Liebherr vs Manitowoc for tight urban jobs - Liebherr wins every time

Been running cranes in downtown Seattle for 8 years now (like, actual downtown, not the suburbs). Last month we had a job wedged between two buildings that were maybe 12 feet apart. My foreman wanted a Manitowoc 999 because that's what he grew up on. I pushed for a Liebherr LTM 1050. The Liebherr's telescoping boom and compact footprint let us set up without closing a whole block of traffic. The Manitowoc would've needed way more counterweight space. We got the steel up in 3 days instead of 5. Any of you guys had to fight over brand choices on a cramped site?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_rivera15d ago

Bro Liebherr is the goat for tight spots no question. Had a similar fight on a job in the tunnel district last fall. We were shoehorned between a parking garage and a hotel lobby, maybe 10 feet of clearance. My old timer super swore by a Manitowoc 777 but I talked him into an LTM 1060. The 777s swing radius alone would've taken out a whole side of the building. The Liebherr set up in a corner of the alley without blocking the street, had the boom up and running in under an hour. We finished two days ahead of schedule, just because we didn't have to fight with rigging and counterweight prep. Manitowocs are tanks but they're not meant for this urban nonsense. Liebherr just fits better in the real world.

keith26415d ago

Did you have to strip any counterweight to fit through that alley entrance?

noah_chen1715d ago

Hold up. Gotta disagree hard. The 777 is a beast for a reason. You got lucky on that tunnel district job. One tight spot doesn't make Liebherr the king. I've seen too many LTM 1060s get stuck in soft ground. Their outriggers sink like crazy. A 777 has that big footprint, spreads the weight way better. Plus parts are everywhere for a Manitowoc. Liebherr parts take a week to ship. You saved two days on setup? Losing a day waiting on a valve kills any savings. Tanks aren't pretty but they don't break down on you.