“The concept behind Liebherr’s new mobile construction crane won me over completely straight away.” With these words, Björn Jatz, managing director of the crane service provider MSG Krandienst GmbH, comments on his decision to add one of the first MK 120-5.1E units to his fleet. The latest addition to Liebherr’s mobile construction crane family has now been in operation at MSG since September. Jatz’s verdict: “It’s been performing very well so far. We are absolutely delighted with the purchase.”
“I’d been eagerly awaiting the launch of a compact, five-axle mobile construction crane with these performance specifications,” explains Björn Jatz. “When the crane became available, we replaced our old MK110 with it, which had served us reliably for many years. We were convinced by the MK crane concept very early on and already had the MK 63, the MK 80 and the MK 88 in our fleet. We use the MK 120-5.1E primarily for installation work where long reach is required: air-conditioning units, ventilation systems, roof insulation and steel construction.”
“Three-stage stabilisation is extremely helpful”
Kevin Meier is sitting in the crane cab of the MK 120-5.1E on behalf of MSG. He, too, is extremely satisfied with his new piece of kit. “The machine has really become very comfortable,” he says. However, he particularly appreciates the new three-stage outrigger system: “It makes setting up the crane in confined spaces much easier and has already proved extremely helpful on several occasions.” At his current construction site in Lenzkirch, a small town in the Black Forest, he has ample space available . “Here I was able to fully extend all the outriggers, but I’ve also worked on sites where the outriggers were extended asymmetrically. Up to three different extension lengths for the sliding booms are possible.”
The job in Lenzkirch is routine for Kevin Meier. Using his mobile construction crane, he is installing trapezoidal sheets for the roof structure of a new steel-framed building. From the crane cab, which he has raised a few metres, he has a clear view of both the load and the fitters at all times. His verdict: “Very clear, very safe.” Meier carefully lifts the long sheets from the lorry and transports them in batches onto the hall roof. The loads weigh in at around 2.3 tonnes gross. The crane achieves reaches of up to 48 metres. “With full ballast and a reach of 52 metres, I can even lift over two tonnes with the crane.”
“Efficient ballast concept”
The MK 120-5.1 mobile construction crane carries most of its ballast – 4.8 tonnes – as standard. An additional three-tonne ballast package further improves its performance significantly. “The well-balanced counterweight concept – which, incidentally, I consider superior to that of the competition – combined with the lifting capacity and reach, simply makes the MK 120-5.1 a superb crane and, for me, was a decisive factor in my decision to purchase it, alongside the professional service provided by Liebherr Ehingen,” explains Jatz. “For us as operators, it is a very cost-efficient machine.”
Björn Jatz has been with the company since 2004 and has been managing it for ten years. MSG Krandienst GmbH, based in Kehl on the Upper Rhine, not far from the French city of Strasbourg, employs 175 staff together with its French subsidiary ‘MSG Levage sarl’. The fleet of 55 mobile cranes also includes four large cranes of the LTM 1650-8.1 and LTM 1750-9.1 types. Around 70 per cent of the fleet consists of Liebherr equipment. In addition to crane hire, the company is also very active in the field of project logistics.
