Types of cranes in Australia. Understanding the Difference Between Spider Cranes, Crawler Cranes and Pick & Carry Cranes

In the world of Australian construction and industry, choosing the right crane is critical to the efficiency and success of the project. This blog outlines types of cranes in Australia including Spider and crawler cranes, while similar in their purpose, are significantly different in design, functionality, and suitability for various environments. So what is the difference between Spider, Crawler Cranes and Pick and Carry Cranes?

What is a Spider Crane?

Spider cranes, known for their distinctive appearance with extendable ‘legs’ with a likeness to a spider’s legs, are compact and highly versatile. They are designed to operate in confined or restricted spaces where traditional cranes cannot access. This capability, together with their ability to stabilise on uneven surfaces, makes them ideal for indoor applications and limited access sites. Spider cranes, such as our SPT299, offer precision in lifting with impressive maximum capacities and working radius, navigating through tight areas to manoeuvre and place loads with accuracy.

What is a Crawler Crane?

Crawler cranes are robust machines running on tracks ranging from 10 tonnes to 300 tonnes. Unlike traditional cranes, they do not have outriggers; instead, they rely on substantial counterweights for stability and increased lifting capacity. This allows them to operate on a variety of ground conditions, providing reliable performance in heavy-duty lifting tasks. The absence of outriggers makes them more streamlined for projects where space is at a premium, ensuring that they deliver high performance while occupying less space on site.

What is a Pick & Carry Crane?

On the other hand, Pick and carry cranes , especially those from SPT Cranes, are significantly different from the conventional image of large-scale lifting machinery on tracks. These cranes are uniquely engineered to combine the mobility and stability of traditional crawler cranes with the versatile functionality of pick and carry operations. This fusion makes them perfectly suited for projects that require both the transportation and precise placement of loads within the same worksite.

SPT pick and carry crawler cranes, such as the SPT SG 80, and SG 900 are known not just for their ability to manoeuvre across difficult terrains but also for their pick and carry capacity, which is critical in many industrial and construction settings. Unlike larger crawler cranes designed for immense weights, SPT models are tailored to handle more moderate loads with exceptional ease and efficiency. The SG900, for example, excels with its ability to lift substantial weights and carry them over distances on site without the need for repositioning the crane itself. This capability is crucial for operations in compact and challenging environments where space is limited and versatility is key.

In the field of construction and material handling, selecting the right crane is important for the efficiency and success of a project. Spider and crawler cranes meet different functional needs due to their unique features.

Size and Mobility

• • Spider cranes are smaller and more agile than many other cranes, making them especially suited for working within confined spaces or inside buildings. Their compact design enables them to manoeuvre through narrow doorways and tight passages where larger equipment can’t. On the other hand, crawler cranes are equipped with a track-based movement system, which makes them ideal for larger and more open construction sites where space is less of a constraint.

Terrain Suitability

• • The design of crawler cranes with tracks allows them to perform exceptionally well on soft or uneven terrain, where they can maintain stability and mobility. Spider cranes, equipped with adjustable outriggers, also provide remarkable stability and can operate on both solid and moderately uneven surfaces. This adaptability makes spider cranes suitable for various on-site conditions.