When Grúas Ibarrondo decided in 2019 to buy the new Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane, there was no way of knowing that just one year later a global pandemic would break out. But despite all the challenges, the company believes that it was a wise decision to continue with its investment.
Ever since it first opened for business, Grúas Ibarrondo has remained true to its policy of continuously updating its fleet so as to keep it up with the state of the art. This is the only way it can achieve its objective of offering its customers the best possible service at all times in the form of a modern fleet.
This was also the main reason behind the investment in the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 all-terrain crane. Managing Director Mikel Ibarrondo explains: “Purchasing this new Liebherr mobile crane is another step towards cementing our competitive position in our markets. The 8-axle crane will be profitable for us thanks to its high technical development. And then there is also the fact that the concept behind the LTM 1650-8.1 is designed for sustainability in the form of its ECOdrive.”
With its wide range of equipment versions, the LTM 1650-8.1 is a flexible, versatile crane. “We can use the LTM 1650-8.1 for a wide range of jobs. This is essential for us as we operate in various, widely differing sectors, including public and private construction, industry, ports and wind farms”, Ibarrondo continues.
The ultimate machine on 8 axles
It is always a great challenge to be better than a predecessor, particularly as it had been such a massive success. The LTM 1650-8.1 is based on the same premises as its predecessor – high performance, but featuring the very latest crane technology. Depending on its equipment package, the new 8-axle crane is between 15 and 50 percent more powerful than the LTM 1500-8.1. That means it can also tackle challenging hosting work in the 700 tonne class. Technical developments have made this possible because the Liebherr plant in Ehingen has been working intensively on improvements and new developments in crane technology since the predecessor first went into production 20 years ago.
The LTM 1650-8.1 has also inherited two important concepts from the LTM 1500-8.1 – firstly, it is available with two telescopic boom lengths, 54 metres and 80 metres, and secondly, it features Y-guying which has been specially developed for telescopic booms. This increases lifting capacity and improves lateral stability significantly. Furthermore, the crane has a 91 metre luffing jib and a 62 metre fixed jib.
Grúas Ibarrondo has been placing its trust in Liebherr’s quality and service for many years. Mikel Ibarrondo comments: “Liebherr is a reliable, long term partner for us. That guarantees that we receive maximum quality and excellent after sales service, any time, any place. That is extremely valuable as our cranes sometimes have to operate in very demanding environments”.
The LTM 1650-8.1 completes the Grúas Ibarrondo fleet, which comprises 66 cranes, 41 of which were supplied by Liebherr. They cover almost the entire range of the LTM portfolio, from the LTM 1030-2.1 to the LTM 1750-9.1. The fleet also includes the 750 tonne LG 1750 lattice boom crane.
