About Knuckle Boom Cranes
A knuckle boom crane has a main boom and an outer boom with a knuckle joint between them. They are often sold as truck-mounted units. The cranes’ knuckle joint lets the outer boom fold against the mast when not in use. This design is much more compact than a standard boom truck crane. Knuckle booms also weigh much less than standard booms.
Knuckle boom cranes are also known as “loader cranes,” “articulating cranes,” “picker cranes,” “lorry loaders,” “long-reach cranes,” and other names. Their articulated design lets them access low-clearance areas and tight spaces more easily than a telescopic boom crane. Besides hoisting heavy items on a hook, larger models can support a bucket or aerial work platform for jobs at height.
Fassi F330SE Knuckle Boom Crane
Mounted & Unmounted
Knuckle boom cranes are often mounted on trucks, such as Freightliner, International, Sterling, and Western Star models, with flatbeds or other types of truck bodies. The cranes are either rear-mounted or front-mounted behind the cab.
Knuckle boom cranes are also popular for use on trailers, boats, and ships due to their compact nature. Marine loader cranes are made with special coatings to protect them from saltwater spray.
You’ll also find unmounted knuckle boom cranes for sale, meaning that you are purchasing the crane only and will need to mount it on a truck, trailer, boat, or other vehicle or surface prior to operation.
Specifications
A knuckle boom crane lifts items using its hydraulic cylinders and perhaps a winch with a steel cable. Some manufacturers rate their cranes’ capacity as a lifting moment class in tonne-meters (metric ton-meters) or kilonewton-meters, such as 1.12 t-m (11 kN-m) for a very compact crane to 160 t-m for a heavy-duty model (1,570 kN-m).
Other knuckle booms are rated by their maximum hoist capacity, such as 2,200 to 88,200 pounds (998 to 40,007 kilograms). Knuckle boom trucks may have outriggers for more lift capacity, as well as to keep the truck stable and balanced during operation. Detachable counterweights also can increase the hoist capacity of these cranes.
Knuckle boom cranes are also rated by their outreach or horizontal reach, such as 8.9 to 135.5 feet (2.7 to 41.3 meters). Reach can be extended with a jib, depending on the model. Loader cranes may have a limited rotation arc or radius, such as 325 or 370 degrees, or they may be continuous rotation models with infinite slewing angles.
Available Features
Many knuckle boom cranes come with remote controls, so a user on the ground can wirelessly operate the crane from a safe position with a good view of the item to be hoisted. Manufacturers may equip the controls with assistance systems such as the ability to perform multiple boom movements with one joystick. An interesting technology is the Drive by Fassi system, which allows a Volvo truck with a Fassi knuckle boom crane to be driven around the worksite using the crane’s remote control.
Certain PALFINGER knuckle boom cranes support a powered fly jib with its own lifting capacity. Some models have stability control systems electronically connected to the vehicle, which take the positions of its outriggers into account. Various knuckle boom cranes have vibration-dampening systems to limit physical shocks to the carrier vehicle.
Find The Right Knuckle Boom Cranes
You’ll find new and used mounted and unmounted knuckle boom cranes for sale on CraneTrader.com from current and former manufacturers including Cormach, Effer, Fassi, Hiab, IMT, PALFINGER, PM, and others.
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