Tadano AC 45 City performs for Steel Giraffe

In deciding to expand his crane fleet, Steel Giraffe owner Stephen Kelly knew he needed a crane that was adaptable and capable of tackling a variety of projects. He needed a crane that was easy move on highways, had good capacity charts, including on rubber tires. The Demag AC 45 City crane checked all the boxes.

Steel Giraffe had never owned a Tadano or Demag mobile crane before. However, Kelly said the crane quickly exceeded expectations, both through its capabilities and its learning curve.

“Working a 114-foot radius with such a small foot-printed crane was quite an experience at first,” he said. “We would often pull

Steel Giraffe uses its AC 45 City crane to install yacht masts, move medical equipment, for bridge work and installing artwork, to name a few jobs. The company recently logged its 10,000th mile on the machine.

up to job sites and people would ask, ‘Is this crane going to reach?’ Customers are blown away with how compact the unit is, in contrast with the total system length we can stretch out to.”

Kelly described a long-reach job to replace the flag halyards at historic Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.

“Installing the double swing jib was fast and easy,” Kelly said. “On the other end of the spectrum, the crane can often be found loading or unloading 40-foot shipping containers weighing around 30,000 pounds.”

Kelly also praised the Demag AC 45 City crane’s fast setup.

“Setup and breakdown times are extremely short,” he said. “We often find ourselves on the same jobsite, but in different locations throughout the day. The City crane enables us to complete a lift and quickly move on to the next one.”

He said the ease of moving the crane allows them to perform three to four jobs in a day throughout Rhode Island.

“With a top speed of 50 mph, the City crane allows us to cover 100 percent of our state,” he said.

With its 3-axle steering with multiple modes, the City crane can fit in tight spaces, Kelly said.

“The differential locks have also come in handy a time or two,” he said. “Sometimes you just get stuck. But once engaged, the City crane always seems to climb out without issue.”

In their two years owning the crane, Steel Giraffe has used it in every imaginable setup: jib offsets, runner, runner with searcher hook and offset, extensive pick and carry duty, variable outriggers, reduced counterweight package. Kelly said that with the three different telescope modes, the crane configurations are virtually endless.

Kelly also shared other interesting projects Steel Giraffe has tackled with the Demag AC 45 City crane, including a super yacht mast installation, moving MRI medical equipment, bridge work, art installations, loading the America’s Cup boat onto the Antonov Cargo Carrier Aircraft, and small to medium modular home builds.