GRT9165With 149 t (165 U.S. tons) of capacity and a 62.5 m (205-ft.), six-section, pinned boom, Manitowoc unveiled its latest and highest performing Grove rough-terrain crane yet.
The new GRT9165 made its debut last week during a media event in Pennsylvania along with several other new cranes, including the new Grove TMS500-2.
Manitowoc says the GRT9165 has the longest reach and highest capacity of any Grove rough-terrain crane, noting that its boom is 5 feet longer than the closest competing model.
Tip height on the new crane maxes at 91.2 m (299.1 ft.) and both manual and hydraulic extensions are available.
“The crane’s longer reach in particular will help lifters to bid for and complete more jobs with a single crane, increasing their capabilities,” says Manitowoc rough-terrain cranes product manager Paul Cutchall.
Lead engineer on the GRT9165, Aaron Woodruff, said a large focus during the development of this crane was improving transportability. “We’d always hear, ‘We like the 9130, we like the 9150, but they’re difficult to move, costly to move, especially in certain parts of the country,” he says.
Manitowoc engineers got the crane down to an overall height of only 3.8 m (148.5 inches), and added hydraulically removable counterweight and outrigger boxes and a hydro-gas suspension on the rear axle.
“The other big focus was to try and make it more user friendly,” Woodruff says. “It’s self-deployable. It can roll out on three trailers. You can drive it off the trailer, unload everything, mount the outrigger boxes, mount the counterweight all with the crane. You don’t need a helper crane. It can be a one person job depending on the regulations where you’re at. We tried to make it easier both for our factory people and for the end user.”
With all components removed, Manitowoc says the GRT9165 has an “easily roadable” gross vehicle weight of 116,000 pounds.
In addition to being a highly capable machine, Manitowoc says it focused on making the GRT9165 a comfortable machine to operate as well. Design of the new cab on the 9165 began even before development of the crane itself. The machine features an updated cab design with a cleaned up control scheme, a body that is 3 inches wider than other rough-terrain models, Manitowoc’s Crane Control System, and a three-camera display. The cab can tilt up to 20 degrees for increased visibility.
“We’ve heard tons of great feedback on the new cab. We’ve had guys that are 6’4, 6’5, 300 pounds sitting in here and say how awesome it is and how they have more room than before,” Woodruff says.
The new cab design is similar to the new cab on the new Manitowoc MLC100-1. The only differences are those inherent to the differences between crawler cranes and rough-terrain cranes. Woodruff says this new cab design will filter down throughout the entire Manitowoc lineup in the next few years.
Like other Grove GRT cranes, the GRT9165 is supported by Manitowoc’s extended warranty program. The program consists of a two-year standard warranty on newly ordered cranes with three optional tiers of total, extended coverage for three, four or five years.
TMS500-2 makes world debut
Grove TMS500-2After customer research showed demand for a 36 t (40 U.S.-ton) truck crane, that’s exactly what Manitowoc delivered in the new TMS500-2. The machine represents a re-entry to the 40-ton market for Manitowoc after a 12-year absence, says Carianne Rawlings, engineering manager and the project manager on the TMS500-2.
“The chassis is based on our new TMS9000-2 but has one less axle, and we’ve got the existing RT540 upper, so it’s a completely known boom and superstructure,” Rawlings says. “We’ve got a comparable load chart to our previous 40-ton crane but with a brand new drivetrain.”
Powered by a 350-horsepower Cummins ISL engine paired with an Eaton Ultrashift automated manual transmission, the company says the new model is a lightweight truck crane that offers quick setup and travel between jobsites and versatile taxi capabilities. The TMS500-2 is capable of highway travel speeds up to 70 miles per hour.
Rawlings says customer feedback on the new crane has been very positive.
“Before we got back into the market, the only option was Terex. And with no competition, they haven’t really updated their design in about 15 years,” Rawlings says. “So, the feedback has been really great. Customers want competition. It’s better for them because they get better technology, they get better pricing, so they were excited to see some competition and have an option outside of the one company dominating the market. We expect to see some lower prices from Terex to kind of beef up that competition but we’re ready for that.”
The crane can be configured with either a heavy or lightweight counterweight package. Manitowoc calls the TMS500-2 “perfect for housing jobs, steel erection and HVAC work.”
“For some of our city markets like Chicago where they have stricter weight and height requirements, that was the goal here, get them a crane they can take into the cities and just get an annual permit instead of daily or per job permits,” Rawlings says of the lightweight counterweight package.
Two four-section, full-power boom options will be available on the TMS500-2:
- 8.8 to 29 m (29 to 95 feet) with three quick-reeve Nylatron sheaves in its main boom nose
- 9.8 to 31 m (32 to 102 feet) with four quick-reeve Nylatron sheaves
An optional 7.9 to 13.7 m (26 to 45 feet) telescoping swingaway jib will be available for adding extra reach to the crane.
The crane shares the same single-person cab as the higher-capacity TMS9000-2. The cab features and upgrade console with an automotive-style gauge display and multi-function steering. The cab is designed for “maximum visibility” and features an improved HVAC system.
The crane is controlled through Manitowoc’s Crane Control System which includes a working range limiter, programmable function speeds and an ECO mode for saving fuel.
