
Email info@jamesequipment.com.au