Ellis Crane Hire takes delivery of first Grove GMK3060 in the UK

Gloucester-based crane hire and contract lifting company, Ellis Crane Hire, currently operates a fleet of nine truck-mounted and all-terrain cranes, including the Grove GMK3055. Having been impressed by its predecessor, Ellis Crane Hire has recently purchased the new, higher-capacity, three-axle Grove GMK3060 – the first in the UK – as part of its ongoing fleet expansion. 

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With its enhanced duty chart and safety features, the all-terrain Grove GMK3060 is an ideal fit as the newest addition to the Ellis fleet. The 60 t capacity Grove crane is equally as popular as its predecessor with numerous HVAC companies, steel erectors, concrete contractors and arborists, to name a few.

“Demand for three-axle cranes has steadily increased over the last ten years, so capturing a greater portion of this key market was never a doubt for us in our decision to expand,” said Simon Ellis, owner of Ellis Crane Hire. “We studied similar machines from other manufacturers, but concluded that the GMK3055 had proven to be such a strong and reliable crane, it was the right decision to add another three-axle all-terrain Grove crane to our growing fleet.”

The Grove GMK3060 went straight to work lifting a 4 t purpose-built special needs pod into the back of a home extension in Gloucester. The crane was required to operate in a tight, 5 m roadway in a residential area. Ellis Crane Hire used heavy timber mats for the 6.2 m-wide outrigger spread in order to reduce pressure on the paved area. The final part of the lift at the back of the house had to be conducted ‘blind’ via radio-communicated instructions. All went according to plan and was completed without any disturbance.

Ellis has found that many construction sites in the UK are increasingly restricted. The compact design and all-wheel steering capabilities of Grove’s all-terrain cranes are a key feature for accessibility to the sites.

“Being able to rig and operate in fairly restricted areas helps to solve many of our customers’ lifting requirements,” continued Ellis.

Ellis Crane Hire has seen considerable growth since it was founded in 1982, and will also add a Grove GMK4080-1 to its fleet as part of a two-crane deal. With the longest boom in its class at 51 m, and the ability to carry 19.3 t of counterweight, it’s an ideal enhancement to the company’s fleet.

“When I started in the crane hire business 30 years ago, an 80 t crane seemed colossal,” said Ellis. “The Grove crane offering in this capacity was over 3 m longer than the current GMK4080-1. Thanks to developments in crane technology we’re now able to offer more compact machines in our fleet, not just with longer booms but with innovative steering and suspension capabilities. We’re dedicated to investing in our fleet to ensure that we’re up to date with the changing face of crane technology and to offer our customers a variety of modern equipment.”

The Grove GMK3060 is also the first crane in the Grove all-terrain range to feature Manitowoc’s new standardized Crane Control System (CCS), one of the most user-friendly interfaces on the market. The CCS hardware is a standardized set of highly reliable and well-tested components, including joysticks, control units and a jog dial, enabling highly intuitive crane control. The use of common components across Manitowoc product lines makes maintenance easier and improves fleet management for Manitowoc customers.

The software is also standardized and is directly attuned to Manitowoc Crane Care service software. The new GMK3060 also features a new Boom Configuration Mode, which operates through it. The boom optimization feature allows operators to input basic lift parameters, such as load, radius and load height, and the system automatically provides optimal boom options for performing the lift. This saves time at the job site and makes the set-up process much easier.